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February 2005

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Honoring the 20th anniversary

    Former men’s basketball coach Rollie Massimino and the entire roster of the 1985 NCAA champion Wildcats returned to campus on the weekend of Jan. 14-16 and were honored in several ceremonies.

   The team was welcomed back to campus at the Connelly Center on Friday night with a reception in the Presidents’ Lounge. Following the reception, the group adjourned to the Cinema. A limited edition print by noted sports artist Dick Perez was unveiled that pays tribute to the ’85 champions, then a 53-minute DVD titled “A Family’s Legacy: The Stories behind Villanova’s 1985 NCAA Championship” was viewed for the first time.
 

   On Saturday, the championship team was introduced to the sellout crowd in the Pavilion at halftime of the Villanova-Georgetown game. Also, a jersey honoring the achievements of Massimino’s coaching career (1973-92) joined other Villanova greats was unveiled above the student section.

   The signature moment of the weekend came on Saturday night at the Hilton Philadelphia hotel, where a gala dinner took place. Among the speakers were University president Rev. Edmund J. Dobbin; Villanova Alumni Association President and ’85 team member Harold Jensen; 1985 Final Four Most Valuable Player and current assistant basketball coach Ed Pinckney and Massimino.
 

   “I’d like to thank everyone in this room because each of you contributed in some way to the success we enjoyed here,” Massimino told the audience that night.

   The limited edition prints are available for purchase through the Block V Club (877-434-1500) while copies of the DVD can be purchased through the online store at villanova.com.