Villanova relies on 'power of the pope' going into Rome doubleheader against Notre Dame

VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Kevin Willard and his family have vacationed in Italy often enough that the Villanova coach could probably get a side hustle as a tour guide.

The Catholic coach at the Augustinian university has marveled at the Sistine Chapel — named after Pope Sixtus IV, an art patron who oversaw the construction of the main papal chapel in the 15th century — and other sites he hoped his team could visit ahead of its season-opener in Italy on Sunday .

“If you've never been to the Vatican, you've never been to Rome, it's one of the most unbelievable experiences you could ever go to,” Willard said.

His favorite stop was the Pope Carriage Pavilion, the wing of the Vatican museum that houses centuries of popemobiles and other types of papal transport.

“It was just kind of cool to see the evolution from the early years to where they are now,” Willard said. “Each pope has a different kind of taste. It's the grandeur and some guys didn't have grandeur.”

College basketball is embracing grandeur with the Eternal City Tip-Off, a Villanova-Notre Dame doubleheader in Rome to cap a visit that includes an audience with the Wildcats’ most blessed alumnus : Pope Leo XIV.

The men's teams play first on Fox — the network is eliminating one of its NFL pregame shows to make room on the slate — and the women's game follows on FS1. Tip-off for the men’s game is at 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday and the women follow at noon.

College basketball has made strides over the last few years in trying to open the season with a bang and grab casual fans' attention well before March. That includes a wave of high-profile matchups such as Duke at Kansas in an exhibition game meant to whet the appetite for the Eternal City Tip-Off and other games like it.

Health permitting, the pope is scheduled to hold a private audience on Saturday with all four teams and their traveling fans. A total of about 7,000 people are expected in the Paul VI audience hall inside the Vatican.

“Yeah, it just makes it that much better,” Notre Dame point guard Braeden Smith said when asked about visiting the pope. “It’s a great opportunity for us. To be able to travel with your teammates is also a great opportunity and get make some new memories together."

A series of events in Italy includes everything from a welcome reception for fans, a basketball clinic for area children and a private mass celebrated by Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez.

“There's a balance because it's not like a summer tour,” Willard said. “It's still understanding that the season is in front of us. It's just too important of a trip and an experience not to give them the time and opportunity to go see stuff.”

The plans involving the pope were made before the 71-year-old Leo had the lower lobe of his right lung removed earlier this month and was diagnosed with lung cancer .

“I'm Catholic and I take my faith seriously,” Willard said. “If we were able to meet the leader of the Catholic Church, it's a pretty special experience. Even if I wasn't Catholic, I still think it would be an unbelievable experience.”

The men’s game will mark a Villanova debut on home soil for 7-foot-3 freshman center Luigi Suigo , a 19-year-old from Tradate, Varese who is a projected NBA draft lottery pick.

“The only thing I miss about home is my food,” Suigo said. “That's it. I like to be here.”

Villanova was picked to finish second in the Big East preseason women's poll . Coach Denise Dillon knows her Wildcats could use a helping hand in beating No. 13 Notre Dame beyond the play of guards Jasmine Bascoe and Kennedy Henry.

“We'll rely on the power of the pope,” Dillon said.

The Chicago-born pope said in a September trip on his plane that the “the voice of the people of God” will be cheering loudly for Villanova University.

“They tell me that the people coming to the match, 90% are Villanova and 10% Notre Dame, so the voice of the people of God will be very strong on the Villanova side,” Leo said .

Maybe that could explain some of the college basketball versions of a miracle that have crossed over to Villanova.

The 1985 Wildcats are still the lowest-seeded team — eighth — to ever win a national basketball championship. Was there help from above when Kris Jenkins sank his March Madness buzzer-beating 3-pointer to win the 2016 national title against North Carolina?

The Fighting Irish have won two women's championships (2001, 2018) but the men are still looking for an NCAA title.

Irish swingman Ethan Roberts said only a few schools would get the chance to play in Rome.

“I think it speaks to the brand ... who else would get this opportunity outside of a few schools, Notre Dame being one of them?" he said. "But it’s just so exciting, you know. Starting there is incredible.”

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