\V/ for \V/endetta?

Well, not really.

Although Villanova's 2009 Final Four opponent, North Carolina, represents a loaded memory to most Wildcat fans, none of the current Villanova players were around for the 2005 team's Sweet 16 loss to the eventual national champion Tarheels.

The 2005 loss is a particularly brutal memory for Villanova fans, because the game turned on a very questionable -- "phantom," even -- traveling violation on star Villanova shooting guard Allan Ray, just as he put in a basket that would have brought the 'Cats to within one point.

Instead of calling an "and-one" foul, as many fans expected, the official whistled Ray for traveling, thus ending the season of the upstart 2005 Sweet 16 Villanova team.

Then, as now, Villanova was a heavy underdog to what looked to be an unstoppable Carolina team, loaded with future professionals at nearly every position.

That didn't faze the 'Cats so much in 2005; let's hope the 2009 team can play with a similar swagger on Saturday.

The 2009 version of Villanova-North Carolina is scheduled for an 8:57 p.m. (EDT) game time on Saturday.

Video highlights of the 2005 game embedded below.

Villanova-American game time

The NCAA has just released the official bracket with game times (PDF).

Third-seeded Villanova plays its first-round game against 14-seed American at 7:20 p.m. (EDT) Thursday at the Wachovia Center.

This was an expected time slot for the Wildcats, because it made sense for the NCAA to slate 'Nova podmate UCLA 30 minutes following Villanova, at about 9:50 p.m. Eastern, or just before 7 p.m. in Los Angeles.

Connecticut, which shares the Wachovia Center with Villanova but is not in the same pod, will tip off 30 minutes after Philly's opening game Thursday, the 8-9 game between BYU and TAMU. Expect UConn to take the court at about 3 p.m.

Should Villanova win on Thursday, the Wildcats will face the winner of UCLA-VCU at either 1:05 p.m. or 3:35 p.m. on Saturday.