Lowry and Foye

Last Tuesday Kyle Lowry had a triple double and had a game-winning tip in at the buzzer in the 2nd overtime of the Grizzlies preseason game verses Houston. He had 21 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds. He missed almost all of last season after breaking his wrist during his 10th game. I think he will surprise a lot of people this year. Lowry and rookie Mike Conley Jr. should be a good combo because they are both really fast.


Randy Foye, another former Villanova Wildcat, is poised for a breakout season with the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. He had a solid rookie season, averaging 10 points and making the NBA all rookie first team. He'll be playing on a completely different team this year because of the Kevin Garnett trade. Ricky Davis and Mike James were also traded, which frees up plenty of playing time for Foye. He came off the bench last season, but will likely be the starting point guard this year. Minnesota has a very young team and Foye and Al Jefferson will be the leaders. They also have lottery pick Corey Brewer from Florida's national championship team.

Edit:
Just found out Foye injured his left knee and will be out several weeks.

Hoops Mania 07-08

Last night was Hoops Mania, the kick off to the 2007-2008 Villanova Basketball season. They have a scrimmage with one half of the team verses the other and also have special guest appearances. It started at 7:30 pm in the Pavilion, and the doors opened at 6:30. I got there around 6:30 and there was a long line to get in. I waited in line in the pouring rain, but didn't get in. They said the place was filled to capacity. I was pretty angry. As a senior this was my last Hoops Mania, and I was really looking forward to it. There's never been a crowd like that in previous years, so I was surprised I didn't get in even though I showed up an hour early.
On the bright side, the preseason coaches poll came out yesterday and Villanova is ranked #25 in the nation. I was surprised they made the top 25 after losing leading scorer and rebounder Curtis Sumpter. But they have 3 great freshmen: Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes, and Malcolm Grant. With the return of Big East Freshman of the Year Scottie Reynolds, I think this team will be really good and is deserving of the high ranking, but I'm just surprised that other people around the country realized it too. I would have preferred it if they came in under the radar, but we'll see how this young team handles these high expectations.