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 Falls in OT to WVU

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 Mauls Mountaineers

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?

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."

Unlucky Night for #13 Nova on Friday the 13th

Final Score: West Virginia 93, #13 Villanova 72

Player of the Game: Da'Sean Butler - 43 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast

Recap: Lost in hype surrounding Villanova's recent scoring surge was the fact that they gave up an average of 87.3 points the past three games, over 20 points more than their season average. The defense allowed a season-high 93 points vs. WVU and the suddenly cold offense couldn't match. Nova scored only 3 points in the first 7 minutes of the first half. Da'Sean Butler on the otherhand was red hot: 43 points, 12-23 FG, 6-13 3PT, 13-15 FT. After enjoying a couple of 40 point games from Scottie Reynolds the past couple years, it felt weird being on the other side of one. Devin Ebanks was also impressive with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists. He had a couple of high-flying dunks, reminds me of Josh Smith.

Dante Cunningham got called for two questionable offensive fouls in the first three minutes of the game. This caused him to sit for the remainder of the first half, while WVU built a lead that was too large to overcome in the second half. Villanova is just not the same team without D.C. Jay should have rolled the dice with him when the game was starting to get out of hand in the first half.

Scottie Reynolds scored 12 points in the first half, but went scoreless in the second and almost scored two for WVU on a deflection. He was 3-11 from the field, had 5 turnovers, only 1 assist, and fouled out in 28 minutes. His scoring has been up lately, but Scottie's had more t.o.'s than dimes over the last six games.


Dwayne Anderson was back in the starting lineup after his knee injury against Marquette. He looked okay (6 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals), but lost his touch from behind the arc where he was 0-3.

The lone bright spot of the game was the stellar play of the two Coreys. They helped the bench to score the same amount of points as the starters (36). Corey Stokes had 15 points and 5 rebounds, hitting 3 of 6 from downtown. Corey Fisher had a team-high 17 points and added 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Fisher Price had one of the most spectacular double-clutch finishes I've seen all year. The other day on Mike Francesa's radio show, Jay Wright mentioned that Corey Fisher is the most creative finisher around the basket since Kyle Lowry. I completely agree.


I guess it's always flattering when an opponent's fans rush the court on you after a game; it means you are a great team and an upset was unexpected. A 21 point loss to an unranked team may seem like an embarrassing loss, but WVU is a much better team than they are given credit for. They are 6-6 in conference play, but they've had a rough schedule so far (Pitt twice, UConn, Louisville), but it gets much easier from here for them. West Virginia is a NCAA Tournament team.

The Mountaineers

Foe: West Virginia Mountaineers (16-8) (5-6)

Recent History: Villanova is 20-17 all-time vs. West Virginia, but is 3-5 against the Mountaineers during the Jay Wright era. Nova has had an especially hard time playing in Morgantown, where they haven't won since 1999. Last season Nova won 78-56 at the Pavilion in the only meeting between the two teams. Nova was led by Dwayne Anderson's 17 points, who is unlikely to play because of the knee injury, Corey Stokes' 16 points, and Corey Fisher's 6 assists. WVU was led by Joe Alexander's 11 points, but he has since bolted for the NBA. WVU went through a transformation last year when coach John Beilein left for Michigan and Bob Huggins returned to his alma mater. Huggins did a commendable job with Beilein's players considering the different systems they run. This year Huggins has his own recruits and it's a promising class consisting of Devin Ebanks (8.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Kevin Jones (5.6 ppg), Darryl Bryant (10 ppg), and Cameron Payne. Returning players Da'Sean Butler (17.3 ppg, 6 rpg) and Alex Ruoff (16.3 ppg, 3.5 apg) have found ways to excell in the new system.

Best Win: 75-58 at then #14 Georgetown

Worst Loss: 54-43 vs. Kentucky (their only loss to an unranked team)

Famous Alumni: NBA: Joe Alexander, Hot Rod Hundley, Jerry West
Other: Cheryl Hines, Marc Bulger, Chris Henry, Chuck Howley, Sam Huff, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Jerry Porter, Billy Mays

Fun Facts:

• Won 1942 and 2007 NIT

• From Wikipedia: "The Mountaineer was adopted in 1890 as the official school mascot and unofficially began appearing at sporting events in 1927. The new Mountaineer is selected each year by the Mountain Honorary during the final two men's home basketball games. Candidates must have at least a 2.5 GPA, write an essay about why they want to be the Mountaineer, attend an extensive interview process and garner the most cheers during the home basketball game. The successful candidate is awarded the formal title of "The Mountaineer of West Virginia University." The new Mountaineer receives a scholarship, a tailor-made buckskin suit with coonskin hat, and a period rifle and powder horn for discharging when appropriate and safe. There is always a backup Mountaineer, to step in when needed."

Complimentary Youtube Video: The man, the myth, the legend...

Final Verdict: I think this is the year Villanova finally gets a win at the WVU Coliseum. They are riding a hot 6 game winning streak and the offense is clicking (94, 102, 102 points in last 3 games). Nova will have to focus their defensive efforts on Butler and Ruoff, two great permiter scorers. I think Dante Cunningham will be the player of the game, but Corey Stokes could be the x-factor. He will need to play a bigger role with Anderson out.

TV: ESPN 9:00 PM

Links: Official, AP, VUHoops, VBTN, IBBW, LGN, Villanova Viewpoint

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.

Anderson and Stokes lead rout of West Virginia

Final Score: Villanova 78, West Virginia 56

Player of the Game: Dwayne Anderson - 17 points (5-7 3pt)


Recap: Wearing their classic throwback jerseys, Villanova cruised to its fourteenth straight victory in the Pavilion tonight. The Wildcats are peaking late in the season. They are playing their best defense of the season, thanks in a large part to Dwayne Anderson. He has been the reason Villanova won three of its last four and nearly upset Georgetown. Anderson and freshman Corey Stokes combined for 30 first half points, leading Villanova to a 45-21 first half lead. Villanova held the Mountaineers to 0-11 for three in the first half and 2-20 for the game. Villanova had the hot hands from behind the arc and went 10-23. This was a big win for the Wildcats, putting them at 6-7 in conference play.

Anderson was on fire tonight scoring 17 points on 5-7 for three, all of his points coming in the first half. He provided hustle on defense as well with 4 steals. As a captain, Anderson is setting a great example for the younger players on the team with his energy, hustle, defensive intensity, and unselfish attitude.

Corey Stokes scored a new career-high 16 points on 5-12 shooting; 3-8 for three. He added 5 rebounds. He missed some shots early but never lost his confidence, and the shots eventually fell for him.

Scottie Reynolds got two quick fouls and sat on the bench scoreless for the rest of the first half. They didn’t really need him with the way Anderson and Stokes were playing. He came out and hit two three-pointers in the second half to finish with 9 points.

Corey Fisher had a cold shooting night (2-8 fg, 0-3 3pt), but he did a great job running the point and being a distributor, which is what the team needs him to do. He had 6 assists to go along with his 9 points and 5 rebounds. He was also a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line, and only had 2 turnovers.

Dante Cunningham, who has been one of Villanova's most consistent players this season, had 8 points and 3 rebounds tonight. He also got it done defensively with 2 blocks and a steal.

After sitting out the previous game, Shane Clark looked much better tonight. He had 4 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in 14 minutes of action.

Antonio Pena nearly had a double-double with 10 points and 9 rebounds. He made some nice passes as well, finishing with 3 assists. He did however get into foul trouble once again. There were a couple of times that he tried to draw a charge, and got called for the block. At 6’8 I’d rather see him try to go up for the blocked shot, than try to draw the charge.

Casiem Drummond played only 10 minutes tonight. He had 5 points, and looked good in the second half. He took the ball strong to the basket, which is what he needs to continue to do.

Reggie Redding went scoreless in 14 minutes, but as usual he provided some defense off the bench.

Malcolm Grant also went scoreless in 14 minutes. He was 0-2 from the field but notched 2 assists.

Frank Tchuisi and Jason Colenda each played a couple minutes at the end of the game. They both had 1 rebound and 1 foul. Tchuisi also had a blocked shot.

The five-game losing streak will hurt Villanova, but they are showing that they are capable of making a run in the Big East Tournament. The possibility of playing in the NCAA is still open, but the road will be tough, with UConn, Marquette, and Louisville still on the schedule. This Saturday Villanova has the opportunity to get a marquee victory over the 13^th ranked UConn Huskies. UConn has won 10 straight and has established themselves as one of the top teams in the Big East. Villanova will need to beware of the 7’3 center Hasheem Thabeet who is averaging 4.4 blocks per game.

Next Game: Sat. Feb. 23, at Noon, vs. UConn, at the Wachovia Center