The fourth in a spring series of Nova Notebook features profiling members of the 2019-20 Wildcats zeroes in on senior Tim Saunders.
 
                Tim Saunders came to Villanova with a plan in 2017 after beginning his college experience at the University of Puget Sound.
 
                The first piece of that plan wrapped up earlier this week and will be celebrated with the rest of the Villanova Class of 2020 this Friday at its virtual Commencement exercise. Saunders – the only senior member of the Wildcats' 2019-20 roster – completed work on a Villanova School of Business Administration degree earlier this month.
 
                The second element of that construct centered on the game Saunders grew to love while growing up in San Diego. After three seasons as a walk-on – one as a practice player and the last two on the active roster – the product of Torrey Pines High School is more convinced than ever that he wants to pursue a career in basketball.
 
                "I've been in a really special position these last few years," says Saunders of his time as a non-scholarship student-athlete with the Wildcats. "I know it looks crazy from the outside. We put in all this work and then don't get into the game very often. But all of us in this position take pride in this program and making sure the culture remains strong.
 
                "Peyton Heck, Tom Leibig and Denny Grace taught me that. Henry Lowe and Pat Farrell taught it to them. And I've tried to show Kevin (Hoehn) the ropes too. It's been an incredible experience and that pride is something I'll always have with me."
 
                The last two months of Saunders' stint as a Villanova undergraduate have not gone according to anyone's plan due to the COVID-19 epidemic. As part of the Wildcats' game-planning, the walk-ons make many of their contributions far from the public eye. They must learn the plays and personnel of every opponent so that they can mimic them in the run-up to the next matchup.
 
                On the morning of March 12, Saunders and Hoehn – along with redshirt Eric Dixon – were fully up to speed on the tendencies of the DePaul Blue Demons, Villanova's scheduled opponent in a BIG EAST quarterfinal set for 7 p.m. at Madison Square Garden.
 
                "We were locked in on the scout and ready to go," Saunders states.
 
                However, as that Thursday morning wore on, news of what was happening in the sports world in the wake of the National Basketball Association's decision to halt its season was everywhere.
 
                "You saw that other conferences were cancelling their tournaments, so you knew it was a possibility," says Sunders. "But it still didn't feel real when it happened."
 
                By sundown, the NCAA Tournament had been cancelled too. Just like that, Saunders' college career was over.
 
                "At some point," he says, "you realize that you're never going to put that jersey on again. It's sad. But you also understand that this is a worldwide pandemic and in the big picture, that doesn't compare to the health and financial challenges people are facing."
 
                Saunders reflects on a 2019-20 campaign that saw the Wildcats claim a share of the BIG EAST regular season title (24-8 overall record, 13-5 in league action) with immense pride.
 
                "When you look back at where we were when we played Ohio State," Saunders states of a 76-51 defeat to the Buckeyes on Nov. 13, "to where we were at the end of the season, I think that says a lot. We never stopped improving and by the end, we were able to get tough road wins at Seton Hall and Georgetown."
 
                Over the last two summers, Saunders served an internship with Pro Capital Partners, a financial services firm.
 
                "I really enjoyed it and had the chance to meet a lot of great people," he says.
 
                Yet the experience wasn't enough to shift his focus away from a career in hoops.
 
                "There are quite a few former players who have transitioned to Wall Street and done very well," he notes. "For me, though, staying in basketball is my priority."
 
                Saunders is looking forward to commencement.
 
                "It's a little weird," he says of not being able to physically join with his fellow graduates in Villanova Stadium. "College graduation is one of those life moments that stand out for people.
 
                "The positive for me is that all of my family will be a part of this, within social distance protocols. That wasn't going to be possible under normal conditions with most of our family in California. So we'll celebrate here. It may not be ideal, but Villanova has done a great job of making this feel special for our class. I'm excited about it."
 
                As for what comes next, perhaps this may offer a clue.
 
                "One of the advantages to the quarantine is that there have been so many basketball games rerun on television," he says. "I've been watching a lot of those. It's been an opportunity for me to study and learn."
 
                Basketball doesn't seem likely to release its grip on this newest Villanova graduate any time soon.
               
                The 2019-20 Villanova Basketball season – the program's 100^th – is presented by Hartford Funds and Coca-Cola.