Best Motion Picture of the Year Nominees

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.

Thanksgiving Tweets 2010

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.

Your 2010-2011 Villanova Wildcats

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

Thoughts, Resolutions, and Predictions

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.

The Recap About Nothing

Last Sunday was the season finale of Curb Your Enthusiasm, with the highly anticipated Seinfeld reunion. Very funny stuff. I love Larry David, but it was great to see Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer back together in Jerry's apartment and the coffee shop. "Having said that", I decided to pay tribute to "the show about nothing" by including some memorable Seinfeld quotes in the recap for the LaSalle game.

"See, the thing of it is, there's a lot of ugly people out there walking around but they don't know they're ugly because nobody actually tells them."
You might look at the final score, see Villanova won by 18, and think it was an easy win. However, it was an ugly game full of turnovers and poor shooting. Jay Wright even admitted after the game, "There's a good chance we won't be sending that one to Springfield."

"Yeah, well, Joe Pepitone or not, I own the inside of that plate! So I throw one inside, a little chin music... put him right on his pants, because I got to intimidate when I'm on the mound. Well, the next pitch, he's right back in the same place! So.... I had to plunk him."
LaSalle owned the inside of this game. They out-rebounded the Cats 46-27, including 26 offensive rebounds. Two Explorers had double-doubles: Aaric Murray (15 points and 14 rebounds, 9 offensive) and Jerrell Williams (15 points and 16 rebounds, 12 offensive). Villanova has a small team already, but with Yarou still out and King on the bench most of the game due to foul trouble, they had extra difficulty dealing with LaSalle's size inside.

"Did he just steal the raisins?"
One of the brightest spots of Nova's game were their 18 steals. The pressure defense forced 27 LaSalle tunovers. Corey Fisher led the way with 6 steals, and Taylor King had 4 steals in only 10 minutes of play (fouled out).

"I have to dribble. If I give it to you, you just shoot. You're a chucker."
"Oh, I'm a chucker?"
"That's right, everytime you get the ball you shoot."
"I can't believe you called me a chucker. No way I'm a chucker. I do not chuck, never chucked, never have chucked, never will chuck, no chuck!"
Just about everybody could have been accused of being a chucker in this game. The team made only 6 of 24 shots from 3-point range. The biggest chucker was Scottie Reynolds, who went 5-13 from the field and 2-8 from three for 14 points. Honorable mention: Corey Stokes was just 2-8 from the field and 1-6 from downtown.

"Nobody drives like me. Nobody. I'm doing things in this car, you have no idea they're going on."
Nobody drives to the basket like Fisher Price, who got the line 9 more times in this game to score 13 points, but Dominic Cheek had some pretty drives to the hoop too. He seemed to settle for too many outside jumpers earlier in the season, but he took the ball inside against LaSalle, attempting more 2-pointers than 3-pointers for the first time this season, and it paid off for a career-high 10 points.

"Do you know what happens to a butter-based frosting after six decades in a poorly-ventilated English basement?"
"Uhh, I guess I hadn't..."
"Well, I have a feeling what you are about to go through is punishment enough."
Antonio Pena must have been in Jay Wright's doghouse for some reason because he was held out of the starting lineup for the first time this season. That seemed to be punishment enough, as Pena came in quickly and continued to dominate with 14 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and a block.

"She had man hands!"
Maurice Sutton has man hands... and arms... and legs. The near 7-footer had 5 blocks, and affected even more shots. It's nice to have a true shot-blocker down low, something Nova has been lacking for the past few years. I have to hand it to Mo; he has stepped up with Yarou out and has given Villanova a lot more than I ever expected.

It was an ugly win, but having said that, Nova looks pretty, pretty, pretty... pretty good.

Happy Festivus!

Thanksgiving Tweets

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: @ChrisWallaceGM Thanks for trading me to a real NBA team.
about 2 hours ago from web


randyfoye: Thankful that I'm not a part of that 13-game losing streak in Minnesota.
45 minutes ago from TweetDeck


Dante33: @Batum, @TOutlaw, Thanks for the extra playing time due to your injuries.
about 1 hour ago from web


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


Scottie1: @KSampson Thank you for leaving Oklahoma, and @JTIII Thanks for not having any scholarships available.
about 1 hour ago from TweetDeck


MouphY: @FTchuisi Thanks for helping me acclimate to the United States.
about 1 hour ago from web


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


FisherPrice: Thanks to all the NYC streetballers who taught me my moves.
about 4 hours ago from TweetDeck


DomCheek: @BobHurley 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: Thank God that shot went in...
about 9 hours ago from web


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


5Wayns: @jameernelson, @Klow7 Thanks for showing me how to play like a Philly guard.
about 12 hours ago from web


WootenForNova: Thanks to the Penn defense for allowing me to score my first points.
about 1 hour ago from web


The_Real_Redding: Thanks to coach, my teammates, and all of Nova Nation for supporting me.
about 3 hours ago from web


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


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

Thunder in Paradise: Nova Narrowly Avoids Upset

He shouldn't even have been on the floor at the time, but an unlikely hero, Isaiah Armwood, came into the game with Villanova down by two with under thirty seconds left to hit the game-winning 3-pointer, his first three points of the season. Wait, hold on... I think the refs just called another foul. It was a brutally officiated game on both ends of the floor. The only reason Armwood was in the game was because Corey Stokes, Taylor King, Antonio Pena, AND Maurice Sutton ALL fouled out. George Mason also had two players foul out and another three had four fouls. It seemed like anytime two opposing players went near each other, the refs called a foul. George Mason led for most of the game, and it looked like the former Cinderella would pull another major upset. I've talked a lot about Villanova's depth this year, and in the end it paid off, as they needed every inch of it to win.

Villanova was already shorthanded before the game even started. Starting center Mouphtaou Yarou had to leave the team from Puerto Rico because of a viral infection. Taylor King started in his place, but at 6'6, he doesn't exactly bring the same kind of post presence. Because of Yarou's absence and the whistle-happy referees, Jay Wright was forced to play Maurice Sutton major minutes, who can do some nice things, but isn't ready to play 17 minutes a game yet.

One player managed to benefit from the barrage of foul calls. 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. Fisher had 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.

Scottie Reynolds led the team with 18 points, but he treated the ball like a hot potato, turning it over 8 times. Scottie seems to have poor games like this every so often (vs. Texas last year comes to mind), but I expect him to take much better care of the ball in the next game.

Antonio Pena picked up another double-double (10 points, 12 rebounds), but fouled out in 27 minutes. He struggled with fouls last season, but I'll excuse this game because of the erratic officiating.

Corey Stokes took a big step backwards this game. After leading the team in scoring through the first two games, he had just one point before fouling out in 22 minutes. Although, he did grab 5 rebounds, an area of his game that he seems to have improved in.

In his first start, Taylor King looked good while on the court (8 points, 4 rebounds). The only problem was he only played 17 minutes and fouled out.

Maalik Wayns played great off the bench again: 9 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal.

Considering all the foul trouble the team got into, it was surprising that Dominic Cheek only played 11 minutes. He was held scoreless, and missed two free throws late in the game that could have been costly.

Yes, Villanova won, and yes, the officials may have made the game a little closer than it should have been, but this is clearly not a top five team right now. They could be by end of the season, and personally I think they will be right there among the nation's elite when everything's said and done. However, this team is still so young and inexperienced. Everybody saw the strong backcourt returning from last year's Final Four team and the amazing recruiting class and assumed it would translate into instant success. Jay's young Wildcat squad isn't quite there yet, and he knows that better than anyone. But just like his teams of the past, this one will continue to get better as the season progresses, and when tournament time comes rolling around, Jay Wright will have his team ready and playing its best basketball of the season.

With all that said, I wouldn't be surprised if the team used this near loss as a wake-up call and proceeded to win the Puerto Rico Tip-off by blowing out their next two opponents. Next up, tomorrow at 3:00 PM, are the #21 Dayton Flyers, who knocked off #19 Georgia Tech earlier today.

Nova Soaks Penn 103-65

Drop 100+ points - Check
Six players score in double figures - Check
Shoot over 58% from the field and 52% from three - Check
Walk-on scores a basket - Check
Make Penn look like 5th graders playing against 8th graders - Check
Dominate a game from start to finish and play like you deserve a top-5 ranking- Check and Check

Corey Fisher - Continued to look like the best player on the floor. He ran the point with ease scoring 13 points and dishing out 8 assists.

Maalik Wayns - Led the team in scoring with 16 points, and he showed his range by hitting three 3-pointers. He's easily been the most impressive freshmen through the first two games.

Scottie Reynolds - Got back on track with a very solid game: 14 points, 5 assists. Most of his scoring came in a spurt in the middle of the second half.

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.

Corey Stokes - "Only" made two 3-pointers for 14 points.

Antonio Pena - Got a legit double-double this time (12 points, 10 rebounds). He also had 2 blocks and and just 2 personal fouls. He's looked great, but the competition has been lacking. The true test will come in Puerto Rico.

Mouph Yarou - Fouled out in just 17 minutes, finishing with 4 points, 5 rebounds, and a block. He will probably continue to struggle with foul trouble early in the season as he adjusts to the college game.

Dominic Cheek - Had 7 points off the bench. He hit a pretty fade-away jumper with the shot clock winding down towards the end of the game.

Mo Sutton - Had 7 points, 5 rebounds, and a block in just 14 minutes. He flashed some nice post moves as well.

Russel Wooten - Scored the first two points of his career, thanks to an assist* from Armwood.

Isaiah Armwood - Got a little more playing time in this game (13 minutes), but failed to score.
* He shot an airball, which Wooten caught and put in for a lay up.

Jason Colenda - Picked up a steal, but let down the student section enormously when he missed the front end of a one-and-one.

What We've Got

With game one in the books, we have a clearer picture of what we've got with this team. The first two words that come to mind after watching the win over Farliegh Dickinson are youth and depth. All five freshmen played in the game, with Mouph Yarou, Dom Cheek, and Maalik Wayns logging major minutes. The youth showed early as the Wildcats had a rough time in the first half, trailing at times and leading by only one at halftime. However, Nova's depth overpowered FDU in the second half en route to the 84-61 blowout everyone was expecting. With a team that goes ten-deep (and eleven-deep when Redding returns) Jay Wright tinkered with several different lineups, including one with all three point guards playing together, a bigger lineup with one point guard and four players 6'5+ in height, and an all-freshman lineup. It's clear at this point that even Jay isn't entirely sure what he has with this team yet, and the lineups will continue to shuffle with frequency until he figures it out. Another thing to keep in mind is that preseason ranks mean nothing. Yes, Villanova is ranked very high in the polls and they have a lot of expectations, but Notre Dame was ranked in the preseason top ten last year and failed to even make the NCAA Tournament.

Without further adieu let's take a look at a player-by-player assessment of the first game...

The Starting Five
PG - Corey Fisher - Picked up right where he left off last season, and looked like the best player on the floor with a balanced game of 13 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds.
SG - Scottie Reynolds - Struggled mightily shooting the ball (2-10 fg, 0-4 3pt) and got himself into foul trouble. This is not the way he wanted to begin his senior campaign.
SF - Corey Stokes - Caught fire from downtown (5-10 3pt) in the second half to finish with a game-high 20 points.
PF - Antonio Pena - Had a near double-double (9 pts, 10 reb), dished out 3 assists, and picked up only one personal foul in 32 minutes. Pena's strong play might have been the most encouraging outcome of the game.
C - Mouphtaou Yarou - Looked like a man out there... wait, bad choice of words. 6 points, 3 rebounds and a block aren't the most overwhelming stats, but he showed a nice touch from the midrange. He's obviously still very raw, but with his size and athleticism his future looks promising.

First Subs
Taylor King - 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.
Dominic Cheek - He's certainly not shy to shoot. After missing the first shot of his college career, he came right back and made the next to lead the freshmen in scoring with 8.
Casiem Drummond - Looked like he lost a lot of weight this year-- what's that? Oh, right. That was Maalik Wayns sporting the #5 jersey. Wayns has that "Kyle Lowry-like" ability to drive to the basket. He had 6 points and a couple of assists.

Second Subs
Maurice Sutton - Looked better than I expected. He had a block and a monstrous put-back slam.
Isaiah Armwood - Was the odd man out of the rotation, only playing one minute.

2009-10 Season Preview

It’s been a while, but Nova News is back with an in-depth look at the upcoming 2009-2010 season.

Villanova shocked many by making the Final Four last March as a 3-seed, but expectations are sky-high this year, despite Villanova losing its top scorer and rebounder, Dante Cunningham, to the NBA. Nova was voted #1 preseason in the Big East coaches poll, #5 nationally in the AP poll, and #6 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. Villanova lost three other seniors including Shane Clark, Frank Tchuisi, and Dwayne Anderson, who was arguably the heart and soul of last year’s team. So why are expectations so high when the Wildcats are losing so much? Well, for one, Final Four hero Scottie Reynolds decided to withdraw his name from the NBA Draft and return for his senior year. The two Coreys (Fisher and Stokes) are returning from successful sophomore seasons and are poised to play even bigger roles this year. Finally, Villanova is bringing in the #3 recruiting class in the nation, composed of Dominic Cheek, Maalik Wayns, Mouphtaou Yarou, and Isaiah Armwood.

Let’s take a look at each player and what we can expect from them this season…

Scottie Reynolds – SR – PG/SG

2008-09 Stats: 32 min, 15.2 pts, 3.4 ast, 2.9 reb, 1.6 stl, 40% FG, 82% FT, 35% 3PT

The clear leader of the team, Scottie Reynolds is back for his senior year and has a chance to break some school records.

Freshman year: 1^st Round

Sophomore year: Sweet 16

Junior year: Final Four

Senior year: ?

Scottie Reynolds has seemingly done it all in his career at Villanova, and in his final year he will have his sights set on a National Championship. Scottie will probably play off the ball more this season, with Corey Fisher at the point. I see him being the leading scorer on the team (at around 17 points per game), but his stats won’t go up too much because the team has so many offensive weapons.

Corey Fisher – JR – PG

2008-09 Stats: 24 min, 10.8 pts, 2.8 ast, 2.3 reb, 1.2 stl, 43% FG, 78% FT, 32% 3PT

I think this is the year Jay Wright finally hands the keys to Corey Fisher and allows him to run free as the starting point guard. Fisher Price has been gifted offensively since the day he set foot on campus, but Jay Wright demands a lot from his guards defensively and Corey wasn’t quite ready on that end of the floor. Now Fisher is a complete two-way player, and as an upperclassman, he will now have to teach “Villanova Basketball” to his understudy Maalik Wayns. I see Fisher’s assists jumping up to around 4.5 a game and his scoring at about 13 ppg.

Corey Stokes – JR – SG/SF

2008-09 Stats: 23 min, 9.3 pts, 3.4 reb, 1.0 ast, 0.7 stl, 41% FG, 85% FT, 42% 3PT

I don’t know if Stokes will ever develop into the complete inside/outside swingman Villanova fans were hoping for when this former McDonald’s All-American joined the team. So far in his Wildcats career he has been strictly a perimeter scorer, a very good one at that, but his ball handling and inside scoring leave something to be desired. However, with Reynolds, Fisher, Wayns, and Cheek all capable at driving to the basket and with the post presence of Yarou and Pena, Stokes really won’t need to do much more than stand behind the arc and wait for someone to kick it to him for an open three. I think Stokes averages 11 ppg and shoots 50% from 3-point range.

Reggie Redding – SR – SG/SF

2008-09 Stats: 29 min, 7.1 pts, 4.9 reb, 3.1 ast, 1.1 stl, 0.5 blk, 44% FG, 71% FT, 30% 3PT

By now you’ve probably heard about Redding’s disappointing offseason; he was arrested on campus for marijuana possession back in August. He is suspended until December 19 and will be forced to miss the first ten games of the season. This isn’t the worst thing in the world. The schedule at the beginning of the season is relatively easy, and it will give the freshmen a chance for more playing time as they get acclimated to the college game. Then Redding will be back just in time for the start of Big East play, when the team will need him most. Reggie brings senior leadership and balanced contributions on both ends of the floor. He isn’t the most gifted scorer, but Jay Wright has called Redding his best defender and passer. (You might remember he threw the infamous full-court pass that almost cost Nova the game vs. Pitt in the Elite Eight, but he also threw the next inbounds pass that led to Reynolds’ game-winning shot.) I think his ‘09-10 stats will stay right in line with those of last season.

Antonio Pena – JR – PF/C

2008-09 Stats: 18 min, 5.1 pts, 4.2 reb, 1.0 ast, 0.5 blk, 48% FG, 69% FT

Pena’s playing time was inconsistent last season, as he primarily served as Dante Cunningham’s backup. On the rare occasion he was given extended minutes, he usually produced around 12 points and 8 rebounds. However, his biggest problem was avoiding foul trouble long enough to play meaningful minutes. As such, Jay Wright had little trust in ‘Tone when it mattered most, averaging only 6.4 minutes per game in the NCAA Tournament. This year Pena is the only experienced frontcourt player, and he will have to step up to play a bigger role by default. I think he will begin the season as the starting power forward/center, but if Yarou lives up to the hype early, he may push Pena back into more of a reserve role again. Pena’s numbers are tough to predict because it’s unclear what his role will be, but I’ll say 6 points and 6 rebounds in 24 minutes per game.

Taylor King – SO – SG/SF

2007-08 Stats (with Duke): 10 min, 5.5 pts, 2.0 reb, 41% FG, 38% 3PT

After sitting out all of last season due to transfer regulations, T-King is ready to make his Villanova debut. Much of what I said about Corey Stoke can be applied to King. He shoots the ball just as well from downtown, and it will be really fun to see them on the floor together. I expect TK to log major minutes from the get-go. He has NCAA experience with Duke and had all of last season to practice with the team and learn the system. The only thing holding him back is the deep backcourt. He’s a bit undersized at 6’6, but if he can play physical defense and rebound, Jay Wright may use him at power forward at times this season to get him on the court more often. I think you can expect a line of 9 points, 5 rebounds, 45% 3PT from King this year.

Maurice Sutton – FR – C

2007-08 Stats (high school): 18 pts, 13 reb, 9 blk

Like Taylor King, Sutton redshirted all of last season. He came into the program with height (6’11), but was thin as a rail. He’s had a full year to put on enough muscle to bang in the Big East. But does he have the skill? He still seems like more of a project at this point. I think he will play a role similar to Chris Charles of a few years ago: provide rebounding, blocks, and fouls in limited minutes off the bench. With Pena and Yarou the only other players on the team over 6’8, Sutton can provide some much needed size against bigger teams.

Dominic Cheek – FR – SG

2008-09 Stats (high school): 14.2 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast

Cheek has a frame and game that reminds many of former Villanova star Kerry Kittles. He was a big-time scorer for St. Anthony’s in Jersey City and was a McDonald’s All-American. He can handle the ball and score from the inside and out. I don’t see him starting out of the gates, but he will be a part of the regular rotation.

Mouphtaou Yarou – FR – PF/C

2008-09 Stats (high school): 20 pts, 12 reb, 3 blk

Villanova hasn’t had a F/C recruit this highly touted since Jason Fraser in 2002. At 6’10, 250 Mouph is a skilled big man with a soft touch. He is a native of Benin, Africa and didn’t pick up the game of basketball until five years ago. Yarou could be thrust into a starting role right away because of Nova’s lack of depth in the frontcourt. He may still be raw, but for someone with his size, skill set, and athleticism, the sky is the limit. Let’s just hope Mouph has a little more luck health-wise than Fraser.

Maalik Wayns – FR – PG

2008-09 Stats (high school): 19.2 pts, 5.5 ast, 5.1 reb

Could Wayns be the second coming of Kyle Lowry? As a 6’1 point guard from Philly and a fierce competitor, the similarities are endless. Like Lowry, he will probably come off the bench as the back up point guard to begin the season. During his freshman season, Lowry played so well that Jay Wright was forced to give him more minutes and eventually move him to the starting role midway through the season. Wayns will have a similar opportunity, and like Lowry’s teams from 2004-2006, we may see some 4-guard sets this year involving Maalik.

Isaiah Armwood – FR – SF/PF

2008-09 Stats (high school): 12 pts, 8 reb

Armwood is a former teammate of Kevin Durant and Mouph Yarou at Montrose Christian Academy in Maryland. He will be wearing the #34 jersey, last worn by Curtis Sumpter. Like Sumpter, Armwood is 6’7 with a versatile inside/out game. Again, because of the thin frontcourt, he will probably see minutes right away. If he contributes, he could see major minutes, maybe even earning the starting power forward position by season’s end.

The Walk-ons...

Russell Wooten – SR – SF

Jason Colenda – SR – PG/SG