Philly ranks top five when it comes to college hoops
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Philadelphia's No.5 ranking for college basketball may be due, in part, to the winning ways of Villanova, which last year won it all. (AP file photo)
Sunday’s announcement of what teams will play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball tournament has fans across the country on high alert.
According to a new survey, Philadelphia is one of the places where college ball is a big deal.
A wallethub.com study has found the home of the Big 5 — La Salle, Penn, Saint Joe’s, Temple and Villanova University — is in the top five when it comes to college basketball, said spokeswoman Jill Gonzalez.
“Out of the almost 300 cities we looked at, it ranked in the top five — right at No. 5, actually, second best when you look at large cities,” she said. “It was only beat out by LA.”
A lot of that acclaim is due to Villanova’s two national titles, she said, including the Wildcats’ stunning win last year.
“We’re seeing a bunch of championship wins, three all time from the NCAA tournament,” Gonzalez said. “Only about five cities can boast a number like that that or better.”
Philadelphia is also second in the number of Division 1 NCAA teams, according to the survey.
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