Explorers Get Lost vs. Nova

Final Score: #12 Villanova 70, La Salle 59

Player of the Game: Corey Stokes: 18 points (4-7 3pt)

Recap: Corey Stokes helped take control of this one early with 14 points off of 4 threes in the first half. Nova led throughout and were never really threatened by La Salle. Stokes finished with a game-high 18 points. Corey S. makes it look so easy; he can be a real game changer with his 3-point shooting.

Fisher the Disher
Corey Fisher broke out of his funk with a good all-around effort. He looked confident right out of the gate by hitting a couple of jump shots to score 8 points total for the game. He had more points in his first minute off the bench than he had in his previous two games combined. More impressively, he had 6 assists to 1 turnover. I really like Fisher running the point with Scottie playing off the ball.


Captain Scoot
Scottie Reynolds was second in scoring with 13 points. He hit three 3-pointers of his own to help the team shoot 50% (8-16) from behind the arc. He missed two free throws, but that's OK... we know he makes 'em when they count.


Triple Threat
Antonio Pena contributed in three main areas: scoring (5 points), rebounding (6), and passing (6 assists). I've always liked his passing skills for a big man. He also had a blocked shot. Kudos to 'Tone for staying out of foul trouble for 4 straight games.


5x5
Dante Cunningham came close to a five-by-five with 9 points, 4 rebounds, 4 blocks, 4 steals, and 2 assists. He filled the stat sheet, but his points and rebounds were down because he picked up 2 quick fouls, limiting him to 7 minutes in the first half.

Other Notes
Shane Clark had a season-high 7 rebounds to go along with 6 points, a block, and a steal. He looked good, and we really need him at full strength this year with such a thin front court.

Reggie Redding (7 pts), Dwayne Anderson (2 pts), and Frank Tchuisi (2 pts) rounded out the scoring for the game.

Yes, La Salle isn't exactly a Mike D'Antoni caliber offense, but still it was another stellar defensive performance by the Wildcats, who haven't given up more than 68 points in a single game all season.

Nova had 20 assists on 27 made field goals and only 8 turnovers. Sharing is caring!

The game was a sellout, but that was a pretty poor turnout by the "Explorer Entourage". They're on semester break, but c'mon...

Finally,
We get it. You have a doctorate in sports psychology, but do you really need to remind us all the time by going by Doctor John Giannini. It's just rubbing it in at this point.


**** Video Highlights **** Box Score ****

Exploring La Salle

Foe: La Salle (4-3)

Recent History: Villanova is 31-26 all-time versus Big 5 opponent La Salle. Nova has won the past six games between the teams. Last year Nova was led by great guard play from Reynolds (19 pts) and Fisher (18 pts), as well as a double-double (12-12) from Dante Cunningham to defeat La Salle 71-58 in the Pavilion. The Explorers are led this year by a trio of juniors: Rodney Green (13.9 ppg), Kimmani Barrett (12.6 ppg), and Yves Mekongo Mbala (11.3 ppg).

Notable Win: 75-70 vs. Valparaiso

Notable Loss: 89-81 vs. #2 UConn

Famous Alumni: Rasual Butler, Joe "Kobe's dad" Bryant, Tom Gola, Tim Legler, Bill Raftery, A.J. Dualerio

Fun Facts:

• Their nickname derives from a sportswriter mistakenly thinking the school was named after the French explorer Sieur de La Salle, while it is actually named after St. Jean Baptiste de La Salle.

• Won NCAA Championship in 1954.

• La Salle has had 3 National Players of the Year, second only to Duke's 7.

Complimentary Youtube Video:


I love La Salle because of the academy award-worthy acting in their commercials.

... and I love La Salle because they are an automatic win every year.

Final Verdict: This is only Villanova's second road game of the season, with both being played in Philadelphia. La Salle is improving, but they should be no match for Nova as the Wildcats move to 3-0 in the Big 5 and 10-1 overall.

TV: ESPNU, 7:00 PM

Links: Official, La Salle, AP, VBTN,

We Got Cheek

Dominic Cheek announced at a press conference that he will attend Villanova University. Cheek is ranked by ESPN as the #11 player in the class of 2009 and the #3 shooting guard. He chose Nova over defending champions Kansas, Memphis, Pitt, and Rutgers. This is a huge get for Jay Wright and Nova, especially after losing out on Tyreke Evans last year. Cheek may be a better recruit than Evans because Cheek is expected to stay in school for more than one year.

Cheek is from St. Anthony High School in New Jersey. Here is a great video that documents his life from growing up on the streets of Jersey City to becoming a basketball star.

Cheek joins Maalik Wayns (ESPNU #22), Mouphtaou Yarou (#27), and Isaiah Armwood (#35), who are already commited for the class of 2009. His decision will most likely boost Villanova's already consensus top-10 national recruiting class to #1. This a balanced class (2 guards, 2 forwards) that may turn out to be Villanova's best ever. When you throw in transfer Taylor King, it's just icing on the cake.

Looking ahead to 09-10

Nova may return to the 4-guard lineup next year because they'll have some bigger guards (Cheek 6'5, King 6'6, Stokes 6'5) who can play in the front court. The only "problem", if you can consider it a problem, is that the team will have too many weapons.

Here's a look at the projected depth chart:

PG: Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher, Maalik Wayns

SG: Dominic Cheek, Corey Stokes, Reggie Redding

SF: Taylor King, Isaiah Armwood

PF/C: Antonio Pena, Mouphtaou Yarou, Maurice Sutton

That is a complete team. Plenty of depth at every position. The Foye/Ray/Sumpter/Fraser class received lots of hype as well, but they struggled their first two years together. However, with Nova being a top-25 team this year and with talented veterans already on the team, they won't have to rely too much on the freshmen, which should help in their transition and development. The bottom line is that Jay Wright has done a fantastic job recruiting since the day he walked on campus, and has helped restore Villanova as a national powerhouse.

Nova Beats St. Joe's in Thriller

Final Score: #12 Villanova 59, St. Joe's 56

Player of the Game: Scottie Reynolds: 18 pts, 6 ast

Recap: Wow, what a game! St. Joe's dominated the first half, but Nova came back to win in the final seconds in a thriller at the Pavilion. Villanova looked tired in the first half; they were giving up easy backdoor layups and dunks and the offense looked very stagnant. They had no answer for Nivins (16 pts) inside and Govens (18 pts) outside. Nova really turned it up defensively in the second half. They did a good job forcing turnovers to get back into the game to set up for the wild finish.
Lucky 21

This was Villanova's 21st straight win in the Pavilion, and they had luck on their side tonight. After coming up empty on offense, Nova was forced to foul, down by one with the shot clock turned off. Luckily, St. Joe's missed the first free throw, and Nova got the rebound and called time out to set up a play.

Ice Man

Jay Wright put the ball in his star guard's hands to create something to win the game. Scottie Reynolds drove to the basket and got the foul call. Scottie had ice water in his veins, hitting two huge free throws to tie the game and take the lead by one. Scottie looked a lot better overall tonight, finishing with 18 points and 6 assists.

Unlikely Hero

Reggie Redding, known for his defense, surprisingly hit two key jumpers down the stretch. It was nice to see him confident on the offensive end. However, under a minute, down by one he forced up a shot and missed, when Scottie or Dante should have been taking the shot in that situation. He only had 6 points, but they were 6 big points that helped save the game.

Pocket Thief

St. Joe's still had a chance, down one with 2.5 seconds left. They tried a long inbounds pass, but Dante Cunningham came up with the steal to save the game. He then hit two free throws to go up by 3. Dante had another solid night with 14 points but was a little quiet on the glass with only 4 rebounds.

D-Train

Dwayne Anderson looks like he's just about back to 100%. He had a season-high 10 points, including a late 3-pointer to tie the game at 41 and a monster baseline dunk for an and-1. He looked like his old-self of last season; sacrificing his body, diving into the stands for loose balls.

Gone Fishin'

The two Coreys were no-shows tonight. Fisher was 0-3 from the field, with 2 points, 2 assists, and 3 turnovers. This is the second game in a row that he looked lost on offense; uncomfortable with the ball and hesitant to shoot outside. Stokes hit an early three, but couldn't get on the floor in the second half. I didn't notice anything specific, but Jay Wright must have been unhappy with his defense. It's a shame because even though they pulled out the victory, Villanova could have used his shooting.

Other Notes

After only playing 9 minutes against Texas, Antonio Pena played 30 tonight. His scoring was down (4 points), but he was strong on the boards with 8 rebounds. His size helped Cunningham in containing Nivins in the second half. Shane Clark had a quiet night: 2 points, 3 rebounds in 15 minutes.

Video Highlights

News Flash: Early reports have Dominic Cheek commmiting to Villanova. More here when it becomes official...

Holy War Tonight

Foe: St. Joseph's Hawks (4-4)

History: The annual Holy War between local schools Villanova and St. Joe's is an intense long-lasting rivalry. Nova is 41-24 all-time versus the Hawks. St. Joe's 77-55 win last year was Nova's low point of the season. St. Joe's went on to the NCAA Tournament as an 11-seed and lost to 6-seed Oklahoma in the first round. They lost star Pat Calathes to graduation and are led by senior forward Ahmad Nivins (19.1 ppg, 11.4 rpg) this year.

Notable Win: 80-54 at Indiana

Notable Loss: 68-50 vs. Texas

Famous Alumni: Jameer Nelson, Delonte West, Jamie Moyer

Fun Facts:

• The Hawk mascot continuously waves his arms the entire game.

• Went undefeated in the regular season (27-0) in 2003-04.

Complimentary Youtube Video: I was going to post the video of the Villanova fan who hit the half court shot at the Pavilion to win a car, then proceeded to taunt St. Joe's mascot, but it seems to have disappeared from Youtube. You'll have to settle for this.

Final Verdict: Coming off a tough loss to Texas, Villanova should come out strong tonight, looking to blowout the Hawks. Nova is back at home in the Pavilion, and although Holy War games are always tough, I expect a W.

TV: ESPN2 @ 8:00 PM

Links: Official, VUHoops, St. Joe's, AP

Texas Ends Nova's Unbeaten Streak

Final Score: #6 Texas 67, #12 Villanova 58

Player of the Game: A.J. Abrams: 26 pts, 4 ast

Recap: Villanova lost its first game of the season last night to #6 Texas at Madison Square Garden.

What happened to all the balanced scoring? The only Wildcat to show up last night (besides Stephen Curry) was Dante Cunningham. Dante had a huge double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds, but he couldn't carry the team by himself.

Scottie Reynolds had somewhat decent stats (10 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds), but he played very poorly. He was out of control with the ball and even fell to the floor unprovoked several times. It was really out of character for him. Maybe he was just a little too tired with the late start time (game ended after midnight).

Corey Stokes hit a couple 3-pointers early and had a quick 9 points. It looked like he would have a big game, but he disappeared for the rest of night. He missed 5 threes and didn't scored again until the final minutes to finish with 11 points.

It says in the box score that Corey Fisher played 18 minutes tonight, but I didn't know it by watching the game. He was nonexistent, 0-5 from the field, 0 points, 1 assist. We need more from Fish, especially when Scottie's having a bad night.

I don't know what happened to Antonio Pena. He only played 9 minutes, barely any of them coming in the second half. His only contributions to the game were two missed free throws, two turnovers, and a personal foul. Perhaps there was some kind of health issue keeping off the floor, but Nova really could have used his size in the second half.

Redding, Anderson, and Clark were the three players off the bench to fill out the rotation last night. They received a lot of playing time together in the second half, and I think it cost Villanova the game. Redding and Anderson are two of Nova's best defenders, but the three of them hurt the team on the offensive end. I can't tell you how many open shots they passed up, causing Nova to take bad contested shots late in the shot clock. At least Dwayne Anderson was back from injury, and like last season, was strong on the boards with 9 rebounds.

Villanova out-rebounded Texas 35-31, which is a deceiving stat because Texas got every big rebound, offensive and defensive, late in the second half.

Villanova lost by 9 points and coincidentally missed 9 free throws. The poor free throw shooting really hut Nova, especially considering that they missed several front ends of the 1-and-1.

It was a bad loss, but there are some good things to take from this game. First, despite how poorly Villanova played, they were still right in it until the last couple minutes. Better execution down the stretch and they actually could have won the game. Second, they got valuable experience against a top-ten team, which will pay dividends come Big East play. If this team were playing at its best, which hopefully they will do sooner than later, they definately could have won that game. So even though they lost, it seems as though Nova will be able to hang with the best in the country this year.

#6 Texas vs. #12 Nova

Tonight is the game we've all been waiting for. Nova's marquee non-conference opponent of the season.  The #6 Texas Longhorns versus your #12 Villanova Wildcats.   From Madison Square Garden in New York, for the thousands in attendance and the millions watching around the world, Ladies and Gentlemen, Let's get ready to rumble!

Texas is a goooood team.  Despite losing players annually to the NBA (LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Durant, D.J. Augustine), Rick Barnes has been able to keep his program at an elite level. This year they are led by senior guard A.J. Abrams. They also have a solid point guard in Justin Mason, and a great swingman in Damion James, and two 6'10ers in Connor Atchley and Dexter Pittman. 

These teams match up well, and on paper they seem pretty even.  Texas' biggest advantage is that they are battle-tested with a win over #9 UCLA and a close loss to #8 Notre Dame.  The Wildcats should be the crowd favorite because of the large number of Villanova alumni in the New York area (myself included).  Nova is also familiar with the Garden from the Big East Tournament.

Not to put too much pressure on them, but this is Villanova's only chance to prove what they've got and pad their tournament resume in non-conference play. So let's do it. Do it.

Preview links: VUH, VTBN, IBBW, LGN, Villanova, Texas, AP, Texas blog

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 Destroys HBU

Final Score: #16 Villanova 93, Houston Baptist 57

Player of the Game: Scottie Reynolds: 23 pts, 6 ast

Recap: Villanova beat Houston Baptist by 36 points tonight to move to 8-0.  There's not a whole lot more to say here.  The game was never close.  It seemed like Nova was playing a  NAIA team... because essentially they were.  

All five Villanova starters scored in double figures. Reynolds - 23, Stokes - 22, Cunningham - 13, Fisher - 12, Pena - 10.  Redding added 7 points off the bench and Clark had 5.

The two big stories of the game were...

Scottie's Breakout Performance

Scottie Reynolds had a breakout game with a season-high 23 points to go along with 6 assists.  He's been complacent all season long to be patient and set up his teammates, never really needing to score a whole lot.  He didn't need to score tonight either, but he reminded us that he can still drop 40 points when he wants to.  

He's On Fire

Corey Stokes was red-hot tonight, hitting a career-high 6 shots from downtown to score a career-high 22 points. When he's open, it's as good as gold.

The team has looked really good, but you can't really tell how they rank nationally based upon the sub-par competition they've played so far.  We'll have a good idea where Nova stands after Tuesday when they face the #8 ranked Texas Longhorns in the Wildcats' marquee non-conference game of the season.

Links: Box Score

Houston Baptist

Houston Baptist University was founded in 1960 and the Huskies were in the NCAA from then until 1990 when they moved to the NAIA.  They returned to the NCAA in 2007 and the basketball team is now independent, without a conference. 

Undeafeated vs. Defeated

Nova is undefeated (7-0), while HBU is winless (0-6), and it will most likely remain that way after tonight.

Texas Swing

Tonight is the first of two back-to-back games against Texas teams. Of course the second game, versus the #8 Texas Longhorns, will be much more interesting.

Tip-off is 7:30 PM at the Pavilion.  The game will be televised online via Nova Nation All-Access and ChannelSurfing.net.

More Previews: VTBN, IBBW, AP, Official, HBU

Nova Quakes Penn

Final Score: #16 Villanova 69, Pennsylvania 47

Player of the Game: Dante Cunningham: 20 pts, 11 reb, 3 blk

Recap: Villanova dominated this one from start to finish. They smothered Penn on defense and killed them on the boards 42-15. Nova was able to limit Penn to only three made 3-pointers, which is the Quakers' strength. They also played good defense on Bernardini, holding him to 12 points. It counts as a road game towards the RPI, but the crowd wasn't very hostile with a lot of Wildcat fans in attendance.

Dante's Stock
Dante had his third double-double of the season, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. With another huge game from Dante, NBA scouts might start to consider him as a pro next year. His problem is that he is a power forward in a small forward's body. Undersized power forwards have been having success in the NBA recently, so Dante has a chance to get drafted. He will still have to prove himself against the Big East's best, but we will get a good chance to see where he, and the rest of the team for that matter, stands next week against Texas.


Super Stoker
Corey Stokes found his shooting stroke again. He went 4 of 6 from three to score 14 points. He showed his range by hitting a couple from well beyond the NBA line.


On Point
Villanova got solid contributions from both small guards. Scottie Reynolds was in double figures with 10 for the sixth time in seven games, and he added four dimes. Corey Fisher's scoring was down slightly, but he looked great running the point and setting up his teammates (7 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals).


Dwayne's Debut
Dwayne Anderson made his return from injury tonight. He only played 7 minutes and looked kind of rusty, but he did knock down a 3-pointer and grabbed a rebound. It's great to finally see him back out on the court.

Peña-lty
Antonio Peña fouled out for the third time this year. He looks good on offense (8 pts, 2 ast), but the foul problems on defense is starting to get redundant.


Fo' Shizzy
Shane "Shizzy" Clark looked healthy tonight. The knee appears to be fine, and he is getting back into game-shape. He had 5 points and 4 boards off the bench.
Reggie Redding had a quiet followup to his double-double. Only 2 points, but he did had 6 bounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block.

No Mo
Maurice Sutton did not play, so it seems like the coaching staff will continue to redshirt him. If they were going to play him this season, he probably would have seen some minutes tonight in a blowout to get some experience.

Jimmy V

Jay appears to already be looking ahead to the match up with the Longhorns at MSG next Tuesday...

Video Highlights:

Nova vs. Penn Preview

Villanova will take on the Pennsylvania Quakers tonight in their first Big 5 game of the season. They have played two neutral games at the Palestra, but this will be Villanova's first official road game of the season. The Wildcats recently moved up to #16 in the coaches poll and are looking to win their seventh straight game of the season. Nova has won the past 5 games against Penn.

The Wildcats need to focus their defense on sophomore guard Tyler Bernardini. He is averaging 17.8 points per game and is shooting 40% from three. Last season Bernardini hit 4 threes and 9 free throws to score 21 points against Nova. Coming off a great game versus Rhode Island, Reggie Redding will probably see a lot of time tonight to try to shut him down.

Tip off is 8:00 PM at the Palestra in Philly. Nova should be familiar with the rims after playing two games in a row there during the Philly Classic. The game will be televised on CN8.

Game Previews: Villanova by the Numbers, I Bleed Blue and White, Villanova, Penn, AP

Drummond is Transferring

Casiem Drummond announced his plans to transfer out of Villanova today.  He wants to go to a school where he can receive "significantly more playing time".  This comes as a total surprise to me.  I know he hasn't played much at Villanova, but I thought that was mainly because of injury. He had a stress fracture in his foot most of last season. Perhaps he believes he is healthier than the coaching staff thinks he is, and he felt they were holding him back?  Could this decision possibly be related to the one game suspension from the Monmouth game? This seems unlikely considering it was a "minor issue". Maybe he figures that he doesn't fit well into Jay Wright's system, which relies more on quick, athletic forwards.  Casiem could also be thinking about next season, when Nova has two highly rated forwards in Mouphtaou Yarou and Isaiah Armwood joining the team.  There are a lot of questions surrounding this decision, but we'll have to wait and see if Casiem or the coaching staff provide any more information on the situation in the future.  

Drummond seemed to have loads of potential, but never fully realized it during his time at Villanova.  Early last season he looked great with a few near double-doubles including a monster 9 point, 17 rebound game vs. NC State.  However, after the injury last season and so far this season he's been nothing more than a big body down low to give up fouls. Drummond's transfer hurts Villanova's depth, but it shouldn't have a major impact on the team's success. Dante Cunningham has been a beast and Antonio Pena is developing nicely.  Nova learned how to play and win without the big man last season, and they have been doing it so far this season as well.  

Another thing to consider is the impact this will have on the coaching staff's plan to redshirt Maurice Sutton.  With Cunningham, Pena, and little-used Frank Tchuisi the only true power forward/centers left on the team, they might be forced to play the 6'11 Sutton this year. If Drummond desires significantly more playing time, I don't see him joining an elite team.  Most likely a mid-major or a major conference team with a depleted front line. It's disappointing to see him go because I really thought he could have developed into a rebound-machine and a force on the offensive and defensive post. Nevertheless, I wish him good luck wherever he winds up.

More: Official, VUHoops, Let's Go Nova, IBBW

Nova takes care of Rhode Island, wins Philly Classic

Final Score: #22 Villanova 78, Rhode Island 65

Player of the Game: Dante Cunningham: 19 pts, 12 reb, 3 blk

Recap: I was a little worried about how Villanova would respond to their first quality opponent of the season, but they were up to the challenge. Nova handled Rhode Island with ease. It wasn't a blowout, but Nova was in control for most of the game.

Both Dante Cunningham and Reggie Redding had to change jerseys after getting blood stains. Dante wore #44 and Reggie wore #31. Redding looked like a warrior out there, wearing a bandage over his forehead. The jersey change didn't bother either player. Both had double-doubles, which is consistent for Cunningham (19-12), but a bit of a surprise coming from Redding (11-12). Reggie was especially effective on the offensive boards where he grabbed 7 0f his 12 rebounds. Redding has done an excellent job filling the void of Dwayne Anderson so far this season.

Fisher Price
Corey Fisher was outstanding in the first half, where he scored all of his 14 points. He was toying with defenders on his drives to the basket, finishing and1's.

Sharp Shooters
Rhode Island's Jimmy Barron put on a show in the first half, scoring 16 points off of some deep jumpshots. Nova did a great job shutting him down in the second half, holding him to only 7 points. Corey Stokes, Nova's sharp shooter, was a little gun shy tonight. He had 3 points on 1-5 shooting and only attempted 2 threes, missing both. After missing a couple of shots tonight, he may have been hesitant to shoot after his poor performance last game.

Stokes' off-night didn't matter because of Nova's balance. They had five players in double figures for the third time this season. Dante had 19, Fisher had 14, Scottie had 13, Redding had 11, and Pena had 10. Shane Clark also chipped in 8 points off the bench. The balanced scoring has been a constant theme this season, and I'm loving it.

Wildcats Slay Tigers, Prepare for Rams

Final Score: #22 Villanova 64, Towson 47

Player of the Game: Scottie Reynolds: 14 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast

Recap: Villanova beat Towson, advancing in the Philly Hoop Group Classic to play Rhode Island Saturday night. It was a tale of two halves. The first half was ugly. Nova struggled beating Towson's press and scoring against their zone. The second half was all Nova, however. The Wildcats locked down on defense and scored more efficiently on offense. Nova led by only 5 at the half after a buzzer-beating three by Corey Fisher, but they pulled away early in the second half to beat Towson by 17.

Scottie "Scoot" Reynolds looked to be back in form. He had a great all-around game with 14 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, a steal, and a block.

Corey Stokes came back to earth shooting-wise after his ridiculous start to the season (.59 3PT% through first 4 games). He was 3-12 from the field and 2-10 from 3-point range. Even the best of shooters have off nights. Look for him to bounce back versus Rhode Island.

The big guys down low both played great. Dante and Pena had 12 points and 7 rebounds each. They both ran the floor well to finish in transition. Dante had a monster block on Junior Hairston as he went up for a dunk. Most importantly they played good defense while staying out of foul trouble.

Corey Fisher was the fourth Wildcat in double figures with 11 points. Villanova only got 7 bench points, with Reggie Redding having more turnovers (5) than points (2). Shane "Shizzy" Clark added a deuce and Frank Tchuisi had 3 points and 5 boards. Casiem Drummond was apparently available but did not play.

"We're Off on the Road to Rhode Island"
Nova now advances to play Rhode Island in the championship game of the Philly Classic. They will be Nova's first real test of the season. Rhode Island nearly upset #5 Duke at Duke, and although the Blue Devils are probably overrated at #5 in the nation, it was still an impressive performance by the Rams. This could be a dangerous game for the Wildcats because the schedule has been so easy thus far and they might be caught off guard. With that said, Villanova is a better team and should win, especially since they are playing close to home.