24 In A Row

Final Score: #22 Villanova 76, St. John's 57

Player of the Game: Dwayne Anderson - 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block


Recap: Villanova won its school-record 24th consecutive game in the Pavilion (maybe they should play there more often) to get back to .500 in the Big East. The Wildcats did exactly what they needed to do after the tough loss last week. Not only did Nova win, but they won convincingly by 19 points and led by double digits most of the game. Now let's hand out some awards Bill Simmons-style.

Kyle Lowry Award for Hustle and Tenacity
This was a vintage Dwayne Anderson game: grabbing loose balls, offensive rebounds, steals, drawing charges, and all the other little things you need to do to win games. He also had a season-high 14 points.



The Chris Paul to Tyson Chandler Award for Alley-oop of the Game
Corey Fisher connected with Dante Cunningham for a rare Villanova alley-oop. Dante Cunningham was consistent once again with an efficient 17 points (7-10 FG), although he surprisingly only had one rebound.

The Spud Webb/Nate Robinson Award for Short Guy Trying to Dunk
Corey Fisher tried to dunk on a breakaway, but he just couldn't quite jump high enough and layed it in 2-handed instead. Fisher did a great job running the point while Scottie Reynolds was on the bench with foul trouble. Corey had 12 points and 2 assists, and he actually got a few of his signature double-clutch lay-ups to fall for and-1's.


The Presidential Speech Award for Over-applause
The crowd erupted when Antonio Pena made his first free throw after the late-game collapse against Louisville. He made 3 of 4 from the line today. Pena had a great bounce-back game with another near double-double (13 points, 9 boards).


The Bobby Knight Award for Coaching Outburst of the Game
Jay Wright picked up a technical foul after lashing out on a ref for calling another foul on his star guard. Scottie Reynolds only played half a game, a season-low 20 minutes, because of constant foul trouble. Scottie played the role of distributor during his time on the floor, racking up 5 assists to go with his 9 points.

Red Storm Preview

Foe: St. John's Red Storm (10-6) (1-3)

Recent History: Nova has won the past four games against the Red Storm, but St. John's leads the all-time series 58-42. Last season Nova won 60-42 in a defensive battle at MSG, holding St. John's to only 13 points in the first half. The Red Storm suffered a crushing loss when leading scorer Anthony Mason Jr. (son of the former NBA player) injured his foot after three games, causing him to miss the rest of the season. They are now led by sophomores D.J. Kennedy (13.3 ppg) and Paris Horne (13.2 ppg).

Best Win: 71-65 vs. #10 Notre Dame

Worst Loss: 75-54 at Providence

Famous Alumni: Ron Artest, Lou Carnesecca, Mike Francesa, John Franco, Mark Jackson, Chris Mullin, Howie Schwab, Bob Sheppard

Fun Facts:

• St. John's changed its mascot from Redmen to Red Storm in 1994.

• Last year was St. John's 100th anniversary of college basketball.

• St. John's has the 5th most wins (1,673) in college basketball history, but is the only team of the five without a national championship.
  

Complimentary Youtube Video: When both teams were at their best...

Final Verdict: Villanova has to win this game. In a conference this difficult, you must beat the bottom-dwellers at home. Considering Nova's success in the Pavilion (23 straight wins) and their recent success against St. John's, all signs point to a victory.

TV: ESPN Full Court (WPHL/SNY) 12:00 PM

Links: AP, VUHoops

Lowry Sets Career High

Kyle Lowry scored a career high 25 points last night against Cleveland. He did it by making another career high 15 of 16 free throws. He also added 7 assists in 30 minutes in the 102-87 loss to the Cavs. Kyle would have had two more points if it weren't for this vicious block by LeBron...




Randy's Cooking up a Storm


Randy Foye continued on his hot streak with 29 points (12-21 FG, 5-10 3PT) and 8 assists last night in a 99-96 loss to Miami. From AP:

"Looking more and more like the clutch performer he was at Villanova, Foye went toe-to-toe with Wade and never backed down. He scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, but he couldn't get the Timberwolves their sixth straight victory. Foye had a shot to take the lead after Marion's free throws, but Wade swatted the layup attempt away and Rodney Carney rushed a 3-pointer that was off the mark. Spoelstra said Wade "had his hands full with Foye. Foye is a heck of a player." The man who is earning the nickname "Fourth Quarter Foye" had one more chance to tie the game in the closing seconds, but his 3-pointer was off the mark as his Wolves lost for the first time in 2009. He also finished with eight assists and five rebounds."You can't ask anything more out of him than that," Wolves coach Kevin McHale said."

Nova Loses Heartbreaker

Final Score: #21 Louisville 61, #17 Villanova 60

Player of the Game: Terrance Williams, 12 pts, 14 reb, 6 ast, game-winning basket

Recap: Well, I just got back from the hospital after having three heart attacks at the end of that game. Villanova had four opportunities to win it in the final seconds but just couldn't find the bottom of the net. Nova trailed most of the game and did an excellent job battling back to give themselves a chance to win. First, Antonio Pena missed two free throws that could had tied/won it, then they got a second life after the miss. Jay Wright ran his signature in-bounds play and it worked to perfection with Dante Cunningham getting the ball under the basket. However, he missed the layup and Reggie Redding and Dwayne Anderson missed a pair of wide open put-backs. This is a game we should have had and it will be a tough loss to swallow.

It's easy to blame Antonio Pena for the loss because he missed the two crucial free throws, but he was actually the reason Nova even had a chance to win at the end. Pena had one of his best games of the season with 14 points and 8 rebounds, and he really held his own down low against Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels. I know he must feel horrible right now, but he should keep his head up because he played well and Nova needs him the rest of the season. He was 6-14 from the free throw line, so obviously he needs to hit the gym and practice his shot, but he also needs to finish better around the basket. Sure he got fouled, but he had good chances to still make the shot and get the and-1, which would have been huge especially when you're struggling at the line.

I think the real key to the game was Corey Fisher's breakaway right before Pena's misses. He should have: A) Faked the pass and took it himself, either making the shot or drawing the foul. Or B) Took one more dribble before he passed it off to Pena, forcing the defender to commit to him, leaving Pena open for a dunk. I'm not saying Fisher is to blame for the loss either, but he has to keep in mind that Pena was 6-12 from the line at that point, so sending him there again was not the best option. Otherwise, Fisher played a good game (7 pts, 3 ast, 1 to) and probably should have seen more than 18 minutes.

Dante Cunningham scored 21 points in another high-volume shooting game (9-19 FG). He shouldn't stop shooting the jumper, but Dante needs to take it inside more often. Look at the good that resulted when Pena took it inside. Cunningham is probably a better finisher around the basket and definitely a better free throw shooter than Pena. A big man that is as good a free throw shooter as Dante is an asset that should be taken advantage of. (see Luke Harangody, Tyler Hansborough, etc.)

Bandage or not, Corey Stokes needs to get more than two 3-point attempts a game. He had the bandage off today and hit a big three to spark Nova's comeback. He's shooting over 44% from behind the arc on the season, and Nova could have used some Stokes 3's today, considering the rest of the team was only 1-6.

Scottie Reynolds had a disappointing followup to his 40 point gem. He had 11 points (3-6 FG) and missed both of his 3-point attempts. I would have liked to have seen Scotti

e take some more outside shots, but then again looking at Louisville's numbers from downtown (3-25, 12%), maybe there was something wrong with the rims. Playing point guard for most of the game, Reynolds had only 2 assists to 4 turnovers. It definitely benefits the offense to have Fisher running the point and Scottie playing off the ball, but it's a matter of give and take having two 6-footers on the defensive end, and Jay seems to prefer the D. However, both of Wright's defensive specialists (Reggie Redding and Dwayne Anderson) went scoreless today. On a brighter note, Scottie had one of the best highlights of the season early in the game with a spin move to reverse layup.

What does this loss mean to Villanova's season? Right now, it's a home loss to a top 25 team. I think Louisville will get better as the season progresses and move closer to their preseason rank of #3 nationally. So hopefully at the end of the season, when the tournament committee is reviewing Villanova's resume, they will look at this game positively, for playing a very good Lousiville team so tough. Anyway, Nova has a full week to regroup before they return to the Pavilion to play St. John's; a good opportunity to get back to .500 in the Big East.

Showdown With Louisville At High Noon

Foe: #21 Louisville Cardinals (10-3)(1-0)

Recent History: The all-time series between Villanova and Louisville is tied at 6-6, but Nova holds a 3-1 edge since the Cardinals joined the Big East. Last season Louisville pummeled Nova at Freedom Hall 68-54. Scottie Reynolds was held to a season-low 4 points in the game. Louisville earned a 3 seed in the NCAA tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight before losing to North Carolina. This year's team is deep and talented, led by junior Earl Clark (13.5 ppg), senior Terrance Williams (11.6 ppg), and freshman Samardo Samuels (13.5 ppg). 

Notable Win: 74-71 vs. Kentucky

Notable Loss: 68-54 vs. Western Kentucky

Famous Alumni: David Akers, Deion Branch, Tom Jackson, Johnny Unitas, Wes Unseld

Fun Facts: 

• Louisville won two NCAA Championships (1980, 1986).
  
• Rick Pitino is the only coach to take three different teams to the Final Four (Providence, Kentucky, Louisville).
  
• Louisville has had 57 players all-time taken in the NBA draft, Francisco Garcia (2005) being the most recent.
  
• Louisville is 97-0 when they score 100 or more points.
  

Complimentary Youtube Video: Lappas' preview...

Final Verdict: Louisville is deeper and more talented up front, but the Wildcats should have the advantage in the backcourt. Despite the preseason hype (#3), Louisville has had some disapointing losses so far, which has drpped them in the rankings. They are still a dangerous team and this would instantly become Nova's strongest win of the season. Nova needs to take advantage of the homecrowd support at the Wachovia Center to pick up a win in their Big East home opener. I think it will be a close game, but Nova should pull it out at the end.

TV: 12:00 ESPN

Links: Official, VUHoops, VBTN, IBBW

Foye Ties Career High With 32 Points

Randy Foye matched his career high of 32 points in a 129-87 blowout of the Oklahoma City Thunder last night. He had his best shooting night of the season, (10-16 FG, 6-9 3PT, 6-6 FT) and he also dished out 6 assists. He did it all in the first three quarters, before resting with the comfortable lead in the fourth.

Foye has now scored in double figures for ten straight games and is averaging 20.7 points per game during that span. He is heating up from behind the arc, shooting .565% in January despite a rough start to the season. I predicted this would be Foye's breakout year, and it seems like he is finally figuring out his role in the league. If he keeps up the good play he could be looking at a big pay day after next season when his rookie contract expires. The recent sucess certainly gives Randy a reason to smile. 

Lowry vs. Foye '08-'09: Part II

Randy Foye and the Minnesota Timberwolves came out on top once again against Kyle Lowry and the Memphis Grizzlies in the second game of the season between the former Villanova backcourt mates. This one was close down the stretch, and with the game tied at 87 with 40 seconds remaining, Foye hit the go-ahead 3-pointer. On the next possession Foye blocked O.J. Mayo's shot to secure the 94-87 victory.

Randy Foye continued on his offensive tear of late, scoring 23 points (7-13, 4-7, 5-6). He is excelling at the shooting guard position, fueling Minesota to their longest winning streak in 2 years, which sadly is only three games.

Kyle Lowry had a slightly above average night, (9 points, 5 assists) compared to his season averages (7.5 points, 4.2 assists). Not surprisingly, more than half his points came from the free throw line where he was 5-6. Lowry was active on the defensive end with 2 blocks, a steal, and 2 rebounds. He has maintained his role as starting point guard for quite some time now, with Mike Conley coming off the bench.

Scottie Drops 40 (Again) in OT Win

Final Score: #17 Villanova 89, Seton Hall 85

Player of the Game: Scottie Reynolds, 40 points

Recap: Villanova won a thriller in overtime against Seton Hall to grab their first Big East victory of the season. Nova, up by 8 points with 3 minutes remaining, almost let this one get away when Jeremy Hazell banked in a three with 9 seconds left to force overtime. Scottie Reynolds and Dante Cunningham were clutch from the line in OT to seal the game.

Scottie Reynolds looked as good as he ever has in a Wildcat uniform tonight. He was firing on all cylinders offensively: from the outside he hit 5/8 3-pointers, and in the paint he got to line 16 times, making 15. Of course this was Scottie's second career 40-point game, the first coming in his freshman year at UConn. I was starting to think Scottie may have peaked too early, but he proved he is still one of the best guards in the nation with this performance.


Dante Cunningham had his sixth double-double of the season, and he only needed the first half to do it. He had 10 and 10 in the first and finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds. He had a season high 20 field goal attempts, making 7 of them. Dante is falling in love with the midrange jumper, which is fine because he has been almost automatic from around the free throw line. However, problems arise when he steps out further beyond his range, or when he stops going inside. Dante did an excellent job staying out of foul trouble enabling him to play all 45 minutes.

Reynolds may have scored 40 points, but Reggie Redding was just as important to the victory. Redding proved why he's the best perimeter defender on the team by shutting down Jeremy Hazell in the second half. Hazell put on a show in the first half, hitting contested fade-away threes to score 19 points. Jay Wright tried different match-ups against Hazell in the first, but he called on Redding to guard him the entire 2nd half and OT. Redding delivered, holding Hazell to 7 points in the final 25 minutes. His only mistake was losing Hazell for a second towards the end of regulation when he banked in the game-tying three. Redding also contributed on the other end of the floor by hitting some key baskets late in the game to finish with 10 points.


Dwayne Anderson had an absolute gutsy performance. He was all over the place, grabbing every loose ball available in the second half especially. He had a career-high 15 rebounds, including 7 offensive. Dwayne helped Nova out-rebound Seton Hall 47-36. He also had 2 blocks and 9 points, none bigger than his three-ball in overtime.

In their return to the Garden State, former Jersey high school stars Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes were no-shows in this one, with both Coreys going scoreless. Stokes was taken out of the starting lineup and only played 7 minutes total. This was due in part to Jay Wright preferring Redding's defense to Stokes' offense. However, I think Stokes sprained thumb is still bothering him, which is affecting his shooting. He is wearing a big bandage on his left hand, which can't be too comfortable. Coming off back-to-back 20+ point games, Fisher's poor performance was a little more alarming. He went 0-5 from the field in 16 minutes and had 2 assists and 2 turnovers. He has been inconsistent this season with a tendency to disappear after getting off to a bad start. He got the start tonight, but he may be better suited in a sixth man role to bring instant scoring off the bench.

Antonio Pena had a very solid night: 7 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists. Most importantly he stayed on the floor, committing only 1 personal foul all game. Shane Clark chipped in 2 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists off the bench- a quiet night, but he made some noise with a monster dunk.


This was Villanova's (and my) first trip to the Prudential Center in Newark, and it is a very nice modern arena. It shows a lot about the toughness of this team, that they were able to pull out a victory in overtime on the road. It's difficult to begin the Big East season with two road games, and ultimately you have to be happy with a split. But as I've said before, Nova has to defend it's home court Saturday vs. Louisville.

Nova vs. The Hall

Foe: Seton Hall Pirates (9-5)(0-2)

Recent History: Villanova has enjoyed success against Seton Hall recently, winning the past six contests between the two teams. Last season Nova beat the Pirates 72-70 at the Pavilion on a Dwayne Anderson 3-pointer with 13 seconds left. Dante Cunningham had a then career-high 21 points, and I expect him to be the go-to guy for the Wildcats this time around as well. Harlem-native Jeremy Hazell only had 6 points on 1-9 shooting against the Cats last year, but the sophomore shooting guard is much-improved since then and Nova will have a tough time containing him. He is averaging 22.9 ppg and shooting over 35% from three- look for Reggie Redding to try to shut him down. 

Notable Win: 63-61 vs. #20 USC

Notable Loss: 70-64 at James Madison

Famous Alumni: Dick Vitale, Max Weinberg, Craig Biggio, Mo Vaughn, Samuel Dalembert, Eddie Griffin

Fun Facts: 

• This will be Nova's first trip to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.
  
• Seton Hall won NIT in 1953
  
• Went to Final Four in 1989, lost championship game in overtime to Michigan.
  

Complimentary Youtube Video: From the bloggers at Setonia... 

Final Verdict: After the Marquette loss I said Nova needs to defend it's home court, but they also have to try to steal a couple on the road. This is one of Nova's best chances at a road victory and they need to take advantage of it to avoid falling into a 0-2 hole to start Big East play. 

TV: ESPN Full Court 8:00

Links: Official, VUhoops, VBTN

Marquette Drops Nova

Final Score: #25 Marquette 79, #13 Villanova 72

Player of the Game: Jerel McNeal: 24 pts, 7 ast


Recap: Villanova lost it's Big East opener to Marquette this afternoon. It was a close game right up until the end, but Marquette's experience paid off as they executed better in the final minutes. Marquette's big four (Matthews, McNeal, James, Hayward) scored 75 of the team's 79 points. Although Villanova lost, there is a lot of good to be taken from the game.


First off, it was a road game in the Big East, where, this season especially, wins will be hard to come across. Nova did a good job staying in the game, giving themselves a chance to win with around five minutes left. Losing a close one on the road to a quality team like Marquette won't hurt too much, but Nova has to take care of business at home.

Corey Fisher had another great game, scoring 21 points. He was most effective driving to the basket, getting to the free throw line 11 times. He made 8, but missed a couple of crucial free throws down the stretch. He only had 1 assist, but to his credit he did make some nice passes to open teammates who just couldn't make their shots.


Dante Cunningham was consistent, finishing right around his averages with 16 points and 8 rebounds. He fouled out late in the game, which was a problem for the entire team. They committed 28 team fouls and had 2 players foul out.

Scottie Reynolds scored 15 points, but he went cold towards the end of the game to finish 6-15 from the field. He missed some easy shots that he normally makes, and had he made them there could have been a different outcome to the game.


Somewhat alarming was the disapearence of Antonio Pena. He only played 7 minutes total. He picked up some early fouls, but Jay elected not to play him later in the game. This most likely had to do with the matchups against Marquette's guards, but let's hope this is not a trend that continues. In Nova's two losses Pena has played a total of only 16 minutes. We need his size especially against the bigger teams in the Big East.

Nova Set For Marquette

Foe: #25 Marquette Golden Eagles (11-2)

Recent History: Villanova is 6-5 all-time against Marqutte, but 1-2 since they've joined the Big East. With Tom Crean leaving for Indiana, this is Buzz Williams' first year as head coach. They are led by a trio of senior guards: Wesley Matthews (19.2 ppg), Jerel McNeal (17.1 ppg), and Dominic James (10.9 ppg, 5.2 apg). Forward Lazar Hayward is nearly averaging a double-double (17.2 ppg and 9.5 rpg). Marquette beat Nova 85-75 at the Wachovia Center last season. Villanova will need to take care of the ball against Marquette's quick guards. In last season's game Marquette had 15 steals and forced 23 turnovers.

Notable Win: 61-58 vs. #22 Wisconsin

Notable Loss: 80-68 vs. #19 Tennessee

Famous Alumni: Chris Farley, Dwyane Wade, Sen. Joe McCarthy, Lawrence Frank, Rick Majerus, Doc Rivers, William Gates


Fun Facts:

• Won NCAA championship in 1977

• Nickname was changed from Warriors to Golden Eagles in 1994 because it was considered disrespectful to Native Americans.

• Dwyane Wade led Marquette to a Final Four in 2003.

• Wade is one of only three players to record a triple-double in the NCAA Tournament.

• Marquette retired Wade's number in 2007 despite him never graduating from the school.

Complimentary Youtube Video: D-Wade college highlights...



Final Verdict: This is a good, experienced Marquette team, and they will be especially difficult to beat on the road. This will be Villanova's first true road test and it is uncertain how they will respond. Nova has the talent to win this game, but they will need to put together a complete game of Villanova Basketball, which they have had difficulty doing this year, even against weaker teams.

TV: ESPN2 2:30

Links: ESPN, VUhoops, IBBW, LGN

Lowry vs. Foye '08-'09: Part I

It took extra time to settle the first match-up of the 2008-2009 between former Villanova teammates Randy Foye and Kyle Lowry. This time Foye's Timberwolves came out on top at home 108-98.

Both former Wildcats played well.

Kyle Lowry had perhaps his best game all year with his first double-double of the season. Lowry had 14 points and a career-high 12 assists. Just like he did at Nova, Kyle scored most of his points from the free throw line, where he went a perfect 8-8. Lowry started at point guard and played 34 minutes, committing only 2 turnovers.


Randy Foye recently moved to the starting shooting guard position and has handled the transition well. He had 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in Minnesota's victory. Kevin McHale moved Randy to the 2 in an attempt to get him to be more aggressive offensively. It has seemingly worked as Foye is averaging 19.2 ppg over his last five games. In other news Randy grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds last week in Sacramento to accompany his 26 points. Hoopsworld recently caught up with Foye- check it out for an interesting read.

Olmos, But No Cigar- Nova Beats Temple

Final Score: #13 Villanova 62, Temple 45

Player of the Game: Corey Fisher: 23 points, 3 ast, 4 reb, 2 stl


Nova was really struggling offensively in the first. They were taking too many difficult shots and missing the easy ones as well. As a result Nova trailed by three at the half, and things didn't look too much better early in the second as Temple jumped out to an eight point lead. Then Corey Fisher took over. He reminded everybody that he was the same guy who scored 37 points on O.J. Mayo in high school. After struggling from the outside all season long, Fisher caught fire hitting 4 of 4 from downtown. He also did a great job driving to the basket, making a couple of his signature double-clutcher lay-ups. His 23 points were a season-high and tied his career-high. Fisher couldn't have picked a better time to break out of his slump as Big East play starts this week.


It Was a Cold Christmas
Nova did a good job containing high-scorer Dionte Christmas. The defense forced 15 misses from Christmas(4-19) , holding him to 13 points. Also cold were Scottie Reynolds and Corey Stokes. Scottie was 0-6 in the first half, although he did regroup in the second to finish with 8 points. Stokes on the other hand never got it going (1-7 fg, 0-3 3pt), and the one shot he made took a very lucky bounce high off the rim. He took some difficult shots and seemed to be forcing too much. Dante Cunningham scored 10 of Nova's 22 in the first, but he struggled in the second half. He scored 12 points total on 15 shots.


Other Notes
Antonio Pena had another strong night on the boards, grabbing a game-high 9, including 3 offensive.
Dwayne Anderson had a quiet night only playing 13 minutes, and uncharacteristically had no hustle stats. (0 reb, 0 stl, 0 blk)


Big 5 Champions
With the win, Villanova secures another Big 5 title. Nova has dominated the city series of late, winning 18 of their last 19 Big 5 games- the lone blemish coming last season against St. Joe's.

More: Official, Nova Notebook, VUhoops, IBBW, VBTN, LGN, ESPN: recap, ESPN: Dana O'Neil

Temple Preview

Foe: Temple Owls (5-5)

Recent History: This is Villanova's final Big 5 game of the season. Nova has won the last three contests versus Temple and has a 41-39 all-time record against the Owls. Last year Nova won in a 101-93 shootout. Scottie Reynolds led the Wildcats with 27 points and 9 assists. Temple had three players with 20+ points, among those Dionte Christmas. Christmas has been lights out this season, averaging 20.8 points per game and shooting .417 3P%. He dropped 35 points in the upset over Tennessee, and Villanova will definitely need to focus their defense on him. Temple won the A-10 Tournament last year and lost to Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA's.

Notable Win: 88-72 vs. #8 Tennesse

Notable Loss: 76-71 at Long Beach St.

Famous Alumni: Bill Cosby, Mardy Collins, Eddie Jones, Adam McKay, Aaron McKie, Bob Saget


Fun Facts:

• They are called the Owls because Temple was originally a night school.

• Temple won the first-ever National Collegiate championship in 1938.

• Former coach John Chaney won 724 collegiate games in his career.

Complimentary Youtube Video:



Final Verdict: Villanova is a better team and should win, but I suspect this will be a close game. Nova's defense will be much better this time around; I doubt the Owls will come anywhere close to the 93 points they put up on us last year.

TV: ESPNU 7:00

Links: VUHoops, Official, Villanova by the Numbers, AP

NNBEPP2

Nova News Big East Power Poll #2

As non-conference play winds down, it's time for another NNBEPP to see where each team is before Big East play gets underway. Listen to what I say. Or you'll pay...

1. UConn (11-0)
UConn escaped Gonzaga in overtime despite Hasheem Thabeet fouling out in only 19 minutes of play. Maybe his performance suffered because he got contact-high from Josh Heytvelt.


2. Pitt (12-0)
With only Robert Morris left in February, I think it's safe to say Pitt will go undefeated in non-conference play.

3. Georgetown (9-1)
Have you ever noticed that Austin Freeman (6'5 sophomore SG) and Chris Wright (6'1 sophomore PG) are like the bizarro versions of Corey Stokes (6'5 sophomore SG) and Corey Fisher (6'1 sophomore PG).


4. Notre Dame (9-2)
The Tyler Hansborough of the Big East only missed 2 games from pneumonia and is now back to getting 22 and 12 every night.


5. Villanova (11-1)
I'm still not sure where this team ranks with the rest of the Big East. We will soon find out.

6. Syracuse (12-1)
Cleveland St. beats Syracuse, Syracuse beats Memphis, and Eric Devendorf beats women.



7. Louisville (8-2)
It wasn't as embarrassing as WKU, but the Cardinals dropped another game, this time to Minnesota. They were ranked too high preseason at #3, but this team should still be playing better.

8. Marquette (11-2)
Marquette's final game before starting Big East play is the against the Presbyterian Blue Hose, which might be the best team name ever.


9. West Virginia (10-2)
In case you were wondering what ever happened to Kevin Pitsnoggle:
"wuttup every1..im playin for the pittsburgh cba team now ..but i will never forget who all got me to this point and wut WVU did for me and my family..THANK YOU ALL...im the best three point shooter in school history...i am married to a beautiful woman named Heather and have a brand new boy named Kwynsie."


10. Cincinnati (10-2)
Are you ready for the Yancy Gates era?

11. Seton Hall (9-3)
Jeremy Hazell can dazzle: 22.4 ppg with three 30+ point games.

12. Rutgers (9-3)
Rutgers is averaging 8.7 blocks per game... How is this even possible? For comparison Villanova is averaging 2.8.

13. St. John's (9-3)
What is a Red Storm? Raindrops of blood?


14. Providence (8-4)
There's just nothing interesting to say about this team.

15. DePaul (8-5)
See Providence.

16. South Florida (5-7)
Once again, you can't complain when you're living here...

Nova Avoids Drowning vs. Navy

Final Score: #16 Villanova 78, Navy 68

Player of the Game: Dante Cunningham: 24 pts, 10 reb

Recap: Villanova won by ten points, but this game was a lot closer than expected. Navy was down by three with two and a half minutes remaining until Nova was able to pull it out down the stretch. For more on the game let's look at some pictures and captions...

"Come take a seat on my back youngin'."
Another big game for a big time player. Dante Cunningham had another double-double with 24 points (11-18 FG) and 10 rebounds. This was his fifth double-double (and fourth 20 and 10) of the season. Dante's biggest improvement this season has been his mid-range jumper, where he's been automatic.

"Hey, somebody guard that #1 guy!"
Scottie Reynolds tied his season-high with 23 points, hitting 4 of 9 shots from downtown. Scottie and Dante were the only Wildcats that were hot tonight. Corey Stokes had an off-night going 3-12 from the field (1-5 3PT), although he still managed to score 11 points.

"Take him out by the legs!"
Chris Harris was the reason Navy was able to stay in this game. He was sick from outside, knocking down 8 of 10 threes to score 30 points. Luckily, Villanova was able to hold him to only two 3-pointers in the second half.

"Damn, you're short."
Antonio Pena took advantage of his size tonight. He had career-highs in rebounds (12) and blocks (3). He also chipped in 7 points and 4 assists, and he hit some clutch free throws at the end of the game.

"High five!"

This game shouldn't have been so close, but a win is a win. Sometimes players have hot shooting nights and there's nothing you can do about it. The 68 points Nova gave up tie their season-high, which is not bad, although they haven't really played an offensive powerhouse yet. It will be interesting to see if they can keep up the good 'D' in Big East play.

Nova vs. Navy

Foe: Navy Midshipmen (8-3)

Recent History: Navy is led by head coach Billy Lange, a former Jay Wright assistant at Villanova. Villanova's last contest against Navy was in 2006-2007 when the Wildcats won 7o-61 at the Pavilion. Nova is 3-5 all-time versus Navy, with all the losses taking place before World War II.

Notable Win: 76-65 at Penn

Notable Loss: 86-68 at Towson

Famous Alumni: David Robinson, Ross Perot, Alan Sheppard, Jimmy Carter

Fun Facts:

• Participation in athletics is mandatory at the Naval Academy
  
• Graduates are required to serve a minimum of five years
  
• David Robinson was excused after two years of service to enter the NBA
  

Complimentary Youtube Video: The Admiral...

TV: None - available online via Nova Nation All-Access

Links: Official, AP, VBTN, IBBW, VUHoops

NBA Update

Lowry Starting

Kyle Lowry has been sharing point guard duties with Mike Conley all season long. Lowry recently won over the starting position, although he and Conley still tend to play half the game each. Lowry's scoring is down almost 3 points from last year, which can be attributed to the addition of O.J. Mayo in the backcourt, who is averaging over 20 ppg.

***Update: They may be battling for playing time on the court, but Lowry and Conley are great friends off the court.

Season Averages: Points - 6.9, Rebounds - 2.3, Assists - 3.6

Season Highs: Points - 17, Rebounds - 6, Assists - 7

Foye Struggling

Randy Foye is averaging career-highs in points (13.3) and assists (5.4), but his FG% (.389) and 3PT% (.243) are way down. It's a tough situation for Randy in Minnesota right now with his second head coach in three years recently getting fired.

Season Averages: Points - 13.3, Rebounds - 2.9, Assists - 5.4

Season Highs: Points - 26, Rebounds - 5, Assists - 14

Thomas Thriving

Tim Thomas is enjoying his return to New York and playing under Mike D'Antoni. Since the trade his FG% (.43), 3PT% (.41) , FT% (.84), and scoring (11.3) have all gone up. His 3-point percentage increased over 11% and he is attempting and making more than double the amount of threes per game than he was in L.A.

Season Averages: Points - 10.5, Rebounds - 4.1, Assists - 1.1

Season Highs: Points - 26, Rebounds - 11, Assists - 4

Allen Injured

Malik Allen has missed the past few games with sore ribs and is listed as day-to-day. He started 3 games this year, but Malik has mostly provided spot minutes off the bench.

Season Averages: Points - 3.0, Rebounds - 2.1, Assists - 0.6

Season Highs: Points - 10, Rebounds - 5, Assists - 2

Drummond to Marist

VUHoops reported that Casiem Drummond will transfer to Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY.  The Red Foxes play in the MAAC. Good luck to the big fella.

Here's a look back at the highlights of Drummond's career at Villanova:

Career Highs

Points: 11 (2/2/08 vs. Syracuse)

Rebounds: 17 (11/25/07 vs. NC St.)

Assists: 3 (11/25/07 vs. NC St.)

Blocks: 2 (3 times)