If Ed Pinckney hadn't set foot on the floor at Rupp Arena in April, 1985, he might still be recalled as one of Villanova University's greatest big men ever. With those two games, it was a foregone conclusion.

The youngest of seven, Pinckney grew up in the Bronx, playing alongside future Georgetown guard Fred Brown as Stevenson won the 1979-80 PSAL championship. Invited to the Five Star summer camp in 1980, Pinckney played alongside a pair of rising seniors in Dwayne McClain and Gary McLain, who were considering Holy Cross and Villanova. According to author Frank Fitzpatrick, McLain did his best to sell Villanova to Pinckney.

"We can make something happen there," McLain said. "They're in this new super league, the Big East. The coach is this little fat dude who looks like [Danny DeVito]. I'll put the ball in your hands there. We'll all be stars."

McClain and McLain were headed to Villanova, except that Pinckney was ready to commit to Providence. According to Fitzpatrick, PC coach Gary Walters inexplicably told Pinckney he should go to Villanova instead.

"I was floored," Pinckney later recalled. "I never did find out why he advised me that way. But I took his advice." Providence's loss was Villanova's gain and the three arrived on the Main Line in the fall of 1981.

Pinckney started 27 games for the Wildcats as a forward alongside junior John Pinone. Coming off a triple overtime loss to Syracuse in the 1981 Big East Tournament final, Villanova stood near the top of the standings all season. Pinckney led the Cats in scoring in eight games as a freshman, and led in rebounding in 19 of them. Pinckney's 64 percent shooting in 1981-82 was just short of an NCAA freshman record, with a high of 23 versus Seton Hall in the Big East Tournament.

With an 11-3 conference mark, Villanova earned the #1 seed in the tournament and returned to the final, but again fell short, this time in a 72-54 loss to Georgetown. Advancing to the NCAA's, Pinckney rallied the Wildcats to an upset over Memphis State in the regional semifinal before Villanova fell to North Carolina 70-60 in the regional final. With a total of 30 rebounds in three games, Pinckney was named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament team, one of two freshmen nationwide so honored. The other one was Georgetown's Patrick Ewing.

Villanova was ranked in the AP Top 20 throughout Pinckney's sophomore season of 1982-83, ranked as high as #4 at one point. "We had such a great squad my sophomore year," Pinckney relayed in his autobiography. If that team played our '85 championship team, the 82-83 team would have won ten games of ten."

The Wildcats averaged over 50 percent shooting for the season--in fact, four of its five starters were 52 percent or better in Big East play. With win streaks of ten and seven games, respectively, the Wildcats rose to the top of the Big East standings. Pinckney got fewer shots in the rotation but still finished shooting 56 percent from the field and a 12.5 point, 9.7 rebound average, with a season high of 27 points and 22 rebounds at the Palestra versus Georgetown. Two weeks later the Cats upset #1 ranked North Carolina in Chapel Hill, 56-53, with Pinckney scoring 11 points and adding 11 rebounds in limited action.

The Wildcats again advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight in 1983, but came up short to Houston in the final college game of John Pinone and Stuart Granger. By 1984, this was Ed Pinckney's team, leading the team in scoring and rebounding, with season highs of 28 points and 15 rebounds versus Temple, 24 and 14 versus Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, and 20 and 16 versus the Orangemen in the Big East semifinal. Despite shooting 60 percent from the field, Pinckney was passed over on the first team All-Big East as the voters chose Providence forward Otis Thorpe instead. Pinckney made sure he would return to the top in 1985.

Pinckney led the Wildcats in scoring rebounds, steals, and blocks in 1984-85. He returned to the All-Big East first team in 1985 for a Villanova team, that despite finishing in third place in Big East play, was seen as only a distant threat to either #1-ranked Georgetown and #2 St. John's. But ever the opportunist, Rollie Massimino knew that if the Wildcats could get on a run in the NCAA tournament, "Easy Ed" could take them far.

The Wildcats almost missed their Final Four run, staggering past Dayton 51-49 in the first round, but Pinckney scored 20 to carry the day. He scored 14 as the Wildcats upset #1 seed Michigan 59-55, hitting 10 of 11 from the line. A week later versus Maryland, Pinckney had 16 points and 13 rebounds, as the Wildcats held Len Bias to 4 for 13 shooting in the Cats' 46-43 win. Returning to their third regional final in four years, Villanova held North Carolina to just 44 points in a 12 point win. The Wildcats returned to the Final Four for the first time since 1971 by allowing just 47 points per game.

Following Pinckney's 12 points and nine rebounds in a 52-45 semifinal win over Memphis State, Villanova faced off with Georgetown in the final. Massimino played up the underdog angle to anyone who would listen, fully realizing what most writers did not: Villanova had defeated Georgetown in each of the past two seasons, and came within two a month earlier. If Pinckney had a big game, the Cats would contend. Pinckney delivered with 16 points and seven rebounds in the 66-64 final.

The 10th overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft, Ed Pinckney played 12 years in the NBA, was an assistant coach at Villanova for four years, and an NBA assistant for another 12, mostly with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is currently a scout for the Houston Rockets.