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Villanova fires coach Kyle Neptune after 3 years and no NCAA Tournament appearances, AP source says

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Villanova fires coach Kyle Neptune after 3 years and no NCAA Tournament appearances, AP source says
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Villanova fires coach Kyle Neptune after 3 years and no NCAA Tournament appearances, AP source says

2025-03-15 23:31 Last Updated At:23:41

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Villanova fired Kyle Neptune after a three-year run where he succeeded Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright and failed to ever make the NCAA Tournament, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press on Saturday.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the firing was not yet announced.

Neptune went 54-47 overall in three seasons with the Wildcats, including a 19-14 record this season. The Wildcats — who won two national championships under Wright — lost to UConn on Thursday night in a Big East Conference Tournament quarterfinal at Madison Square Garden.

It was the first major decision made by Eric Roedl, a Villanova alumnus hired earlier this season as the new athletic director.

Neptune felt the heat this season as the Wildcats — once a perennial Big East winner and national title contender — slid into mediocrity and out of national prominence. Not even regular-season wins over St. John’s and UConn could offset the overall lack of consistency in a season that also included losses to Columbia and Saint Joseph’s.

The 40-year-old Neptune served under Wright on the Villanova coaching staff before accepting the head coaching position at Fordham in 2021. Neptune went 16-16 in his lone season at Fordham.

Wright, who was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021, guided Villanova to titles in 2016 and 2018 and led the Wildcats to two other Final Four appearances. He went 520-197 in 21 seasons at the school and has remained a steady presence at Villanova games. Wright now works for CBS.

The Wildcats will miss the NCAA Tournament for a third straight season for the first time since Wright’s first three seasons more than 20 years ago. Wright was given the grace period Neptune was not in large part because this was no rebuild on the Main Line — the program boasted healthy NIL coffers and had the nation’s leading scorer this season in Eric Dixon.

Villanova could still play in the new College Basketball Crown tournament later this month in Las Vegas.

The program that once anchored its success on the Villanova Way — a mini-dynasty built on NBA-ready upperclassmen — has become discombobulated under the roster chaos born of NIL money and the transfer portal. The yearly roster turnover has done little to build the culture — where senior stars once taught the new kids the concept of Villanova basketball — that was once a championship hallmark under Wright.

Well-liked and respected by all in the program, Neptune had downplayed criticism throughout his tenure, insisting over the last two seasons as fan unrest grew around the tony Main Line campus he didn’t hear fans who booed him at times during pregame introductions or the horde that chanted “Fire Neptune!”

Wright floored Villanova when he retired at 60 years old weeks after leading the Wildcats to a Final Four in 2022. Neptune was hired the same month.

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UConn head coach Dan Hurley, right, hugs Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune after an NCAA college basketball game at the Big East basketball tournament Thursday, March 13, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

UConn head coach Dan Hurley, right, hugs Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune after an NCAA college basketball game at the Big East basketball tournament Thursday, March 13, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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Poole's 3-pointer with 2.1 second left gives Wizards a 126-123 win over the Nuggets

2025-03-16 11:59 Last Updated At:12:01

DENVER (AP) — Jordan Poole hit a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left to give the Washington Wizards a 126-123 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.

Poole finished with 19 points. Alex Sarr led the Wizards with a career-high 34 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 40 points and 13 rebounds.

Poole’s jumper with 44.1 seconds left gave the Wizards a 120-119 lead. After Russell Westbrook’s layup for Denver, Kyshawn George made a 3-pointer to again put the Wizards in front.

Jamal Murray’s jumper tied the game at 123 with 5.1 seconds left before Poole's 3-pointer for the win.

Wizards: Washington improved to 15-51 on the season, tied for the fewest wins in the league. Marcus Smart was a late scratch with an illness.

Nuggets: It was the 14th back-to-back of the season for the Nuggets, who beat the Lakers 131-126 on Friday night. ... The Nuggets had 44 points in the first quarter. That was the most for any Wizards’ opponent this season.

The game was tied at 95 going into the fourth quarter. Michael Porter Jr. made a step back jumper that put the Nuggets in front 105-104 with 8:18 left. It touched off a 9-0 run capped by Murray’s 3-pointer that made it 112-104. But the Wizards clawed back, tying the game at 116 on Sarr’s 3-pointer with 2:13 left.

At 19, Sarr is the youngest player in Wizards' history with a 30-plus-point game.

The Wizards will stay on the road at the Trail Blazers on Monday night.

Next on the schedule for the Nuggets is a trip to take on the Warriors on Monday night to tip off a four-game streak of road games.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr, center, dunks the ball for a basket between Denver Nuggets guards Christian Braun, left, and Jamal Murray in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr, center, dunks the ball for a basket between Denver Nuggets guards Christian Braun, left, and Jamal Murray in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson, right, passes the ball as Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets forward Peyton Watson, right, passes the ball as Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is congratulated after scoring a basket and drawing a foul in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic is congratulated after scoring a basket and drawing a foul in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) goes up for a shot as Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) goes up for a shot as Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr, center, drives to the basket between Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, and guard Jamal Murray in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr, center, drives to the basket between Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, and guard Jamal Murray in the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

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