Happy Monday, Delco.

Selection Sunday came and went last night, and the Wildcats are in. For the first time since 2023, Villanova men's basketball has an NCAA Tournament bid — and we'll have more on what that means for this program, this fanbase, and this region in a moment.

Otherwise: 50s and sunny to open the week, with temperatures nudging toward the mid-50s by Wednesday. It's starting to feel like spring around here. Get outside.

In today's edition:

Three years is a long time in college basketball. Long enough to forget what it felt like to check the bracket Sunday night and see a familiar blue-and-white logo somewhere on it.

Last night, Villanova received an at-large bid to the 2026 NCAA Tournament — the Wildcats' first appearance since Jay Wright's final run in 2023. Head coach Kyle Neptune's squad finished the regular season 24-7, ranked third in the Big East. They lost to Georgetown in the conference tournament, 78-64, but the body of work was more than enough to earn a ticket.

The Wildcats are an 8-seed in the West Region, heading to San Diego to face 9-seed Utah State on Friday, March 20.

For a program that won back-to-back national championships in 2016 and 2018, a three-year absence from March Madness stung more than it probably should have. Neptune, in just his third year leading the program he once played for, has clearly turned a corner. The roster is young. The defense was elite. And now they're playing meaningful basketball in late March again — which is exactly what Villanova is supposed to do.

An 8-vs-9 game is as close to a coin flip as March Madness gets. Utah State finished 28-6 and is no pushover. But Nova has been battle-tested in the Big East all year, and San Diego isn't far for a fanbase that travels.

Villanova Athletics | Yahoo Sports

While the basketball world was watching Selection Sunday, Delco's girl swimmers were doing something worth pausing for.

At the PIAA Class 3A Swimming Championships last week, five Delaware County athletes reached the medal stand. Leading the way: Springfield's Addyson Despeaux, who earned silver, and Haverford's Caroline Whitney, who claimed bronze. Peterson also medaled, per the Delco Times — making it a full haul for a county that punches above its weight in the pool every year.

These aren't names that trend on social media. But they show up at 5 AM to practice, they compete against the best in Pennsylvania, and they bring home hardware. Worth knowing about.

Delco Times

We mentioned briefly in Friday's edition that the former Springfield Hospital building had sold for $1 million to KQT Aikens Partners. Now the new owners have something to say.

This week, KQT Aikens Partners shared the first public details on what they plan to do: actively market both the Springfield and Taylor (Ridley Park) buildings to attract an established healthcare system to operate them. The Springfield property has already been toured by prospective partners. No announcements yet — but the fact that someone bought these buildings, opened the doors, and is now talking publicly about bringing medicine back to them is meaningful.

Delaware County has lost enormous healthcare capacity since the Crozer Health collapse. The ChristianaCare micro-hospital coming to Aston in June will help. But getting full-service hospitals operational again in Springfield and Ridley Park is a longer road — and this is the first real sign someone is trying to walk it.

DELCO.Today | CBS Philadelphia

Most people in Delaware County have never heard of Dr. Anna Broomall. They should.

Born in 1847 and raised in what is now Brookhaven, Broomall became one of the first women to graduate from Woman's Medical College of Pennsylvania, at a time when medical schools routinely refused to admit women at all. She went on to become a professor at that same institution and established one of the first maternity wards in the country to offer clinical training for women doctors — training a generation of female physicians who would go on to practice medicine across the country.

The Delaware County Historical Society is spotlighting Broomall this month as part of Women's History Month, and it's a story that deserves the full read. A quiet revolutionary, from right here.

Delaware County Historical Society

🎵 Ardmore Music Hall — A Packed Week 23 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore. One of the best small venues in the region has a full calendar this week:

☘️ Donegal Diaspora Initiative — March 20–22, Springfield Country Club This is the one to circle this weekend. A first-of-its-kind gathering bringing Donegal-connected communities from Philadelphia, Boston, New York, London, Glasgow, and Dubai together in Delaware County for three days of business networking, Gaelic football, and live music. Friday evening is a cross-Atlantic business forum; Saturday at 9 AM is a 10-team Gaelic football tournament (men's and ladies'); and Saturday night is a music festival with local legends and international acts. Tickets on Eventbrite | connectdonegal.org

🌿 Longwood Gardens — Last Week of Winter Display The winter Conservatory display closes Sunday, March 22. Tropical palms, lush greenery, vibrant blooms — it's worth one last visit this week before they flip to spring. longwoodgardens.org

🎖️ Vietnam Veterans Sports Legends Exhibit Free and open to the public through April 14 at the Delaware County Historical Society. Honoring five Delco sports legends — Bill Carpenter, Ed Dougherty, John Cartwright, Bo Ryan, and Howard Starks — who served during the Vietnam era. A quiet, worthwhile exhibit for a weekday afternoon. padelcohistory.org

🗂️ Free Shredding in Haverford Township Haverford Township residents: free document shredding on Saturday, March 21, 8–11 AM at the Township Administrative Building parking lot, 1014 Darby Rd, Havertown. Stay in your vehicle, have materials accessible from the back seat or trunk, and use paper bags or boxes — no plastic bags. Residents only. havtwp.org