Righting the Ship

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.

NNBEPP2: 2011 Movies

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?”

Nova Neutralizes Notre Dame

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.

Around the Big East

1. Syracuse (10-0)
The Orange have made everyone forget about the preseason loss to LeMoyne with wins over Cal, North Carolina, and Florida. The junior transfer from Iowa State, Wesley Johnson, has been fantastic, averaging 16.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and shooting 54% from three. They also got a commitment from the #2 center prospect for 2010, Febricio Melo. With a last name like that, I doubt Boeheim had to do much recruiting.

2. West Virginia (7-0)
They haven't played anybody yet, but their defense looks scary-good. They held Duquesne to 39 points. Devin Ebanks has missed four games due to unknown personal reasons. Nova-killer Da'Sean Butler is off to a nice start, averaging nearly 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists per game.

3. Villanova (9-1)
All aboard the Redding Railroad! Reggie will return from suspension on Saturday at Fordham. His senior leadership and defense might be exactly what this team is lacking.

4. Georgetown (8-0)
Speaking of scary-good defenses, opponents are only averaging 56.2 points against the Hoyas. G'Town fans should be thankful Greg Monroe (15.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3 assists) didn't bolt for the NBA last year.

5. UConn (6-2)
Their only losses are to Duke and Kentucky. They have one of the best backcourt duos in the nation with Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker, both of whom are averaging over 5 assists per game.

6. Cincinnati (6-2)
Both of their losses came in overtime to good teams (Gonzaga and Xavier). Lance Stephenson has skillzzz...


7. Pitt (8-2)
Their only two losses are to Texas and Indiana. There's a lot of new faces on this Panthers team, but they look better than I expected.

8. Seton Hall (8-0)
Seton Hall is undefeated? And second in the country in scoring at 90.8 per game? What the what? A game against Virginia Military (134-107) will skew the numbers, but still. By the way, Jamel Jackson dropped 40 in that game... the game before? One point! Shiver me timbers, what is up with the Pirates this year?

9. Louisville (5-3)
The Cardinals have lost two in a row, but at least the latest was against Carolina. Wait, that was Western Carolina?! Well then, things aren't looking too good for Pitino's squad. He can't seem to settle on a rotation; 11 players are averaging over 11 minutes per game.

10. St. John's (8-1)
The Johnnies are off to a nice start; their lone loss came at Duke. Plus, they accomplished what Villanova could not: win at Temple and hold Juan Fernandez to 5 points.

11. Notre Dame (9-2)
I wish I could say something about the Fighting Irish basketball team, but every time I Google search Notre Dame all I get back are updates on the football coach carousel.

12. Marquette (7-3)
I enjoyed this: http://www.crackedsidewalks.com/2009/12/marquette-takes-on-greatest-team-ever.html

13. South Florida (7-2)
They're giving Ole Miss a run for their money for most exotic names: Augustus "Caesar" Gilchrist, Jarrid "Almost" Famous, Toarlyn "Reggie Cleveland All-Star" Fitzpatrick, Shaun "Manuel" Noriega.

14. Rutgers (7-2)
Could the Scarlet Knights' days in the Big East be numbered?
http://blog.nj.com/rutgersbasketball/2009/12/big_ten_seeks_12th.html

15. Providence (7-4)
The Friars lead all of college basketball with an average of 45.8 rebounds per game. Take that stat with a grain of salt because it also means they're missing a ton of shots.

16. DePaul (6-3)
I guess the Blue Demon faithful is not thrilled with Jerry Wainwright's .436 winning percentage over his five seasons at DePaul... http://www.firejerrywainwright.com/ When you look at Isiah Thomas as a coaching upgrade, you know your program's in bad shape. My favorite "Wainwright'ism": "He plays with great enthusiasm, and what a physical specimen! If I looked like that, I'd spend all day walking around in a Speedo."

Nova Knocks Out Fighting Irish

Final Score: Villanova 77, Notre Dame 60

Player of the Game: Scottie Reynolds - 23 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl

Recap: In my game preview I said Villanova should focus on Kyle McAlarney because Luke Harangody would get his no matter what. Villanova followed that gameplan to perfection, holding McAlarney to 5 points on 2-7 shooting. That left Ryan Ayers open a little too often, as he dropped 25 points on 7-10 from three. Predictably, Harangody got his 18 points and 7 rebounds, but by shutting down McAlarney and knocking down some shots on the other end, Nova was able to run away with the victory.


Scottie Reynolds had a vintage performance. He got hot from behind the arc early and kept it going throughout the game (6-7 3pt) to finish with 23 points. He also did a good job running the show, dishing out 5 assists and committing only 1 turnover. The team as a whole only had 5 turnovers, compared to the 20 they had versus Georgetown.


Luke Harangody got his points and rebounds, but Jay Wright did an excellent job at exploiting his defensive deficiencies. Jay had his forwards attack Gody in the post, and it usually resulted in easy buckets because Notre Dame's big man was afraid of picking up fouls. The beneficiaries of this strategy were Dante Cunningham (18 points, 8 rebounds), Shane Clark (13 points), and Antonio Pena (6 points).


Reggie Redding and Dwayne Anderson spent much of the night guarding McAlarney, so credit is due for their defensive prowess. Redding had a nice line with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and a block. Anderson took some questionable shots (2-9 fg, 0-4 3pt) to finish with just 5 points, but those points came on two emphatic dunks that sucked the life out of the crowd.


If you told me before the game that the two Coreys would combine for only 5 points, I would have thought Villanova had no chance. Both only saw limited time; Fisher because of foul trouble and Stokes because of the coach's decision. Fisher went 0-5 from the field because of some very poor shot selection. He seemed to be forcing the action too much.

This win puts Villanova in good position for a top 4 seed in the Big East Tournament. Marquette (12-4) has two tough games left (at Pitt, vs. Syracuse), while Nova (12-5) should be able to take care of Providence at the Pavilion in their regular season finale. If both teams finish 13-5, there is an elaborate tiebreaking system in place. Since Villanova and Marquette tied the head-to-head season series, they move on to their records against the top seeded team in the conference. Both are winless against UConn and Louisville, so Marquette's next game versus current #3 seed Pittsburgh carries a lot of seeding implications. If Marquette loses to Pitt and Nova beats Providence, Nova will get the 4-seed. If Marquette beats Pitt, but loses to Syracuse, things get more complicated. It will be based on Nova and Marquette's records against whoever finishes highest among Providence, Syracuse, and West Virginia.

Nova @ Notre Dame

Foe: Notre Dame Fighting Irish (16-12)(7-9)

Recent History: Villanova leads the all-time series 16-14. Last season Notre Dame won in a high scoring game at the Wachovia Center 90-80. The Irish were led by the inside/outside combo of Luke Harangody (25 points, 10 rebounds) and Kyle McAlarney (30 points, 5 assists). Nova was led by Antonio Pena's 17 points and 9 rebounds. Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher scored 13 points each, and Stokes added 11. The only significant player Notre Dame lost from last year is Rob Kurz. Other than that, this is essentially the same team. Tory Jackson runs the point (10.9 ppg, 5.2 apg). They have two sharpshooting wingmen: McAlarney (16.1 ppg, 43% 3pt) and Ryan Ayers (10.9 ppg, 42% 3pt). And finally, Luke Harangody dominants the middle (23.6 ppg, 12.3 rpg).

Best Win: 90-57 vs. #7 Louisville

Worst Loss: 71-65 at St. John's

Famous Alumni: Basketball: Digger Phelps, Troy Murphy, Matt Carroll, Chris Quinn, Rob Kurz
Other: Ted Leo, William Mapother (Ethan from "Lost"), George Wendt, Condoleezza Rice, Regis Philbin, Hannah Storm, Steve Bartman, Tim Brown, Joe Montana, Brady Quinn, Ryan Grant, Mike Golic, Joe Theismann


Fun Facts:

• Named national champions in 1927 and 1936.

• Went to Final Four in 1978.

• First Big East team to go undefeated at home two consecutive seasons.

Complimentary Youtube Video:


Final Verdict: Harangody is the leading scorer, rebounder, and one of the best big men in the Big East, but I'm more worried about McAlarney in this game. You know Harangody is going to get his 20 and 10 no matter what, but Villanova can't afford to let McAlarney get hot from 3-point range. I assume Reggie Redding will be assigned to guard McAlarney. Redding will have his hands full, but he has had some success in shutting down perimeter scorers this season. Antonio Pena may be called upon to play a larger role. He had a good game against Notre Dame last year, and Nova will need some big bodies to throw at Harangody.

Notre Dame is very good at home, and the Irish are much better than their 16-12 record would indicate. They are in the same boat as Georgetown, with their backs against the wall, needing to basically win out to have any chance to make the NCAA Tournament. I would have been a lot more worried about this game if Nova beat Georgetown. However, coming off a tough loss like that, I think Villanova is going to come out and play their best basketball, which will be too much for the Fighting Irish.

TV: ESPN 7:00 PM

Links: Game Notes, AP, VUH, IBBW, LGN, VBTN, VV

NNBEPP1

Nova News Big East Power Poll 1st Edition

1. UConn - 8-0
Hasheem Thabeet has been a monster, even without the cornrows. The 7'3 center is averaging 14.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks. With wins over Miami and Wisconsin, this team is loaded and will get even better when Stanley Robinson returns from injury. I'll ignore the close call to Buffalo for now.


2. Pitt - 9-0
Pitt's teams are always boring and this one is no exception. Yet they're in the top 25 every year despite not having any top NBA talent.


3. Louisville - 4-1
Like Nova they've had an easy early season schedule, but unlike Nova they LOSE at HOME by DOUBLE DIGITS to WESTERN KENTUCKY without COURTNEY LEE. I CAN'T STOP USING CAPITALS!!! I don't know if they deserve this ranking, but they're just too deep and talented to drop any further.


4. Notre Dame - 6-2
Harangody has pneumonia, but the Irish might not need him with the way Kyle McAlarney and Ryan Ayers are shooting the ball. McAlarney hit 26 threes in three consecutive games, including 10 against the ridiculously good Tar Heels, who might actually go undefeated this season.


5. Your Villanova Wildcats - 8-0
I can't wait for the showdown with Texas on Tuesday. Let's see what this team is made of.


7. Georgetown - 5-1
Greg Monroe seems poised to grab the torch from Roy Hibbert and continue in the tradition of great Hoya centers.


6. Syracuse - 8-0
The Orange had impressive wins over Florida and Kansas. Devendorf and Rautins are back, Johnny Flynn has been awesome, but it still feels like they're missing something...




8. Marquette - 7-1
Obviously Indiana is one of the premier coaching opportunities in the country, but don't you think Tom Crean wishes he had one more year with this team of James, Matthews, McNeal, and Hayward.


9. West Virginia - 6-1
Joe Alexander should have stayed in school another year, but I guess you can't blame him for leaving early... he's making $2.4 million more than me this year.




10. Seton Hall - 6-1
The Pirates had a nice win over the "post-Mayo" USC, and their only loss is to the "current-Tyreke Evans" Memphis.


11. Cincinnati - 6-1
The Bearcats on the right path back to national prominence with a great freshmen class, but Cashmere Wright's injury may have killed their season. This team could be very dangerous in the future though.

12. DePaul - 4-2
Dar Tucker is a stud (20+ ppg), but the Blue Demons were held to 36 points at Northwestern in an embarrassing loss.

13. St. John's - 6-1
They're only loss is to BC, but Anthony Mason Jr. is out for the season. At least they're still in the running for Lance Stevenson.




15. Providence - 6-3
Looks like it will be a long season at the Dunkin Donuts Center for new head coach Keno Davis.
14. Rutgers - 5-3
Former Nova assistant Fred Hill is nabbing some big time recruits (Mike Rosario, Greg Echenique), but the Scarlet Knights already have home losses to St. Bonaventure, Lehigh, and Binghamton.
16. South Florida - 3-3
Hey, at least they get to live in South Florida.

#18 Villanova vs. Notre Dame

Final Score: Notre Dame 90, Villanova 80

Player of the Game: Kyle McAlarney, 30 pts, 5 ast

Villanova Player of the Game: Antonio Pena, 17 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast


Recap: Villanova lost its second straight and had its first home loss of the season to drop to 3-4 in the Big East and 13-5 overall. They came out with a little more energy today and once again tried to make a late-game comeback but fell short. The loss should put Villanova out of the top 25 for the first time this season. Irish guard Kyle McAlarney lit it up, making five 3-pointers en route to his 30 points. Forward Luke Harangody had a dominating presence inside with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Nova could have really used Casiem Drummond today to help contain Harangody. I was happy to see Corey Fisher back in the starting lineup and he had a decent game, scoring 13 points, but he had a few unlucky bounces off the rim to finish 5-15 from the field. However, I was unhappy that Fisher's playing time came at the expense of Malcolm Grant. Grant didn't enter the game until late in the first half for a brief period of time, then later in the second half. I don't understand why Jay Wright won't give him more playing time. I've got to think that Grant is starting to become frustrated as well for his his lack of minutes. He once again tried to lead a comeback making two 3-pointers to finish with 8 points. Looking back on the season the only game where Villanova really played good basketball for the entire game was vs. Pitt, which not coincidently was the only game where Malcolm Grant played from start to finish.

Scottie Reynolds had another poor shooting performance, going 0-5 from 3-point land and finishing with 13 points. He struggled on the other end of the floor as well, looking lost on defense at times. The team seems to live and die with Scottie Reynolds. If he's on target, the Wildcats will win; if he's not, they lose, and that's been the case all season. That's a tough burden for a sophomore to carry, which is why he needs help from his teammates, especially upperclassmen like Shane Clark. For the third straight game Shane Clark scored only two points, coming off a tip-in. He doesn't even look to shoot the ball anymore, but at least Jay cut his minutes down to 14 and gave some extra to Corey Stokes. Corey Stokes shot the ball well, going 3-6 for three and had a career high 11 points. Antonio Pena had a great game down low for the Wildcats with 17 points and 11 rebounds, but got into foul trouble, picking up his fourth early in the second half. He needs to learn how to stay aggressive but avoid fouls because his post scoring is desperately needed. Dante Cunningham fouled out with a below average 7 points and 5 rebounds. The team as a whole committed 28 personal fouls, giving up 38 free throws to Notre Dame, while Villanova only had 12 attempts. Reggie Redding had a decent game with 7 points and 6 rebounds. Dwayne Anderson had 2 points off the bench. Redshirt Freshman Andrew Ott wasn't in the building today, and word is that he plans to transfer.

This is a very young Villanova team, and growing pains such as this should be expected. There are plenty of Big East games remaining with opportunities to beat marquee opponents such as Pitt, Louisville, Marqutte, and Georgetown. These were two tough back-to-back losses, but not all hope is lost for an NCAA bid. Fans should keep in mind how young this team is and remember how Allan Ray, Randy Foye, and Curtis Sumpter struggled in their first two seasons.

Next Game: Wed. Jan. 30, 7:00 PM at Pitt