* 1971: The flowing mop of Villanova cheerleader Rudy Holleran, captured by N.B.C. during the Wildcats' near-upset of perennial champion U.C.L.A.

* 1978: Rory Sparrow driving through a group of confounded Indiana Hoosiers in the final seconds to cap a comeback from a 15-point deficit in a 61-60 upset of Bob Knight's well-drilled I.U. team en route to that year's Elite Eight before a wildly pro-Villanova crowd in Providence.

* 1983: Mike Mulquin's iron-man act, teaming with Ed Pinckney/Gary McLain/Dwayne McClain and friends helping the young Wildcats hold off favored Iowa 55-54, again making the Round of Eight, this time in a virtual road situation in Kansas City.

* 1985. Of course, people will forever remember the 78.6% shooting performance -- 22-for-28 from the field, including near-perfect 9-for-10 in the second half that brought 'Nova its first national title, with an emotionally draining 66-64 win over 9 1/2-point favorite Georgetown. But that special moment would never have been possible if Harold Jensen hadn't spotted just enough of an opening to slither behind Dayton's defense for the buzzer-beating game-winning layup that gave the 'Cats a 51-49 road victory. Literally. In U.D. Fieldhouse. Without that display of patience, there would be no 1985 National Champions banner hanging from The Pavilion's ski-lodge ceiling.

* 1988: Pat Enright, son of a former Illinois player, hits a three-pointer at the buzzer in Cincinnati to upset the Illini 66-63 in the second round. The 'Cats made it to the Elite 8 again and actually led a more-talented Oklahoma team 51-45 with 8 minutes left before Sooners coach Billy Tubbs' repeated screeching at referee Joe Forte to enforce the five second calls turned the game toward O.U.

Michael Jordan's bank shot with 12 seconds left to enable North Carolina to beat Georgetown in 1982, Keith Smart's baseline jumper at the final horn to win Knight his third N.C.A.A. title in 1987 and of course Christian Laettner's turn-around 30-foot heave at the buzzer that enabled Duke to beat Kentucky in Philadelphia will be forever etched in March Madness as well.

This year's Villanova team, rated #25 before the season, was expected to make the tournament and possibly the second week.

Villanova, though, has often been the BIG EAST's stepchild, lost behind the glitz of Connecticut's dominance, Syracuse's annoying east coast media-hyped glitz, plus the recent emergence of Pitt and Louisville and the popular teams du jour like Marquette or West Virginia.

Villanova? Cute little place that can be a dangerous opponent. One Los Angeles writer, after a U.C.L.A. loss at the Pavilion Feb. 9, 2002, was moved to call 'Nova a "Mid-major."

Tell that to Dana Kirk, bub. His Memphis Tigers were the only non-BIG EAST entry in the 1985 Final Four, said it best after the Wildcats bumped Memphis out of the tournament, 52-45: "If Villanova's Cinderella, then Cinderella wears combat boots!"

Indeed. After struggling mightily to get by feisty lower-mid major American, winning a skeptical Wachovia Center crowd over and turning the place into a Villanova lovefest in the process, the Wildcats then proceeded to knock off two of college basketball's biggest names -- U.C.L.A. (89-69) and Duke (77-54).

Finally a nation woke up and the electronic and print media became a virtual Villanova infomercial.

Which brings us to last Saturday night where top-seeded Pitt, which twice was rated No. 1 in both polls for valid reason, stood between Villanova and a destiny date in Detroit at the FInal Four.

"Pitt is a Final Four team," an appreciative 'Nova coach Jay Wright said after his 'Cats beat the Panthers 78-76 in one of the tournament's classics. "It's really a shame they cam't be in there..."

It had more twists and turns than a Verdi opera, more lyrical plays that would test the imagination of Red Smith, Grantland Rice, Jim Murray and Sandy Grady combined.

But it was also a game that will be written about again and again. And it will forever freeze the clock at :05.5 as Pitt's brilliant opportunism allowed it to erase a 76-72 deficit in the game's final seconds when Levance Fields sank two free throws with that much time left.

Overtime loomed huge over BankNorth Boston Garden as the shocked Villanova legions sat anticipating the worst. Pitt had forged the tie when 'Nova junior Reggie Redding, facing a five-second violation under his own basket, spotted -- he thought -- Dante Cunningham breaking free behind Sam Young on the opposing baseline, but Young was close enough to ensure a dicey struggle for the ball.

"It was one of those plays, you think you've got a chance, then," Cunningham recalled afterward. His voice trailed off at that point. The turnover produced a predictable disaster as Young fed Fields, who was fouled at midcourt and suddenly overtime loomed large.

"If we'd played overtime," Pitt's monstrous DaJuan Blair declared, "we'd have won."

But basketball is full of second opportunities, and the one presented Redding with the 5.5 seconds left belongs to the ages. Call it Redding to Cunningham (after a near five-second violation) ... to Reynolds.

"You have (time for) four dribbles and a shot," said Reynolds, who took a virtual handoff from Cunningham and flashed down the lane at warp speed. "That's five seconds. That's why we practice that every day so we can make an instinct play. We did that. It worked tonight. Only has to work once."

Once. The play will be on N.C.A.A. promotions and highlights for the next generation, count on it.

In the end, Reynolds, who can drive any Villanova fan crazy at times with his wildly creative dashes in and out of trouble, belonged to the ages.

And now, as Villanova looks the nation's most hyped team -- No, 1 North Carolina -- eyeball to eyeball Saturday night, perhaps the 'Cats will.

For once and for all.

PREDICTIONS...

As a '70 Villanova grad, the heart says the 'Cats will win. The mind wrestles mightily with the heart and unfortunately for its occupant, comes out on top. In another terrific game, North Carolina's vast talent supply barely holds off 'Nova, 77-74.

In the other semifinal, the chic pick is Connecticut, predicted to win the big bauble by nearly half of the fans polled.

Un-uh. Not this time. Yes, 7-feet, 3-inch Hasheem Thabeet is an Everestian obstacle. But Michigan State is playing not just for "Sparty" Saturday, but for a whole state, one with 12 percent unemployment, and 50,000 of the Spartans' best friends -- even some archrival Michigan fans included for one night. In an upset, Tom Izzo shows again why he's one of the two or three best coaches in the country as M.S.U. shocks UConn 66-65.

Championship. Would love the happy ending, but North Carolina already routed the Spartans once at this venue in the Big Ten-Atlantic Coast Conference Challenge in December. The Tar Heels are a little too strong and win 78-70.