'Still an amazing accomplishment': Former Holy Name star Dwayne McClain looks back at Villanova's NCAA title 40 years ago
For the first time since 2008 and the second time in NCAA Division 1 men’s basketball tournament history, the Final Four will feature all No. 1 seeds.
In the current college basketball landscape, with the transfer portal and NIL, Worcester’s Dwayne McClain doesn’t think we’ll ever see another No. 8 seed win a national title, like his Villanova team memorably did in 1985.
“Our accomplishment is unfathomable in today’s era of college basketball,” said McClain, who checked in from his home in Jupiter, Florida. “A testament to that belief is that we now have all four top seeds in the Final Four. Where’s the fun in that?”
Tuesday marks the 40th (!) anniversary of Villanova’s monumental victory over mighty Georgetown in the ’85 NCAA Tournament championship game. The victory, which is still considered one of the greatest upsets in college basketball history, was the first of three NCAA titles for the Wildcats and a point of pride for McClain’s hometown and his high school alma mater, Holy Name.
“To think that it’s been 40 years since we captured the first basketball NCAA championship in Villanova history is still an amazing accomplishment,” said McClain, who was a senior on the team.
McClain scored a game-high 17 points in the Wildcats’ 66-64 triumph over their Big East Conference rival and No. 1 seed Hoyas at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
Villanova remains the lowest seed to win the tournament.
In the final, the Wildcats played what was widely regarded as “the perfect game,” while shooting 79% from the field. There was no shot clock or 3-point arc then. They overcame 17 turnovers.
McClain was one of three Wildcats to play all 40 minutes. He was 5 of 7 from the floor and 7 of 8 from the free-throw line. He missed one free throw the entire tournament.
At the end of the game, McClain, on his knees, caught an inbounds pass and clutched the ball as the final two seconds ticked off the clock, and Villanova celebrated knocking off the defending champs.
“Villanova has done it!” Brent Musburger proclaimed on the CBS broadcast.
Villanova lost its regular-season games to Georgetown that year, but both games were close (52-50 and 57-50), and the Wildcats felt that they were very familiar with their title-game opponent.
A third member of the Big East, St. John’s, also made the Final Four in 1985.
McClain, Georgetown’s Patrick Ewing and St. John’s Chris Mullin shared the cover of Sports Illustrated the week of the Final Four.
“The state of college basketball in the '80s was a lot different than it is today,” McClain said, “but I’m happy to have been a part of the Big East, which was the power conference of its day, and I’m happy that we captured the title in ’85 against the defending national champions, Georgetown, and my good friend, Patrick Ewing.”
During their senior year of high school, Ewing’s Cambridge Rindge & Latin team beat McClain’s Naps in the state semifinals.
A week after Villanova won the ’85 title, Holy Name honored McClain on “Dwayne McClain Day” in the school gymnasium.
McClain is the founder and CEO of McClain’s Mergers & Acquisitions, LLC, located in Jupiter. He was a second-round draft pick of the Indiana Pacers and played one season in the NBA before starring professionally for many years in Australia.
For three seasons, McClain assisted his former Villanova coach, Rollie Massimino, at Northwood University, a NAIA Division 2 program in West Palm Beach, Florida. Massimino passed away in 2017.
McClain remained very close to the Villanova program during Jay Wright’s tenure as coach. McClain was in attendance when the Wildcats won national titles in 2016 (an epic game against North Carolina) and 2018 (against Michigan), under Wright.
At the end of this season, Villanova fired coach Kyle Neptune, who succeeded Wright and failed to take the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament during his three seasons.
Over the weekend, Villanova hired Kevin Willard, the son of former Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard, as coach.
“With the success Villanova had under former coach Jay Wright,” McClain said, “I look forward to Kevin Willard getting us back to March Madness.”
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @JenTolandTG.