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Opinion

A 1968 Villanova-Kansas meeting was Wildcats' launch pad

While many factors contributed to this blossoming, the biggest catalyst was a gifted 6-8 forward from an all-black high school in Sarasota, Fla., who arrived at Villanova in the fall of 1967. Howard Porter, the Daily News gushed at the time, was "the greatest front-court prospect in Big Five history."

Members of Villanova's 1971 NCAA finalist team, in 2009: Clarence Smith (from left), assistant coach Dan Dougherty; Tom Ingelsby, Mike Daly, and Ed Hastings, with a photo of Howard Porter.
Members of Villanova's 1971 NCAA finalist team, in 2009: Clarence Smith (from left), assistant coach Dan Dougherty; Tom Ingelsby, Mike Daly, and Ed Hastings, with a photo of Howard Porter.Read moreFile Photograph