Villanova stars top championship with incredible celebration of faith
When the stars of Villanova’s national championship-winning team spoke to reporters following their 79-62 win over Michigan, one word kept being repeated over and over again — “blessed.”
Villanova defeated Michigan on Monday night to win its second national title in three seasons. And as noted by CBN News, many on the team were sure to acknowledge their blessings and the role played by their faith.
Guard Matt Kennedy, for example, said the whole season has been a “crazy ride,” but he’s using his faith to ensure that he stays grounded.
“I think faith has been a good driving force for that. In the grand scheme of things, this is an amazing event that we’re going to be remembered forever. But it’s still a basketball game, just keeping faith always in mind always helps us keep perspective and keeps us humble and hungry,” Kennedy said.
Forward Eric Paschall, who scored six points and had eight rebounds in the game, expressed similar sentiments, saying that he’s keeping his “faith high” in the wake of the victory
“Blessed. Just coming from where I come from, I always dreamed it. I’m keeping my faith high and making sure that we do all the right things,” Paschall said.
Prior to the game, Paschall talked about how his mother often texts him Bible verses to remind him to count his blesses and remain humble.
“It just keeps me level-headed you know,” Paschall said. “Just to know that there’s someone higher out there.”
Moreover, guard Omari Spellman, who had a team-high 11 rebounds in the win over Michigan, used some form of the word “blessed” three times in the span of a few seconds, before crediting God for all of his success.
“I understand that everything that happens that happens to me is a blessing, man,” Spellman stated. “And, I’m incredibly blessed to be here and, I can’t stress enough how blessed I am to be in the position that I am and that’s all a credit to God.”
Villanova’s recent success is due in large part to the team’s willingness to sacrifice, according to guard Phil Booth, who noted how grateful he was that his teammates are so unselfish.
“It feels great man. I mean we got another win. A lot of people don’t get one, but to get two,” said Booth. “It’s amazing, I’m just blessed to be around this great group of guys willing to sacrifice for the guy next to him.”
Of course, Villanova was not the only team in the Final Four where faith played a large role.
Most college basketball fans know about the remarkable story of Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt, a 98-year-old nun who predicted that God was on the side of this year’s Cinderella squad, Loyola-Chicago.
At Michigan, meanwhile, faith was also important, as seen in the story of Austin Hatch, a graduate assistant who has survived two plane crashes. The first crash robbed him of his mother, brother and sister, while the second, which took place after he committed to play basketball at Michigan, left him unable to walk for a time.
Hatch ended up regaining the use of his legs, and was even able to play at Michigan for a season.
Now, as a graduate assistant with the program, he inspires Michigan’s current roster with encouraging messages about Jesus Christ.
“The ultimate measure of a man is how he treats someone that can’t repay him, right. I think Jesus Christ knew. He did it for us,” Hatch said. “He knew we couldn’t do it for ourselves. We wouldn’t be able to achieve salvation on our own. And so he paid the ultimate price. Obviously, we’re all extremely grateful and it’s our responsibility to do our best to honor him.”
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