Willard, the former Seton Hall coach, was booed at his send-off ahead of the Florida Sweet 16 game as Maryland fans became increasingly irritated with his recent comments and the perception that he was dissing the school in the middle of the NCAA Tournament.

Every step of Kevin Willard’s journey to Villanova from Maryland should be instructive and sobering. It should strip away any remaining sentimentality about the world of college basketball and how Villanova’s leaders view the Wildcats’ place in it.