Weekly Player Evaluation: Shane Clark

Player: Shane Clark

2007-2008 Key Stats: 7.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 84.1 FT%

2007-2008 Review: Shane Clark probably had the most disappointing season of any Wildcat last year. He had a great start to the season scoring twenty-five points in the first game and scoring in double figures in five of the next eight contests. However, he had a drastic drop-off in production and playing time after that, failing to score in double figures for eighteen straight games. It was thought he might have been suffering from mono or some other kind of sickness, and he even sat out two games during that span. Shane rebounded somewhat towards the end of the season, finishing in double figures in four of the last seven games.

2008-2009 Preview: I have always been a Shane Clark fan, and I thought he could have been the next Curtis Sumpter because of his size, rebounding, and outside shooting. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I still think he can be a key contributor to the team. I really don’t know what to expect from Shane this season. If fully healthy and playing like he was at the beginning of last season, he may earn his starting job back. If not though, he can still be a valuable option off the bench.

New Highlight Video

Villanova Runnin' Wild
Created by: Sean Donovan
Song: Airbourne - "Runnin Wild"
Highlight Video of 2007-08 season, including post-season footage from the Big East and March Madness Tournaments.

Welcome Mouphtaou Yarou

I have no idea how to pronounce his name, but Mouphtaou Yarou has committed to Villanova. He is a highly touted recruit from the class of 2009, ranked #14 overall and #5 among power forwards. Yarou is 6'9, 210 lbs., and very athletic. He is originally from Benin in West Africa and now plays for Montrose Christian in Rockville, Maryland. He will be a teammate of fellow 2009 Villanova recruit Isaiah Armwood at Montrose Christian. Originally a soccer player, Yarou has only been playing basketball for about three years, yet he is very skilled for his size and experience. He may still be growing and is rumored to have grown two inches in less than a year after moving to America. Yarou could be the elite big man Villanova has been hoping for. He might end up being the prized recruit of an already impressive 2009 class consisting of Maalik Wayns, Isaiah Armwood, and Taylor King.

More info:
On Youtube
On Rivals
On DraftExpress
On ESPN

Weekly Player Evaluation: Frank Tchuisi

This is the start of a new feature where I will examine the performance of each player on the team last season and try to project what to expect from them this coming season. It will continue with one post each week, leading up to the 2008-2009 season. In no particular order Frank Tchuisi will be first.

Player: Frank Tchuisi

2007-2008 Key Stats: 1.4 minutes, 0.3 points, 0.7 rebounds, 0.1 blocks

2007-2008 Review: Tchuisi saw very limited minutes last season, playing mostly during garbage time of blow-out games. He was a leader who would get in the middle of the pre-game huddle to pump up the team.

2008-2009 Preview: I don’t expect Frank to see much of an increase in playing time this year. He will continue to be a leader on the bench. In his limited time on the floor, he has shown flashes of being an athletic shot-blocker. If he can improve some other areas of his game (ball handing, basketball IQ), Villanova could use him selectively as a defensive role player off the bench.

Coach Gunning to Rockets

Brett Gunning is leaving his associate head coach position at Villanova to become the director of player development with the NBA's Houston Rockets. In one sense it's sad to see Brett go because he was an integral part of Jay Wright's coaching staff and the team's success, but it's nice to see him continue to move on to bigger and better things. Gunning has been a part of Jay Wright's staff since his Hofstra days. Brett will have his hands full in Houston as there is already tension between Yao Ming and new teammate Ron Artest.

Up Close With Kyle Lowry

Here's a video interview of Kyle Lowry with HoopsWorld at Adidas Nations.