Nova News - Villanova Basketball Blog

8-Seed Stuns 9-Seed

2011-03-18T22:33:00.005-04:00

It felt like an upset. George Mason coach Jim Larranaga gave a rousing locker room speech to pep up his team before the game that could have been a scene from Hoosiers. However, his pre-game words were no match for Villanova. The Two Coreys combined for 24 points, playing in their potentially final collegiate game, and Larranaga’s Patriots trailed by as many as ten points. His undersized “underdogs” had no answer for Villanova’s 6’10 big man inside, Mouphtaou Yarou, who grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked 2 shots. George Mason took a six-point deficit into the locker room at halftime, when Jim Larranaga mustered up another epic locker room speech in front of the television cameras to inspire his troops and will them to victory.

There were no cameras in the Villanova locker room. We didn’t hear Jay Wright’s pre-game speech, but I’d imagine his halftime speech went something like this: “Alright guys, we have the lead, so let’s hope the score remains the same, and just try to run the clock down to zero. Take nine seconds to walk the ball across half-court, then play hot potato and pass the ball casually around the top of the key for another fifteen seconds. When the shot clock gets down to ten, Fisher or Wayns, one of you can dribble around frenetically then launch a contested fade away jumper at the buzzer. Got that? Good. Now repeat that for twenty minutes and hope for the best.”

Corey Fisher shot 2-7 in the second half. Corey Stokes, 1-8. Maalik Wayns, 0-4. Yarou grabbed just two rebounds. And they were all tough shots. This game wasn’t lost because Stokes missed a baseline jumper. It wasn’t lost because the referees missed a foul call on Maalik Wayns. Or because Luke Hancock hit a clutch 3-pointer. It was lost well before that because of the offensive game plan Jay Wright employed at the start of the second half. I was willing to forgive it in the previous games because of the gluttony of injuries Villanova had suffered; however, all week Jay maintained that his team was finally 100% healthy. And I believe him. Stokes, Fisher, and Yarou were in top form in the first half. If the team played 40 minutes like that, they would have cruised to an easy double-digit win. For whatever reason, Jay decided his best strategy was to try to shorten the game and run the clock down on each possession. I don’t understand it, you’re only making it tougher on yourself trying to score that way. The most frustrating thing is that Villanova did not lose this game because of great George Mason defense, or because the Patriots got lucky shooting the ball, or because Nova played poor defense, or even because the refs blew a call. Villanova lost because they failed miserably to execute on offense, and they have no one to blame but themselves.

Seniors Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes, and Antonio Pena had great careers at Villanova, making the NCAA Tournament every year and advancing to a Sweet Sixteen and a Final Four. I feel bad for them that it ended on a sour note, not just because they lost in the first round or because they lost six-straight games. I feel bad for them because they didn’t even get a chance to go down swinging. Like wise veterans, they did what their coach told them to do. Unfortunately, he held them back.

I’m not coming down hard on Jay Wright because I hate him and want him fired. I don’t. I love Jay, which makes this loss hurt all the more. I don’t know what he said at halftime, or what his logic behind the second half offensive strategy was. I do know that he is a better coach than he displayed. He’s proven as much through his impeccable track record over the past decade. I’m not sure what Jay needs to do to get his team to play 40 minutes of Villanova basketball in the future, but maybe he can start by watching sports movies and taking notes from the coaches’ locker room speeches. It worked for Larranaga.

2011 Tournament Preview

2011-03-15T13:01:00.008-04:00

Despite losing five in row, seven of their last nine, and ten of their last fifteen games, Villanova has made it into the NCAA Tournament. On top of that, they’re still a single-digit seed (9), and they don’t even have to play in one of the four new play-in games. Best of all, they drew an opponent, George Mason, that they’ve beaten twice in the past three years. This is great news, right?

Not so fast. George Mason (26-6, 16-2 CAA) is the exact type of mid-major team that always seems to give Villanova fits in the NCAA Tournament. One of the biggest reasons for Nova’s recent collapse has been their inability to defend the perimeter. (See: Notre Dame) So I wasn’t pleased to discover that six of Mason’s top seven scorers shoot over 34% from behind the arc, and three of them shoot over 40%. George Mason also has an experienced squad, full of upper classmen. Furthermore, those two victories over the Patriots did not come easy. In 2007-2008 they met in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando (You can read my recap of that game here). With contributions from Malcolm Grant and Casiem Drummond (really?), Nova held on to win that game 84-76. Last season, The Wildcats and Patriots met in a warm location again for another preseason tournament, the Puerto Rico Tip-Off (recap here). That game was even closer, with Nova needing a game-winning 3-pointer from Isaiah Armwood to pull out a 69-68 victory.

Villanova encountered two mid-major schools in las year’s Tournament. Nova needed overtime to beat Robert Morris (73-70), then they fell to St. Mary’s in the second round (75-68). The year before, Nova trailed by 10 at halftime and as many as 14 points to 14-seed American University, before pulling away for a 80-67 win. After that scare from a lowly mid-major school, Nova went on to trounce national powerhouses UCLA and Duke by 20+ points, then beat Pittsburgh to go to the Final Four where they lost to eventual National Champions North Carolina. I don’t know why, perhaps it traces back to the “Perfect Upset” of 1985, but Villanova usually feels more comfortable in the underdog role. Which leads to their difficulty against these small mid-major schools that they are always favored against. Villanova is technically the underdog this year in the 8/9 game versus George Mason. However, in terms of national recognition and historical success, Villanova is Goliath.

So can Villanova win this game? Yes, of course. Villanova could even beat #1-seed Ohio State in the second round, as well as just about any other team in the country when they play to their full potential. The question is will they beat George Mason? Or will they be at the top of their game? Here’s my quote from last year’s win over George Mason: “Corey Fisher got to the line 18 times and sank 14 of them, which helped make up for his poor 1-12 shooting effort from the field. To his credit, he kept driving to the basket, attacking George Mason defenders. Although he missed a lot of shots, I liked the fact that he was aggressive and drove to the basket, rather than just settling for jumpers.” The key to Villanova’s success is Corey Fisher, more specifically his health. If this week off has given Fisher enough time to fully recover from his knee injury, then he can finally get back to the way he normally plays, attacking the basket and getting to the free throw line. Villanova is 7-0 when Fisher attempts 8 or more free throws in a game. The last game Fisher attempted more than eight free throws in a game just so happens to be the last game Villanova won (DePaul). The problem is, as I wrote last week, Fisher’s knee tendentious has caused him to become a jump shooter.

Speaking of injuries, Villanova also needs Moupthtaou Yarou to recover from the hard fall he took in the Big East Tournament. George Mason has some talented 3-point shooters, but they are a small team and don’t have anybody that can guard Mouph inside. I truly believe it was the injuries that ravaged Villanova’s season, and it will be their health that determines Villanova’s fate in the NCAA Tournament. So if they do lose, don’t call for Jay Wright’s head; blame the injury gods.

The Waiting Game

2011-03-09T15:47:00.004-05:00

“I’m not even mad… That’s amazing.” That’s how Anchorman Ron Burgundy felt after his dog Baxter ate a whole wheel of cheese and pooped in the refrigerator. I feel the exact same way about Villanova’s late season collapse and their most recent one-point loss to South Florida. I just stared in shock at the way Nova played during that second half at Madison Square Garden. When Maalik Wayns’ potential buzzer beating shot rimmed off the basket, I wasn’t angry, it was more a feeling of awe and confusion. How did this Wildcats team, ranked nationally in the top-10 for much of the season, spiral out of control and end up on the bubble of the NCAA Tournament?

Villanova played like that top-10 team in the first half against the Bulls, taking a 16-point lead into halftime. However, the team that came out of that locker room was the one that has lost five games in a row and is continually finding new ways to lose each night. Some of it is bad luck, like the injury to Mouphtaou Yarou against the worst team possible, the tall athletic front court of South Florida. Or the knee tendentious that has been nagging Corey Fisher for a month. Or the hamstring and turf toe injuries that caused Corey Stokes to miss games. Or the back spasms that plagued Maalik Wayns. Or the knee injury back in January that Dominic Cheek hasn’t played the same since. These injuries are unfortunate, and there’s not a whole lot Jay Wright or anyone else can do about them. Injuries happen. It’s just a simple case of bad luck.

But then there’s the team’s inability to execute down the stretch of close games, which Jay Wright and his players absolutely can control. Villanova shot a perfect 20 for 20 from the free throw line until the final 48 seconds of the game, when they missed the front end of a 1-and-1 TWICE. Then there was the inbounds lob pass thrown up for grabs under the other team’s basket. Then there was the crater-sized opening left in the lane for Anthony Crater to drive to the basket for the winning layup. These are careless mistakes that well-coached, experienced teams should not make.

So where is that experience and leadership to take over at the end of these close games? Well that player is supposed to be preseason Wooden Award finalist, All-Big East 2nd Team player, senior guard and leading scorer, Corey Fisher. And he… WASN’T EVEN ON THE FLOOR FOR THE FINAL SEQUENCE OF THE GAME. This knee injury must be a lot worse than anybody thought it was, that Jay Wright wouldn’t trust his senior leader and all-around best player to get a defensive stop with the game on the line. Fisher put up decent enough stats (15 points, 3 assists), but watching him play, you can tell that something just wasn’t right. At first it simply appeared to be the case of a shooting slump, with 3-16, 1-10, 3-14 performances from the field over the past few games. Then the news came that Fisher was suffering from knee tendentious. But why should a knee injury affect his shooting stroke?

When you look closer, you’ll see that the injury has changed Fisher’s entire style of play. All season long, Fisher got to the free throw line about eight times per game, while taking about four 3-pointers. Over the past month, his free throw attempts and 3-point attempts per game have interchanged. Fisher’s bread and butter is driving to the basket and attacking defenders with his signature “Fisher Price” mid-air acrobatic moves. With the knee injury, he doesn’t have the athleticism to do that anymore, so he is settling for long jumpers, which has never been the strength of his game. Watching Fisher against USF, whenever he drove to the basket, he would dish the ball to avoid contact, rather than trying to draw a foul. The real issue isn’t that Fisher is missing so many 3-pointers (0-8, 0-8, 3-8, 1-8, 1-4), it’s that he’s being forced to attempt that many in the first place. Fisher has made just NINE free throws through this five-game losing streak, an amount that he would easily make in a single game earlier this season. It’s a shame Fisher’s injury had to happen now, when he was in the midst of a fantastic final season, but it’s time we exit the denial phase. Once we the fans, the team, the coaches, and Fisher himself acknowledge that this injury is significant and is having a negative impact on the team, we can begin to try to figure out how to overcome it.

Jay Wright’s system is designed around the point guard. It’s been described as the “take ‘em” offense. He relies on his point guards to run plays and create shots for themselves and others using the dribble drive. This worked great in 2006 when he had four great point guards (Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry, Allan Ray, and Mike Nardi), and the team went to the Elite 8. It can even work with just two great point guards (Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher), as we saw two years ago in the run to Final 4. And it worked earlier this season with the combination of Corey Fisher and Maalik Wayns. The problem is that now, with Fisher’s injury, the team really only has one and a half point guards, and that one is still just a sophomore. If Villanova does make the NCAA Tournament, Jay Wright will have to fundamentally change his offensive philosophy for the team to have any chance of winning a game. How do you do that?

You can start by taking some notes from the Notre Dame and South Florida playbooks and start setting screens for Corey Stokes on the perimeter. Both teams made an effort through set plays to get open looks for thier sharpshooters, Tim Abromaitis (9-13 3PT vs. Nova) and Shaun Noriega (6-12 3PT vs. Nova). Stokes made 3 of 6 from downtown and scored 16 points in the first half against USF. As Justin Timberlake would say, “Six 3-pointers isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? Twelve 3-pointers.” If Jay Wright can figure out a way to get Stokes twelve shots a game from behind the arc, he will likely make at least half of them. Guess how many shots Stokes got off in that atrocious second half collapse against South Florida… ONE… And he missed it. And you wonder why Nova made only four field goals and zero 3-pointers in the second half of that game. With Fisher banged up and Wayns inexperienced, the offense needs to center around the best shooter on the team, Corey Stokes. The good news is Jay Wright has over a week to adjust his system in preparation for the NCAA Tournament, if they are lucky enough to earn a bid.

Which brings us to the ultimate question… Will Villanova make the Big Dance? Fortunately for now, most experts say yes. Nova’s body of work is impressive enough, though losing their last five games will certainly hurt their seeding. Heck, even St. Joe’s alum and ESPN Bracketologist Joe Lunardi has the Wildcats still in the Dance, albeit as an 11-seed. Nova appears to be safe for now, but with conference tournaments running throughout the country, you never know what upsets may loom. For now, it’s the waiting game. Villanova will have to sit in anticipation to hear if their name is called on Selection Sunday, and who knows, maybe that will be just enough time for Yarou's face and ribs, Stokes' hamstring and toe, Cheek's knee, Wayns' back, and Fisher's knee to heal. One could hope.

Not Winning

2011-03-07T16:20:00.002-05:00

Villanova ended their regular season on a sour note, losing their fourth-straight game to Pittsburgh, 60-50. They finished 10th in the Big East and now find themselves in the unanticipated position of having to play in the first round of the Big East Tournament on Tuesday. The Wildcats have also fallen out of the Top-25 for the first time this season. I hate to make excuses, but-- wait that’s not true, I love making excuses. Here they are:

1. Injuries
Corey Stokes was unavailable for three of Villanova’s losses, including the end of the Rutgers collapse that started this whole mess. Both of Villanova’s losses to Pitt, the Big East’s number one team, were close despite Stokes’ absence. If Stokes was healthy, I think Nova could have at least beaten the Panthers at the Pavilion and who knows what else.

Stokes is vital to this team’s success; however, the knee tendinitis that Corey Fisher has been battling for the past month or so is a more alarming injury. Even though it hasn’t caused him to miss any games, it certainly has effected Fisher’s play. I assumed he was simply going through a bad shooting slump, but an injury makes more sense. Fisher is too good to be having multiple 0-8 games from behind the arc. In hindsight it may have been a better idea for him to sit for a few of those games, but let’s just hope he’s healthy enough going forward.

2. The whole season counts.
We've seen how good this team can be. Don’t forget Villanova had an 11-game winning streak this season, as well as wins over UCLA, Temple, Louisville, Maryland, and Syracuse. Nova should still be a safe bet for the Big Dance, and as long as your at the party, anything can happen on the dance floor.

3. Brutal Schedule
Yeah, four straight losses sounds horrible on paper, but all four were against teams ranked in the Top-25. Meanwhile, teams like BYU and San Diego State go through most of their season without playing any ranked teams besides each other. Aside from that first half against Notre Dame, which I have erased from my memory, Nova has been in every single game this season, which should count for something.

4. One win is all you need...
As DePaul nearly proved, no win is guaranteed in the Big East, but let’s just say Villanova has a good shot at ending their losing streak against the 3-15 Bulls of South Florida. Losing four games in a row can destroy a team’s confidence, but even just one win before the NCAA Tournament might be enough to restore it.

5. Jay Wright’s Secret Weapon
No, not Maalik Wayns (27 points (6-12 3PT vs. Pitt), I’m talking about the Siberian tigers Jay Wright stole from the Philadelphia Zoo. Tiger blood might be just the thing this team needs to start WINNING again.

Righting the Ship

2011-03-02T17:54:00.004-05:00

Villanova is in an apparent Charlie Sheen-like nosedive. They have lost three in a row and five of their last seven, all culminating in the 21-point loss to Notre Dame on Monday night. With only one regular season game left, you can look back and criticize the team for all of their shortcomings over these past few weeks, or you can look ahead and try to figure out what the team needs to do to right the ship before Tournament time. I choose the latter.

Corey Fisher: Forget about the 3-16 FG, 0-8 3PT game vs. Syracuse and the 1-10 FG, 0-8 3PT game vs. St. John’s. It’s in the past. Fisher is still the best player on the team, and in most games he’s the best player on the floor. He needs to remember that and play like he did in the second half of the Notre Dame game when he scored 17 points in 17 minutes. This is Corey Fisher’s team. He’s a senior. It’s now or never.

Corey Stokes: Well, Stokes doesn’t need to change anything offensively; he's made 14 of 26 threes and scored 53 points since his return from injury. He just needs to stay healthy.

Mouphtaou Yarou: Mouph has only attempted 8 field goals total over the past 3 games, after averaging about 8 field goal attempts per game for most of the season. The guards need to get the ball to Yarou in the low post more often. Most teams don’t have anybody that can stop him one-on-one. Feed the big man!

Maalik Wayns: At times he is unstoppable on offense, but Wayns can also kill the team with poor shot selection and careless turnovers. He’s still young, and eventually he will put it all together. However, for now, it’s probably best for Fisher to handle the point guard duties full-time until he hands the keys to the offense over to Wayns next year.

Antonio Pena: Okay, he had a hot streak for a few games in the middle of the season, but Pena is not a jumpshooter. I’m tired of seeing him shoot from the worst spot on the floor, just inside the arc. Either take a step back for the three or take the ball inside.

Dominic Cheek: He finally scored in double figures with 11 points against St. John’s, but it didn’t result in a win. Cheek is talented and full of potential, but he just needs to be smarter with his shot selection. For example, on one possession against Notre Dame he passed up an open three, to take a couple dribbles and chuck up a long contested fade-away 2-pointer.

Isaiah Armood: At this point in his career, Armwood is purely a hustle and energy player. He needs to watch some Dwayne Anderson game tape. Whenever he is on the floor, Armwood needs to play tenacious defense, chase down every rebound, and dive after any loose ball.

James Bell: He’s displayed a nice shooting stroke, but as the eighth man, Bell needs to step up his defensive game if he wants to get more playing time.

Jay Wright: Coach needs to do something about this team’s perimeter defense. 13 threes to DePaul, 10 to St. John’s, 20 to Notre Dame!? I can understand the Irish running some picks and getting hot from the outside early in the game, but how were Abromaitis and Hansbrough still getting wide open looks in the second half? There’s a hole in this defense, and Jay needs to fix it fast before the entire ship sinks.

Battling Orange and Blue Demons

2011-02-22T17:14:00.010-05:00

Villanova is 2-3 in their past five games, and the two wins easily could have been losses. It may not seem like a time to celebrate, but let’s try to lift the spirits of Nova Nation with an NBA All-Star Weekend edition of Nova Awards.

The Bill Simmons Award for Humbling Victory for a Coach
Bill Simmons, the inventor of the awards shtick, was the coach of the East team in the Celebrity All-Star game. They won, but how proud can you be about defeating a West team led by Justin Bieber? Jay Wright’s Villanova team had a thrilling two-point victory over DePaul, but the fact that they needed overtime to beat the worst team in the Big East (1-13) is a bit humbling.

The Black Mamba Award for MVP

Corey Fisher had a Kobe Bryant-like performance in the win over DePaul: a career-high 34 points, a clutch 3-pointer to send the game to overtime, and perhaps the biggest similarity to Kobe, his one assist. Kobe has proven that Black Mambas have their good sides (37 points for All-Star MVP, 81 points in a game) and their bad sides (6-24 FG, 0-6 3PT in game 7 of the Finals last year). The same goes for Fisher, who has had his share of good games (105 points over the summer) and bad, the worst of which happened to come against Syracuse (3-16 FG, 0-8 3PT). The main difference is the Lakers won that game 7, while Nova lost to Syracuse.

The MVP of the Syracuse game was Scoop Jardine, who also has aspects of both the good and bad “Black Mamba”. Scoop had 20 points (7-11 FG) and 6 assists in the win over Nova, after having just 2 points (1-8 FG) and 3 assists in their first meeting back at the Carrier Dome.

The LeBron James Triple-Double Award for Best Performance in a Loss
LeBron joined Michael Jordan as the only player in NBA All-Star Game history to record a triple-double with 29 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists, but his East team lost the game 148-143. Corey Stokes reminded us what he does best in his return after missing three games with a turf toe injury. Stokes scored a game-high 24 points and was the only Nova player to make a 3-pointer. He hit 5 of 10, while the rest of the team was 0 for 16.

The James Jones Award for Best 3-Point Shooter
The way Jeremiah Kelly shot the ball against Nova, it seemed like he was shooting uncontested threes from a rack. He was the big reason DePaul nearly upset Villanova, making 7 of 13 three-pointers to score 25 points in the overtime loss.

The JaVale McGee Award for Big Man That Can Dunk

He didn’t dunk three balls or on two baskets at the same time, but Rick Jackson finished a handful of alley-oop dunks against Nova. He was nearly perfect from the field (8-9), which is easy when all your shots are dunks, scoring 18 points for the Orange.

The Rookie Challenge Award for Disappointing Sophomores
The Rookies upended the Sophomores 148-140 this year, but it’s a game that doesn’t really matter. However, these past few games for Villanova do matter, and their talented sophomore class has been underperforming. Dominic Cheek has been in a funk ever since his knee injury back in mid-January. Maalik Wayns has fallen into an every other game pattern for good/bad performances over the past six games. His point totals over that span: 17, 4, 13, 5, 17, 4. Likewise, Mouphtaou Yarou had a big game against DePaul (12 points and 15 rebounds), but he was shut down by Syracuse (5 points and 3 rebounds). The most impressive sophomore in the Rookie Challenge was DeJuan Blair (28 points and 15 rebounds), who was an lowly 2nd-round draft pick. The least heralded Nova sophomore also came up big in the loss to Syracuse. Isaiah Armwood had a double-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and he added 3 blocks. He may not be very skilled offensively, but I like his intensity on the boards and on defense.

The Blake Griffin Dunk Over a Kia Award for Blatant Advertising
Just when you thought sneakers, jerseys, shorts, socks, warm-up suits, and headbands were enough, Nike found another place to put their swoosh logo… on Jim Boeheim’s glasses!? What’s next, Nike starts tailoring designer suits for Jay Wright?

From Pitt Fall to Beating Hall

2011-02-17T09:25:00.006-05:00

Villanova came dangerously close to losing their third-straight game Tuesday night against the Seton Hall Pirates. Last Saturday the Wildcats lost a close hard-fought game (57-54) to Pittsburgh, one of the best teams in the country, which is nothing to hang your head about even though the 46-game Pavilion winning streak came to an end. Ironically, Nova’s win over the Pirates was the more disappointing performance over the past two games. The team’s late-game ineptitude was reminiscent of the Rutgers collapse. Villanova led most of the game against Seton Hall and were up 7 points with 5 minutes to play. However, from that point on, they stopped attacking on offense and "played not to lose" instead of "playing to win". They ran the clock down on each offensive possession, which resulted in rushed turnovers or poor shots trying to beat the buzzer. Jay Wright’s team is at their best when playing at an up-tempo pace and remaining aggressive on offense. Maybe it’s just something about playing in New Jersey and the close proximity to the cast of MTV’s Jersey Shore that makes them lose their minds.

Corey Fisher has been playing fantastic as always, but the problem is he hasn’t been playing enough. He fouled out early against Pitt when the team could have used him on that final possession with a chance to tie the game. Then Fisher was forced to sit on the bench with 4 fouls late in the Seton Hall game. You want him to stay aggressive on offense and defense, but he is the best player on the team and needs to be on the floor when it matters.

Antonio Pena is getting a little too trigger happy with that mid-range jumper. He’s much improved in that department, but he’s not quite as automatic as Dante Cunningham was.
P.S. Dante out-double-doubled Kevin Love against the Timberwolves last Monday, (18 points and 13 rebounds for Cunningham vs. 12 points and 11 rebounds for Love) so I guess that scientifically proves he's a better player.

Maalik Wayns has fallen back into a shooting slump these past few games: 0-6 FG vs. Rutgers, 4-12 FG vs. Pitt, 2-7 FG vs. Seton Hall. Then when he does make a 3-pointer, it’s too late. However, Wayns’ bigger slump has been his ball-handling. He has 13 turnovers in past three games, including an almost-fatal 6 against Seton Hall. He’s one of the fastest players in college basketball, but speed kills, and sometimes he gets out of control.

James Bell stepped up big-time against Seton Hall in the absence of Corey Stokes. 21 points, 7-9 FG, 4-6 3PT, 3-3 FT. Was he wearing a Bayside Tigers shirt under his jersey? Did he make a call on a foot-long cell phone from the bench? Yep, I guess you can say Villanova was “Saved by the Bell”.

Mouphtaou Yarou had a huge game in the loss to Pitt with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks, despite the fact that he missed a wide open dunk. Mouph looked like he was on his way to another big game against Seton Hall after scoring 8 points in the first half, but he was scoreless in just 7 second half minutes.

Isaiah Armwood didn’t shoot any field goals against Pittsburgh, but he did hit one shot, the one to Nasir Robinson’s face. I don’t know whether or not it was intentional, but I kind of hope it was because Robinson deserved it. He’s just another name in a long tradition of dirty Panther players… *cough*cough* Carl Krauser.

Dominic Cheek is the player I thought would step up to fill the shoes of the injured Stokes, but instead Cheek shot 1-7 and 0-5 in the past two games. He hasn’t scored in double figures since January 6, two games before his knee injury. His rebounding numbers have been fine since then, so I don’t know why his shot is so off.

Even with Villanova down a man due to Stokes’ injury, Maurice Sutton’s playing has been dwindling. Sutton has played under 10 minutes for seven-straight games, as Jay Wright has been giving the extra minutes to Armwood and Bell.

Kyle Lowry scored a career-high 36 points Wednesday night to go along with 7 assists and 4 rebounds. A career under-30% 3-point shooter, Lowry hit 6 of 9 threes, improving his season average to 36.4%. It used to be that outside shooting was the only thing holding Kyle back. Now all he has to worry about is the slew of all-star caliber point guards he has to guard every night in the West: Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Steve Nash, Deron Williams, Tony Parker, Chauncey Billups, Baron Davis, Jason Kidd and...

Finally, congratulations to Randy Foye, who had his #2 jersey retired at the Pavilion last Saturday. Foye was one of my favorite players to watch while I was at Villanova, both on the court and off. It was just five years ago that I was sitting in the same classroom as Randy in Mendel Hall for our marine biology class. Ah, the good ‘ole days, learning about crustaceans and algae. Now he’s making millions of dollars in the NBA and I’m… not.

NNBEPP2: 2011 Movies

2011-02-10T17:29:00.004-05:00

While watching last Sunday’s Super Bowl, I could hardly even focus on the game because of all the great new movie trailers that premiered. The Patriots won, right? Anyway, let’s take a look at the upcoming 2011 movies in the latest edition of the Nova News Big East Power Poll.

1. Pitt (22-2, 10-1) :: Captain America
The leader of the Avengers seems like a good representative for the leader of the conference, but can Pitt remain one of the top teams in America without their captain, Ashton Gibbs. The Wildcats will get their first look at the Panthers this Saturday, when Nova will put it’s 46-game Pavilion winning streak on the line.

2. Notre Dame (20-4, 9-3) :: The Green Lantern
Hopefully it will change this weekend, but the fact remains, the Fighting Irish are the only Big East team to beat Pitt this season. Ben Hansbrough is playing like he has a mystical green ring that gives him the college basketball superpowers of his brother Tyler.

3. Georgetown (19-5, 8-4) :: Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
Like his father, John Thompson III has Georgetown competing at an elite level every year, even after losing players to the NBA. The Hoyas are on a seven-game winning streak, but they’d be even better if Austin Freeman could dress up and play all five positions like Martin Lawrence.

4. UConn (18-4, 6-4) :: Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon
Michael Bay’s movies are known for their big explosions and action sequences, but they tend to lack in story and character. The 2010-11 Huskies are known for Kemba Walker’s big scoring and impressive stat lines, but the team is lacking in other areas. Not to mention Walker’s shooting percentage has plummeted over the past two months. However, the Transformers movies still rake in hundreds of millions of dollars, and UConn still wins games, and those are the only stats that really matter.

5. Villanova (19-5, 7-4) :: Just Go With It
Villanova was cruising along, up double-digits on Rutgers, and I kind of half-tuned out. The next thing I know, it’s a two-point game. I think Jay Wright and his team did they same as I, and started looking forward to this weekend’s big match-up against Pitt. The way Nova lost that game was rough, but like Adam Sandler, I’m going to say “just go with it”, forget it and move on. Games like this happen, where you think you’ve won and you mentally check out, and it’s better to happen now than in the NCAA Tournament. It sounds cliche, but that loss will be a learning experience, and I don’t think this team will ever let up in a game for the rest of the season. If they needed to lose a mid-season game to Rutgers to learn that lesson, so be it. Furthermore, this loss will only add fuel to the fire for Saturday’s game versus Pitt. Let’s just hope the critics’ reviews of Villanova come March are better than those of Just Go With It.

6. Syracuse (20-5, 7-5) :: Super 8
J.J. Abrams’ projects are always shrouded in mystery, almost as much mystery as this Syracuse team. I can’t figure them out. They start the season 18-0, but are 2-5 since. Why does Fab Melo continue to start every game when he only plays 3 minutes? Where is Carmelo going? What's on that train in the Super 8 trailer? What is the island on Lost? I need answers!

7. Louisville (18-6, 7-4) :: Hall Pass
"A married man is granted the opportunity to have an affair by his wife." Is that the plot to Hall Pass or Rick Pitino’s life?

8. Cincinnati (19-5, 6-5) :: Cowboys & Aliens
Okay, I give up. I can’t figure out any way that cowboys and aliens relate to the Cincinnati Bearcats… But, hey, doesn’t that movie look cool?

9. Marquette (15-9, 6-5) :: Thor
Thor was a warrior, and the Golden Eagles used to be Warriors. Despite wins over Notre Dame and Syracuse, Marquette might not even make the NCAA Tournament this year, which has more to say about the depth and quality of the Big East than Marquette’s shortcomings.

10. West Virginia (15-8, 6-5) :: The Hangover Part II
This season has been the hangover to last year’s Final Four for West Virginia. The second hangover is the one Bob Huggins has while he’s coaching.

11. St. John’s (13-9, 5-5) :: X-Men: First Class
Talk about first classes, Steve Lavin has the #2 recruiting class in the country, with 6 players in the ESPNU Top 100. As for their 15 point win over Duke? They must have turned into mutants for that game.

12. Providence (14-10, 3-8) :: Priest in 3D
What’s crazier, a vampire-killing priest or a donut-eating friar?

13. Rutgers (13-11, 4-8) :: Sucker Punch
Rutgers’ stunning comeback win over Villanova felt like a sucker punch. It was just one of those freaky Reggie Miller/Larry Johnson late-game performances. Sure, Villanova made their share of mistakes, but Rutgers hit some lucky shots that make you just shrug your shoulders and tip your cap.

14. Seton Hall (10-14, 4-8) :: Pirates of the Caribbean on Stranger Tides
Bullets are no match for pirates… Captain Jack Sparrow nor Jeremy Hazell.

15. South Florida (8-17, 2-10) :: Fast Five
It’s not good when the highlight of your season is “holding” Jimmer Fredette to 32 points in a double-overtime loss and “holding” Kemba Walker to 24 points in an overtime loss. Neither is it good when the highlight of your movie is the trio of Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and Dwayne Johnson. I don’t know what’s more surprising, that they’ve made five Fast and the Furious movies or that South Florida has been in the Big East for five years already. Either way, it sure was a “fast five”.

16. DePaul (6-17, 0-11) :: Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Never say never, unless the question is “When will DePaul win a Big East game?”

NFL: Nova Football League

2011-02-04T09:38:00.003-05:00

Villanova’s return home after their 3-game road trip wasn’t as sweet as they had hoped it would be. Austin Freeman led Georgetown with 30 points in a 69-66 victory over Nova in Philly. However, Nova’s true return home to the cozy confines of the on-campus Pavilion was just what they needed to halt a 2-game losing streak. The 75-70 win over Marquette marked the Wildcats’ 46th-straight victory at the Pavilion. Now if only Jay Wright could figure out a way to move the Big East and NCAA Tournaments to the Pavilion…

With the Super Bowl approaching this Sunday, it got me thinking. What if Villanova’s basketball players chose a different path? What if they ditched the hardwood for the gridiron and devoted their lives to the sport of football instead of basketball? Could they do it?

I could see Corey Fisher being a Ray Rice-like running back. He’s quick and has a compact frame, plus he has a knack for bouncing off of defenders on his way to score. With 6-pointers, instead of 3-pointers, Fisher should be able to double the 105 points he scored last summer.

Corey Stokes is the ultimate deep threat in basketball, which would make him a perfect wide receiver in football. He could use his height to his advantage when catching jump-balls in the end zone like Randy Moss and Terrell Owens. The only problem is Stokes is too humble to be a prima donna wideout like TO and Moss. He will have to work on that.

Maalik Wayns would be the quarter back. He’s a natural leader, a playmaker, a scorer, and a distributor. With his lightening-fast speed he could be the next Michael Vick. You know, minus the whole dog fighting thing.

Antonio Pena has all the tools to play linebacker in the NFL. He’s definitely the strongest player on the team, and he just has that “look”, like Ray Lewis and Lawrence Taylor, that strikes fear into opposing players.

This should be easy, Mouphtaou Yarou grew up playing football… never mind that was “the other football”. But Mouph has proven to be a fast learner of new sports, and I could see him lining up at defensive end. He has the footwork to get around offensive guards and rush the quarterback plus the length to deflect passes.

Dominic Cheek would make a nice NFL safety. He is one of the most versatile players at Villanova, able to play multiple positions. As a safety he’d be free to roam on defense and make plays like Troy Polamalu. Although he’d have to start growing his hair out.

Maurice Sutton’s tall skinny frame doesn’t lend itself to football too well, but he could be useful on special teams. At almost 7-feet tall, Sutton can be a kick and punt blocking specialist. He just needs to jump over the line and swat away any field goal attempts with his long arms.

Isaiah Armwood has the speed, strength, and athleticism to make a very good corner back. He’s already defensive-minded, and he could use his height and leaping ability to intercept passes.

At 6’5, 225 lbs., James Bell is big and strong for a basketball guard, especially at Villanova, but that frame is ideal for a football tight end. Bell is right around the same size as Antonio Gates, who went from playing college basketball to being a Pro Bowl tight end.

Walk-ons Russell Wooten and Dallas Ouano perform the unsung duties of hyping up their teammates from the bench and pushing them at practice, so it’s only natural that they play the least heralded position in football, the offensive line. But they will need to start eating more. A lot more.

Even though he’s a great head coach, Jay Wright is the only member of the Villanova basketball program that definitely could not make the transition to football. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t imagine Jay wearing a sleeveless hooded sweatshirt on the sidelines like Bill Belichick. Moreover, the headsets would ruin his hair, and his designer suits wouldn’t mesh well with the frozen tundra of Lambeau.

Best Motion Picture of the Year Nominees

2011-01-28T09:53:00.004-05:00

Winter’s Bone
A young girl has to travel through the crystal meth-infested neighborhoods of the Ozark Mountains to find her father. Speaking of tough winter road trips, after a tough loss to a top-10 team at UConn, Villanova had to go up to the Carrier dome to face an even higher ranked top-10 team, then they had to travel to the always raucous Dunkin Donuts Center. Who would have figured that Villanova’s lone win in the 3-game road trip would come against the toughest opponent of the three, #3-ranked Syracuse. However, Nova followed that impressive win with a loss against a Providence team that started out 0-6 in Big East play, though the Friars are a much better team than that poor start would indicate.

Inception
I think Jim Boheim pulled some kind of inception, breaking into our minds and making us think that his Syracuse team was better than it actually is. The Orange started out 18-0, but have now dropped three straight, including a 22-point loss at home to Seton Hall. Or was I just dreaming about that?

The King’s Speech
The story of George VI overcoming a speech impediment to become the king of Britain. Maalik Wayns has seemingly overcome a 3-point shooting impediment that he was struggling with earlier this season to become the “king” of Villanova these past couple of games. Wayns has led the team in scoring in each of the past two games; 21 points (3-7 3pt) vs. Syracuse and 18 points (2-4 3pt) vs. Providence.

Toy Story 3
Fisher Price is one of the best toy companies out there. Fisher Price is also one of the best college point guards out there. However, against the Friars, Vincent Council played more like Fisher Price than Fisher himself. Council had 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, including some impressive alley-oop passes. Meanwhile, Fisher shot 2-10 from the field to score just 7 points.

127 Hours
That’s about how much time Corey Stokes needs to spend practicing shooting. I thought he broke out of his slump for good with that 16 point (4-11 3pt) game against Syracuse, but then he went on to have his worst shooting night… probably ever. 2 of 16 from the field!? 1 of 9 from three!? At least he was perfect from the free throw line, and he grabbed a season-high 9 rebounds. But if he doesn’t improve that shooting stroke, he might have to cut his own arm off.

Black Swan
Maurice Sutton is a white swan who needs to embrace his dark side more often and play like a black swan. He showed he can play tough against Syracuse with 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks, but he had just 1 point and 2 rebounds in 9 foul-plagued minutes against Providence. Mouphtaou Yarou is another player who occasionally suffers from “white swan syndrome”. He’s had some stellar games this season, but he’s also had his share of sub-par performances, most recently against Providence (3 points, 2 rebounds, 1-6 FG). Embrace your inner black swans, big guys… just don’t lose your minds in the process.

True Grit
Sutton can learn a thing or two from his teammate Antonio Pena who showed true grit against Providence with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Dominic Cheek also showed some grit, scoring 9 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in just his second game back from his knee injury. I hate to do it, but I have to credit Rick Jackson for his grit as well. He had 16 points and 15 rebounds in the loss to Nova, and he’s been a double-double machine all season.

The Fighter
Like boxers, Scoop Jardine (1-8 FG, 0-3 3pt) and Dion Waiters (2-12 FG, 1-7 3pt) went down swinging-- or shooting-- in their loss to Nova. Marshon Brooks’ Providence team may have won, and he still scored 20 points, but his 0 for 8 three-point shooting performance versus Nova was… interesting. When you’re 0 for 7 on the night, you’d think he would think twice before bricking that eighth three. But no, even when pinned against the ropes, Brooks went down swinging and threw up one last brick.

The Social Network
A story of friends turned enemies over millions of dollars… Just like former Wildcat teammates Randy Foye and Kyle Lowry, who now battle against each other in the NBA with their million dollar contracts. Lowry’s Rockets beat Foye’s Clippers Wednesday night, 96-83, while both players scored 20 points a piece. Foye looks like he’s finally healthy for the first time this season, and he’s stepped into the starting shooting guard role with the injury to Eric Gordon. Even though Randy and Kyle are enemies on the court, they still remain friends on Facebook.

The Kids Are All Right
This movie title sums up the state of Jay Wright’s squad right now. The young Wildcats will continue to have their ups and down throughout the grueling Big East schedule, but ultimately, they’ll be alright.

Huskies Halt Wildcats Win Streak

2011-01-21T09:40:00.007-05:00

With 2.5 seconds left in a tie game, Kemba Walker ended Villanova’s winning streak at 11 games, resulting in the Wildcats’ first Big East loss of the season. On the bright side, I’m still a perfect 18-0 in my preseason predictions. If only I had followed through and done some sports betting before the season... Maybe I have some kind of supernatural psychic power, and I doomed Nova by predicting them to lose to the Huskies. In that case, is it too late to change my prediction for the Syracuse game this Saturday?

Also on the bright side, Corey Fisher outscored fellow Bronx native Kemba Walker 28-24. The 28 points were a season-high for Fisher, who also dished out 6 assists. Fisher had an impressive performance in the comeback-win over Maryland as well, when he scored 8 of his 17 points during a 19-0 Villanova run late in the game. When you throw out the inflated early season statistics and focus on conference play, Fisher is right there with Walker in the running for Big East Player of the Year, which is another preseason prediction that I’d gladly be wrong about.

Unfortunately, Nova did lose the game, so there is inevitably a dark side. I knew Corey Stokes’ out of this world shooting would eventually fall back to earth, but I never foresaw a slump this bad. Nova was able to overcome his 4-14 FG and 1-7 3PT shooting day against Maryland, but Stokes’ 0-6 shooting day proved costly in a tight game against UConn. Even the best of shooters are prone to the occasional slump, so Stokes just needs to stay confident in his stroke and shoot his way out of it.

Maalik Wayns was instrumental in the Maryland comeback, scoring 22 points, hitting 7 of 10 field goals and 7 of 9 free throws. Wayns is at his best when he drives to the basket and draws fouls like his mentor Kyle Lowry. However, he only earned one trip to the line against the Huskies and missed all four of his 3-point attempts. Speaking of Lowry, he has remained the Rockets’ starting point guard even after Aaron Brooks returned from injury, and his play hasn’t suffered any drop-off. Lowry tied his season-high with 28 points last week against Chris Paul and the Hornets.

Antonio Pena had 14 points and 10 rebounds against Maryland, his first double-double since December 3, but don’t let that stat fool you. Pena, averaging about 10 points and 7 rebounds, is quietly having a super super-senior season (say that five times fast) for Nova. He had a modest 8 points and 5 rebounds in the loss to UConn, but the more important stat is the 38 minutes that he played in the game (and 39 minutes vs. Maryland). Throughout his career, Pena’s fatal flaw was always his inability to stay on the floor due to foul trouble, but he’s done a fantastic job at avoiding stupid fouls this season. Pena is yet to be disqualified from a game this season after fouling out eight times in 2009-2010. It helps that he is playing alongside a legitimate center in Mouphtaou Yarou, but you can tell that the 24-year-old Pena has grown wiser with his years.

Yarou’s scoring has been sporadic this season, following up his season-high 18 points versus Louisville with 3 points versus Maryland then 8 points versus UConn. However, Mouph must be watching Kevin Love game tape because his rebounding has stayed consistent, grabbing double-digit boards in three straight games. And Yarou must have shared that tape with Isaiah Armwood before the Maryland game because he went on to record a career-high 13 rebounds. Maybe Armwood had some extra motivation playing against his home-state school. Jay Wright has had to lean on Armwood and freshman James Bell more than usual these past two games because of the knee injury that Dominic Cheek suffered against Maryland. The outcome of the UConn game likely would have been a little different if Cheek, a sixth man of the year candidate, was available. Fortunately, the injury isn’t serious, and Cheek should be back soon.

Before I close, one more note for the bright side... At least the 33rd overall pick in the 2009 draft, Dante Cunningham, is having a better NBA career than the 2nd overall pick, Hasheem Thabeet.

Two Coreys Are Better Than Everyone

2011-01-14T12:19:00.003-05:00

Villanova is off to an undefeated 4-0 start to Big East play with wins over Rutgers (81-65), South Florida (83-71), Cincinnati (72-61), and Louisville (88-74). The number one reason for the team’s success is Corey. The number two reason is also Corey. Fisher and Stokes are both playing the best basketball of their careers, as they add their names to the list of great senior seasons under Jay Wright. (See: Reynolds, Scottie; Cunningham, Dante; Foye, Randy) It’s pointless to try to say who is the best Corey because they do different things and are equally important.

Both Coreys have been great all season long, but they have each turned it up a notch in the New Year when Big East Conference play began. Stokes is shooting the ball better than anyone in the country not named Jimmer (18.75 points, 54.8% FG, 60.9% 3PT, 93.1% FT in Big East games). Fisher Price is better known for his acrobatic drives to the basket, but recently he has heated up from the outside as well, making him virtually unguardable (17.25 points, 5.25 assists, 50% FG, 50% 3PT, 81.8% FT in Big East games). If he didn’t have such talented teammates, Fisher could probably score 105 points in a real game this season. (That is if you consider DePaul on February 19 a real game.)

Two more of those talented teammates are Maalik Wayns and Mouphtaou Yarou. Wayns has scored at least 15 points in three straight games, but he’s always looking to set up his teammates first and foremost (7.5 assists per game in Big East). The showdown with the Cardinals seemed to be turning into a 3-point shootout, with Louisville hitting 12 of 25 from long-range and Nova making 8 of 13 as well. However, the difference in the game was Yarou, the big man in the middle for Nova, who Louisville had no answer for. Mouph had a career-high 18 points and added a game-high 11 rebounds, including 5 on the offensive glass. If Wayns and Yarou continue playing this well, they might not still be around to join the "Great Villanova Senior Season Club".

2010-11 NNBEPP 1

2011-01-03T10:23:00.004-05:00

It's a new year, and the first Big East conference games of the season are in the books. You know what that means... It’s time for the first Nova News Big East Power Poll (NNBEPP) of the season. (A Temple recap is posted under Villanova, and a Rutgers recap is posted under Princeton-- or under Rutgers. Yeah, that would probably make more sense.)

1. Syracuse - 15-0 (2-0) - The Orange once again look like the team to beat, even though Fab Melo is not a fab freshman, like Melo.

2. Pittsburgh - 13-1 (1-0) - I think Bruce Pearl is just trying to make the Big East look bad. First Tennessee beats Villanova, then they beat Pitt, and then they lose three in a row to Oakland, Charlotte, and USC, and now they lose at home to Charleston?

3. Villanova - 12-1 (1-0) - Villanova reclaimed the Big 5 title by beating the Temple Owls 78-74, despite Juan Fernandez’s 20 points and 5 assists. I don’t know what he has against Nova, but he always saves his best game of the season for the Wildcats. Corey Stokes led Nova with 24 points, sinking five threes for the fourth time this season to boost his 3-point shooting to 43.2%. However, Stokes missed his second free throw of the season to drop his accuracy to 94.6%. Maalik Wayns scored a season-high 21 points, and he also dished out 8 assists. Corey Fisher, limited by foul trouble, was held to just 5 points. Mouph Yarou used some skillful post moves to score 14 points. Antonio Pena had a near double-double with 8 points and 9 rebounds.

4. UConn - 11-1 (1-1) - Sure, Kemba Walker can score 42 points and get triple-doubles, but can he roundhouse-kick people in the face like Walker, Texas Ranger? I didn’t think so.

5. Notre Dame - 12-2 (1-1) - The Fighting Irish are right on schedule for their usual dominant November/December before their traditional mid-season collapse.

6. Georgetown - 12-2 (1-1) - Austin Freeman (19.1 ppg) is a nice candidate for the BEPOYBKW award. (Big East Player of the Year Besides Kemba Walker)

7. Louisville - 11-2 (0-0) - Louisville recently lost the ~~Battle of Kentucky~~ ~~the Battle of Multiple Final Four Coaches~~ the Battle of Cheating Coaches. At least Calipari limits his cheating to on the court and in the classrooms, and not under restaurant tables like Pitino.

8. Cincinnati - 14-0 (2-0) - There is some definite Ewing Theory potential with The Bearcats and Lance Stephenson. They’re undefeated, yet they still aren’t one of the seven Big East teams in the top 25.

9. Marquette - 10-4 (1-0) - No wonder Chris Otule’s career free throw percentage is under 50%; he only has one eye. He should ditch the goggles though, and wear an eye patch like Jeff Bridges in True Grit. Then he should transfer to Seton Hall so he can serve as both a player and the mascot.

10. Providence - 11-4 (0-2) - Marshon Brooks (23.4 ppg) is another candidate for the BEPOYBKW.

11. St. John’s - 9-3 (2-0) - The Red Storm won the Great Alaska Shootout and are undefeated in the Big East. Did Coach Lavin do it? Is St. John’s basketball finally back? Never mind, they only had to beat an Eskimo and a pack of Malamutes to win the Alaskan Shootout.

12. West Virginia - 8-4 (0-2) - After reaching the Final Four last season, the Mountaineers are unranked and lost at home to St. John’s. They’re one Bob Huggins’ texting mishap away from becoming the college basketball version of the 2010 Minnesota Vikings.

13. Seton Hall - 7-7 (1-1) - It’s a tragedy that Jeremy Hazell was shot after defending himself against four muggers on Christmas night, although I can’t say I’m not surprised. Hazell has never been afraid to take a shot; he led the nation in 3-point shots attempted last season with 290.

14. Rutgers - 9-4 (0-1) - After trailing by four points at halftime, Villanova came roaring back to win their Big East opener versus Rutgers. Corey Fisher got back to doing what he does best; fishing (19 points) and dishing (6 assists). Maalik Wayns came just about as close as you can get to a triple-double without getting a single double (9 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists). Yarou and Pena combined for 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks. And Corey Stokes… I always knew he had the potential to do this, but even I am surprised at how quickly he’s put it all together. Stokes led the team with 23 points, as he continued to shoot the lights out (4-7 3PT, 9-10 FT). Stokes has certainly added his name to the ballot for BEPOYBKW.

15. South Florida - 6-9 (0-2) and 16. DePaul - 6-8 (0-2) - These teams play each other twice this season, so one of them will have to win at least one Big East game this season. Although, if there is a way for two teams to lose one game, USF and DePaul will find a way to do it.

Calm Before the Storm

2010-12-23T11:40:00.004-05:00

Villanova had a nice two game breather in-between Big 5 games and before the start of the Big East schedule. The opponents were Delaware and Monmouth, and Nova won the games by a combined 59 points. The final game of 2010 will be against Temple, then Nova opens the new year and Big East season against Rutgers.

Fisher Price delivered some early Christmas presents. He had back-to-back games with at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Maalik Wayns has gotten back on track from downtown, hitting 3 of 7 triples in his past two games, after shooting 0 for 11 in the previous four.

Corey Stokes, on the other hand, has been on track from downtown all year long. Stokes drained five 3-pointers in a game for the third time this season against Monmouth, en route to 19 points.

Following his recovery from injury, James Bell has had to play himself into game shape, and it looks like he is just about there. He scored 10 points against Delaware, then played a season-high 21 minutes against Monmouth. Now he just needs to hit a game-winning buzzer-beater so I can use the headline “Saved by the Bell”.

Dallas Ouano recorded his first personal stat of his career; one steal against Monmouth. (We’ll ignore the turnover.)

Monmouth’s individual scoring in the game against the Wildcats went as follows: 0, 0, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. By that pattern, Monmouth would have needed just four more players to beat Villanova.

The Hawk, the Quaker, and the Explorer are Dead

2010-12-14T11:18:00.002-05:00

Villanova finished up a three-game sweep against Big 5 schools, including St. Joe’s (71-60), Penn (65-53), and La Salle (84-81). All three opponents proved to be tougher adversaries than expected, especially the scrappy Explorers, who nearly pulled off the upset at the intimate Tom Gola Arena. The only Big 5 opponent remaining on the schedule is Temple, who beat the Wildcats for the city crown last season. The Owls already knocked off Georgetown this year (68-65), prompting a dubious court rushing by their fans.

Villanova’s talented back court is renowned around the country, but the new dynamic duo in the front court has been vital to the team’s recent success. Antonio Pena and Mouphtaou Yarou are like a modern version of San Antonio’s “Twin Towers”, David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Neither Wildcat is a 7-footer, but fifth-year senior Pena is a wily veteran like the Admiral, while Yarou is a young big man oozing with potential, just like a young Duncan. Pena’s been dominant over his last four games, averaging 14 points and 9 rebounds. Mouph is already averaging close to a double-double on the season at 8.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, and he will only get better from here. The Spurs’ Twin Towers won two championships together, which is impossible for Nova’s duo to duplicate since Pena is a senior, but I’d settle for “just one”.

Corey Stokes, coming off a career-high 34 points against Penn, is having an Allan Ray-esque offensive season. His numbers are up across the board, averaging 16 points per game, shooting 47% from the field, lighting it up from downtown at 41.8%, and Stokes is virtually automatic from the charity stripe at 95.7%. He can guard multiple positions at 6-foot-5, and Jay Wright has praised Stokes as one of his best defenders. The Bayonne Bomber has come a long way since arriving on campus as a one-trick pony 3-point specialist.

Dominic Cheek has turned into a real spark-plug off the bench for Villanova. Ironically, his worst game, when he scored just four points, came in his lone start of the season, versus Penn. Cheek dropped 14 points against both St. Joe’s and La Salle, and he’s turning into a legitimate threat from behind the arc. He sank four 3-pointers vs. the Explorers, which is valuable because as teams play more zone defense, Nova needs more reliable shooters to pair on the perimeter with Stokes.

Corey Fisher and Maalik Wayns’ 3-point accuracy should improve, but thus far they’ve been dreadful at 22% and 14.7% respectively. Both seem to be trying to shoot their way out of their slumps, as Fisher is attempting 4.6 threes per game, and Wayns, 3.8. Fisher has proven he can consistently drain the collegiate 3-pointer, shooting 39.6% last season, so I encourage him to continue taking the open shots. Wayns, on the other hand, should stick to driving to the basket because he’s shooting a much better 63% on 2-pointers.

Other notes:

- There are seven Big East teams currently ranked in the top 25, and this was supposed to be a “down year” for the Big East. I know it’s early, but there are four teams still undefeated and four more with just one loss. They’ll start beating up on each other soon enough.

- JayVaughn Pinkston was suspended for the entire season. That seems fair; he made a mistake and is serving his punishment. Now, the rest of the team can focus on this season, and not have to worry about any distractions surrounding Pinkston’s situation.

- LeBron James’ return to Cleveland garnered a lot of national attention, and he answered with an impressive 38 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. Kyle Lowry’s return to Memphis wasn’t as ballyhooed, but he had an equally impressive 28 points, 3 rebounds, and 12 assists. (11-15 FG, 4-5 3PT, 2-2 FT) Lowry is flourishing while Aaron Brooks is sidelined with an injury, averaging about 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists as a starter for Houston. Brooks should be returning shortly, unless there's some kind of Tonya Harding incident.

- Randy Foye has played in just seven games this season for the LA Clippers. You can’t say I didn’t warn you. Then again, if his second year with the Clips is anything like Blake Griffin’s, Foye could be in store for big year in 2012… assuming the world doesn’t end.

- Dante Cunningham doesn’t wow you with his stats (4 pts, 3 reb, 0.5 blk), but he is quietly turning into a solid professional basketball player up in Portland. He is playing about 17 minutes every night, and Coach Nate McMillan gives him that time off the bench because he plays hard all the time.

- Scottie Reynolds is averaging 18 points and 4.6 assists for the Springfield Armor in the NBA D-League. Scottie has to be an upgrade over a some of the current back-up point guards in the NBA. Come on GM’s, what are you waiting for?

NIT: Nova Impeded by Tennessee

2010-12-01T11:44:00.004-05:00

The perfect season is over. Villanova suffered it’s first lost of 2010-2011 to Tennessee in the final of the NIT Season Tip-off. At least my pre-season picks are still perfect… and my prediction of Kemba Walker for Big East Player of the Year isn’t looking too bad either. In the 78-68 loss to Tennessee, the dynamic backcourt duo of Corey Fisher and Maalik Wayns shot a combined 0-8 from 3-point range, and they weren’t a whole lot better from inside the arc. As a result, Villanova fell out of the top ten in the polls for the first time this year. So is it time to panic? The short answer is no.

The 82-70 victory over UCLA in the game prior is a win that sounds better than it actually is. UCLA is one of the most prestigious programs in college basketball history, but their perceived value is higher than their actual value; eleven National Championships tend to do that. Ben Howland’s club is still in rebuilding mode after losing a slew of talented players early to the NBA; Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Jrue Holiday, to name a few. I wasn’t overly impressed with anyone on the Bruins, other than Reeves “Two-Face” Nelson, who put up a double-double on Nova. He had 10 points and 13 rebounds, one for each tattoo on his left arm.

Tennessee, on the other hand, looks like a contender, assuming they don’t fall apart during Bruce Pearl’s suspension. They played one of the best defensive games I’ve seen in a while. Villanova may be famous for their point guards, but Tennessee is becoming famous for their long athletic guards. Scotty Hopson (6’7) and Cameron Tatum (6’6) gave the smaller Fisher and Wayns fits on defense, getting in their faces for jump shots and clogging the lane to prevent them from driving to the basket. Perhaps Hopson was trying to capture some of Alonzo Mourning’s defensive prowess with his throwback 1990’s flat-top hair style. Maybe the Vols should have Bruce’s son, Steven Pearl, take over as player-coach during his father’s suspension. I’ve never heard such praise from the announcers during a telecast for a player who only scored two points. Then again I don't watch Indiana Pacers games, so I'm probably missing out on the Tyler Hansborough hyperbole.

The biggest positive to take away from the pre-season NIT is the continued improvement of Mouphtaou Yarou, who was the lone Wildcat named to the All-Tournament Team. Mouph had back-to-back double-doubles against Lafayette (12 and 12) and UCLA (13 and 16), then followed that up with 15 points and 5 rebounds against Tennessee. He seems to get better and better in each game, which means that by the time Nova returns to Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament, Mouph will be putting up Kevin Love-esque 30-30 games. Or so we hope.

Thanksgiving Tweets 2010

2010-11-25T09:37:00.006-05:00

This is an updated version of last year's post.

I searched across the far-reaches of the interweb and Twitterland to find out what everybody in the Nova basketball community is thankful for this Thanksgiving.*

Klow7: @AaronBrooks Thanks for faking that injury so I can start.
about 2 hours ago from web

randyfoye: I'm thankful that I have a front-row seat to watch the Blake Griffin Show.
45 minutes ago from TweetDeck

Dante33: Thank God I don't have the injury luck of @Greg_Oden.
about 1 hour ago from web

TimThomas: @sportsguy33 Thanks for the kind words and support from your columns.
about 3 hours ago from web

SReynolds1: @Italy Thanks, but no thanks...
about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck

MouphTheProof: @JamesNaismith Thanks for inventing a game that can take me from Africa to America.
about 1 hour ago from web

BringThePena: Thanks to Strength Coach Lon Record for continuing to make me even more of a beast this year.
about 11 hours ago from web

FisherPrice: Thanks to all the NYC streetballers who taught me my moves. (All 105 of you...)
about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

DomCheek: @CoachBobHurley Thanks for helping me get to Villanova.
11 minutes ago from web

Stokes24: Thanks to my bro for making these songs.
30 minutes ago from web

MoSutton: Thanks to my family for giving me good basketball genes and a 6'11 frame.
about 2 hours ago from web

iArm34: Thanks @KDthunderup for the high school memories.
about 9 hours ago from web

WaynsWorld: @jameernelson, @Klow7 Thanks for teaching me how to play like a Philly guard, and @FisherPrice and @SReynolds1 for teaching me how to play like a Villanova guard.
about 12 hours ago from web

WootenForNova: Thanks for a blow-out @Lafayette so I could get onto the stat sheet with one rebound.
about 1 hour ago from web

JVPinkston: Thanks to my coaches, my teammates, and all of Nova Nation for supporting me through this tough time.
about 3 hours ago from web

DOuano4: Thank you student section for going wild anytime I touch the ball.
about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck

JayWright: @RollieMass Thank you for teaching me everything I know.
28 minutes ago from web

*By searching across the interweb, I meant completely make this up myself.

It's Wayns' World, We're Just Living In It

2010-11-18T18:57:00.010-05:00

Villanova is already three games into the 2010-2011 season, and not surprisingly, the Cats are undefeated following wins over Bucknell (68-52), Marist (84-47), and Boston University (82-66). What is surprising is the superb play of sophomore guard Maalik Wayns. Everyone was expecting Wayns to take a leap in production in his second year, but this has been a Grand Canyon sized leap. Maalik’s been the best player on the floor for the Wildcats, which is really saying something considering his backcourt-mate is a preseason top 50 candidate for the Wooden Award, Corey Fisher. Fisher hasn’t scored 105 points yet, but it’s not like he has been disappointing either. After all, Fisher Price is leading the team in scoring at 16.7 points per game.

In the words of Yoda, speaking about Rajon Rondo, “Scoring a great point guard does not make.” Don’t get me wrong, Wayns does plenty of scoring too, averaging a team second-best 14.7 points per game, but it’s his assists (7.3 per game) and rebounding (5.7 per game) that have been most impressive. Wayns looks like a legitimate threat to record Nova’s first triple-double since Jason Fraser’s 22 points, 15 rebounds, 11 broken bones game in 2003. Most recently, Wayns put up a Rondoian stat line of 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 12 assists against BU. Yet unlike Rondo, Wayns can actually shoot too. In three games, Wayns has already made double the amount of 3-pointers (4) that Rondo has made in 11 games this season (2).

It’s not all about statistics, however; just ask the Baseball Writers Association of America. Maalik Wayns has an uncanny ability to control the game with his speed. I’ve never seen a player fly by defenders with such ease, while driving coast to coast for a lay-up. It's natural to want to compare this great Villanova point guard from Philly to the last great Villanova point guard from Philly, Kyle Lowry. Lowry relentlessly went at bigger defenders trying to draw contact when driving to the basket, but Wayns is so fast that he drives past defenders to get to the basket for uncontested lay-ups. Because of his speed, passing, and shooting, Wayns’ game most resembles Ty Lawson of the Denver Nuggets, who just so happens to have an NCAA Championship to his name.

In addition to the dynamic backcourt duo of Fisher and Wayns, the rest of the Wildcats supporting cast has looked good as well. The seniors are doing what we expected of them; Corey Stokes (10.3 ppg) is draining open threes (6 of 18 so far) and Antonio Pena is scoring (10 ppg) and rebounding (7 rpg) in the post. Mouphtaou Yarou still looks raw, but he’s been able to simply overpower smaller opponents with his size, strength, and athleticism, to the tune of 8.3 points, 6 rebounds, and almost 2 blocks per game. The real test will come next week when Nova faces UCLA in the semifinals of the NIT. Dominic Cheek (9 ppg) just might be the Big East Sixth Man of the Year. Cheek scored 15 points off the bench against Marist, and he has displayed a drastically improved jump shot (.444 3P%) so far this season. Maurice Sutton had a monster game against Marist (13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks), but it’s more realistic to expect something closer to the 2 points and 3 rebounds he averaged in the other two games. Sutton had similarly strong games against the smaller mid-major teams early last season, but his production later tailed off during Big East play. Isaiah Armwood’s opportunities are limited (2.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg), but Wayns and Fisher have set him up for some open dunks under the basket, and Armwood knows how to finish strong. With Pinkston sidelined, the team only goes eight deep right now, which is actually a more suitable rotation size than the eleven man carousel of players Jay Wright had to juggle last season. Although, now it is more crucial that these top eight stay healthy all season, and if they do, this team can really go places.

I Immediately Regret This Decision

2010-11-12T09:58:00.005-05:00

Villanova freshman JayVaughn Pinkston has been charged with two counts of simple assault and harassment after a fight at a frat party last weekend. Pinkston will be still practice with the team, but he will be sitting out of games for now, while the school reviews the case. This is terrible news for both JayVaughn and the school, and hopefully it's just an isolated incident of immaturity, and he learns from his mistake. Anyway, let's take a look at the reports "Fire Joe Morgan style" to try to make sense of the situation.

"As a result of the fight, which broke out about 3:30 a.m..."
There's his first mistake. Everybody knows nothing good happens at 3:30 in the morning.

"Pinkston was charged by Upper Merion Township Police Thursday for his part in a fracas at the Sigma Phi Epsilon House."
Well, James Naismith was a former "SigEp", so I'll give Pinkston the benefit of the doubt and assume he was there to brush up on his basketball history. Plus how bad can a "fracas" be?

""[He] started bleeding a lot. It turned into a whole brawl. . . . Someone hit [the second frat brother] and he went unconscious."

Okay, apparently a fracas is pretty bad, but surely there was a good reason why Pinkston became so angry.

"Pinkston was locked inside a room with a female..."
Still searching for a reason to be angry...

Pinkston "had to break down the door to escape."

Now he sounds like an action movie star. Though I'm still not sure why he was in such a rush to get out of there.

"...he was locked inside of the house's laundry room..."
Okay, say no more. Frat house... dirty laundry... Being locked in with that smell is enough to drive any man to violence.

"Pinkston and his friends were waiting for a ride outside the house."
Good idea JayVaughn. It was a stupid college frat boy prank. Just forget it and get out of there.

""[The first frat brother] was taunting him [about the laundry room], said it was disrespectful and then Jayvaughn turned around and punched [him] in the face," the witness said... The co-ed said that Pinkston was provoked by the jealous fraternity brother."
Come on, this frat boy kind of had it coming. However, because Pinkston is a big college basketball star, an incident like this is going to draw national news attention. If Pinkston was a regular student, maybe a fight like this is dismissed as drunk college kids acting stupid, and both parties forget about it. Fair or not, student-athletes like Pinkston live under a microscope, and they have to realize that their actions have consequences.

"Police said a man was taken to Bryn Mawr Hospital , and that an assault report had been filed."
Then there's also the fact that JayVaughn is 6-foot-7 and a former boxer. If he hits someone, they're going down.

"I think I came here with some toughness," says Pinkston"
You can say that again.

""Before I played basketball," he says, "I used to box." For a period of four years, between the ages of seven and 11, Pinkston dabbled in competitive boxing in junior Golden Gloves tournaments. Even at that point in his life, he was gifted with a dose of size and power. In particular, he recalls his first match just before he turned eight years of age. "I knocked a kid out," he recalls."

Yeah... apparently that frat brother missed this Nova Notebook article last month.

"I'll watch (boxing) once in a blue," he says, "but not much more than that."
Local weather reports indicate the moon was Villanova blue that night.

"Jay Wright added, “JayVaughn is very aware of the seriousness of this matter and how it could impact the team. He understands there is a great lesson to be learned here.”"
Let's hope he learned his lesson and can get back on the court as soon as possible. After all, JayVaughn is still just an 18 year-old kid, and we've all made our share of mistakes as teenagers.

A Look Into the Crystal Ball: 2010-11

2010-10-22T15:14:00.004-04:00

The 2010-2010 season is only a couple weeks away, so I thought I'd take a look into my crystal ball to see how the team will do. Not to toot my own horn, but I came pretty close last year. Okay, maybe I did want to toot my own horn.

11/02/10 vs. District of Columbia (Exhibition) - Win, because Nova doesn’t want to become a laughing stock by losing an exhibition game like Syracuse last year.

11/12/10 vs. Bucknell - Win, because Jay Wright won’t let his alma mater beat him in the official season opener. (1-0)

11/16/10 vs. Marist (NIT) - Win, because it’s Marist. (2-0)

11/17-11/26 NIT Season Tip-Off vs. TBA - Nova wins the next two games (vs. George Washington and UCLA), then they lose in the finals of the NIT to Tennessee, because Bruce Pearl will cheat. (4-1)

11/20/10 vs. Lafayette - Win, because losing to Lafayette in a real game might be more embarrassing than losing to DC in an exhibition. (5-1)

12/03/10 vs. St. Joseph’s - Win, because playing St. Joe’s this early in the season won’t give Hawks fans enough time to disillusion themselves into thinking they have a chance. (6-1)

12/08/10 at Penn - Win, because Penn seems to be under the crazy impression that academics are more important than basketball. (7-1)

12/12/10 at LaSalle - Win, because Mouph Yarou is going to own Aaric Murray. (8-1)

12/18/10 vs. Delaware - Win, because the Blue Hens just don’t sound very intimidating. (9-1)

12/22/10 at Monmouth NJ - Win, because the creator of MTV’s Jersey Shore is a Monmouth Alum. (10-1)

12/30/10 vs. Temple - Win, because someone will actually guard Juan Fernandez this year. (11-1)

01/02/11 vs. Rutgers - Win, because two of their best players transferred and their coach was fired. (12-1)

01/06/11 at USF - Win, because Dominique Jones isn’t around to score 46 points anymore. (13-1)

01/09/11 vs. Cincinnati - Win, because by January, Lance Stephenson will be playing in the D-League. (14-1)

01/12/11 vs. Louisville - Win, because Samardo Samuels is gone. (15-1)

01/15/11 vs. Maryland - Win, because Greivis Vasquez is gone. (16-1)

01/17/11 at UConn - Loss, because Kemba Walker will be the Big East Player of the Year. (16-2)

01/22/12 at Syracuse - Loss, because of the Dome. (16-3)

01/26/11 at Providence - Win, because the Friars have nine freshmen. (17-3)

01/29/11 vs. Georgetown - Win, because Fisher and Stokes will outplay Wright and Freeman. (18-3)

02/02/11 vs. Marquette - Loss, because the Golden Eagles are always underrated. (18-4)

02/05/11 vs. West Virginia - Win, because it’s not at the Coliseum. (19-4)

02/09/11 at Rutgers - Win, because home-court advantage doesn’t make up for the reasons listed for the first game. (20-4)

02/12/11 vs. Pitt - Win, because the Pavilion will be rocking all day with the ESPN College GameDay crew there. (21-4)

02/15/11 at Seton Hall - Loss, because Jeremy Hazell will get hot and score 40 points. (21-5)

02/19/11 at DePaul - Win, because the Blue Demons ended last season on a 13-game losing streak. (22-5)

02/21/11 vs. Syracuse - Win, because they won’t have the Dome advantage in the rematch. (23-5)

02/26/11 vs. St. John’s - Win, because Steve Lavin needs a year or two to rebuild. (24-5)

02/28/11 at Notre Dame - Win, because no Irish fans will show up when they realize Harangody and Reynolds aren’t playing. (25-5)

03/05/11 at Pitt - Loss, because the Panthers will take the rematch at home. (25-6)

03/08-03/12 Big East Tournament - After splitting the regular season series, the consensus top two teams in the Big East, Pitt and Nova, will meet in the Championship. Pitt will win, just because they always seem to take the Big East Tournament more seriously.

03/14-04/04 NCAA Tournament - However, Nova will advance further in the NCAA Tournament. My final prediction: a #2-seed and lose in the Elite Eight.

Your 2010-2011 Villanova Wildcats

2010-09-29T18:55:00.008-04:00

For the first time in what seems like a decade, Scottie Reynolds will NOT be returning to play basketball for the Villanova Wildcats this season; therefore, in many ways, this marks the beginning of a new era for Jay Wright’s team. Reynolds has been the face of the program for the past four years, and it is unknown who will step up to fill his shoes. (Hopefully it's someone with the same foot size.) Nevertheless, Nova is returning a strong a team this season, so let’s begin by taking a look at the presumed leaders of the team, the class of 2011.

The Seniors

Antonio Pena
2009-10 Stats: 10.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.5 blocks, 57.7 FG%, 69.6 FT%, 24.9 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 19 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists

Pena takes the term “senior” to a whole new level. He’s the same age as me, and I’ve been out of school for three years now. ‘Tone spent two years in prep school then redshirted his first year at Nova, which accounts for why he’s still around at the ripe old age of 24. Pena was a bit inconsistent last season, at times looking like a double-double machine, then completely disappearing in other games. He should have a huge advantage this year, especially in the strength department, playing against kids six years younger than him. Let’s just hope he’s able to stay awake for the late 9 p.m. games.

Corey Fisher
2009-2010 Stats: 13.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals, 44.7 FG%, 39.6 3P%, 77.0 FT%, 27.0 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 24 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists

Fisher is the odds-on favorite to replace Scottie Reynolds as the leader of this year’s team. He’s spent the past three years playing in Reynolds’ shadow, deferring to the his heralded backcourt-mate, yet never complaining about his role. I was already excited to see what Fisher could do when he was set free and handed the keys to the offense… then I heard about the 105 points he scored in a summer league game, and now I’m ecstatic. I think we are going to see Fisher Price do some special things this season, maybe not score triple digits again, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a couple of Scottie Reynolds signature 40-point specials.

Corey Stokes
2009-10 Stats: 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.4 blocks, 41.6 FG%, 38.3 3P%, 87.3 FT%, 26.0 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 22 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists

The “other” Corey has settled in nicely to his role of a 3-point sharpshooting specialist who plays defense and rebounds. Don’t expect him to handle to the ball or drive to the basket with grace, but he will play hard and drain threes from just about anywhere on the court. With the losses of Reynolds and Taylor King, Stokes is the only reliable 3-point threat Nova has left, unless you count 50% 3-point shooter Isaiah Armwood. (He was 1-for-2.)

The Sophomores
The ceiling of this year’s team really depends on these next five players. There are three seniors on the team, and for the most part you know what you’re going to get from them. However, there are zero juniors on the team (aside from walk-ons), so one or more of these second year players will need to take a big leap in production this season for the Wildcats to have success.

Isaiah Armwood
2009-10 Stats: 2.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 0.4 blocks, 0.4 steals, 47.2 FG%, 50.0 3P%, 60.0 FT%, 11.0 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists

Last season Armwood proved he has the athleticism to play at this level, Jay Wright learned that firsthand as Hoops Mania, but he still needs to improve his overall game. His biggest problem is that his arms look like their made out of wood, so he will have to get stronger if Jay Wright wants to play him at power forward in the Big East this season.

Dominic Cheek
2009-10 Stats: 4.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.4 steals, 45.3 FG%, 31.0 3P%, 65.4 FT%, 13.5 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists

Cheek arrived on campus with a lot of hype as a McDonald’s All-American, but his playing time was limited last season. He has a polished game on both ends of the floor and should be ready to take on a bigger role this season. Cheek’s best game last season came in a return to his native New Jersey when he scored 17 points in a win over Rutgers. Wait, I forgot to throw in a joke. Hmm… Okay. What has two cheeks and smells like shit? … Hey, get your mind out of the gutter! It’s Dominic Cheek’s mouth after a game when he forgot to brush his teeth.

Maurice Sutton
2009-10 Stats: 1.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 0.1 assists, 0.2 steals, 1.0 blocks, 41.5 FG%, 54.5 FT%, 10.3 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 7 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists

Mo is probably the best shot-blocker the team has had since Jason Fraser. He had a season-high five swats against La Salle and four against Robert Morris in the NCAA Tournament. He’s not the best rebounder for his size (6’11) and his offensive game is almost nonexistent, but he can still improve in those areas. Like Armwood, Sutton needs to get on the Jersey Shore routine of GTL to bulk up, although they could probably skip the tanning part.

Maalik Wayns
2009-10 Stats: 6.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.6 steals, 43.4 FG%, 31.5 3P%, 81.4 FT%, 15.0 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists

The “Next Great Philly Point Guard”, Wayns, had his ups and downs last season, en route to making the Big East All-Rookie Team. He was an offensive spark off the bench in some games, scoring in double figures nine times, but in another nine games, he was held to under 11 minutes of playing time. With Reynolds’ departure, we will see a lot more of Wayns’ World this season, which is most excellent. Party on, Wayns!

Mouphtaou Yarou
2009-10 Stats: 4.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.2 steals, 1.0 blocks, 58.3 FG%, 70.6 FT%, 15.0 minutes per game
2009-10 Season Highs: 17 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists

Mouph could be the biggest x-factor for this year’s team, but unfortunately he is probably also the biggest question mark. The grade for his freshmen year was an incomplete. He missed eleven games towards the beginning of the year due to hepatitis B, then he had to learn on the fly as he played himself back into game shape later in the year. Not to mention, he’s only been playing the sport of basketball for about six years. If you’re wondering why Nova fans are still drooling over Mouph’s potential, look no further than the stat line from his game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament versus Robert Morris: 17 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 5-6 FG, 7-7 FT. Me: Please God, keep Mouphtaou Yarou healthy for the next three years. God: Which Mouphtaou Yarou? Me: Really?

The Freshmen

James Bell
Bell is a super-athletic 6’5 guard from Orlando, Florida. Unfortunately, he won’t be bringing any magic to this kingdom for quite some time as he recovers from surgery to repair stress fractures in his legs. It is unknown if he will be able to play at all this season.

JayVaughn Pinkston
Pinkston is a 6’7 forward from Bishop Loughlin in Brooklyn, the same high school Curtis Sumpter attended. Last year’s New York Player of the Year is pretty much a Sumpter clone: same size, good rebounder, can score inside and also step back to make threes. Hopefully the Sumpter similarities end there and don’t include his injury history. With Pena, Pinkston, and the emergence of Armwood and Yarou, Villanova might actually have a deep and talented front court for the first time during Jay Wright’s tenure... unless I just jinxed it... Dagnabbit!

The Walk-ons

Russell Wooten
Woot is staying at Villanova as a graduate student this year, but he won’t be letting that stop him from using up his NCAA eligibility and suiting up for Jay Wright (not that kind of suit) another year. He seems to have his collegiate priorities straight: 1) Basketball, 2) Girls, 3) Academics.

Dallas Ouano
The newest walk-on hasn’t even played in a game yet, and he’s already gotten more press on ESPN than Jason Colenda did over four years at Nova.
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/15803/villanova-players-wave-goodbye-to-twitter

10 Reasons Playing in Italy is Good for Scottie Reynolds

2010-08-18T15:25:00.015-04:00

Scottie Reynolds has decided to take his talents to Italy, and surprisingly, he didn’t need a one-hour special on ESPN to announce it. After going undrafted, Reynolds had a good showing with the Suns in the NBA Summer League, despite not being fully healthy at the time. Scottie averaged 10 points and 5 assists over three games, scoring 16 in his first game and dishing out 9 dimes in his second game. Reynolds was invited to training camp to try to earn a spot on the team, but he and his agents jumped at an offer to play for Prima Veroli of the Italian League Second Division. (The team name is being incorrectly reported as “Prima Verdi” by the US media. Someone with poor eyesight must have mistaken the “ol” for a “d”.) It’s not the dream destination for an AP First Team All-American, but this might not be a bad thing for Reynolds and the Villanova basketball program for the following reasons:

1. C.R.E.A.M.
In the words of the Wu-Tang Clan, "Cash rules everything around me." Lee Melchioni, one of Reynolds’ agents, said, "The offer is something that blew us out of the water." I don’t know the exact figures, but Scottie is presumably making a lot more than the minimum non-guaranteed contracts that are usually offered to undrafted free agents in the NBA.

2. Fine Food and Wine

Scottie will be on a steady diet of some of the world’s best pizza, pasta, and fine wine… On second thought, maybe that’s not the healthiest choice for a professional athlete.

3. Follow the Brandon Jennings Model

Sure, it’s a completely different situation, but Jennings did make the successful transition from Italy to the NBA. Jennings went from averaging 5.5 points per game in Italy, to averaging 15.5 in the NBA, scoring 55 points in one game, and making the All-Rookie First Team. Despite Jennings’ hype and talent, he still couldn’t average more than 15 minutes a game for Lottomatica Roma, which attests to the high-caliber of play in Italy as well as their disdain for entitled Americans. So Scottie will need to play hard and earn the respect of his Italian coaches and teammates.

4. Beautiful Women and Beautiful Beaches

http://www.askmen.com/top_10/dating/top-10-hottest-italian-women.html
Hmm… maybe I’ll follow Scottie to Italy and start blogging about Prima Veroli.

5. The World's Game

If basketball doesn’t work out, Scottie can take up Italy’s most popular sport, soccer. I could see him heading in some goals as a striker. Or he could just become of a fan of AC Milan, as long as he brings a gas mask to the games.

6. EuroTrip!

With Reggie Redding playing in Cyprus, he and Scottie can now recreate the plot of EuroTrip and backpack across Europe together, blasting the song “Scotty Doesn’t Know” along the way. Just be careful that the trip doesn’t suddenly turn into the movie Hostel.

7. The History

There’s the leaning tower of Pisa in Tuscany, the Colosseum in Rome, the gondolas in Venice, and the Vatican. Plus there's plenty of churches and cathedrals, so Scottie won't have to worry about being late for Sunday afternoon games.

8. Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Donatello

I’m talking about the famous artists, although it would be pretty cool if the Ninja Turtles were hiding out somewhere in the hills of Tuscany. Scottie can see firsthand the Sistine Chapel, the statue of David, and many other masterpieces located in the art museums of Italy.

9. Family Reunion

Two other prominent members of the Villanova basketball family currently play in Italy, Allan Ray and Mike Nardi. Scottie will be competing against his former backcourt mate from 2006-07, as Nardi plays for Nuova Pallacanestro Pavia in the same league. A-Ray plays in the top division, however, and after sitting out the 2009–10 season to recover from knee surgery, he has signed with Sutor Montegranaro for the 2010-11 season.

10. Clooney Knows Best

If superstar actor and Jay Wright doppelganger George Clooney owns a villa on Lake Como in Lombardy, you know Italy is the place to be.

A Farewell to King

2010-08-11T12:31:00.004-04:00

After initially deciding to leave the basketball team but stay at the University, Taylor King has announced his intentions to leave Villanova for good and transfer to USC. Rather than speculating on why King has left two different prestigious institutions (Villanova and Mater Dei High School) and Duke on equivocal terms, let’s search deep within the archives of Nova News to take a look back at the highlights of TK’s short stint as a Wildcat.

April 2008 - King announces he will transfer from Duke to Villanova, stating, “It just couldn't be a better fit for me... I asked blunt questions, but I wanted everything they offered. They la

id down their game plan for me and I couldn't resist.”

March 2009 - King was forced to sit out the entire 2008-2009 season after transferring, and he could not travel with the team, but that didn’t stop him from paying his own way to Boston and cheering on his teammates from the stands as they beat his former team, Duke, and then Pitt, to advance to the Final Four.

November 16, 2009 - After his debut against Farliegh Dickinson...

“We knew he could shoot the ball, but King really impressed me with his rebounding (7) and tenacity. He actually reminded me of Dwayne Anderson, which is a pleasant surprise.”

November 17, 2009 - After only his second game with Villanova, I was firmly on the Taylor King bandwagon.

“Taylor King - Plays like a madman... I love it. He grabbed three rebounds in less than a minute after entering the game, then drained a three. He also made the Dwayne Anderson signature dive from behind steal. 14 points and 7 rebounds in the game... you can can see he's already turning into a crowd favorite.”

November 23, 2009 - He was able to laugh it off afterwards since Nova won the game, but this is a nominee for King’s most embarrassing moment as a Wildcat. (There’s more).

“Yes, Taylor King actually did airball a free throw. His 3-point shooting (0-4) was off also, but he brings a lot more to the game than just shooting. He had 9 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, an assist, and he could have had a double-double if he made that free throw. He also showed off his hops with a nice one-handed slam.”

December 3, 2009 - King dazzled the Pavilion crowd in a win over Drexel, but had some harsh words for the fans after the game.

“Taylor King had a big game off the bench with 16 points and 5 rebounds. He was feeling it from downtown, hitting 4 threes. He also had another Dwayne-Anderson-signature-dive-from-behind-steal, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Although, he made a curious statement after the game: "I heard the crowd a little bit and I like that. I don't feed off the crowd, though. I hear them but I am only playing for my coaches and teammates." I'd like to think he is playing for his fellow students and the fans as well.”

December 10, 2009 - This might have been King’s best game and proudest moment at Villanova, although it also involved the second nominee for most embarrassing moment.

“Taylor King delivered the dagger to kill the Hawk with a deep 3-pointer at the 1:31 mark, to put Villanova up by seven… Taylor King played his best game as a Wildcat with 20 points and 9 rebounds in his sixth man role. King showed great perseverance in this game. He missed all four of his 3-point attempts in the first half, yet remained confident in his lefty stroke and made all four of his shots from downtown in the second half. King had an embarrassing moment on a break-away when he was rejected by the rim and missed the dunk. However, he returned to the game aggressive, looking to make up for it, and he did.”

January 3, 2010 - My New Year’s prediction for King was slightly off...

“Game Thoughts: King had an average game (6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists), though he continues to impress with his rebounding ability.

New Year's Resolution: To stay patient on offense and let the guards create open shots. He is not as effective at creating his own shot off the dribble.

2010 Prediction: King will score 24 points against Duke in the NCAA Tournament, and two rounds earlier Villanova will beat Miami despite a heroic 37-point outburst from Malcolm Grant.”

January 7, 2010 - DePaul post-game interviews will never be the same now that Jerry Wainwright’s been fired. Here’s what he said about King, “he has range that might start back in Piscataway. He is insane.”

January 10, 2010 - I nominate this for scariest moment of his career.

“Taylor King layed on the floor in pain for several minutes after busting his head and shoulder.”

January 24, 2010 - I guess I’ll have to recast this show…

“Monday 10:00 PM

"Saved by the Bell: The College Years II (The New New Class)"

A reboot of the sequel to the hit series. Featuring Taylor King as California beach bum Zack Morris, Antonio Pena as muscle-bound A.C. Slater, Maurice Sutton as the wacky Screech Powers, and Ed Pinckney as the former sports star who returns to school as an R.A.”

February 9, 2010 - King proved he was more than just a soft outside shooter.

“It was like a game within a game watching Taylor King and ...pause for spell check... Deniz Kilicli battle in the post. King was ice cold shooting the ball (0-6), but he pulled down 8 rebounds and blocked 3 shots.”

February 22, 2010 - This is when the wheels on the Taylor King bandwagon started to fall off…

“Taylor King has failed to score in double figures for 10 straight games. His 3-point shot has been off, which may be the result of tired legs. The 6'6 King has been forced to play out of position at power forward against players much bigger and stronger, yet he has held his own on the boards (5.8 rpg).”

February 25, 2010 - If basketball doesn’t work out for King, I’ve got the Olympic sport for him…

“Taylor King - Snowboard Halfpipe

King is from Huntington Beach, California, so he probably knows how to surf, which will make for an easy transition to the snow. He just needs to grow his hair out to fit in with Shaun White.”

March 9, 2010 - The beginning of the end?

“Taylor King might be out for the rest of the season. That hurts, but luckily Nova has the depth to deal with it.”

March 11, 2010 - He sat out Nova’s Round 1 game in the BET, then…

“13:00 - Taylor King is in! I don't know why he was out, but I'm glad he's back. (Note: King would leave the game after two minutes and never return. So never mind that unfounded excitement.)”

March 18, 2010 - In King’s last hurrah, he helped Nova avoid a first round upset in the NCAA Tournament.

“With a fresh haircut, King rediscovered his lefty stroke to score 10 points off the bench, his first time reaching double digits since early January. However, he only played 15 minutes. Jay Wright made some odd choices with his rotation today. At least King seems to be past whatever personal issues he was battling, which is a good sign.”

King's final per-game stats for the season: 7.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.5 blocks, 0.7 steals, .421 FG%, .364 3P%, .738 FT%.

A New Letter From Dan Gilbert

2010-07-19T08:55:00.004-04:00

Dear Cleveland, All Of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Cavaliers Supporters Wherever You May Be Tonight;

As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in a region 431 miles away from the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.

This was announced with a brief, humble, unselfish build-up culminating with a national tweet of his "decision" unlike anything ever "witnessed" in the history of sports, entertainment, and probably the history of the universe.

Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.

The good news is that the ownership team and the rest of the hard-working, loyal, and driven staff over here at your hometown Cavaliers have not betrayed you nor NEVER will betray you.

There is so much more to tell you about the events of the recent past and our more than exciting future. Over the next several days and weeks, we will be communicating much of that to you.

You simply don't deserve this kind of cowardly betrayal.

You have given so much and deserve so much more.

In the meantime, I want to make one statement to you tonight:

"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘Klow7' WINS ONE"

You can take it to the bank. (Then come to Quicken Loans to get the loan you will need to pay off your losses on that bet.)

If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of another city’s very own has shifted our "motivation" to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels. As a matter of fact, I am on my way to Ace Hardware right now.

Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to-- Hold on folks, I’m getting a call from David Stern…

Wow, this is embarrassing. Apparently Mr. Lowry was a “restricted” free agent and had no control over the situation. Once Daryl Morey and the Rockets matched our $24 million offer, Kyle had no choice but to return to Houston. My apologies.

Sleep well, Cleveland.

Tomorrow is a new and slightly less darker day....

I PROMISE you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only:

DELIVERING YOU another angry letter in a silly font that you have long deserved and is long overdue....

Dan Gilbert 

Majority Owner

 Cleveland Cavaliers

An Open Letter to Randy Foye

2010-07-15T11:57:00.009-04:00

You might remember a column Bill Simmons wrote before last year’s draft addressing Blake Griffin and his future with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Sports Guy outlined all of the horrible things that have happened to the Clippers franchise and its players. He summarized, “this went deeper than one person. This was karmic. This was creepy. This was like … they'd been hexed. Like they had built an arena on a sacred burial ground or something. And that's when I realized what happened. In a way, they did mess with a sacred burial ground. They messed with the Indians. And you don't mess with the Indians. Ever.”

The bad luck dates back to June 14, 1976, when Buffalo Braves owner Paul Synder decided to sell the team, and subsequently moved it to San Diego and later Los Angeles. With the cross country move, the franchise stripped itself of all affiliation with Native American heritage, and decided to rename the team the “Clippers”. That seems to be when the “curse” began. Simmons’ satirical column turned eerily prophetic when Blake Griffin suffered a stress fracture in his knee the day before the season started and missed his entire rookie year. I’m going to borrow the idea and write a letter to former Villanova Wildcat and new Los Angeles Clipper Randy Foye…

Dear Randy,

“Run. Just start running. Run for your life. Run like the star of a horror movie. Don't turn around. Run and keep running.”

You just signed a two year contract worth over $8 million with the Los Angeles Clippers. Congratulations, that’s a lot of money, but for the sake of your ACL’s maybe you should have considered somewhere else. You’re really pushing your luck, considering you already have a history of knee injury, missing half of the 2007-2008 season. Just take a look at some of the horrific injuries that have befallen the Clippers’ major draft/trade/free agent acquisitions over the years:

- 1977: A month after the Clippers traded for all star Tiny Archibald, he tore his Achilles and missed the entire season.

- 1979: Clippers signed free agent Bill Walton. He played 14 games for them in his first three years, and just 169 games through his six year contract with the team.

- 1980: Clippers drafted Michael Brooks ninth overall, and after three-plus seasons, he blew out his knee and never played another game for the Clippers.

- 1983: Clippers traded for Norm Nixon, who blew out his knee playing softball after three seasons, then thirteen months later he ruptured his Achilles tendon.

- 1983: Rookie of the Year Terry Cummings was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart arrhythmia.

- 1985: Rising star Derek Smith blew out his knee eleven games into the season and was never the same.

- 1986: Marques Johnson ruptured a disk in his neck after an accidental collision with his own teammate. It was a career-ending injury.

- 1988: #1 pick Danny Manning blew out his ACL after just 26 games with the Clippers.

- 1989: Ron Harper blew out his ACL 28 games after the Clippers traded for him.

- 1997: Leading scorer and rebounder Loy Vaught had season-ending back surgery.

- 2007: Elton Brand blew out his Achilles.

- 2007: Shaun Livingston suffered one of the most gruesome knee injuries ever caught on live TV.

Sure, you can compile bad luck and injury lists like this with just about every team in the NBA, but the difference is the Clippers haven’t had good luck in its history to counterbalance it. I’m sure you had other options, like the Nets, who will be playing in your hometown of Newark this season. Then again, you run the risk of getting banished to Siberia if Russian billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov isn’t pleased with your play. You could have gone across the river to boost your stats in Mike D’Antoni’s system. Or how about “taking your talents to South Beach” and joining the new Triumvirate to chase a ring or ten. You’d have to take a major pay cut, but I’m sure you’d be paid the difference under the table like the rest of the team inevitably will. You even could have returned to your first team, the Minnesota Timberwolves. GM David Kahn apparently has some kind of unhealthy infatuation with point guards that rivals only Jay Wright, so I’m sure he’d welcome you back.

Curses aside, the Clippers are actually a great fit basketball-wise for you, Randy, and the weather isn’t too bad in LA either. The team has some young talent with Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon, Ryan Gomes, and rookies Al-Farouq Aminu and Eric Bledsoe, plus veterans Baron Davis and Chris Kaman. You will likely be the first guard off the bench subbing in for Davis at the point or Gordon at the two.

“Again, I would start running right now. But if you choose to stay, I have an idea: Trek into the desert like Jim Morrison did in "The Doors," bring Gordon with you, drop some acid and try to connect with a Native American shaman. Or you could fly to Buffalo with Baron and Gordon, find some sacred ground and make some atonements. Maybe you could even bring a white buffalo with you. Just make sure you do something. This is bigger than you. And us.”

I don't really believe in curses, anyway. Or do I? No, I don't. But if there is a curse, let's hope you're the one to break it, or at least stay healthy for these next 2-3 years until you join a franchise that isn't cursed. Like the Cavs.

“Good luck breaking the Curse of the Sacred Buffalo.”

Sincerely,

~~Bill Simmons~~ Tim Barry

NBA Free Agency Summit

2010-07-08T10:49:00.011-04:00

It’s finally here… The Summer of 2010… NBA free agency. Teams have spent two years tanking and clearing salary cap space in hopes of signing them. That’s right, Randy Foye and Kyle Lowry are free agents for the first time in their young NBA careers, and they could be wearing new jerseys ( or new New Jersey jerseys) next year. What, you thought I was talking about someone else?

Randy Foye is coming off a tumultuous season with the Washington Wizards where he averaged 10.1 points and 3.3 assists per game (13 pts and 5 assists as a starter). There’s a good chance the former Wildcat will be playing for his third NBA team next fall, or fifth team if you count the draft-day trades in 2006. (Drafted 7th by Boston, rights traded to Portland, rights again traded to Minnesota for Brandon Roy, and last summer traded to Washington for Ricky Rubio). The Wizards still owe gunslinger Gilbert Arenas $80 million through 2014, and they just made a draft night trade to add point guard Kirk Hinrich. I’m sure they would love to shoot Arena’s contract off to another team, but if they are unable to, the Wizards are unlikely to match an offer made for Foye, who is a restricted free agent.

Dork Elvis, aka Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey, apparently sees in Kyle Lowry what Nova fans saw in the two years the Broadstreet Bulldog roamed the courts up and down the Main Line. Morey’s recent tweet: “Rockets fans, please send a message to Luis (@LScola4) and Kyle (@Klow7) letting them know much we want them back! http://twitpic.com/21iko5.” Kyle excelled off the bench as Aaron Brooks’ back-up at the point, averaging 9.1 points and 4.5 assists, and I’m sure both sides would love to stay together. However, on a per 48 minute basis, Lowry averaged 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists. What if another team desperate for a point guard looked at those stats and offered Kyle a starting position? I think he’d have to take that opportunity.

So where could Kyle and Randy be heading if they leave their respective cities? Some teams with available cap space and vacancies at the point guard position are the New York Knicks and Miami Heat. The Indiana Pacers are looking for a new point guard, although they are already over the salary cap.

Scottie Reynolds is slated to play for the Phoenix Suns’ summer league team, but he isn’t guaranteed a spot on their big league roster next season. I hope things work out for him in the desert (Vegas, then Arizona) because there aren’t many better point guards to apprentice under than Steve Nash.

Tim Thomas could take a veterans’ minimum contract with a salary cap strapped team like the Miami Heat to chase a ring with Wade and Bosh (and LeBron?). If he doesn’t return to play for Mark Cuban in Dallas, Tim could be making his tenth team change in fourteen seasons, which has to be some kind of record. Personally, I’d like to see TT (that’s what I call him) join the Boston Celtics, just to see how Bill Simmons would react.

Malik Allen averaged 2 points and 2 rebounds in just under 9 minutes per game for the Denver Nuggets last season. At 32 years old, Allen can provide cheap veteran front court depth, something just about every team in the league can use.

As for Villanova's final representative in the NBA, Dante Cunningham is not a free agent and will be back in Portland for his second year. The Blazers liked what they saw from their second round draft pick and extended his contract through 2011.

Oh, yeah. Apparently there's another big free agent, although he did not attend Villanova. Some guy by the name of LeBron James. After tonight's primetime special, "The Decision", we'll finally know where the King will hold his court. As a Knicks fan, I'm hoping he comes to Madison Square Garden, erases the misfortunes of the Isiah Thomas era, and brings a title to New York. As a basketball fan, I would love to watch him team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, forming the most dynamic trio in NBA history and creating must-see TV for 82+ nights a year. (How much is NBA League Pass?) As an American sports fan, I want him to stay in Cleveland and prove that loyalty still exists in sports, and that hometown fans truly matter to these multi-millionaire superstars.

Scottie Reynolds... The Next Mike Bibby?

2010-06-14T13:20:00.008-04:00

As the Celtics and Lakers continue to battle in the Finals, the NBA Draft is quickly approaching. Dozens of young collegiate and international basketball stars are travelling around the country, working out for coaches, scouts, and GMs, hoping to be the next Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Pau Gasol, or Kevin Garnett... heck even the next Adam Morrison. (Who wouldn't love to get paid $5,257,229 to cheer from the bench?) One such hopeful player is Villanova's own, Scottie Reynolds.

Most NBA draft experts project Scottie Reynolds to go in the second round or not at all. Scottie's draft stock was hurt by his uncharacteristically poor performance in this past year's NCAA Tournament: 4/26 FG (15%). He no doubt struggled in those last two games, but should that overshadow a first team All-American season? The hate seems to have gone too far for Scottie Reynolds' NBA prospects, and GMs should take notice because they won't want to be remembered as "the guy who passed on the next Mike Bibby".

Now you might be saying to yourself, "You're crazy! Mike Bibby wasthe second overall draft pick in 1998." Well, first of all, the Grizzlies (then in Vancouver) made a mistake drafting Bibby before Antwan Jamison, Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki, AND Paul Pierce. But at least it wasn't as bad the first overall pick that year by the Clippers (Michael Olowokandi). Now bear with me and take a closer look at these two players and you'll see just how similar Reynolds and Bibby actually are.

The Looks

They're about the same size (both listed as 6'2), and they're within five pounds of the same listed weight (Reynolds: 190 pounds and Bibby: 195 pounds). Neither is super quick or athletic, but they instead rely on craftiness, outside shooting, and high basketball IQ.

The Stats

Bibby (2 years): 15.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 45.6 FG%, 39 3P%, 73 FT%

Reynolds (4 years): 16 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 41.4 FG%, 37.2 3P%, 81.4 FT%

In his senior year, Scottie shot an almost identical 45.7% from the field and 38.5% from three. He also bumped his scoring up to 18.2 points per game. Albeit, at that age, Bibby was averaging 14.5 points and 8.1 assists per game in his second year in the NBA, but still, the stats are strikingly similar. Bibby's career NBA stats are: 15.8 points, 5.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 43.8 FG%, 37.5 3P%, 80.6 FT%... Not inconceivable for Reynolds. Also keep in mind, that despite all his success, Bibby has never made an All-star team.

The Wins

Both were McDonald's All-Americans in high school. Both were First Team AP All-Americans in college. Both of their college teams were sucessful. Bibby led Arizona to a National Championship with 20 points as a freshman in 1997. Sure, Reynolds' most recent NCAA Tournament was disappointing, but how can anyone forget his magical buzzer-beater in 2009 that sent Villanova to the Final Four.

The Rest

So far there's no indication that Scottie Reynolds can't mimic Mike Bibby's career, in which he has earned $100,176,673 and counting. The biggest lingering question about Reynolds' game is whether he can run an NBA team at the point guard position. Reynolds was never a huge assist guy in college, but that has more to do with Villanova's system and personnel. I don't see Reynolds ever routinely putting up double digit assists like Rajon Rondo, but I can absolutely see him being like Rondo's opposing point guard in the Finals, Derek Fisher. Like Bibby, Fisher has a very similar body and game to Reynolds (6'1, 200 lbs.). Fisher has never averaged more than five assists per game over his career, yet he has been the point guard on four championship teams. If you think I'm aiming too high with Bibby, then why can't Scottie Reynolds be the next Derek Fisher?

As Scottie Reynolds is watching the rest of the Finals, instead of dreaming of being the next Kobe Bryant, Rajon Rondo, or even Derek Fisher, maybe he should aim to be the next Glen Davis. I'm not suggesting he gain 100 pounds, but Scottie can learn a thing or two from Big Baby. Like Reynolds, Davis was a college star who led his team to a Final Four, yet saw his draft stock drop after a disappointing following year. He got drafted in the second round, but he didn't let that keep him down. Davis continued to work hard and improve his game, and now he is a game away from winning his second ring. So wake up NBA GMs, you don't want to miss this year's big sleeper... Scottie Reynolds.

The 2010 NBA Draft is June 24 at 7 p.m.

St. Mary's Stuns Nova

2010-03-20T19:46:00.005-04:00

This was not the top-10 Villanova Wildcats team I've watched all season. Literally. After a very successful season where Antonio Pena and Taylor King anchored the front court, Jay Wright decided it would be a good time to tinker with a new look by throwing two freshmen, Maurice Sutton and Mouphtaou Yarou, on the floor to learn on the fly in high-pressure NCAA Tournament games. On top of that, he gave two more freshmen, Dominic Cheek and Maalik Wayns, some of the most minutes they've seen all season. I like all four of the freshmen, and in Wayns and Cheek's cases, I've been calling for more playing time for them all season. However, now is not the time to make major lineup changes. These freshmen needed to get their reps in the regular season so they could handle this situation.

Scottie Reynolds - Seriously. What happened? I think he reenacted the movie "Freaky Friday" and switched bodies with his mother. He looked slow and hesitant, like the previous 2-15 game was still in his head. He followed it up by another horrid 2-11 shooting day, and at the end of the game with Nova down three, when Scottie normally steps up and takes control, he passed away the ball immediately like it was a hot potato. He wound up falling 21 points short of Kerry Kittles' Villanova scoring record, and it's really a shame. These past two games are a black eye on what was a spectacular career from Scottie Reynolds. I really feel for him because as disappointed as I and other Villanova fans may be, Scottie must feel that much worse. When the dust settles, he should hold his head high because Scottie Reynolds had one of the all-time best collegiate careers that anybody in a Villanova uniform has ever had, and hopefully years from now when we think of Scottie Reynolds, we will remember the "shot" that sent Nova back to the Final Four and the 40 point games, and his poor 2010 Tournament will just be an afterthought.

Corey Fisher - I see your 2-11 and raise you a 3-13. You can handle one player having an off-game, but when both of your two best players can't buy a bucket you're in big trouble. Fisher seemed to get frustrated that he wasn't getting any foul calls around the basket, so he started settling for too many jumpers. Nova was a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line, by the way, but St. Mary's attempted 16 more free throws, making 20 of 26.

Omar Samhan - Samhan made six of the Gaels' free throws, as Villanova made him look like Kareem Abdul-Jabber. The 6'11 big man scored 32 points on 13-16 shooting. Jay Wright waited way too long to start double teaming him.

Mickey McConnell - He must still have the luck of the Irish with him from St. Patrick's Day. I know he shoots over 51% from 3-point range, but come on... he's even making bank shot threes? Watching that shot go in must have made Scottie feel sick. Or sick"er".

Matthew Dellavedova - I was really hoping Scottie would punch that guy in the mouth. You're just asking for it with a flamboyant mouthpiece like that. Seriously though, as bad as Nova played, you still have to give a ton of credit to St. Mary's. Those kids played hard, and deserved to win. Who knew there were so many good basketball players down under?

Antonio Pena - He had a band on his leg, and for Jay Wright's sake, I hope 'Tone was injured. If he was fully healthy, then it's completely unacceptable how little Jay played Pena in these two Tournament games. Pena and King averaged over 45 minutes per game all season, yet they played just a combined 20 minutes in this game. Meanwhile Cheek, Wayns, Yarou, and Sutton combined for 61 minutes in this game, despite averaging about 54 minutes per game all season. Pena was the team's leading rebounder and the only proven low post scorer all season. If you double his minutes to the 26 that he normally plays, that's potentially 18 points, 4 rebounds, and probably a Villanova victory. It was no surprise to me that Nova made a run and reclaimed its first lead since the beginning of the game while Pena was on the floor late in the second half.

Isaiah Armwood - Was he even in Providence? Armwood was really coming on at the end of the season, and Jay Wright was trusting him with more and more playing time, and he doesn't even touch the floor in either NCAA Tournament game. Jay Wright's lineup decisions were perplexing. It was like how Avery Johnson and the #1-seed Dallas Mavericks botched the 2008 NBA playoffs versus #8-seed Golden State by overreacting and adjusting his lineup to match up with the Nellie-ball Warriors. You don't change your philosophy when you're the favorites. You're supposed to make them adjust to you. Villanova was succeeding with a 4-guard lineup all season, then Jay Wright starts playing Sutton and Yarou together, and it's no surprise that they struggled to figure out how to play together.

Corey Stokes and Maalik Wayns - They were the only two Wildcats to show up for this game. Stokes drained three 3-pointers for 15 points, and Wayns added 10 off the bench. However, Wayns made a lot of freshmen mistakes by trying to force too much on offense. But again, based on his role all season, Wayns wasn't prepared to take over in that situation.

Reggie Redding - Villanova's other senior didn't have a good final game either. He's not known for his scoring, but the defensive specialist did not get it done on the other end of the floor, as both McConnell and Dellavedova lit it up from the perimeter. Like Reynolds, Redding still had a great career at Villanova. Look no further than the team's success during their four years here.

Bill Simmons and Barack Obama - I should have known Nova was doomed when, not only the Sports Guy, but the Commander-in-Chief jinxed the Cats by picking them to go to the Final Four.

I hate to come off so critical of Jay Wright (I wish Pete from letsgonova.com would come out of retirement to give his thoughts on Jay's coaching job in the Tourny). Jay has done wonders for the school, and there's no other coach in the country I'd rather have running the program, but he has made some questionable decisions overs the past few days, from the "teaching point" benchings to the radical lineup adjustments. I'll close by saying congratulations. The Tournament results were disappointing, but Jay Wright and crew still had a great season: they won 25 games, tied for second place in the Big East, made the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight year, and won an NCAA Tournament game for the third year in a row. So let the loss sink in, look back at all the highlights from this season, then finally, start looking forward to next year. We have some great players returning and more great recruits coming in.

Nova Survives Robert Morris in OT

2010-03-18T17:18:00.011-04:00

"I wouldn't be surprised if history repeats itself and Robert Morris gets out to an early lead on Villanova, and the score may be close at halftime. Nova fans and office pool participants across the country will sweat as whispers of "Cinderella" are heard. However, just as in years past, Villanova's depth and athleticism will over power the mid-major Colonials in the second half, and the Wildcats will cruise to a double-digit victory."

That's what I wrote in my preview for this game, and although the first part held true, I never anticipated Robert Morris being able to hang with the Wildcats for that long, and I certainly did not expect an overtime thriller. I'm not completely surprised though; Villanova always seems to struggle against these small, scrappy mid-major teams. Earlier this year they needed a late 3-pointer to beat George Mason, and I'm sure everybody remembers last year's 1st round near-upset versus American. Villanova was fortunate to escape this game with a 73-70 win, but the scary thing is that no matter who wins the Richmond/St. Mary's game, Villanova will be forced to play another small, scrappy mid-major team.

Jay Wright - News broke before the game that Jay was benching Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher, his starting back court and top-two leading scorers, to make a minor teaching point. Well, I hope they learned their lesson because it almost cost Nova the game. Fisher never seemed to get into the flow of the game, and Scottie's shot was well, to put it kindly, off.

Scottie Reynolds - 2/15 FG, 1/8 3PT, 4 turnovers... In what could have been his final college basketball game ever, Scottie Reynolds had his worst shooting game ever. He wasn't really forcing bad shots shots; he was getting good looks, but the shots just weren't falling. But there's a reason he is an All-American and a National Player of the Year candidate. He never gave up. His shot wasn't falling so he drove to the basket, and kept driving. He got to the line 16 times, and made all but one of them. He finished with 20 points, despite making just 2 field goals. It was a gutsy performance from the senior.

Mike Rice - The head coach of the Colonials did not agree with the gluttony of foul calls that went in Reynolds' favor. Some of the highlights: Rice getting spun around and held back from the officials by one of his own players, Rice taking his jacket off and marching halfway out of the arena, and Rice getting CBS in trouble with the FCC for shouting about thirty curses after the jumpball/foul controversial call.

Karon Abraham - Check the morgues for someone named Issac tomorrow because I think Abraham sacrificed him. It's the only explanation for the freshman having the game of his life, dropping 5 threes and scoring 23 points.

Mouphtaou Yarou - MOOOOOOOF! The undersized Colonials had no answer for Yarou as he scored a career-high 17 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and blocked 3 shots. He also played a season-high 26 minutes, and I thought he should have played even more. He was that dominant. I can't wait to see what Mouph can do over a full season next year.

Antonio Pena and Maurice Sutton - Was Jay trying to make a teaching point to Pena also? He inexplicably played Sutton for almost double the amount of minutes as Pena, the team's leading rebounder. Sutton is a great shot-blocker, he had 4, including the game-saving swat that led to the Redding breakaway. However, the 6'11 center had just one rebound in 17 minutes, despite being the tallest player on the floor. The undersized Robert Morris somehow managed to out-rebound Villanova in the first half; meanwhile, Pena was stuck on the bench. I couldn't understand it.

Reggie Redding - Maybe Reggie was trying to top his full-court pass against Pitt last year for "worst late-game blunder". Instead of taking a wide-open layup to give Nova a 5-point lead, Redding chose to dribble out the clock for an extra second before getting fouled. Then, of course, he proceeded to miss the first free throw. However, like last year, it didn't cost Nova the game. All's well that ends well, I guess.

Maalik Wayns and Corey Fisher - Not only did Wayns get the start over Fisher, but Jay continued to play Wayns over Fisher throughout much of the game. Wayns played 20 minutes for the first time in two months, while Fisher played just 25 minutes of a 45 minute game. Wayns is great at driving to the basket, and I love his upside for the future, but he is not ready to run an offense. Reynolds is the leading scorer, but the offense runs through Fisher and the team needs him on the floor as much as possible. I love Jay, and I understand the benchings, but the NCAA Tournament is no time to be making major changes to your rotation with Sutton and Wayns over Pena and Fisher.

Taylor King - With a fresh haircut, King rediscovered his lefty stroke to score 10 points off the bench, his first time reaching double digits since early January. However, he only played 15 minutes. Jay Wright made some odd choices with his rotation today. At least King seems to be past whatever personal issues he was battling, which is a good sign.

Verne Lundquist - For the entire game he insisted on calling Scottie "Scott Reynolds" and Mouphtaou "Moostaf Yarou".

CBS - On the bottom of the screen they abbreviated Robert Morris as "ROB MORR". If there are an unusually high number of robberies committed today, I blame CBS.

Nova News 2010 NCAA Bracket

2010-03-17T11:53:00.008-04:00

Midwest:
Evan Turner is ridiculous, but Ohio State's lack of size in the front court will catch up to them against Greg Monroe and Georgetown. Kansas is the cream of the crop in this region, and I don't see anybody stopping them.

West:
Minnesota is my biggest upset of the first two rounds; just a gut call. I hate to be boring with a lack of major upsets, but I just don't see many happening this year. I think Syracuse advances to Indy with or without Onuaku.

East:
I would have picked West Virginia to make it to the Final Four if they were in any other region, but I think Kentucky is a special team. The "other" Wildcats are very young, but they are loaded with NBA talent, and John Wall is the next Dwyane Wade.

South:
I wanted to pick Louisville to upset Duke in the second round, but I'd much rather Villanova take down the Blue Devils later. I'm trying to subdue my homerism and temper expectations, but I just really like Villanova's potential match ups to get to the Final Four.

Final Four:
I have Syracuse beating Kansas, but that is only if Onuaku is healthy. The Orange can get to the Final Four without him, but they can't beat the Jayhawks without their steroid-filled center. Like last year, Nova's run will come to an end in the Final Four, and as usual, their loss will come at the hands of the eventual National Champion: the Kentucky Wildcats.

The Path to Indy

2010-03-15T12:34:00.004-04:00

The field of 65 has been announced, and despite their losses down the stretch, Villanova was rewarded with a 2-seed in the South Region. The path to Indianopolis is long and treacherous, but here is what Villanova will have to do to return to the Final Four...

Round 1: vs. #15 Robert Morris Colonials (23-11)
First of all, who is Robert Morris? The school, located in Pittsburgh, PA, was founded in 1921, and is named after... wait for it... Robert Morris, who signed the Declaration of Independence and helped finance the Revolutionary War. According to Wikipedia their notable alumni include Hank Fraley, Tim Hall, Tim Levcik, Robb Butler, Kevin Colbert, and Jerry Bowyer... a real who's who of F-list celebrities. Since when do Arena Football League players count as notable alumni? Robert Morris is in the Northeast Conference, along with Farleigh Dickinson, who Villanova beat 84-61 in their first game of the season. Robert Morris swept FDU in the season series, 80-73 and 65-50. This is Robert Morris' seventh trip to the Big Dance, but the Colonials are better known for their world-class bowling team, (2007 National runners-up) which has produced several professional bowlers, such as Roy Munson and Ernie McCracken. Robert Morris played two Big East teams this season: 11/11 they lost 100-60 at Syracuse and 2/8 they lost 77-53 at Pitt.

Villanova has recently struggled as a high seed in these opening round games of the NCAA Tournament. Last year, as a 3-seed, they trailed 14-seed American for much of the game, then finally pulled away late in the second half for a 80-67 victory. In 2006 as a 1-seed, Villanova had trouble early with 16-seed Monmouth, who they eventually beat 58-45. I wouldn't be surprised if history repeats itself and Robert Morris gets out to an early lead on Villanova, and the score may be close at halftime. Nova fans and office pool participants across the country will sweat as whispers of "Cinderella" are heard. However, just as in years past, Villanova's depth and athleticism will over power the mid-major Colonials in the second half, and the Wildcats will cruise to a double-digit victory.

Round 2: vs. #7 Richmond (26-8) or #10 St. Mary's (26-5)
St. Mary's beat Gonzaga 81-62 to win the WCC Tournament, and Richmond has a 71-54 victory over Temple, a team Villanova lost to earlier in the season, although Nova-killer Juan Fernandez did not play in that game. Both are solid teams that pose a legitimate challenge to Nova. Nevertheless, you have got to like Villanova's chances of getting to the Sweet Sixteen for the third year in a row.

Round 3: vs. #3 Baylor or #6 Notre Dame or #11 Old Dominion or #14 Sam Houston
The Baylor Bears are the favorite to make it to Houston from the New Orleans pod. I think they will, and frankly I can't wait because Baylor's players have some epic names that make Ole Miss and South Florida pale in comparison: LaceDarius Dunn, Tweety Carter, Ekpe Udoh, Quincy Acy, Dragan Sekelja, and Givon Crump. Luckily, games aren't decided by name originality, so I think Villanova moves on the Elite Eight.

Round 4: vs. #1 Duke or #4 Purdue or #5 Texas A&M or #8 California or #9 Louisville or #12 Utah St. or #13 Siena
Obviously a lot of different scenarios are in play here. I think Louisville has a great shot at upsetting Duke in the second round. Purdue and A&M have a chance, but Villanova will most likely be looking at a rematch of last year's Sweet Sixteen against the #1 Blue Devils. This is almost the same exact Duke team that Villanova manhandled 77-54 last year, minus the now NBA player Gerald Henderson, but the Blue Devils may have been better off without his 1-14 shooting performance that night anyway. Nova lost Dante Cunningham, Dwayne Anderson, and Shane Clark three of that team's toughest and most physical defenders, and it was that physical play that gave Duke fits. This year's Villanova team isn't as good defensively, but Duke doesn't scare me at all. I think Villanova has an excellent shot to return to the Final Four this year, but they have to take care of Robert Morris first.

BET Round 3: Running Diary

2010-03-11T20:37:00.014-05:00

It's New York City. It's Madison Square Garden. It's the Big East Tournament. The Madness of March is in full swing, as several teams have already punched their tickets to the NCAA Tournament and many others are still looking to join them. I kept a running diary of the events as they unfolded during Villanova's match-up against Marquette. So without further adieu...

2:00 PM: As expected, the noon game is still being played. Why do they always list the second game at 2:00 PM when they know there's no chance it will start before 2:30?

2:05 PM: Why is the Big East Player of the Year letting Sardine drive recklessly to the basket with the game on the line? I know Scottie Reynolds would be taking over in this situation.

2:10 PM: Georgetown pulls the upset over Syracuse, and Onaku might be done for the year. Their #1 seed could be in jeopardy. Chris Wright with 27 points and 6 assists: I think someone's angry they didn't get an "Honorable Mention".

2:37 PM: The game finally tips off. Apparently it was delayed because Austin Freeman tried to eat the Reeces logo on the floor of the Garden.

First Half

19:00 - Fisher draws a foul, but misses both free throws then turns it over... not a good start.

18:00 - Reggie Redding scores the first points of the game on a long two.

17:00 - Mouphtaou Yarou with a LeBron James signature block from behind on the breakaway dunk! He looks like a young Hakeem, who was actually Akeem. (Olajuwon was also a soccer player from Africa who didn't pick up basketball until the age of 15. I hope Mouph turns out half as good as the Dream.)

17:00 - Scottie Reynolds makes his first 3-pointer.

15:00 - Stokes comes off the bench and hits a three. He had 20 points against Marquette last year at MSG... he likes playing here.

13:00 - Taylor King is in! I don't know why he was out, but I'm glad he's back. (Note: King would leave the game after two minutes and never return. So never mind that unfounded excitement.)

12:00 - Marquette makes their second basket at the end of the shot clock. Those are always killers to give up three points after playing 34 seconds of good defense.

11:00 - Stokes with the lucky bounce as the three-ball drops in. Nova needs Stokes making threes to have any kind of success in the Big Dance.

10:00 - Can somebody get a hand in Darius Johnson-Odom's face? He's made 3 threes already.

7:00 - Fisher goes to bench with two fouls and zero points.

5:00 - Reynolds gets caught in the paint surrounded by four Golden Eagles with nowhere to go, then pivots around and drops in an old school scoop shot. That was pretty.

4:00 - Buzz Williams may be challenging Patrick Ewing's record for most sweat produced at a basketball game at MSG.

3:00 - Scottie Reynolds and David Cubillan get in a tangle-up on the floor. These teams are playing hungry.

2:00 - Stokes is three for three for three! Say that three times fast.

1:00 - Fisher Price is back on the floor to score his first points of the game on a drive to the basket.

Halftime - The game is tied 30-30. For your halftime entertainment: The T-shirt Squad!

Human Giant - T-Shirt Squad - watch more funny videos

Second Half

19:00 - A bad offensive foul called on Fisher, his third personal foul of the game. Come on zebras, this is the BIG EAST, we don't reward flopping.

18:00 - Fish stays in and hits a three!

18:00 - Jay Wright rewards Corey Stokes by starting him in the second half, and Stokes responds by knocking down his fourth 3-pointer of the game. It's been a while since the Bayonne Bomber has been this hot from downtown.

17:00 - Another shot clock buzzer beater by Marquette. So demoralizing.

16:00 - Stokes hits another three and has 16 points for the game. Then, on defense, he lands awkwardly and comes away limping. Luckily, he stays in the game... we need him.

15:00 - Mouph is getting involved on offense. He hits a layup then draws a foul and makes both free throws. His upside is sky-high.

14:00 - Scottie hits a three. It's the second half, so naturally he's heating up.

13:00 - Yarou dives on the floor after a loose ball. It's weird seeing a big guy in a white jersey playing so hard at MSG. I've never seen Eddy Curry do that.

13:00 - He's on fire! Stokes is 5-6 for three and has 19 points.

12:00 - J-O is really peeving me off. (I'm not typing out his full name again; it barely fits on the back of his jersey.)

11:00 - Pena gets the offensive rebound, then goes up strong for the and-1. Nova is up 52-48.

9:00 - An intentional foul is called on Redding for stopping a clear path breakaway. That was a reach-in foul, he did not grab him. Plus, Scottie was right there, so he didn't even have a clear path.

9:00 - J-O gives Marquette a 54-52 lead. He has 18 points.

7:00 - Fish gets back to the free throw line for the first time since the beginning of the game, and he makes both. Fisher Price needs to keep toying with these defenders by attacking the basket.

6:00 - Scottie is struggling on offense, so he tries to draw a charge on defense by flopping, but there is no call. Then J-O hits another three. Come on Scottie, you're better than that.

5:00 - Facing Marquette pressure, Scottie dribbles the ball off his foot out of bounds. Today is not his day. I was hoping he would come out with a vengeance after the Big East POY snub. (Reynolds finished 4-10 for 10 points, with 2 assists and 3 turnovers.)

4:00 - J-O with ANOTHER 3-pointer for 24 points. I have a new enemy. Congratulations J-O, you have joined Luke Harangody, Edgar Sosa, Carl Krauser, Kevin Pitsnoggle, and Eric Devendorf in a long line of Big East players I despise.

4:00 - Meanwhile, as Marquette takes an eight point lead, it has been nine minutes since Stokes (19 points, 5-6 3PT) has attempted a shot.

4:00 - Fisher Price is creating open shots for his teammates as he sets up Pena under the basket. 'Tone hits both free throws to cut the deficit to two at 65-63.

3:00 - Fish with the steal and a breakaway. He goes up for a layup with extra hang time, trying to draw contact. We are tied at 65. Fisher often makes layups more difficult than they need to be, but he usually makes them.

3:00 - Fisher is taking over! Nova is down by one, 68-67.

2:22 - Finally! Stokes gets a shot off and drains it. (22 points, 8-9 FG, 6-7 3PT) The game is tied at 70.

2:00 - Lazar Hayward makes a three to put Marquette up 73-70. We're coming down to the wire here. Scottie needs to step up.

1:00 - A foul is called on Nova, Marquette goes up five, and the game is slipping away.

0:33 - Pena makes a layup, and Nova is down by three again.

0:31 - With the shot clock turned off, Nova is forced to foul Hayward. He makes both free throws to make it 77-72. We'd need to get lucky at this point.

0:24 - Fisher Price with the behind the back layup and-1, but he misses the free throw. (Fisher had a great game: 16 points and 6 assists, but he was 5-9 from the free throw line. Those four points could have made a big difference.)

0:18 - Cubillan dribbles out of control trying to avoid the foul and instead loses the ball on his own, but they call a foul on Villanova. Unlucky.

0:4.5 - After draining a lot of time off the clock, Pena makes a layup to make it 78-76, but Nova really needed a three there. The Marquette defenders were hounding Fisher and Stokes on the perimeter, not allowing them to get a shot off.

0:3.2 - Nova is forced to foul Hayward again. He gets a lucky bounce and makes both to give Marquette a four-point lead. It's rare when a team's center is the their free throw "icer" at the end of the game.

0:00 -Fisher misses a meaningless three at the buzzer and the game is over. Marquette wins 80-76.

They say it's tough to beat a good team twice in one season and almost impossible to beat them three times. That doesn't seem to effect the UConn women's team, but that saying held true for the men because it happened to Syracuse first, and now to Villanova, as both double-bye teams lost their first games. Nova is still in the big Tourny, and this loss will hurt their seeding, but I'll gladly take the extra time to rest, regroup and prepare for our round one opponent, whoever it may be. Until Selection Sunday...

Big East Honors and Snubs

2010-03-10T18:22:00.013-05:00

The Big East has come out with their post-season awards... real awards, not the ones I give out. Let's take a look...

BIG EAST Player of the Year
Wes Johnson, Syracuse

I was hoping Scottie Reynolds would win it, but if there's one player I could understand winning it over Scottie, it's Wesley Johnson. He's the best player on the best team in the conference, and he really does do it all. He leads the Orange in scoring at 15.7 ppg. He leads the team in rebounding at 8.5 rpg, which is especially impressive, considering he is 6'7 and competing for boards with 6'9 Arinze Onaku and 6'9 Rick Jackson on his own team. He averages 2.4 assists per game and almost 2 blocks and 2 steals per game. His shooting percentages are good as well (48.7% FG, 78.6% FT, 38.1% 3PT). The only knock on Wes is his decline in scoring and shooting accuracy over the past few weeks, but he is playing with an injured hand.

In the case of Scottie Reynolds, you have to take into account how much better he has played in Big East games. Wes Johnson was still very good, but his numbers did drop in conference games. Reynolds, on the other hand, improved his scoring to 19.9 ppg, field goal percentage to 50%, 3-point shooting percentage to 42%, and free throw percentage to 84%. After all, this is the BIG EAST Player of the Year Award, not the Big East Player in Non-Conference Games Player of the Year Award. The biggest thing going against Reynolds is his team's poor play to close out the season. Villanova went 4-5 in their last nine games, which included a loss against Syracuse and Wes Johnson. Had Nova finished with a better record over those last nine games, I think it would have swayed some votes in Scottie's favor.

Finally, I know the award is technically only for this season, but you can't help but notice Scottie Reynolds' body of work over his four-year career at Villanova. The key word there being FOUR years. These days in college basketball it's rare to see a player as good as Reynolds stay in school for his senior year. And unlike other seniors who have had great careers (cough-Harangody-cough), Reynolds' Villanova teams have achieved major success. He's been to a Sweet Sixteen, a Final Four, and has made countless big shots along the way. Scottie Reynolds is battle-tested and proven. Is Wes Johnson? No one knows, because he's never been there before. Ironically, Reynolds' success is probably being held against him. He's been so good for so long that opposing fans joke that it seems like he's been in school for six years. People have gotten sick of Scottie, so they move along to look for the next new star. It's the same reason Jordan lost the '97 MVP to Karl Malone. There's no doubt Wesley Johnson is a great player, but it would have been nice to see Scottie Reynolds begin his collegiate career with a Big East Rookie of the Year Award and end it with a Big East Player of the Year Award.

BIG EAST Rookie of the Year
Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati

Stephenson's season was somewhat erratic, but he didn't really have any competition for the award. He has a great handle for his size, and he is so strong that he's almost unstoppable when driving to the basket. It's just a shame that he takes more jumpers than Samuel L. Jackson. Sorry, even I can't believe I just made a reference to a movie that bad.

BIG EAST Coach of the Year
Jim Boeheim, Syracuse

I tend to believe any coach of the year award should go to the coach on the best team, just on general principle. I can't make an exception here, although Buzz Williams, Jamie Dixon, and Stan Heath all deserve credit for what they accomplished with their respective teams this season. At least Boeheim will never beat Jay Wright in a best looking or best dressed coach of the year award.

BIG EAST Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athletes Of The Year
Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame

"Abromaitis will receive a $2,000 scholarship, which may be applied to graduate or professional studies." That's enough for about 1/4 of one class. How considerate of them.

BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Hamady Ndiaye, Rutgers

Ndiaye averaged 4.5 blocks per game, and he had one 10-block game and two 9-block games. That's impressive and all, but it didn't seem to have much of an effect in the win/loss column. You need to look a little deeper than block and steal numbers to measure defense in basketball. Also is it just me, or do you think of this song every time you see Hamady's name. Warning: if you click that link, you WILL start dancing.

BIG EAST Most Improved Player
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh

Gibbs went from scoring 4.3 points per game in '08-'09, to 16.2 this season. That's certainly a big improvement, but what does this award really mean? Austin Freeman improved (11.4 to 17.3 ppg), and so did Tim Abromaitis (1.7 to 17.2 ppg), Jamine Peterson (4.7 to 19.6 ppg), Kevin Jones (6.3 to 13.5 ppg), Gavin Edwards (3.8 to 10.7 ppg), Kris Joseph (3.4 to 11 ppg) and Antonio Pena (5.1 to 10.8 ppg). What's the real criteria here? Whoever sucked the most the year before?

BIG EAST Sixth Man Award
Kris Joseph, Syracuse

Another bogus award. I'm glad Corey Fisher won it last year, but in most cases, like Manu Ginobili with the Spurs and even Fisher last year, the sixth man is actually better than the fifth man on their own team, and the only reason they come off the bench is because of some quirky coaching strategy that may or may not work.

BIG EAST Sportsmanship Award
Tory Jackson, Notre Dame

And I thought the other awards were contrived and pointless.

ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM
Greg Monroe, Georgetown
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame
Dominique Jones, USF
Wes Johnson, Syracuse
Scottie Reynolds, Villanova
Da’Sean Butler, West Virginia

No complaints here. See above for my thoughts on Wes and Scottie. I love a center who can dish out 12 assists in a game (Monroe). Butler and Jones can go off for 30+ points any night. And as much as it pains me to see Gody's name here, 23 points and 10 rebounds every night is pretty darn impressive.

ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
Austin Freeman, Georgetown
Lazar Hayward, Marquette
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh
Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall
Andy Rautins, Syracuse

You gotta love Hazell, a classic chucker like Costanza. He has attempted over 10 3-pointers in a game 15 times this season, highlighted by a 4-19 shooting performance from behind the arc when he scored 41 points against West Virginia.

ALL-BIG EAST THIRD TEAM
Jerome Dyson, Connecticut
Kemba Walker, Connecticut
Samardo Samuels, Louisville
Corey Fisher, Villanova
Devin Ebanks, West Virginia

If Fisher didn't make Third Team, I would have had to make a personal visit to the houses of some Big East coaches to straighten them out. Scottie gets all the publicity, but Fisher has been just as valuable to Nova's success this year. Also, can we retract Dyson's name after that stink bomb of a game he had against St. John's? (4 points, 9 turnovers)

BIG EAST HONORABLE MENTION
Jimmy Butler, Marquette
Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame
Jamine Peterson, Providence

Why only three honorable mentions? What about Chris Wright, Mike Rosario, Mac Koshwal, DJ Kennedy, Will Walker, Sharaud Curry, and Edgar Sosa? Check that, the last word I would use to describe Edgar Sosa is honorable.

BIG EAST ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati
Alex Oriakhi, Connecticut
Vincent Council, Providence
Dane Miller, Rutgers
Brandon Triche, Syracuse
Maalik Wayns, Villanova

Congrats to Maalik. And you thought I was lying when I said Lance had no competition for Rookie of the Year. Oriakhi averaged under 5 points per game and made the all-rookie team.

Big East Final Standings

2010-03-09T11:58:00.006-05:00

Ranked in order of Big East Tournament seed...

1. Syracuse (15-3)
I've hesitated all season long to believe in this team, and I give up. They destroyed Nova at the Dome; they're the best in the Big East and maybe the entire country. I can neither confirm nor deny that this is a reverse jinx.

2. Pitt (13-5)
The Panthers exceeded everybody's expectations by finishing second in the Big East in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. A lot of the credit goes to the Big East's Most Improved Player, Ashton Gibbs.

3. West Virginia (13-5)
They're really good, but their fatal flaw seems to be weakness at the point guard position. They probably could have beat us in regulation with a true point guard taking control at the end of that game.

4. Villanova (13-5)

Taylor King might be out for the rest of the season. That hurts, but luckily Nova has the depth to deal with it. Yarou, Cheek, and Armwood need to step up.

5. Marquette (11-7)
They have gone to overtime in four of their last five games. It looks like the Golden Eagles are getting an early start to March Madness.

6. Louisville (11-7)
After sweeping the season series versus Syracuse, the Cardinals are currently projected as an 8-seed in the NCAA tournament. I would hate to be the 1-seed that has to face them in the second round.

7. Notre Dame (10-8)
The Irish lose Luke Harangody and end the season on a 4-game winning streak. More proof to Bill Simmons' Ewing Theory, or more proof to my theory that Gody is overrated?

8. Georgetown (10-8)

A week after being hospitalized and finding out he has diabetes, Austin Freeman scores 24 points in a win over Cincinnati... good for him. Looking at the career arc fellow diabetic Adam Morrison, Freeman should continue to dominate in college, grow a huge afro and a mustache, get drafted in the lottery by Michael Jordan, then win an NBA championship for sitting on the bench.

9. South Florida (9-9)
The Bulls play DePaul in the first round of the Big East Tournament. Congrats on your first Big East Tournament victory USF!

10. Seton Hall (9-9)
Currently on the outside of the bubble looking in, I could definitely see the Pirates winning three games in the BET and earning a bid in the NCAA Tournament.

11. Cincinnati (7-11)
They're still a year or two away from being real contenders; that is assuming Lance Stephenson doesn't pull a Sebastian Telfair and enter the NBA before he's ready.

12. UConn (7-11)
There have been some nice surprises in the Big East, (Syracuse, Pitt, Marquette) but UConn is by far the most disappointing team. I'm rooting for them to beat St. John's and Marquette, just so Nova can get some revenge by beating them in the third round.

13. St. John's (6-12)

They needed not one, not two, but three overtimes to beat DePaul in their season finale. That must have been almost like watching the six-overtime Syracuse-UConn game in the BET last year, but only if all the players were drunk. Then again, Eric Devendorf played in that game, so maybe it wasn't that far off.

14. Rutgers (5-13)
Hamady Ndiaye was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, which gives further support to the adage that defense wins championships. What's that? Rutgers is horrible? Never mind then, keep shooting.

15. Providence (4-14)

The Friars ended the season on a 10-game losing streak. Maybe a diet of coffee and donuts isn't so good for basketball players.

16. DePaul (1-17)
There's always next year.

Nova Falls in OT to WVU

2010-03-08T10:10:00.008-05:00

Villanova lost a heart-breaker in their regular season finale 68-66 in overtime to #10 West Virginia at the Wachovia Center. This was Nova's fourth loss in their last six games, which is not exactly how you want to finish up the season. However, Villanova still had a wonderful regular season, finishing in a tie for second in the Big East (13-5) and 24-6 overall. The outcome of the West Virginia game may not have been worthy, but it is award season, so let's close out the regular season by handing out some awards, as always with respect to Bill Simmons.

The Hurt Locker Award for Wild Man Who Sacrifices His Safety

The Hurt Locker is about a US soldier in Iraq who sacrifices his life for his country by disarming IED bombs. Scottie Reynolds is a Villanova Basketball player who sacrifices his body for his team. Scottie nearly took the game off the air when he went diving to the sidelines for a loose ball and knocked over the television equipment. It really sets a great precedent for the rest of the team when your star player does something like that.

The Carl Fredricksen Award for Grouchy Old Man

In case you don't know, Carl Fredricksen was the grouchy old man in the animated film Up. His oldness and grouchiness was outdone by Bob Huggins, who got called for a technical after screaming at the referees.

The New York Knicks Award for 3-Point Accuracy

Later that night the Knicks would go on to set an NBA record by shooting 0-18 from behind the arc against the historically bad New Jersey Nets. Unlike the Knicks, Scottie Reynolds is normally good, but he made just 1 of 9 shots from downtown. Scottie did have a team-high 17 points, but he had a rare poor shooting performance going 5-16 from the floor. None were bigger misses than the final 3-pointer at the buzzer of overtime, which would have been the game winner. Scottie has been so clutch for Villanova, that everyone was expecting the shot to go in, but he just barely missed it. But hey, do you know who leads the NBA in missed game-winning shots? The same guy who leads in game-winners made: Kobe Bryant. So it happens... even to the great ones.

The Avatar Consolation Award
Avatar took home three Oscars (Cinematography, Art Direction, and Visual Effects), but none in any of the major categories James Cameron was hoping for (Best Picture, Best Director). Corey Fisher hit a clutch 3-pointer towards the end of regulation to tie the game up, but ultimately it became consolatory when Nova lost in overtime. Cameron shouldn't care about the Oscars because his movie has made over two and a half billion dollars worldwide. Hopefully Fisher will be able to forget about this loss when Nova goes on a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

The Razzie Award for Worst Play
Devin Ebanks made a clueless play at the end of regulation when he pulled back to dribble out the clock with the game tied, then chucked up a desperation heave at the buzzer when he realized his team wasn't winning. Ebanks is able to laugh about it now because the Mountaineers went on to win the game. This is similar to how Sandra Bullock won a Razzie for worst actress in All About Steve, then later won the Oscar for best actress for The Blind Side.

Best Original Score

Da'Sean Butler made the game-winning basket on an impressive running bank shot in the lane. Nova held the All-Big East First Team member to another poor shooting day from the field (3-10), but Butler was a beast inside going 13-14 from the free throw line, scoring a game-high 21 points, and grabbing 10 rebounds.

The Best Actor in a Leading Role Award
... Jay Wright got robbed by Jeff Bridges. He was amazing in his portrayal as Ryan Bingham in the film Up in the Air. Let's hope Villanova coach George Clooney doesn't get robbed in the Big East Coach of the Year voting.
Wait a second...

Nova Silences Cincinnati

2010-03-03T12:43:00.009-05:00

Villanova survived a scare from the Bearcats at the Fifth Third Arena, but they held on to win 77-73. Nova looked to be clicking on all cylinders, until a 16 point lead dwindled to 2 with 2:42 remaining. Deonta Vaughn (18 points) played his heart out on Cincinnati's senior night, but it ultimately wasn't enough.

Now for some fun with captions...

Corey Stokes: "Don't worry, you'll get them in the second half."
Scottie Reynolds: "Please tell me you've washed your hands since last week."

Scottie was held scoreless in the first half, but did you really think that would continue into the second? He came out of the locker room to score 17 points, and he iced the game from the free throw line.

Coming off the bench for the second game in a row, Corey Stokes had his best game in over a month. He sank 3 of 6 shots from downtown to score 14 points. He was one of six Wildcats to score in double figures in the game, a stat reminiscent of the beginning of the season. Nova needs balanced scoring to succeed because sometimes the "Reynolds and Fisher Show" just isn't enough.

Reggie Redding: "Ahhh! Coach, Gates scares me!"
Jay Wright: "I'm watching you, Yancy."

At 6'9, 260, Yancy Gates is already scary, never mind when he starts getting into shoving matches with Antonio Pena and Mouph Yarou. Gates and Pena were called for double technicals for the scuffle. Gates had 13 points, but only 1 defensive rebound, despite being the biggest guy on the floor. Yancy (56.6% FT) also managed to somehow make all 7 of his free throw attempts.

Reggie Redding scored in double figures (11 points) for the first time since January 17 versus Georgetown. He also made a clutch 3-pointer that ended Cincy's comeback charge.

Cashmere Wright: "Since when does Villanova have a shot blocker?"
Mouphtaou Yarou: "Watch out little man, I'm making up for lost time."

Mooooooooouph! Back-to-back games with 10+ points and three in a row with 2 blocked shots. Believe the hype.

Antonio Pena: "Born Ready? I've been dominating the Coney Island playgrounds since you were in diapers."

The 23-year-old Antonio Pena and 19-year-old Lance Stephenson both attended the famed Lincoln High in Coney Island, Brooklyn, although they were a few years apart. Pena had a strong game, especially in the first half, and he finished with 10 points and 7 rebounds, but he fouled out for the eighth time this season.

Lance is athletic and has some skills, but he can't shoot (4-11 FG, 4-8 FT), which is kind of important when you're a shooting guard.

Mike Cronin: "What am I doing here? I wish I was back co-starring in movies with Jack Black."

Have you ever seen Mike Cronin and Mike White in the same room together?

Nova Gets Juiced By Cuse

2010-03-01T12:11:00.008-05:00

We went in expecting a classic, but instead #4 Syracuse ran away with a 95-77 victory over #8 Villanova, securing a spot alone atop the Big East standings. Villanova was suffocated by the 2-3 zone, and they had a hard time creating anything on offense. Nova clearly wasn't used to playing against the zone, which is tough to prepare for in practice. Now that they have seen it, Villanova should be much better equipped to break down the zone the next time they face the Orange... if there is a next time. Villanova would also have a much better chance against Syracuse on a neutral court, and not, you know, in front of the largest on-campus crowd in college basketball history (34,616).

The offensive struggles against the zone are somewhat understandable, but there's no excuse for Nova's poor defense. Syracuse had about forty wide-open dunks in transition. They could not stop the Orange big men, Arinze Onaku and Rick Jackson (19 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks). There was a huge disparity in the free throw differential once again, with Syracuse (24-33) making six more than Nova attempted (13-18).

Corey Fisher - 14 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals
Fisher was unstoppable when driving to the basket (8-10 FT), but he settled for too many jumpers in the game (3-12 FG, 0-5 3PT). Nova needed Fish to continue to attack the basket to try to get Syracuse's big men in foul trouble.

Scottie Reynolds - 16 points, 3 assists, 3 steals
Reynolds looked like he was in store for a big scoring night after hitting a couple of deep threes early in the game, but Syracuse did a good job shutting him down in the second half (2-4 FG, 5 points).

Andy Rautins - 12 points, 8 assists, 3 steals
I knew he could shoot, but I had no know idea Rautins was that good all-around. He clogs up passing lanes at the top of the zone defense, and he's their best passer and playmaker on offense. Just imagine how much better Rautins would be if he didn't spend two hours gelling his hair every morning.

Reggie Redding - 0 points, 0 rebounds, 1 assist, 0-0 FG
Redding is supposed to be Nova's version of Andy Rautins, but he was virtually nonexistent in the game.

Arinze Onaku - 17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks
I want him tested for steroids. Seriously, his biceps are bigger than my head.

Antonio Pena - 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals
Pena had a nice game against a very good front court, but he also had 4 killer turnovers. Several times in the game Pena found himself with the ball in the middle of the zone with nowhere to go and wound up making careless passes. In a shocking turn of events, Pena also fouled out for the the seventh time this season.

Scoop Jardine - 16 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist
Scoop + Jardine = Sardine
If you can't beat 'em, make fun of 'em.

Corey Stokes - 3 points, 1 rebound, 0 assists, 1-4 FG
His shooting accuracy has become as poor as his pissing accuracy.

Wesley Johnson - 14 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
He had about the quietest 14-10-4 I've ever seen.

Mouphtoau Yarou - 13 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks
YES! Finally, this is what we've been waiting to see from the big fella. Mouph got the start, but almost all of his damage came in the second half. He looks healthy and deserves more playing time in the future.

The Dome Ranger - 32 full court sprints, 6 hot dogs, 3 heart attacks

Syracuse may have won that game, but at what cost. At least Villanova didn't make a complete mockery of it's fan base by having some old, overweight guy in a mask run around the Dome like a madman. Before the game, the Dome Ranger was the same size as Otto the Orange, but after sprinting along the sidelines all game long he was skinnier than Isaiah Armwood.

Nova and USF in the Olympics

2010-02-25T14:55:00.009-05:00

That was exactly what Villanova needed to break their 2-game losing streak, a good old fashioned Pavilion smackdown. Nova beat South Florida 74-49 for their 37th consecutive win at the Pavilion, although it wasn't as easy as the final score would indicate. The Bulls cut Villanova's lead down to six in the second half before Villanova pulled away for good.

With the Winter Olympics in full effect, it got me thinking. How would Nova's players do if they pursued an Olympic sport instead of basketball.

Maalik Wayns - Speed Skating

With the way Wayns jets from coast to coast on the hardwood, I'm sure he could challenge Apolo Ohno and Shawnee Davis for some gold medals.

Antonio Pena - Hockey

With his intimidating size and strength, I think 'Tone would make a good hockey goon. Pena had a handful of monster jams in the game, finishing with 14 points and 7 rebounds.

Corey Fisher - Freestyle Skiing

Fisher Price uses aerial improv skills when trying to avoid taller defenders for layups, making for a perfect transition to the aerial moves needed for freestyle ski jumps. A few of Fisher's signature lay ups that usually drop took some unlucky bounces last night, resulting in a poor FG% and just 7 points.

Isaiah Armwood - Ski Jumping (Long Jump)

He has the ups to jump over his own coach, plus he has the slender frame for longer hangtime.

Reggie Redding - Curling

Like Redding's game, curling isn't the flashiest or most athletic sport, but it requires smart decision making, strategy, and precision. Redding had an inconspicuous final Pavilion game on Senior Night, just 2 points and 2 assists and limited by foul trouble. However, the more observant will realize Redding played a major role in limiting Dominique Jones, one of the Big East's best scorers, to 12 points on 2-10 shooting.

Corey Stokes - Biathlon

Nothing goes together quite like guns and skiing. Stokes has the necessary combination of speed and long-range shooting accuracy. Stokes had 11 points, knocking down multiple threes for the first time in five games.

Taylor King - Snowboard Halfpipe

King is from Huntington Beach, California, so he probably knows how to surf, which will make for an easy transition to the snow. He just needs to grow his hair out to fit in with Shaun White.

Mouphtaou Yarou, Maurice Sutton, Jarrid Famous, and Augustus Gilchrist - Bobsled Team

Hey, if Jamaica can have a bobsled team, why not Benin? Okay, they probably wouldn't be any good, but I would just love to see a bunch of 6'10 and 6'11 guys try to fit into a little bobsled.

After a good showing against UConn, I was surprised to see Mouph only play one minute at Pitt. Then Jay rewarded the big man with a season high 24 minutes against USF, and he didn't disappoint. He is still raw offensively, scoring just 4 points, but he had 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 3 steals.

Dominic Cheek - Alpine Skiing

Downhill racing requires speed, athleticism, fearlessness, and luck... Kind of like the lucky no-call on Cheek's put-back dunk that was probably offensive interference. Let's just hope Cheek doesn't start playing drunk like Bode Miller.

Scottie Reynolds - Figure Skating

Before you laugh, wait a minute and hear me out. Figure skating is the most popular event at the winter games. The skater is under intense pressure to deliver a flawless routine in front of huge crowds. You need to be precise and crafty performing jumps, flips, loops, axles, and spins. Most importantly, you need to be clutch and calm under pressure, which coincidentally are two of Scottie Reynolds' greatest attributes. Naturally Scottie would also spice up the event like Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory.

Last night was Scottie's final game at the Pavilion, and he put on a show for the fans with some spectacular shots en route to his game-high 21 points. It may have been his last time playing in the Pavilion, but I'm sure we'll be seeing that #1 jersey hanging up in the rafters sometime in the near future.

Russell Wooten and Jason Colenda - Doubles Luge

The student section showed some appreciation to the walk-on Wooten on Senior Night, and although he's no longer on the team, we can't forget about the other senior walk-on, Jason Colenda. Now it's time for them to pass the ~~Olympic~~ torch to the next Villanova walk-on.

Nova in the Pitts

2010-02-22T13:07:00.006-05:00

Villanova lost back-to-back games for the first time this season after a 70-65 loss to the 19th-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers. This is no time to panic; the Big East schedule is grueling, and the Petersen Events Center is always one of the toughest places to play in the country. However, there have been some discouraging trends in Villanova's losses that must be addressed for continued success.

The most alarming stat from each of Villanova's losses has been the free throw differential.

Pitt (26-34), Nova (11-16)
UConn (35-44), Nova (16-20)
Georgetown (34-50), Nova (17-23)
Temple (12-17), Nova (9-11)

In every loss, the opponent has made more free throws than Villanova attempted. Conspiracy theorists will blame the referees, and they might have a case, but the bigger issue is likely due to Villanova's interior defense. Penetrating guards are able to get to the basket, and Nova's undersized front court has no option but to foul them. Ashton Gibbs got to the line 12 times, and scored 21 points. Kemba Walker and Jerome Dyson had a field day in the paint in the game before. Villanova would love for Mouphtaou Yarou to step up and be a defensive stopper in the paint, but judging by his minutes in the Pitt game (1), Jay Wright doesn't believe he is ready to fulfill that role yet. For now, Nova will have to execute better help defense to prevent opposing guards from getting to the basket.

Scottie Reynolds scored 20 points and Corey Fisher scored 12, but no other Villanova player scored in double figures. Scottie and Fish have been the team's best players all season, and they have played great even in Nova's losses. For the team to win Nova needs another another player to step up offensively. Antonio Pena has been the Cats' number three scorer recently, and he had another solid game against Pitt with 8 points and 9 rebounds, but you can't expect him to score much more than 10 points a game. Maalik Wayns, Taylor King, Corey Stokes, and Reggie Redding were consistently lighting up the scoreboard at different points earlier in the season, but they have all struggled lately. Taylor King has failed to score in double figures for 10 straight games. His 3-point shot has been off, which may be the result of tired legs. The 6'6 King has been forced to play out of position at power forward against players much bigger and stronger, yet he has held his own on the boards (5.8 rpg).

After missing the first ten games of the season due to suspension, Reggie Redding returned with a vengeance, scoring 10+ in 6 of his first 7 games, all wins, but he hasn't scored 10+ points since. Redding was never a big scorer, so it may have been unrealistic to expect him to keep up that pace. Redding also expends a lot of energy on the other end of the floor guarding the opposing team's best scorer. Corey Stokes has been the most wildly inconsistent scorer on the team all season. He scored 20 points in the first game of the season, then scored 1 point in the third game, and he has scored everywhere in between since. Stokes, the team's top 3-point threat, has shot just 28% from long range in Nova's losses. Big East Freshman of the year candidate Maalik Wayns may be the biggest offensive x-factor for Villanova. Wayns is averaging 10 points per game in Big East wins, but just 5 points in Big East losses. Wayns' minutes have been jerked around a bit lately, (16 vs. Georgetown, 3 vs. West Virginia, 14 vs. Providence, 7 vs. UConn, 15 vs. Pitt) which may be effecting his confidence. The bottom line is as good as Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher may be, they need some help from one of these players for the team to win.

Midseason NNBEPP

2010-02-17T09:06:00.017-05:00

I haven't been able to post for the past few days, so let's make up for lost time with a mid-season Nova News Big East Power Poll. I am overdue for one, anyway. Scroll down to Providence and UConn for specific thoughts on Nova's recent games against those teams. And DePaul fans scroll at your own risk... you might break your mouse trying to get down to my thoughts on the Blue Demons.

1. Villanova (22-3, 11-2)
Sure, I'm biased, but I think Villanova deserves the top spot. Mainly because...

2. Syracuse (24-2, 11-2)
I'm not completely sold on the Orange. For some reason I can't get the words Moyne and Le out of my mind. Nevertheless, the February 27 showdown at the Carrier Dome should be awesome with a capital Dickie V.

3. West Virginia (19-5, 8-4)

I'm surprised Deniz Kilicli has the time to juggle playing college basketball while promoting his new movie The Wolfman.

4. Georgetown (18-6, 8-5)
I was feeling pretty good about Nova's loss to the Hoyas, until they lost to the mess that is Rutgers basketball.

5. Pittsburgh (19-6, 8-4)
I'm not sure why, but the Panthers have all the looks of a team that will get upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in a 5/12 or 6/11 game.

6. Louisville (16-9, 7-5)
After watching last week's episode of "Inside Villanova Basketball with Jay Wright" (There's not much better than Jay Wright up close in HD), I stuck around after to catch some of Jim Boeheim's show, and he said something to the effect of, "Louisville will be one of the best teams in the conference when the season's over". I know what you're up to Boeheim. Talk up the competition so that when you lose to them at home, it doesn't look as bad.

7. Connecticut (15-11, 5-8)

I had to bump up UConn a few spots after Monday night's upset. They are much better than their record would indicate. I can't believe this team has lost so many games, perhaps it was due to Calhoun's absence. The Huskies have two of the best guards in the country in Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker, and they have a deep front court full of long athletic players. Plus they have a balanced combination of youth and experience. They don't even have any horrible losses. They've really just been victims of a brutal schedule, which happens when you play in the best conference in the country. Couple the win over Villanova with their win over Texas, and UConn has beaten two of the best teams in the country. I'd be shocked if UConn doesn't make a late season run and make a case for an NCAA Tourney bid. Meanwhile, Boeheim just called me a hypocrite.

UConn is a good team, but it didn't help that the Huskies saved their best game of the season for the Cats. Nova had difficulty with UConn's size, getting killed in the paint (out-rebounded 36-26 and a 44-20 free throw differential). Pena, Sutton, and Stokes all fouled out. Nova especially needed Pena to combat UConn's size, but although he scored 10 points, he grabbed just 3 rebounds in 18 minutes. Mouphtaou Yarou got some extra playing time against UConn's front court, and he showed some flashes of his sky-high upside. Mouph had 6 points, 5 boards, and 3 blocks in just 13 minutes. Extended that over a full game, and Yarou could become a double-double and shot-blocking machine in the future. While Yarou is taking steps forward in his development, Taylor King has taken a giant step back. King has gone ice cold shooting 1-16 over the last 3 games. Though, to his credit, he has grabbed 16 rebounds over that time as well. Scottie Reynolds had a rare game where he played better in the first half (14 points) than the second (4 points).

Kemba Walker showed just how good he can be with a career-high 29 points. Walker got to the line 16 times and his back court mate Jerome Dyson got there 14 times. It's hard to believe that a team with those two guards playing together has lost so many games. Both are capable of putting up a triple-double any given night... the good kind of triple-double, not the kind Stanley Robinson nearly had Monday night (10 points, 7 rebounds, 7 turnovers). Finally, Isaiah Armwood made Dante Cunningham proud with the Villanova dunk of the year so far, not counting Armwood's dunk over Jay Wright at Hoops Mania.

8. Marquette (16-8, 7-5)
The Golden Eagles will likely end the season with the honor of being the only Big East team to lose to DePaul.

9. Cincinnati (15-10, 6-7)
I'm eager to see Lance Stephenson in action, but why do I get the feeling he will have his best game of the season against us.

10. Notre Dame (17-9, 6-7)
Dear Big East coaches,
Please do not vote Luke Harangody Big East Player of the Year. That is all.
Thank you.

11. Seton Hall (14-9, 5-7)
Naturally, one game after scoring 32 points on Nova, Jeremy Hazell scores just 2 points at Pitt.

12. South Florida (16-9, 6-7)
Villanova will have their hands full trying to contain Dominique Jones. His 46 points against Providence are the third most in a NCAA game this season. Arkansas' Rotnei Clarke is number one with 51 points against Alcorn State.

13. Providence (12-13, 4-9)

Once again, Scottie Reynolds steps it up in the second half to lead his team to victory. Corey Fisher also had 22 points, and in Reynolds' shadow, Fisher is quietly putting together an incredible season. Nova fans know how good he is, but I think Fisher Price is underrated nationally. Speaking of underrated, Antonio Pena had 15 and 12 for his sixth double-double of the season. The future looks bright for Friars freshman Vincent Council who had 21 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds.

14. St. John's (14-10, 4-8)

Anthony Mason Jr. needs to start shaving words and designs into his hair like his father used to. I guarantee it will improve his play.

15. Rutgers (14-12, 4-9)
I still don't understand how Rutgers beat Georgetown with Mike Rosario shooting 3-16. Maybe their win over Division II powerhouse Caldwell College in their previous game gave them the preparation and confidence they needed.

16. DePaul (8-17, 1-12)
You know things are bad when you start offering scholarships to 12 year olds.

Must-See Dante Dunk

2010-02-11T09:42:00.002-05:00

Dante Cunningham posterizes Amare Stoudamire.

Nova Mauls Mountaineers

2010-02-09T08:45:00.008-05:00

That was Villanova's most impressive game of the season. Coming off a tough loss at Georgetown, to go into a hostile environment like Morgantown and control the game from start to finish shows just how great this team is.

Fisher Price was single-handedly dominating the Mountaineers, until the zebras took him out of the game by calling him for a ridiculous fourth foul with 14:21 remaining. There were more charges called in this game than at a bull fight. Fisher finished with 17 points and 3 assists, including a beautiful cross court zip pass that set up Maurice Sutton for a jam.

Luckily for Nova, when Fisher stepped out, Scottie Reynolds stepped up. After scoring just two points in the first half, Scottie went off for 19 in the second. You've probably heard about Scottie's trip to the game last weekend on a train full of Georgetown fans. The problem with being this good for four years is that opposing fans get to know you a little too well. The signs and chants get more creative; I can only imagine the kinds of things Scottie's sees and hears on the road.

I've been having nightmares about Da'Sean Butler since he dropped 43 points on us last year, but thankfully he did more to hurt his team than help in this game. He was just 2-12 shooting from the field and had 4 turnovers. Reggie Redding and Corey Stokes deserve a lot of credit for shutting Butler down.

Antonio Pena just missed another double-double with 10 points and 9 rebounds. He had about three or four wide open dunks under the basket. Pena's strong play was encouraging because WVU has a strong front court with Devin Ebanks and Kevin Jones.

It was like a game within a game watching Taylor King and ...pause for spell check... Deniz Kilicli battle in the post. King was ice cold shooting the ball (0-6), but he pulled down 8 rebounds and blocked 3 shots.

Isaiah Armwood had 8 points and 4 rebounds off the bench. Once he puts on some more muscle and learns to finish stronger around the basket, he could become a force. I already like how active he is on defense and the boards.

No wonder Wellington Smith had zero points in 17 minutes, with that name he sounds more like an English butler than a basketball player.

Dominic Cheek provided a nice boost in the first half, scoring 7 points in 6 minutes, but he only played 2 minutes in the second half. Maalik Wayns didn't play at all in the second half after playing three minutes in the first. Mouph Yarou didn't play at all, but it's unclear if it is health related.

Apparently there was a blackout in the locker room when Truck Bryant got dressed before the game. Did you see those blue shoes?

Super Sloppy Snowy Weekend

2010-02-08T09:40:00.007-05:00

The weekend saw a series of unexpected events: Washington DC got covered in three feet of snow, Georgetown scored 100+ points for only the second time in school history, Villanova committed 16 first half turnovers, Georgetown attempted 27 more free throws than Villanova, and the New Orleans Saints won their first ever Super Bowl. Villanova dropped their first Big East game of the season 103-90 to the Hoyas, ending their 11-game winning streak. Nova certainly didn't play their best game of the season, but you can't hang your head in shame after losing on the road to the 8th ranked team in the country. Georgetown is a very good team, and there might be a rubber match in the future for these two Big East rivals. Below are more thoughts on the game, and on that other game from Sunday night.

You Can't Beat Perfection
Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees was an outstanding 32/39, throwing 2 touchdowns, and completing 18 of his final 19 passes. Jason Clark played the game of his life and seemingly couldn't miss from downtown. He made six of seven 3-pointers to score 24 points. Nova was so busy trying to stop Greg Monroe inside, that they continually left Clark wide open on the perimeter. Oh yeah, and they couldn't stop Monroe either (19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists).

Great Players, Bad Turnovers
Peyton Manning is one of the best quarterbacks ever, but he threw an interception on the Colts' final drive, securing the loss. Scottie Reynolds is one of the best players in the country, and you might look at the 24 points and 6 assists and think he had a great game. However, he had six costly turnovers, four of which came in the first half when Nova dug itself into a 23-point deficit.

Coaching Gambles
Sean Payton made a risky decision to open the second half with an onside kick and it paid off. John Thompson III faced a tough decision when his point guard Chris Wright picked up his fourth foul early in the second half. He put Wright back in with around 10 minutes left, and Wright later fouled out with about 5 minutes left, but ultimately none of it mattered as the Hoyas maintained a double digit advantage throughout the second half. Villanova fought til the end and technically won the second half 59-53, but I thought the Cats could have played much better considering Georgetown played most of the second half without a point guard.

And You Thought Those Fans Were Rowdy
Who Dat Nation was partying all night on Bourbon Street, but wait until you see the West Virginia fans tonight. Villanova better bring some helmets to wear while their sitting on the bench.

Nova Sinks Pirates into Davy Jones' Locker

2010-02-03T11:23:00.005-05:00

Villanova survived a scare from the hot-shooting Jeremy Hazell to defeat the Seton Hall Pirates 81-71. The game sparked some meaningful questions, which I will attempt to answer below.

Is Scottie Reynolds the greatest Villanova Wildcat of all time?
Scottie scored 15 points, and in the process reached the 2,000 career point milestone. Regardless of whether or not he catches Kerry Kittles (2,243), Scottie is certainly in the discussion for the best Wildcat of all time. It's always difficult comparing players from different eras, but Scottie has a big edge in Tournament success. If he can somehow lead his team all the way, like Ed Pinckney in 1985, it would be hard to argue for anyone else in a Villanova uniform being better than Reynolds.

Why won't Nova lose in the Pavilion?
Villanova extended its Pavilion win-streak to 36 games in front of someone else who knows a thing or two about long streaks, Cal Ripken Jr. Villanova has only one more game in the Pavilion this season, February 24 against South Florida. The Bulls have Dominique Jones, a scorer that I fear even more than Hazell, but I like Nova's chances to carry the streak into the 2010-2011 season. So why is the team so dominant in its on campus home?
1. The Campus Food - They never have to worry about playing on an empty stomach with the all-you-can-eat buffets at the Pit and Spit.
2. The Proximity - No planes, trains, or automobiles. They can just roll out of bed and walk to the game.
3. The Banners - I bet the team gets a little extra motivation when they look up to the rafters and see the 1985 Championship banner, the 2009 Final Four banner, and all the retired jerseys.
4. The Student Section - It's always difficult for opponents to focus in the second half when they have to deal with this behind their basket:

5. The Quality of Opponent - It's no secret Villanova plays most of its bigger games at the Wachovia Center. Many of the wins have come against easier opponents, but the streak is impressive nonetheless.

Has Antonio Pena turned a corner?

Pena followed up his double-double against Notre Dame with 16 points and 8 rebounds, but I think it has more to do with the quality of the opponents. Seton Hall only had one player over 6'6 (Herb Pope) play more than 3 minutes, and even he is only 6'8. Pena has proven he can dominate average big men, but he has struggled against the elite in the Big East like Greg Monroe, Samardo Samuels, and Mac Koshwal.

Is Jeremy Hazell an NBA player?

He may get drafted, but I don't think Hazell's game will translate to the next level. He reminds me of Adam Morrison, in that he is an elite college scorer, but is a one dimensional player. He is the star of his team and excels by taking lots of shots (12-23 for 32 points last night). In the NBA he won't be the best scorer on the team, and he won't have the luxury of chucking it up every time he touches the ball.

Is Villanova the deepest team in the country?
Nova certainly has the deepest back court in the country. Jay Wright had 10 players log over 10 minutes in the game. Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher seem to be the constants, but Redding, Pena, Stokes, Wayns, King, and Cheek are all capable of lighting up the scoreboard. Aside from Pena, it was Stokes who stepped up in this game. When Seton Hall was making a run in the second half, Stokes hit three dagger 3-pointers and scored 11 points to help bury the Pirates.

Are there actually any pirates in New Jersey?

Surprisingly, yes. Famous pirates such as Blackbeard, Captain Morgan, and Captain Kidd patrolled the waters between Sandy Hook and New York City during the 17th and 18th centuries. According to legend, Kidd buried treasure somewhere in central Jersey. Rumor has it season two of "The Jersey Shore" will have the cast members searching for the treasure.

What the hell is going on in Lost?
Sorry, I've got no answers for that one.

Nova Neutralizes Notre Dame

2010-01-28T11:27:00.007-05:00

Villanova took control in the second half to cruise to a 90-72 victory over Notre Dame. At 19-1 (8-0) Villanova is off to its best start to a season ever. The Wildcats displayed their depth with seven players scoring at least eight points. Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds led the way with 17 points each. On the Fighting Irish side Luke Harangody, like a robot, put up 21 points and 9 rebounds. Reynolds and Harangody are two of the leading candidates for Big East Player of the Year, and I hope this game tape is sent to the coaches after the season because it is exhibit-A as to why Scottie Reynolds should win Big East POY over Harangody. Here are the reasons why:

1. Wins and losses matter.
Yeah, Harangody got his 21 and 9, but his team lost (again). The Irish are in the middle of the pack in the Big East (4-4), whereas Reynolds' Wildcats are in first place (8-0). I know last season doesn't factor into this year's voting, but Notre Dame had very high expectations (preseason #9), yet failed to make the NCAA Tournament. He's only one piece of the puzzle, but the team's best player deserves part of the blame for that. Oh yeah, and Scottie Reynolds just so happened to make a game-winning shot to send his team to the Final Four. Back to this season, if Nova finishes first in the Big East and earns a #1-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and Notre Dame fails to make the NCAA Tournament, it will be tough the give the award to Harangody over Reynolds.

2. Reynolds makes his teammates better, Harangody does not.
Harangody has taken almost double the amount of shots as the next player on his team, so obviously the offense runs through the big man. Yet he is averaging less than two assists per game (1.7), and he's averaging over two turnovers per game (2.2). Reynolds, on the other hand, dishes out 3.3 assists per game, despite Corey Fisher (4.3) being the primary play maker. Reynolds has also significantly reduced his turnovers since Big East play started (1.6). They both only had one assist in this game, but Reynolds had just one turnover compared to Harangody's four.

3. Defense.
Scottie Reynolds isn't necessarily a lock down defender, but he gives full effort on the defensive end. I'm not sure Harangody even runs back on defense. For all I know he remains camped out under his own basket the entire game. Harangody is notorious for avoiding contact on the defensive end, afraid of getting into foul trouble. Need further proof? Look at the game the man Harangody was guarding, Antonio Pena, had. Pena had 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists, his first double-double of Big East play. The 14 points were the most he scored since he battled the ferocious front court of Fordham. It was the first time Pena reached double figure rebounds in Big East play. I love Pena, he's a very solid player, but he hasn't been the double-double machine that he was earlier in the season against the bigger athletic forwards of the Big East. Harangody may score and rebound like a Big East stud, but he defends like a mid-major dud.

4. Scottie is clutch, Luke is ???
Harangody scored 16 points in the first half, but disappeared in the second half where the game was decided, while Reynolds was busy scoring 13 of his points. Reynolds has made countless clutch plays and game-winning shots over his career, while Harangody's clutch factor is unknown because he hasn't played in enough big games during his time at Notre Dame.

5. Harangody is ugly.
Plain and simple. You don't want to see that mug on a plaque.

Nova Downs Red Storm (Must See TV Edition)

2010-01-24T16:21:00.011-05:00

Villanova trailed by one at halftime, but Jay Wright's squad returned from MSG's locker room with tenacity, going on to beat the St. John's Red Storm 81-71. Nova was carried by a trio of 6-foot-nothing scoring assassins. Scottie Reynolds led the way with 19 points. Corey Fisher scored 18 and Maalik Wayns added 16 points. Villanova is now alone in first place in the Big East at 7-0, their best start ever to conference play.

Now that Leno has officially stolen the Tonight Show back from Conan, NBC is left scrambling to find replacement programing for its 10:00 time slot. Luckily, I have some ideas involving members of the Villanova basketball community.

Monday 10:00 PM
"Saved by the Bell: The College Years II (The New New Class)"
A reboot of the sequel to the hit series. Featuring Taylor King as California beach bum Zack Morris, Antonio Pena as muscle-bound A.C. Slater, Maurice Sutton as the wacky Screech Powers, and Ed Pinckney as the former sports star who returns to school as an R.A.

10:30 PM
"Fresh Prince of Benin"
Starring Mouphtaou Yarou as Will Smith and Russell Wooten as his cousin Carlton Banks. Watch as high jinks ensue while Mouph makes his transition from Africa to life in the suburbs of Philadelphia.

Tuesday 10:00 PM
"Rollie's Recipes"
A cooking show hosted by Rollie Massimino, featuring his famous Italian pasta dishes.

10:30 PM
"The Two Coreys"

A reality show following Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes in their lives after high school in New Jersey as they try to balance athletics and academics.

Wednesday 10:00 PM
"Law and Order: PSU" (Public Safety Unit)
A new addition to the Law and Order franchise, starring Reggie Redding, Isaiah Armwood, and Dominic Cheek as Villanova Public Safety officers who patrol the campus searching for underage drinkers.

Thursday 10:00 PM
"24: Villanova"

St. Joe's fans have planned a terrorist attack on the Pavilion, and only one man can stop them... undercover CTU agent Jay Wright. He has 24 hours to prevent the attack, but Jay must beware of a mole inside CTU.

Friday 10:00 PM
"Walker, Nova Ranger"

Watch as Scottie Reynolds and his partner Maalik Wayns revive Chuck Norris' role as martial arts experts who fight crime in the Big East with roundhouse kicks and jumpshots.

Jersey Boys Lead Nova Past Rutgers

2010-01-21T10:41:00.004-05:00

Three former New Jersey high school stars led Villanova in a 94-68 rout over Rutgers at the RAC. Rutgers was never in this game, and at 0-6 in the Big East, they might pull a "Conan O'Brien" on Fred Hill before the season's over. The lone bright spot for the Scarlet Knights was freshman Dane Miller who had 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Dominic Cheek - embarrassed former St. Anthony teammate Mike Rosario (1-8, 3 points) by scoring a career high 17 points. He showed his versatility by taking it strong to the basket and knocking down two 3-pointers.

Corey Stokes - was locked in from long range, knocking down four triples for 16 points. He seems to have broken out of whatever shooting slump he was in.

Corey Fisher - The former New Jersey High School Player of the Year had 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. I think all six of his field goals were scored in the paint. In classic Fisher Price fashion, he used a fake pass to toy with defenders while he went up for a layup.

Scottie Reynolds - It's either a really good or really bad sign when Scottie Reynolds and Isaiah Armwood score the same amount of points (9). In this case it was good. Nova's scoring was balanced, and the game was out of hand so quickly that the Cats didn't even need Big Shot Scott in this one.

Isaiah Armwood - was impressive in the first half, where he scored all nine of his points. He threw down a thunderous dunk, and with Armwood's athleticism, Fisher and the guards should be looking his way for alley-oops at least twice a game.

Maalik Wayns - like Fisher, Wayns cut through Rutgers' defense like it wasn't even there. He also tied a season-high with 4 assists.

Mouph Yarou - had 9 rebounds, but he looked lost on the offensive end. Whenever he got the ball deep in the post, he either traveled, stepped out of bounds, or committed an offensive foul. He seems more comfortable pulling up for the mid-range jumper, than taking it strong to the basket, which is not what I want to see from my power forward/center. I'll cut him some slack though, since he is still recovering from Hepatitis.

Reggie Redding - had 5 points and 5 rebounds. Like Reynolds, he wasn't really needed as Jay gave the youngsters lots of run.

Antonio Pena - co-led with Yarou for a game-high 9 rebounds, but picked up 4 personal fouls in only 15 minutes. Hamady Ndiaye (say that name five times fast) seemed to be giving him and Yarou fits inside. Ndiaye is the other bright spot for Rutgers this season, as he's third in the nation in blocked shots, and he had 5 swats in this game.

Taylor King - like Pena, King ran into some foul trouble, picking up 4 in just 12 minutes, limiting him to 5 points.

Maurice Sutton - had a block and a couple of rebounds in six minutes.

Russell Wooten - had his name chanted from up in the rafters of the RAC as he got into the final minute of the game.

Nova-Georgetown Awards

2010-01-18T09:26:00.009-05:00

Despite losing another big lead, Villanova held on to beat Georgetown 82-77 Sunday afternoon at the Wachovia Center. It ended a 5-game Hoya winning streak... certainly a cause for awards.

The Brett Favre Award for Outstanding Senior Performance
Senior classmen Scottie Reynolds scored an efficient 27 points (8-15, 4-7, 7-8), and led his Wildcats to their fifth straight Big East win. Senior citizen Brett Favre threw 4 touchdowns and led his Vikings to the NFC Championship game. Scottie has been granted the moniker "Mr. Big Shot" by the media, but this time the little man came down with a big rebound that helped win the game. After the game coach John Thompson III admitted, "Scottie can't be contained."

The Shonn Green Award for Outstanding Rookie Performance
The Jets rookie running back broke for a 53-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to win the game for the Jets. Freshman Maalik Wayns scored 11 points and sank clutch free throws late in the second half to win the game for Villanova.

The Conan O'Brien Award for Getting Screwed by a Major Corporation

Conan is getting screwed by NBC and is losing the "Tonight Show". Kind of like how Corey Fisher got screwed by McDonald's when Chris Wright was named a high school All-American over him. Fisher outscored Wright, who struggled with fouls, 10-6. Who votes for those McDonald's All-American teams anyway? Ronald McDonald, Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Mayor McCheese?

The George Clooney Award for Best Performance in a Loss

For his performance in Up in the Air, ~~Jay Wright~~ George Clooney lost to Jeff Bridges for the Best Actor Award at the Golden Globes last night. Greg Monroe had a monster game in the Georgetown loss: 29 points, 16 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 steals, and 2 assists. Nova had no answer for the versatile big man, but he didn't receive enough help from his teammates.

The "Jersey Shore" Award for Biggest Waste of Time
To the 10 minutes and 26 replays spent on reviewing the scuffle that wasn't between Armwood and Benimon over a rebound. That slight delay helped contribute to another two and a half plus hour game. Armwood showed some toughness on that play, and later in the game when he came up with a big steal from Greg Monroe. Jersey Shore seems to be the show everybody loves to hate, but I refuse to waste my time by watching it.

Nova Overcomes Louisville in Some Kind of Hybrid Form of Basketball

2010-01-12T10:03:00.007-05:00

Dr. Naismith must be rolling over in his grave because the game Villanova and Louisville were playing was not the form of basketball he intended when he invented the game in 1891. There were 66 personal fouls, 94 free throws, 42 turnovers, and the 40-minute game took roughly 2 hours and 40 minutes to play. Rick Pitino employed his signature full court press, and between the frenetic pace, physical defense, and the white-out crowd (and coach) Villanova was flustered. They could barely move the ball across halfcourt, as evidenced by Reggie Redding's seven turnovers. Jay Wright got so outraged by the rough play and his team's inability to break the press that he was tee'd up and had to be held back by his coaches to avoid being ejected. Louisville got out to a 17-point lead midway through the first half, and at that point Villanova had two choices: 1) Get down on themselves and give up, or 2) Keep fighting and playing Villanova basketball. Luckily they chose the latter and were able to cut the halftime deficit to seven points.

Then the second half was all Villanova, or more specifically all Scottie Reynolds. Scottie scored 30 of his season-high 36 points in the second half and was nearly perfect shooting the ball (9-10 fg, 5-5 3pt, 13-17 ft). Villanova returned from the locker room more patient, finally figuring out how the break the Louisville press. Nova cut down on their turnovers from 17 in the first half, to just 5 in the second. Corey Fisher personified the turnaround with zero second half turnovers, after compiling four in the first half. They also took control of the boards in the second half. Louisville out-rebounded Villanova by 10 in the first half, and they had more offensive boards (15) than Nova had total rebounds (14). However, Nova out-boarded the Cardinals 22-17 in the second half. Taylor King led the team with 7 rebounds, all but one of which came in the second half.

You could say Pitino out-coached Jay Wright early in the game because Jay's squad wasn't initially prepared for the press, but in the end Pitino out-coached himself. As good as Scottie Reynolds was, Samardo Samuels was even more dominant. He had 21 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, and was literally perfect shooting the ball (4-4 fg, 13-13 ft). How somebody that unstoppable doesn't touch the ball on every possession is outrageous. Nova had no answer for him inside, yet Pitino seemed content to let his guards jack up threes, 33 of them in total, despite shooting only 21%. Villanova, on the other hand, was much more selective with the longball, and it paid off to the tune of 9-14, 64%.

Between the ultra-fast pace of play and the 33 personal fouls called on each team, depth became very important, especially later in the game. For the past couple of years, Louisville would win these types of games over Villanova because they always had a deeper bench. Now Villanova goes 11 deep, and Jay Wright took full advantage of that by playing 10 players for at least 10 minutes. Maalik Wayns stepped up to score 10 points in the first half to help Nova claw back. It's almost not fair when a player as good as Dominic Cheek is coming off the bench as your ninth man. Mouphtaou Yarou is the newest addition to the roation, and he seems to be getting his legs back under him, playing 14 minutes in the game. He showed some nice post moves on offense and provided a shot-blocking presence on defense, but he needs to learn how to avoid the ticky-tack fouls.

Villanova showed a lot of grit and perseverance to come through and win this game. Nova should get back to playing actual basketball in their next game, a showdown at noon in Philly against Georgetown and their classic Princeton offense.

Nova Beats Marquette by 2... Again

2010-01-10T18:50:00.009-05:00

That ending was a lot more exciting than it should have been. Villanova blew a 22-point lead with lazy and sloppy play in the second half. After a questionable intentional foul call on Corey Stokes, the Golden Eagles had the ball with 27 seconds left and a chance to tie the game with a two or take the lead with a three. Nova's defense came through with another big stop, just as they did in the first battle between these two teams, and like the last time, Villanova held on to win by two points, 78-76, for their 35th consecutive win at the Pavilion.

And a battle it was. This game had more hits and tackles than the Eagles had in the loss to Dallas later that night. Mouphtaou Yarou and Darius Johnson-Odom both had bandages on their heads. Taylor King layed on the floor in pain for several minutes after busting his head and shoulder. And Corey Stokes sent Lazar Hayward flying to the floor in what was a hard foul, but not flagrant.

Nova was getting anything they wanted offensively in the first half, and they looked to be on their way to another thrashing in the Pavilion, like the one they handed DePaul in the previous game. Stokes was back and on fire (16 points), Scottie Reynolds added 15 points, and three more Wildcats scored in double figures (Pena-11, Fisher-11, Redding-10). So how did Villanova lose such a big lead? Well, they seemed to get too comfortable with the lead, especially on the defensive end. They had several lapses on defense that resulted in backdoor layups and wide open threes. Also give credit to Marquette for turning up the pressure defensively. It's happened before this season where Villanova let a big lead slip, and there is a common theme in each of those instances: opponents' hot 3-point shooting in the second half.

Let's take a look at the data...

11/20 vs. Dayton: 18-point lead cut to 2, won by 7

Dayton: 4 threes made in 1st half (30.8%); 7 threes made in 2nd half (43.8%)

12/6 vs. Maryland: 16-point lead cut to 2, won by 9

Maryland: 3 threes made in 1st half (42.9%); 6 threes made in 2nd half (50%)

12/13 vs. Temple: Nova had 14 point lead in first half, lost by 10

Temple: 4 threes made in 1st half (36.4%); 7 threes made in 2nd half (63.6%)

1/9 vs. Marquette: 22-point lead cut to 2, won by 2

Marquette: 2 threes made in 1st half (25%), 9 threes made in 2nd half (60%)

The trends have been consistent. When Villanova gets up big, the opponent starts jacking up threes to try to come back, and Nova is unable to defend the 3-point line. They especially struggle against taller players who can shoot threes:

vs. Dayton: Chris Johnson 6'6 (3 threes made), Luke Fabrizius 6'9 (5 threes made)

vs. Maryland: Eric Hayes 6'4 (5 threes made) and Sean Mosley 6'4 (3 threes made)

vs. Temple: Juan Fernandez 6'4 (7 threes made), Ryan Brooks 6'4 (2 threes made), Craig Williams 6'9 (2 threes made).

vs. Marquette: Lazar Hayward 6'6 (4 threes made)

You can be all over someone on the perimeter, but if they're taller than you, they can just shoot it right over you. In the case of the 6'4 guards, those games took place while Reggie Redding was still suspended, so the 6'1 Corey Fisher and 6'2 Scottie Reynolds were forced to guard taller players. As for the front court 3-point shooters, Antonio Pena and Taylor King aren't quick or athletic enough to guard people out on the perimeter, and 6'5 Corey Stokes and 6'5 Reggie Redding (the team's best perimeter defender) are too short to guard the Lazar Haywards and Luke Fabriziuses of the world. The only player with the size, quickness, and athleticism to guard these types of players on the perimeter is 6'7 Isaiah Armwood; however, he is too young and raw to fill that role.

It's still too early to tell if these problems result from a simple lack of intensity and focus while playing with a big lead, or if Villanova truly has a problem defending taller players who can knock down the three. Villanova was lucky they were able to hold on to win this game, but they need to tighten up their perimeter defense to prevent another collapse in the future that may end in a loss. Finally, as Scottie Reynolds said, "There is no limit on our team if we can do that for 40 minutes, but we are not capable right now of doing that as a team for 40 minutes. That is our goal. When we get to that point we can be something special."

Foye Caught in Arenas Circus

2010-01-09T13:37:00.005-05:00

I knew I was taking a risk when I drafted Gilbert Arenas on my fantasy team, but I figured I would lose him to another knee injury, not a gun suspension. By now you know the story: Arenas and Javaris Crittenton had some kind of gambling dispute and Arenas brought guns into the team's locker room. Ever the jokester, Arenas tried to lighten the situation by playfully making gun gestures with his hands in a pregame huddle. Randy Foye had the misfortune of being caught in Arenas' vicinity during his antics and was fined $10,000 by the NBA. Being the upright citizen and proud Villanova grad that he is, Foye had all the right things to say afterward: "It was foolish, stupid, immature, but I've got to be a man and accept my penalty and I apologize to the fans and the organization for behaving in that manner."

It's unfair that Foye is being penalized for his teammate's actions, but in reality, this might be the best $10,000 Foye spends all year. For most of the season Foye was coming off the bench for Washington and was struggling to find consistent playing time. Now he replaces Arenas in the Wizards' rotation as the team's starting point guard, which is significant considering this is a contract year for Foye. Randy may lose $10,000 now, but he has an opportunity to showcase his talent this season and remake that 10k, plus a lot more, with a new contract over the summer. Foye is averaging 8 points this season, down from 16.3 last season, but he's scored 18 and 20 points in his first two games since Arenas was suspended indefinitely.

Nova and DePaul in Avatar

2010-01-07T12:22:00.012-05:00

With James Cameron's 3-D epic grossing over a billion dollars worldwide, I decided to do an Avatar-themed recap of the DePaul game. Plus, let's be honest, there's only so much you can say about a 99-72 shellacking, I have to spice it up somehow. If you are not one of the millions to have seen the movie yet, don't worry, there are no spoilers.

Jay Wright's Avatar...

... starring Mouphtaou Yarou as Jake Sully

Jake Sully is a paralyzed marine who is given a chance to walk again through the Avatar program. Yarou was given a second chance at Villanova after being sidelined with Hepatitis B for almost two months. Moupth had 4 points, 2 rebounds, and a block in 14 minutes, as Jay Wright will ease him back into the rotation gradually.

... and Jerry Wainwright as Colonel Quaritch

Potentially facing another winless Big East season, Wainwright's days as DePaul's head coach may be numbered, and that's a shame because the guy is a quote machine. Here's what he had to say about Taylor King after the game, "he has range that might start back in Piscataway. He is insane."

... and the DePaul Blue Demons as the Na'vi blue aliens

Memorable Quotes:

"They've sent us a message... that they can take whatever they want. Well we will send them a message. That this... this is our land!" - Jake Sully
A message was sent to DePaul... that this is our house! Villanova extended its Pavilion win streak to 34 games. The Wildcats had a little extra motivation because their last loss in the Pavilion came against DePaul three years ago.

"You should see your faces!" - Trudy Chacon
You should have seen DePaul's faces on defense as they watched shot after shot go in for Villanova. Nova shot a staggering 61% in the first half, taking a 25 point lead into the locker room.

"You have a strong heart; no fear. But stupid, like a child." - Neytiri

Maalik Wayns is fearless on the court, but he is young and still susceptible to freshmen mistakes. Wayns had a season-high 18 points in just 20 minutes off the bench. I've never seen someone go coast-to-coast and score so easily. However, he also led the team with 4 turnovers.

"One life ends; another begins." - Jake Sully

Corey Stokes sat out with a sore hamstring, and Isaiah Armwood took his spot in the starting five. Aside from his game-winning shot against George Mason, this was Armwood's best game as a Wildcat. He had just 6 points, but led the team in rebounds (7) and steals (5). Jay Wright really likes Armwood because of his length and athleticism, and he will likely continue to log major minutes, even when Stokes comes back.

"You haven't got lost in the woods, have you? You still remember what team you're playing for?" - Col. Quaritch

Although he had 17 points and 11 rebounds, Mac Koshwal may have forgotten which team he was on because he turned it over to Villanova seven times.

"You are not in Kansas anymore. You are on Pandora, ladies and gentleman." - Col. Quaritch
You are not playing out of conference cupcakes anymore. You are in the Big East. With DePaul out of the way, the schedule gets a whole lot tougher from here on out. Expect to see more down-to-the-wire games like last weeks against Marquette, especially with a rematch against the Golden Eagles coming up next. Their three Big East games have been decided by a total of
six points.

Some more thoughts on the game that I couldn't finagle into Avatar comparisons:

Scottie Reynolds scored 21 points, his tenth straight game in double figures and seventh game of the season scoring 20+, boosting his season average to 17.9 ppg. Jay gave Scottie some extra playing time in the final minutes to pad his stats and help him catch Kerry Kittles on the Villanova all-time scoring list.
Corey Fisher had a great bounce-back game, running the point flawlessly: 15 points, 6 assists, 0 turnovers. He also made a DePaul defender look silly with a Fisher Price crossover.
Jay Wright used the blowout to rest his big men Antonio Pena and Taylor King, 19 minutes each, though they did play well while on the floor.
Reggie Redding had 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists. For my 2010 predictions, I should have said Redding will record a triple-double. He has the best chance of anyone on the team because of his rebounding and passing versatility.

Thoughts, Resolutions, and Predictions

2010-01-03T14:58:00.019-05:00

Villanova won both their first game of 2010 and their first Big East game of the season with a thrilling 74-72 victory over Marquette. Scottie Reynolds hit a tough shot with 18 seconds left to give Villanova the lead, then the Cats followed that up with a good defensive stop on the other end. Redding sank one free throw, then with 2 seconds left Marquette failed to get a final shot off in time as Nova held on for the win. Now, to ring in the new year, for each player I will give my quick thoughts on their performance in the Marquette game, propose a new year's resolution for them, and make a prediction for their future in 2010.

Scottie Reynolds

Game Thoughts: Down by one, less than twenty seconds remaining, on the road in front of a hostile crowd, and Scottie Reynolds was as cool as a cucumber. He pulled a behind-the-back-and-through-the-legs dribble move, normally reserved for the playgrounds, then drew contact and made the shot. Game-winners are now becoming routine for Scottie.

New Year's Resolution: To cut down on turnovers. He's averaging over three a game, but is off to a good start in the new year with just one t.o. in 30 minutes against Marquette.

2010 Prediction: Scottie will finish second to Kerry Kittles among Villanova's all-time scoring leaders.

Reggie Redding

Game Thoughts: Shot a poor 3 of 11 from the field and missed his first 2 free throws, but like fellow senior Scottie Reynolds, Reggie remained calm and confident under pressure, making 5 of his final 6 free throws to help ice the game.

New Year's Resolution: To never be as dumb as the Tennessee players caught driving with marijuana, open alcohol, and a gun.

2010 Prediction: Redding will finish the season second in average scoring and rebounding. He is currently second in both, so what I'm basically saying is that this is no fluke.

Corey Fisher

Game Thoughts: Fisher was surprisingly benched at the end of the game, and he only played seven minutes in the second half. Wayns was playing well, but I wouldn't think that needs to come at the expense of Fisher.

New Year's Resolution: To shoot less threes and more free throws, like at the beginning of the season.

2010 Prediction: Fisher will at least test the waters of the NBA Draft this summer.

Antonio Pena

Game Thoughts: An underwhelming game from Pena, just 4 points and 5 rebounds. He was outplayed by the smaller 6'6 Lazar Hayward (17 points, 14 boards, 3 assists).

New Year's Resolution: To practice free throw shooting. (67%)

2010 Prediction: This number zero will get caught with guns in the locker room like the other Agent Zero, Gilbert Arenas... No, not those guns, I'm talking about Pena's massive biceps.

Corey Stokes

Game Thoughts: Stokes' shooting slump continued with a 2-point (1-5) performance. That's five straight games without multiple 3-pointers made or double-digit scoring.

New Year's Resolution: To just keep shooting. His stroke is too sweet, eventually he will catch fire.

2010 Prediction: Stokes will make 5+ threes, score 20+ points, and officially break out of his funk in Nova's first game at the Wachovia Center, 1/17 vs. Georgetown.

Taylor King

Game Thoughts: King had an average game (6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists), though he continues to impress with his rebounding ability.

New Year's Resolution: To stay patient on offense and let the guards create open shots. He is not as effective at creating his own shot off the dribble.

2010 Prediction: King will score 24 points against Duke in the NCAA Tournament, and two rounds earlier Villanova will beat Miami despite a heroic 37-point outburst from Malcolm Grant.

Maalik Wayns

Game Thoughts: Wayns looked like Tony Parker with his speed and ability to slice through defenders and get to the basket. He tied his season-high with 16 points and earned crunch-time minutes over Corey Fisher.

New Year's Resolution: To study tape of Kyle Lowry and imitate.

2010 Prediction: Maalik will make the All-Big East Freshmen First Team.

Dominic Cheek

Game Thoughts: Cheek played a season-low seven minutes, which was surprising for two reasons: 1) He has played well in his limited minutes all season, and 2) Jay Wright could have used his depth to exploit Marquette's 7-man rotation.

New Year's Resolution: Work on jump shot, it's too high-arcing.

2010 Prediction: Dom will have at least one 20-point game by the end of the season.

Isaiah Armwood

Game Thoughts: Jay Wright is trusting Armwood with more playing time (14 minutes), but he still looks very raw. He almost caused a couple of turnovers because he's so eager to get rid of the ball whenever he touches it.

New Year's Resolution: To bulk up. He makes Maurice Sutton look like Barry Bonds circa 2007.

2010 Prediction: With his super-athleticism, Armwood will have a highlight-reel dunk this season, worthy of Sportscenter's Top 10.

Mouphtaou Yarou

Game Thoughts: Mouph was finally cleared to play, although he didn't get into this game.

New Year's Resolution: To just stay healthy. (fingers crossed)

2010 Prediction: I say Yarou will return to game action next week.

Maurice Sutton

Game Thoughts: Mo didn't get into the game until the final 2 seconds. He wasn't needed because of Marquette's undersized team.

New Year's Resolution: See Armwood, Isaiah.

2010 Prediction: Sutton will block more than double the amount of shots as anyone else on the team.

Jay Wright

Game Thoughts: He got the win, but as I mentioned before, I think Jay could have used his bench and ran the press more often.

New Year's Resolution: To stop yelling at the refs after a bad call.

2010 Prediction: Jay Wright will be the first one to break his New Year's resolution.

Nova in the Naughts: A decade in Review

2009-12-30T21:02:00.016-05:00

With the decade coming to a close, I thought it would be a good time to take a look back at the past ten years of the program.

2000-2001 (18-13)

November 17, 2000: Villanova loses 98-85 in the second round of the preseason NIT to eventual National Champions Duke, led by Jay Williams, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Shane Battier, Carlos Boozer, and Chris Duhon.
January 17, 2001: Gary Buchanan scores 30 and Michael Bradley adds 29 in a win over Virginia Tech.
March 14, 2001: Steve Lappas loses his final game as head coach 87-78 to Minnesota in the opening round of the NIT.
March 15, 2001: Jay Wright and the Hofstra Pride lose to UCLA 61-48 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
June 27, 2001: Michael Bradley is selected 17th overall in the NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors.

2001-2002 (19-13)

November 21, 2001: Jay Wright wins his Villanova head coaching debut 82-68 over Grambling State.
November 27, 2001: Jay Wright suffers his first loss as Villanova head coach to Rasaul Butler and the La Salle Explorers 61-58.

February 9, 2002: Villanova upsets #15 UCLA at the Pavilion 58-57.
February 11, 2002: Caron Butler, Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor, and the Huskies hold Villanova to 40 points; no Wildcat scores in double figures.
March 22, 2002: Villanova loses to Temple 63-57 in the quarterfinals of the NIT.

2002-2003 (15-16)

November 15, 2002: Jay Wright's prized recruiting class of Jason Fraser (13 points, 13 rebounds), Randy Foye (10 points), Allan Ray (16 points), and Curtis Sumpter (2 points) make their debut in a 73-61 loss to Dwyane Wade (17 points) and #18 Marquette at Madison Square Garden.

November 30, 2002: Villanova upsets #9 Michigan State 81-73 behind 29 points from Gary Buchanan.

April 7, 2003: Carmelo Anthony and Syracuse win the National Championship without ever playing Villanova that season.

2003-2004 (18-17)

November 22, 2003: Allan Ray drops 38 points and Mike Nardi dishes out 13 assists in a 114-103 win over the Redlands Bulldogs.

February 28, 2004: Villanova loses by one point in overtime at the Wachovia Center to eventual National Champs UConn.

March 10, 2004: Randy Foye hits a game-winning shot with 3.6 seconds left to beat Seton Hall 61-60 in the first round of the Big East Tournament, ending a five-game losing streak.

March 24, 2004: Villanova loses to Rutgers 72-60 in the quarterfinals of the NIT, which is now the last time Nova has failed to make the NCAA Tournament.

2004-2005 (24-8)

January 22, 2005: Villanova upsets #2 Kansas 83-62 on a snowy day in Philly.

March 18, 2005: Jay Wright gets his first NCAA Tournament victory over Danny Granger and New Mexico.

March 20, 2005: Curtis Sumpter goes down, and Jason Fraser posts 21 and 15 to lead Nova past David Lee and Florida.

March 25, 2005: Allan Ray gets called for a phantom travel after shooting 3-32 from the field in the Tournament. Randy Foye drops 28 and freshman Kyle Lowry scores a season-high 18 points, but Nova loses by one point in the Sweet 16 to eventual National Champs North Carolina led by Raymond Felton, Sean May, Rashad McCants, and Marvin Williams.

2005-2006 (25-8)

December 3, 2005: Randy Foye scores 32 points to lead #4 Villanova past #5 Oklahoma at the Pavilion.

January 8, 2006: After a 10-0 start, Villanova gets "Pitsnoggled" and loses 91-87 to West Virginia at the Pavilion.

February 13, 2006: #4 Villanova beats #1 UConn 69-64 at the Wachovia Center in front of a record-setting crowd. Jay Wright is nationally recognized for his 4-guard offense.

March 10, 2006: Carl Krauser pokes Allan Ray's eye out, and Pitt knocks Nova out of the Big East Tourament in the second round.

March 17, 2006: Villanova earns its first ever #1-seed in the NCAA Tournament, then narrowly escapes a monumental upset versus 16-seeded Monmouth 58-45.

March 24, 2006: Sean Williams goal-tends Will Sheridan's shot with 3 seconds left in overtime, and Nova wins 60-59 to move on to Elite Eight.

March 26, 2006: Randy Foye scores 25 points in his final game in a Villanova uniform, but Nova falls short to the eventual back-to-back National Champion Florida Gators, led by twin towers Joakim Noah and Al Horford.

March 29, 2006: Kelvin Sampson is named head coach at Indiana, causing McDonald's All-American Scottie Reynolds to renounce his commitment to Oklahoma and join Villanova.

June 28, 2006: Randy Foye (7th) and Kyle Lowry (24th) are selected in the first round of the NBA draft. Allan Ray is signed by the Celtics.

2006-2007 (22-11)

November 11, 2006: Villanova beats the Rollie Massimino coached Northwood Seahawks 97-60.

December 9, 2006: Despite 31 points and 10 rebounds from Curtis Sumpter, Nova falls to Drexel 81-76 at the Pavilion.

January 20, 2007: Villanova holds Kevin Durant to 12 points, and he is posterized by Dante Cunningham.

February 28, 2007: Freshman Scottie Reynolds drops 40 points on Hasheem Thabeet and UConn.

March 16, 2007: Villanova squeezes into the NCAA Tournament as a 9-seed, but loses to Kentucky 67-58 in the first round.

2007-2008 (22-13)

December 6, 2007: Malcolm Grant scores 13 points in the final three minutes to come back from a 21 point deficit to defeat LSU.

February 4, 2008: St. Joe's hands Villanova its fifth loss in a row in a 77-55 blowout at the Palestra.

February 11, 2008: Corey Stokes is called for a foul 70 feet from the basket, with less than one second remaining. Jonathan Wallace hits both free throws to give Georgetown a 55-53 victory.

March 21, 2008: Villanova is one of the last bubble teams to make the Tournament as a 12-seed, and they use a 18-point comeback to upset #5 Clemson in the first round.

March 28, 2008: Villanova is once again knocked out of the NCAA Tournament by the eventual champions, the Kansas Jayhawks.

2008-2009 (30-8)

January 6, 2009: Scottie Reynolds has his second 40-point game in a 89-85 overtime win over Seton Hall.

January 28, 2009: Reggie Redding scores 18 points in the final college basketball game at the Spectrum, a 10-point win over #3 Pitt.

March 9, 2009: Dante Cunningham wins the Most Improved Player Award in the Big East, Corey Fisher wins the 6th Man Award.

March 19, 2009: Tied at 55 with 7 minutes to play, Villanova rallies to beat 14-seed American in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

March 21, 2009: Six Wildcats score in double figures as Nova beats UCLA by 20 points in the second round.

March 26, 2009: In the Sweet 16 Gerald Henderson shoots 1-14 and Jon Scheyer 3-18 in a 23-point Villanova blowout.

March 28, 2009: Scottie Reynolds hits "The Shot" against Pitt to send Villanova to Detroit for the Final Four.

April 4, 2009: For the fourth time this decade Villanova loses to the eventual National Champion, this time Tyler Hansbrough's Tar Heels.

June 25, 2009: Dante Cunningham is selected in the second round of the NBA draft by the Trailblazers.

2009-2010 (??)

November 19, 2009: Mouphtaou Yarou leaves Puerto Rico with Hepatitis B.

November 22, 2009: Villanova beats Ole Miss to win the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

December 13, 2009: Villanova fans curse the name Juan Fernandez.

December 19, 2009: Reggie Redding returns from marijuana suspension to score 15 points.

January 2, 2010: Villanova opens Big East play at Marquette.

Jay Wright's 2009 Christmas Wishlist

2009-12-23T22:58:00.004-05:00

Dear Santa,

Hey big guy, how's it going up there in the North Pole? You must be really busy. Everything is just fine down here on the Main Line. Villanova football are National Champions. We just beat Delaware 97-63, our 33rd consecutive win at the Pavilion. (You have an open invitation to any home game by the way. You can park your sled on top of the Jake Nevin Fieldhouse.) We're 11-1 and ranked #3 in the country... but there are still some things I'd like for Christmas this year.

1. Please let Scottie Reynolds continue to light it up from downtown like he did against Delaware. (6 of 8 for 22 points... and 6 assists)

2. A new $6,000 Italian-imported Kiton suit.

3. Please keep Reggie Redding, and the rest of the team for that matter, out of trouble. (Reggie has looked like a man on a mission since returning from suspension. The so-called defensive specialist is averaging 15.5 ppg.)

4. Please let the real Taylor King be the one we saw against Delaware (19 points and 12 rebounds), and not the one we saw the previous two games (11 points combined).

5. Conversely, please let the real Antonio Pena be the one we saw all season, and not the one we saw against Delaware (just 7 points and 6 rebounds).

6. A healthy team. (Mouph Yarou is still out with Hepatitis-B, and now Maurice Sutton is out with an upper respiratory disease.)

7. Please let Corey Fisher continue to have a 4/0 assist to turnover ratio, as he has for the past two games.

8. A Snuggie

9. Please help Corey Stokes discover his shot again. (Four straight games of single digit scoring and failing to make more than one 3-point shot.)

10. A National Championship (Thanks again for the Final Four last year, but I sure would love to go all the way...)

From,

Jerold

Merry Christmas!

Nova Has Pretty Good Weekend

2009-12-21T08:47:00.007-05:00

The day after the Villanova football team beat Montana 23-21 for its first ever national championship, the basketball team followed suit with a 96-58 victory over the Fordham Rams. The football team probably doesn't get the attention and respect it deserves within the Villanova community, and I'm as guilty of that as anyone. First off, the FCS actually uses a playoff system to determine its champion, rather than voting on who gets to play for the championship like the BCS does, and that alone makes it a thousand times better. Secondly, Villanova has a legitimate superstar in Matt Szczur. He had 270 total yards and two touchdowns in the game. He is not only a NFL prospect, but a major league baseball catching prospect as well. I mean, they guy plays football during the day and saves babies lives at night. As a Villanova fan, I'm ashamed to say that I never even heard of Szczur until a few days ago.

As for the basketball team, they followed up their loss to Temple with a 38 point win over Fordham. Villanova now has the same number of wins at the Izod Center this season as the New Jersey Nets. They let Fordham hang around for a little too long in the first half, but Nova completely dominated the second half. The Rams had no answer for Nova's full court press, which led to turnovers and easy baskets for the Wildcats.

Reggie Redding made his 2009-10 season debut and didn't miss a beat. While suspended, he was still able to practice with the team, which enabled him to step right in and start. He had 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.

Scottie Reynolds, Antonio Pena, and Corey Fisher led Villanova with 17 points each. I was at this game, and let me tell you, Fisher Price looks so much better in person. He always seems two steps ahead of the defender. I could see him getting drafted in the late first round like Kyle Lowry. By the way, Lowry had his best game as a pro the other night in a 116-108 overtime win over Dallas. He had 26 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 5 steals, and a block.

Joining Redding in the starting five was Taylor King, while Corey Stokes and Maurice Sutton were relegated to the bench. Stokes had a rough shooting night (2-11), but pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds. In years past Stokes seemed to disappear when his shot was off, but now he is finding other ways to help the team. I don't know whether it's a result of defenses focusing on him more, but after taking 15+ shots in the two games previous, King has attempted under 5 shots in the last two. Meanwhile, Sutton has fallen out of the rotation completely. After playing just 6 minutes at Temple, he played 5 against Fordham, most of which came during garbage time. Isaiah Armwood has apparently taken over as the first big off the bench. He played a season-high 17 minutes, and although he failed to score, he grabbed 4 rebounds and made a couple of nice passes. Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek had nice bounce-back games, combining for 18 points off the bench.