Battling Orange and Blue Demons

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

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

The Black Mamba Award for MVP


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

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

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

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

The JaVale McGee Award for Big Man That Can Dunk

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

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

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

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?”

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.

Nova News 2010 NCAA Bracket

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

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

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

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

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

Nova Gets Juiced By Cuse

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Sweeps Syracuse

Final Score: #14 Villanova 89, #25 Syracuse 86

Player of the Game: Dwayne Anderson - 22 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

Recap: Nova survived a late collapse to complete the season series sweep of Syracuse. (Whoa, that was a lot of S's.)

Oscars Edition

Best Picture:This picture of Dwayne Anderson best captures the emotions of Nova's win. Just a few days after I praised him for being the unheralded guy who does all the dirty work, Dwayne comes out and scores a career-high 22 points. He was hot early, hitting 4 of 6 from downtown. When Anderson gives you that kind of offense, Villanova is tough to beat.

Best Actor: Shane Clark
Shane Clark's career is similar to Mickey Rourke's in The Wrestler. Rourke played a struggling washed up wrestler who tries to make a comeback in the ring. Clark has struggled with injuries most of his career at Villanova, and it seemed like he wouldn't be a factor this season. Shane proved the doubters wrong with another great game: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists. With his extra-long arms, he is proving to be the team's best offensive rebounder. He had 5 in this game, and 42 of his 93 rebounds this season have come on the offensive end.

Best Supporting Actor: Corey Fisher
Just like Heath Ledger stole the show with his portrayal as the Joker in The Dark Knight, Corey Fisher stole the show when he came off the bench in this game. Fisher had a very efficient 16 points (5-6 fg, 1-1 3pt, 5-7 ft) and added 2 assists, a steal, and only 1 turnover. He went head to head with Johnny Flynn, who was caught dropping f-bombs on TV, and Fisher Price came out on top.


Other Notes
Dante Cunningham flirted with a triple-double (12 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists), and he might have gotten it if he didn't have to sit out for a few minutes after picking up his fourth foul. This was his eighth double-double of the season.

Reggie Redding did just about everything you can expect from him. He had 11 points, a career-high 7 assists, and the defensive specialist had 6 steals, also a career-high.

Scottie Reynolds had 10 points and 2 assists, but he almost cost Villanova the game. He had 5 turnovers, several of which came in the final minutes when he carelessly dribbled into trouble and traveled trying to break Syracuse's press. Syracuse had a couple good looks to tie the game, but luckily Scottie's mistakes didn't come back to haunt Nova.

Nova Travels to Carrier Dome for Rematch with Cuse

Nova sailed to a 102-85 victory over the Syracuse Orange in the season's first meeting between these two teams at the Wachovia Center on February 7.

• Preview from first Syracuse game

• Recap from first Syracuse game

Last season Nova and Cuse split the regular season series with a rare away team sweep. This year I wouldn't be surprised if they split again, but this time with the more conventional home team wins. Since they last met, Syracuse lost at UConn 63-49 and beat Georgetown at home in overtime 98-94. The Dome is always a tough place to play, but considering how well Nova played them last time, I like our chances. Look for Corey & Corey to have another big game.

TV: CBS, 1:00 PM

Links: VUHoops, IBBW, VBTN, Villanova Viewpoint, Let's Go Nova

Nova Juices the Cuse

Final Score: #16 Villanova 102, #20 Syracuse 85

Player of the Game: Dante Cunningham - 31 pts, 10 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk

Recap: Nova came out strong from the start, perhaps motivated by Johnny Flynn's pregame quotes, and were in control all of the game. Nova dropped 102 points, their second highest total of the season. Nova has now won five in a row, with a rematch against Marquette coming up next. At 7-3 (5th place) in conference, Villanova has put itself in a good position to challenge for one of the top four seeds in the Big East Tournament.

Restoring Balance to the ForceVillanova was firing on all cylinders and saw great balance from their top seven in both minutes and scoring. The only odd man out was Antonio Pena who fouled out in only 9 minutes.

Dante's InfernoDante Cunningham had one of his best games of the season, tying his career-high of 31 points. The ten rebounds gave him his eighth double-double of the season. He was automatic from the mid-range, going 12-15 from the field. He's undersized for the 4 in the NBA, but scouts have got to be taking a close look at him with these numbers he's putting up.

RejuvenationShane Clark is back! He had his best game of the season with 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists. He was an absolute beast on the offensive glass, where he grabbed 6 of his rebounds. The loudest of those was a emphatic one-handed put-back slam. Shane's had games like this in the past, but for whatever reason (injuries, illness, unknown...) he has struggled at times during the past two seasons, causing members of the fanbase to turn against him. It's great to see him come out and have a game like this because with Nova's thin frontcourt, Shane Clark is a valuable player to the team.

The Coreys CornerBoth Coreys were great sparks off the bench. Fisher was unstoppable driving to the basket to score 14 points. More impressive were his 6 assists, which tie his season high. Stokes broke out of his mini-slump with 16 points. He hit three 3-pointers and got fouled on a couple more. He also had season highs in rebounds (9) and assists (3), which is great to see because sometimes he's too one dimensional with his shooting.

Road Warrior?Scottie Reynolds had a relatively quiet night, going 3-11 from the field, scoring 10 points and dishing 3 assists. He seems to have his best games on the road: all four of his 30+ point games have come on the road. In Big East play Scottie's averaging 10.2 at home, compared to 21.4 ppg on the road. Not sure what this means, but it's interesting nonetheless.

Dwayne Anderson and Reggie Redding took care of business. Anderson had an Anderson-like performance, full of blocks (1), steals (3), and rebounds (4). Redding chipped in 8 points, including his first 3-pointer in five games.

This was an all-around great effort, and in some ways a statement win, proving to the rest of the league that they are one of the elite teams.

#20 Syracuse vs. #16 Villanova

Foe: #20 Syracuse Orange (18-5)(6-4)

Recent History: Syracuse holds a slight 34-28 advantage in the all-time series, but Villanova has won five of the past seven. Last season Nova and Cuse met three times, with Nova winning the first 81-71 at the Carrier Dome, Syracuse winning the second 87-73 at the Wachovia Center, and Nova winning the rubber match 82-63 in the Big East Tournament, a crucial game in which the winner would likely make the NCAA Tournament. Nova went on the NCAAs, while Cuse had to settle for the NIT. Syracuse lost leading scorer Donte Greene to the NBA, but have Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins back from injury this season. The key match-up for the game will likely be Scottie Reynolds vs. Johnny Flynn in the backcourt. Flynn averaged 21 points and 4 assists in the three games against Nova last season, while Reynolds averaged 20 points and 3 assists. Flynn is averaging 17 points and 6 assists this year to lead five Orangemen averaging double figures in scoring: Devendorf (15.2), Harris (13.0), Onaku (11.5), Rautins (10.0).

Best Win: 72-65 at Memphis

Worst Loss: 72-69 vs. Cleveland State

Famous Alumni: NBA: Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Coleman, Donte Greene, Rony Seikaly, Hakim Warrick
Other: Joe Biden, Marv Albert, Matthew Berry, Bob Costas, Ian Eagle, Ted Koppel, Sean McDonough, Mike Tirico, Jim Brown, Tom Coughlin, Dwight Freeny, Marvin Harrison, Donovan McNabb, Art Monk, David Tyree, Dick Clark, Taye Diggs, Frank Langella, Jerry Stiller, Vanessa Williams
Fun Facts:

• Syracuse won national championships in 1918, 1926, and 2003.

• Syracuse has had an NCAA record 38 consecutive winning seasons.

Complimentary Youtube Video:

Final Verdict: Like Nova, Syracuse has 6 Big East wins, although Cuse's best win is probably vs. Notre Dame, currently on a 6-game losing streak. They will still be a tough team to beat, even with a home court advantage. Syracuse fans usually fill up the upper deck at the Wachovia Center, which might be why they've had some success there. I think the x-factors in the game will be Corey Fisher for Villanova and Paul Harris for Syracuse, who dropped 28 on Nova at the Wach last year. These teams match up well and it should be a close game, but I think Villanova will prevail in front of the home crowd.

TV: ESPN 12:00

Links: VUHoops, AP, IBBW

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.

Nova advances in BET past Syracuse

Final Score: Villanova 82, Syracuse 63

Player of the Game: Scottie Reynolds 22 pts, 6 ast


Recap: This was a huge victory for the Wildcats. There are conflicting opinions on whether or not Villanova will be in the NCAA tournament with this win alone, but they definitely improved their chances. The manner in which they won was also impressive. Syracuse got out to a quick eleven-point lead in the first half, and Donte Greene seemed unstoppable. However, Villanova was able to claw their way back into the game and pulled within one at halftime with a Dwayne Anderson three. Then Villanova came out and dominated the second half 55-35, fueled by a barrage of 3-pointers. Nova shot 11-21 (52.4%) for the game from behind the arc.

Now let's get on to the awards...

The Steve Nash Award for Best Point Guard
... goes to Scottie Reynolds. Reynolds has a knack for stepping up in big games, and he did just that today, scoring 22 points. He also had six assists, his most since December 14 vs. Hartford, and zero turnovers in 34 minutes. He handled the point most of the game, leaving Corey Fisher on the bench. He seems to play better with the ball in his hands. Scottie made 4-7 threes, including a fade-away three that would have impressed even Kevin Pittsnogle.

The AT&T Award for Long-distance Call of the Day
... goes to Corey Stokes. He made four of eight 3-pointers, including a couple from well beyond the NBA line. Stokes matched his career-high with 18 points, and he added 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. He is shooting 36.8% from 3-point range in Big East play.

The Bank Job award for Thief of Game
... goes to Dwayne Anderson for his 4 steals. Dwayne had another great game for the Wildcats with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. He made three of four 3-pointers as well.

The Charles Barkley Award for Rebounder of the Game
... goes to Dante Cunningham who co-led the team with 7 boards. Villanova dominated the glass in the game, outrebounding the Orange 40-27. Dante added 13 points for the Wildcats.

The Energizer Bunny Award for Energizing Performance
... goes to Shane Clark. Shane seems to have recovered from whatever sickness he was suffering from during the season. He scored in double figures for the third straight games. Clark had 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal. His energy helped him grab 5 offensive rebounds, including a big one-handed put-back slam. Had Shane been able to play at this level all season, Villanova probably wouldn't have to worry about being on the bubble at this point.

Next Game: Tues. March 13, 12:00 pm, vs. #1 seed Georgetown

Big East Tournament

It's official. Villanova will play Syracuse in the opening round of the Big East Tournament on Wed. at noon. This is probably Villanova's biggest game of the season because it's a must-win to have any chance of making the NCAA Tournament. The winner will play Georgetown, and if Villanova gets there they would have the opportunity to avenge the controversial loss from back in February. Syracuse (19-12, 9-9) and Villanova (19-11, 9-9) have similar resumes, but Syracuse has the edge with their RPI and Strength of Schedule. Syracuse has an RPI of 45 with a SOS of 7, while Nova has an RPI of 56 and strength of Schedule of 56. The loser of this game will most likely not make the tournament. If Villanova wins, they still may need to beat Georgetown in the second round to secure an at-large bid. That last-second Georgetown call is starting to hurt more and more. It would have given the Wildcats a great road win, but now their best road win is against bubble-mate Syracuse. Here's a look at the Big East Tournament bracket...

FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 12
Game 1: No. 8 Villanova vs. No. 9 Syracuse (ESPN, noon)
Game 2: No. 5 West Virginia vs. No. 12 Providence (ESPN, 2:30 p.m.)
Game 3: No. 7 Pittsburgh vs. No. 10 Cincinnati (ESPN, 7 p.m.)
Game 4: No. 6 Marquette vs. No. 11 Seton Hall (ESPN, 9:30 p.m.)
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 13
Game 5: No. 1 Georgetown vs. Game 1 winner (ESPN, noon)
Game 6: No. 4 UConn vs. Game 2 winner (ESPN, 2:30 p.m.)
Game 7: No. 2 Louisville vs. Game 3 winner (ESPN, 7 p.m.)
Game 8: No. 3 Notre Dame vs. Game 4 winner (ESPN, 9:30 p.m.)
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 14
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner (ESPN, 7 p.m.)
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner (ESPN, 9:30 p.m.)
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 15
Game 11: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner (ESPN, 9 p.m.)

Villanova vs. Syracuse

Final Score: Syracuse 87, Villanova 73

Player of the Game: Paul Harris 28 pts, 7 reb

Villanova Player of the Game: Corey Fisher 21 pts, 5-7 3-pt


Recap: Despite a strong start to the game, Villanova lost it's fourth straight, all losses by double digits. Nova's defense collapsed once again and gave up 87 points. Villanova was dishing and swishing early in the game, making great passes that led to easy baskets. They jumped out to a 26-15 lead, but then Donte Greene came alive and started sinking some threes and Nova went on another scoring drought. They struggled with Syracuse's size, getting out-rebounded 33-18. Villanova as a team had an impressive 20 assists on 26 made field goals. At the start of the game Nova played like fans had been expecting them to all season, but they weren't able to sustain it. The Wildcats have plenty of talent, but their problems stem from their youth. Right now this team doesn't have an identity, and they won't be able to win consistently until they discover their identity. It make take a year or two, or it may take a week. Either way, the future looks bright, although they are struggling in the present.

The 6'5 guard/forward Paul Harris created a match-up problem for the Wildcats. He played shooting guard, leaving Corey Fisher with the task of trying to guard the bigger and stronger Harris. Harris had his way, getting to the free throw line 16 times and scored a career-high 28 points. Fisher broke out his slump with 21 points on 7-15 shooting and 5-7 from three. The other bright spot of the game for Villanova was Casiem Drummond. He looked to be back in full form, connecting on several dunks to score 11 points on 5-7 shooting in the game. However, they all came in the first half, and he played very little minutes in the second half. The coaches most likely did not want to overwork while he is still recovering from the stress fracture in his ankle. When Drummond is on the floor they are able to run the offense from the inside out, making the team much better. Drummond also had 4 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Scottie Reynolds struggled most of the game, scoring 12 points, but most of those came at the end of the game when he was just chucking up threes. He fouled out towards the end, and appeared to be angry at Corey Stokes for not fouling Syracuse, forcing him to use his final foul. You can see the frustration growing with the team. Malcolm Grant got involved early and notched 3 assists, but failed to score and sat most of the second half until the very end of the game. Shane Clark did not play, and is apparently suffering from fatigue. This may explain his recent struggles. Clark has been struggling lately, but when healthy he's a valuable member of the team. Reggie Redding got the start and had a good game with 10 points and 6 assists. Dante Cunningham and Antonio Pena had sub par games. Cunningham's play should improve with Drummond back, as he'll be able to move back to the power forward position where he is more comfortable.

Villanova is now 3-6 in the Big East, putting them in the bottom four in the conference. I don't think they need to worry yet, but the bottom four teams do not make the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. As a change of pace, Villanova will face a non-conference opponent when they battle their crosstown rivals St. Joseph's Monday night. This would be a big win for Villanova, not only because it would end their losing streak, but St. Joe's is emerging as one of the top teams in the A-10 and it would be a good non-c0nference win on their resume. A win would also help get their confidence back up before they get back into conference play.

Next Game: Mon. Feb. 4, 8:00 PM, at St. Joseph's

#21 Villanova at Syracuse

Final Score: Villanova 81, Syracuse 71

Player of the Game: Scottie Reynolds, 25 pts, 6 reb, 4 stl


Recap: Villanova won it's first true road game of the season in one of the toughest places to play in the country at the Carrier Dome versus Syracuse. It was a close game throughout with a couple of lead changes, but Villanova was able to pull away towards the end. Both teams struggled with turnovers, committing 19 each. Scottie Reynolds was in top form. He had 25 points on 4-7 from 3, and added 6 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 assists. He was an impressive 9-10 from the free-throw line. Syracuse has a very young team, led by two freshmen Johnny Flynn and Donte Greene. But with the youth and inexperience, comes mistakes. Greene and Onuaku got in to early foul trouble, and Greene fouled out with about 5 minutes left. Flynn tried to pick up the slack scoring 23 points, but it wasn't enough.

Jay wright went with the same starting lineup as the previous game: Reynolds, Grant, Clark, Pena, and Cunningham. Despite playing with the flu, Dante Cunningham had a great game. He had 14 points on 6-8 shooting and grabbed a team high 8 rebounds. Pena's time was limited because of foul trouble but he played some great low-post offense, scoring 9 points and grabbing 4 boards in 19 minutes. Malcolm Grant had some early misses, and Jay Wright didn't use him much later in the game. He had no points and 2 assists in 10 minutes of action. Once again Shane Clark struggled offensively going 1-9 from the field and 0-3 for three. He did contribute in other ways with 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Corey Fisher had a great game for the Wildcats off the bench. He had 15 points and 3 assists in 18 minutes, and like Reynolds was 9-10 from the free-throw line. I think it's time to move Fisher back into the starting lineup in place of Grant. I think Grant is better off the bench. Grant seems to struggle on the road. I think he plays better at home because he feeds off the energy of the crowd. Conversely Fisher has had his best games on the road, which is interesting. Reggie Redding came off the bench again but this time he got back to playing his usual amount of minutes. He only had 5 points, but Redding is in there for his defense and he did a good job at that. He had 3 steals and 3 blocks. Dwayne Anderson played well, adding 9 points and 6 rebounds. He knocked down two big 3-pointers, his first two of the season. He still looks a little shaky with the ball at times, but he is starting to out-perform Shane Clark. Until he breaks out of his shooting slump, Anderson may deserve to get some more playing time than Clark. Casiem Drummond was sidelined again with his ankle injury. Andrew Ott made a rare appearance, grabbing 1 rebound and committing a foul in his 3 minutes of play.

Coming off a good game versus DePaul, Corey Stokes had a disappointing effort. He had 2 points and 2 rebounds in 12 minutes of action. He was 0-4 for three. He was heralded as a great shooter coming out of high school, but when you're struggling like he has, you need to find other ways to score. He did that on one play where he had a nice drive to the basket, and he should be doing more of that. Jay Wright should take away his green light for shooting threes temporarily at least and make him drive to the basket and take mid-range shots. He is a talented player, but it seems like he thinks, because he's playing the shooting guard position, he needs to shoot only 3-pointers. He needs to find other ways to score right now, and that will boost his confidence and hopefully help him regain his long-range shot.

Next Game: Wed. Jan. 23, 7:00 PM at Rutgers