PHILADELPHIA (AP) The "UConn! UConn! UConn!" shouts grew louder as Villanova fans were hushed with their team trailing, the thousands of Huskies die-hards that traveled to Philadelphia injecting the back-and-forth game with that ol' heated Big East feel.

"One of the things that brought back memories was when you could hear the UConn contingent chanting in our arena like it was their arena," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "I forgot about that. They always travel well, they always bring people here."

Seven years after the two teams last played in Philly, the Wildcats got another reminder of just how rugged it gets to play the Huskies. The teams will be intertwined for more than a game next season when UConn rejoins the Big East, and while the rivalry will be renewed, the balance of power has shifted: 'Nova is the top dog in the Big East and the former perennial power Huskies are the ones looking up.