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?”

Huskies Halt Wildcats Win Streak

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Midseason NNBEPP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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."

Final Four is... Final

The 2009 NCAA Tournament is down to a Final Four:
#2 Michigan State Spartans
#1 Connecticut Huskies
#3 Villanova Wildcats
#1 North Carolina Tar Heels

Villanova will play UNC on Saturday at 8:47 PM. Despite some slip-ups in the ACC, I think the Tar Heels have been the best team in college basketball all season, and they've been playing like it in the Tournament so far. It will be a tall order to beat them, but no one gave Nova much of a chance in the 2005 Sweet Sixteen, yet they came within one bad call of pulling the upset.

Price Shoots UConn Past Nova

Final Score: #3 Connecticut 89, #21 Villanova 83

Player of the Game: A.J. Price - 29 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast


Recap: Villanova played tough and hung with #3 UConn, but in the end fell short. It's actually remarkable that Villanova was able to keep it so close on the road without their leading scorer. Dante Cunningham had a season-low 6 points after fouling out in only 14 minutes of play. Perhaps this was negated by the fact that UConn's best big man, Hasheem Thabeet, was also limited by foul trouble. You have to pleased with the overall effort and look forward to Saturday when Nova will have a good chance for a second Big East road win at South Florida.

Quick Hits:
Nova returned to the balanced scoring of earlier in the season. Five players scored in double figures (Anderson - 15, Pena - 12, Reynolds - 14, Redding - 12, and Stokes - 12) and Corey Fisher added 9 points as well.

It was nice to see Corey Stokes draining threes early, but he went cold in the second half...

Corey Fisher looked good attacking the basket, but was a little careless with the ball at times (4 turnovers to 3 assists).

Despite limited time on the floor, Dante Cunningham matched 7'3 Thabeet with 3 blocked shots.

Dwayne Anderson is heating up offensively - he recorded a new season high 15 points - and as usual he was active on the boards (8 rebounds) and in passing lanes (3 steals).

Antonio Pena is turning into a consistent double-double man (12 points, 8 rebounds), despite the fact he has never actually had a double-double in his career. I have a feeling it will come soon. Not sure how he missed that dunk though.

How was this an intentional foul?
Villanova shouldn't have even had a chance in the final minute of this game, but after UConn's collapse why did Reynolds and Redding insist on driving to the basket for two's when they needed 3-pointers to have any chance of winning?

Shane Clark had one of just about everything...


Kudos to Frank Tchuisi who looked like Karl Malone running the pick and roll to perfection for his 2 points off the bench in the first half.

#21 Nova at #3 UConn

Foe: #3 Connecticut Huskies (16-1) (5-1)

Recent History: Villanova and UConn have been involved in some memorable games recently, including the season split in 2005-06 when both teams went on to earn #1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, Scottie Reynolds' first 40-point game as a freshman in 2006-07, and Nova's 2-point win last season that ended UConn's 10-game win streak. UConn earned a 4-seed in the NCAAs last year but was upset in the first round 70-69 by 13-seed San Diego. This is essentially the same UConn team from the past two years, which Villanova has been successful against, winning both match-ups. This year's Huskies team is once again loaded with talent , but unlike the past couple of years, they have valuable experience. Senior power forward Jeff Adrien is a walking double-double (14.5 ppg, 9.4 rpg) , senior point guard AJ Price is averaging almost 5 assists per game, junior Jerome Dyson is an explosive scorer on the wing (13.1 ppg), junior Stanley Robinson is back with the team after missing the first eight games, Kemba Walker is a talented freshman, and of course 7-foot-3 junior Hasheem Thabeet is holding down things in the middle, averaging a double-double (13.4 ppg, 10.5 rpg), plus 3.7 blocks per game. Basically this team is stacked all around, well-deserving of their #3 national rank, and is a favorite to go to the Final Four.

Best Win: 88-83 vs. then #7 Gonzaga

Worst Only Loss: 74-63 at then #8 Georgetown

Famous Alumni: Moby, Meg Ryan, Dan Orlovsky, Ray Allen, Hilton Armstrong, Josh Boone, Caron Butler, Rudy Gay, Ben Gordon, Rip Hamilton, Donyell Marshall, Emeka Okafor, Kevin Ollie, Charlie Villanueva, Marcus Williams

Fun Facts:

• UConn has won two NCAA titles: 1999 and 2004.

• In 2004 UConn became the first Division I school to win the NCAA championship for men's and women's basketball in the same year.

• In 2006 UConn had a record 5 players selected in the NBA Draft: Rudy Gay (8), Hilton Armstrong (12), Marcus Williams (22), Josh Boone (23), Denham Brown (40).

Complimentary Video Clip: (Click here if player below doesn't work)

The 2006 instant-classic from the Wachovia Center. I loved this quote from Calhoun after the game: "They made 3s, Sheridan hit some tough baselines. I don't know what adjustments you'd like us to make for Allan Ray's 28-footers."

Final Verdict: As I said above this is a very good UConn, and a win will be difficult, especially on their court, but Nova definitely has a chance. The Wildcats have had the Huskies' number lately with two wins in a row. Pena and Cunningham played well against Louisville's talented frontcourt and they will have to do the same against UConn's, which is even bigger. Corey Fisher needs to penetrate inside early to try to get Thabeet in foul trouble. Scottie Reynolds needs to be aggressive offensively, maybe not 40 points, but more than the last two games (11 vs. UL, 9 vs. SJU). Corey Stokes could be the x-factor. He had 18 points (4-7 3pt) in the win over UConn last year, but the past three games he has scored below his season average of 10 ppg. Stokes made 32 3-pointers in his first 11 games, but has only made 6 threes in Nova's past 6 games. It may be a tall order, quite literally, but if Corey and the rest of the Wildcats get hot, they can pull off the upset.

TV: ESPN 7:00

Links: Official, AP, VUHoops, VBTN, IBBW, Let's Go Nova

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 Ends #13 UConn's Streak at 10

Final Score: Villanova 67, Connecticut 65

Co-Players of the Game: Scottie Reynolds (18 pts) and Corey Stokes (18 pts)



Recap: Top 10 Moments from the Game

10. Dante Cunningham's fast break dunk that helped Nova jump out to an early 14-2 lead. They led by as many as 15 in the first half. More on Dante later...

9. The crowd as the sixth man. The Wachovia Center crowd stayed loud throughout the game, and helped motivate the team to play hard. The student section was full of "UCONN, UCAN'T" posters.

8. Dwayne Anderson. What more can you say about the guy. He does a little bit of everything. He had 5 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 assists. His time was somewhat limited today because of foul trouble, but his energy, rebounding, defensive intensity, and leadership have been a huge part of the team's recent success. It also helps when he's knocking down threes (1-3 today).

7. Holding Thabeet in check. He was only 2-3 from the field and although he had 10 rebounds, Thabeet was below his average with only 3 blocks today.

6. Antonio Pena filling in for Casiem Drummond. With Drummond out injured again, Pena got some extra minutes and played well. He had 10 points and 5 rebounds, and he did a decent job defending Thabeet.

5. Corey "Strokes'" third straight game with a career-high in scoring. He made 4 of 7 three-pointers to score 18 points. Beside hitting threes, Stokes showed the ability to drive to the basket and hit mid-range shots as well.

4. Scottie Reynolds stepping it up in the second half with 15 points. Overall he had 18 points and 4 assists on 7-14 shooting and 4-8 from three. Scottie's drive and lay-up over Hasheem Thabeet to give the Cats a 4 point lead with 39 seconds remaining was a key to the victory.

3. A.J. Price missing his first of two free throws with 6.4 seconds left. He could have tied the game at 66, and the game may have gone to overtime. Instead he missed, leaving UConn down by one and forced to foul.

2. Dante Cunningham saving the day with the offensive rebound off of his own missed free-throw with 4.9 seconds left and Villanova up by one. Dante had a great all-around game with 9 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 assists, and 1 block.


1. Jay Wright finally getting his team to play "Villanova Basketball". This young Wildcats team has bought into Jay's program, and they are playing their best basketball at the right time of the season.

Next Game: Mon. Feb. 25, 7:00 pm, vs. Marquette, at the Wachovia Center

Similarities to UConn last year

This Villanova team's season has been somewhat similar to UConn's last season, and I have to admit when I first saw Villanova's schedule, I was afraid this would happen. Both teams received a lot of preseason hype and were ranked in the top 25. They both had relatively easy non-conference schedules with no true road games. During their non-conference schedules' they rose through the rankings and everybody thought they were better than they actually were. However, when the Big East season started, they struggled and came back down to earth. UConn last season and Villanova this season may be viewed as disappointments, but the fact is they were/are extremely young teams, made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores. I think Villanova is a better team than UConn last season, as Nova already has solid wins, such as Pitt, that UConn never had last season. The good news is that UConn is starting to come together this season. They upset Indiana and nearly beat Georgetown both on the road. UConn wound up 6-10 in conference play last season and 17-14 overall after starting 11-0. Villanova should finish better than that. They will most likely finish right around .500 in the conference and should have at least 20 wins overall. UConn failed to make the NIT, but I think Villanova will at least get an NIT bid, if not the NCAA tournament. Villanova might have some frustrating games this season, but the future looks bright.