NEWARK, N.J. -- He had just scored 12 of his team's 14 last points, the final two inching a Villanova team that trailed by as many as 11 to within one of a wildly underrated Notre Dame team.

And again, here came Josh Hart. After corralling Villanova forward Eric Paschall's block of Steve Vasturia's jumper, Hart barreled down the court with the ball as well as a head of steam and a chance to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game. The senior captain got within a few feet of the basket and ... passed the ball.

Sound familiar?

Yes, eight months after Ryan Arcidiacono made The Pass to set up The Shot that won the national title, here was more of the same, with Hart giving up his own attempt at a bucket to set up the easier bucket for teammate Jalen Brunson.

Brunson scored the layup, and the top-ranked Wildcats held on to top Notre Dame 74-66 for their 16th consecutive win, dating all the way to that national championship run last March.

"It's about making the right play," Hart said. "If I'm just out there making buckets and they're taking away the buckets, then I'm not helping my team win. Up 20 or down 20, you have to make the right play. I always try to do that."

Hart made a lot of right plays against Notre Dame, scoring a career-high 37 points on 10-of-14 shooting and grabbing 11 rebounds. That makes him the first player since Antawn Jamison in 1998 to finish with at least 35 points and 10 boards and shoot better than 70 percent against a ranked team.

But Hart is doing a lot more than merely channeling his inner Arcidiacono.

He's playing like a Wooden Award winner.

And after this game, maybe other people finally will agree.

"He's as good as anybody I've seen," Notre Dame coach Mike Brey said. "Now I know I have a special spot for seniors, but he's just tough. Mentally and physically, he really drives that team and he's gotten better every year. He's a winner."

Josh Hart scored a career-high 37 points, leading Villanova to a comeback victory over Notre Dame in Newark, N.J. Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports

Nobody doubted he's a winner. In Hart's four years, Villanova has won 107 games and lost only eight. They merely questioned how good he is. He almost has been victimized by his team, failing to get his deserved recognition because the Wildcats so often were greeted with skepticism. From its too-early NCAA tournament exits (before last March) to its non-Power 5 league membership, Villanova has been derided for what it isn't instead of praised for what it is.

The trickle-down splashed on the Wildcats' players, and Hart epitomized the solid yet less sexy style of a team absent the freshman razzle-dazzle and obvious NBA talent that turns heads these days.

But with the title and a quick reclamation of the top spot in the national rankings, it's hard to write off Villanova anymore.

After this game, it ought to be equally difficult to pick apart Hart as the national player of the year.

That's leader, not just candidate.

Who is playing better right now? Duke junior Grayson Allen is not even the best player on his team. Washington freshman Markelle Fultz is lost in the abyss of a lousy team. Kentucky freshman Malik Monk has been very good but not spectacular.

UCLA freshman Lonzo Ball stands as the fiercest competition right now.

"I don't follow that stuff too closely, but he's as good as anybody in college basketball, I think," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "He's so complete. He wants to do whatever it takes to win a game and he has the ability to do it. He's as complete a player as we've ever had."

Hart showcased that wide range of skills not just by getting buckets, but by getting buckets in virtually every way a player can. During a second-half sprint when he practically willed the Wildcats into the lead, Hart hit two free throws, stole the ball and scored an and-1 on a coast-to-coast drive, drained a 3, hit a layup with a jump stop, and used a sweet spin move to inch himself into scoring position.

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What it lacked in the razzamatazz of 3-point Buddy Ball at Oklahoma last season, it made up for with Hoopin' Hart.

Sans Hart, the Wildcats would have been staring at a very short stay at No. 1. Absent him, his 19 first-half points and his 20 second-half minutes, and we're talking about how unexpectedly good Notre Dame is.

"When I came in as a freshman, I looked up to how hard he played," Nova sophomore guard Mikal Bridges said. "But it's the way his game has matured that really impresses me."

The fawning is unusual for Hart. He has spent the better part of his basketball career trying to get noticed. In high school, he played for Sidwell Friends Academy, which is known more for its roster of presidential children than its basketball roster. He didn't even start for two years at Villanova, and when he finally got the chance last season, he answered by leading the team in scoring.

And watching Jenkins launch the hero shot of a lifetime.

"I always think of myself as an underdog," Hart said. "I play with a chip on my shoulder, and I'm going to have that mentality until I stop lacing up my sneakers and retire. I'm just trying to be the best Josh Hart I can be, and I still have no idea how good I can be."

The rest of the college basketball world might finally be ready to answer that question.

Josh Hart is very good, like Wooden Award-winning good.