KING HELPS 'NOVA CONQUER 'HOLY WAR' TILT IN PALESTRA

Villanova contines their 'City Series' dominance as 'Nova Outlast St. Joseph's in Big 5 Rivalry (Philadelphia Daily News), 97-89.

St. Joseph's Hangs Around for 40 Minutes (Philly Daily News) but 'Nova Counters Each Hawk Punch (Patriot News) to earn the win at the Palestra on the UPenn campus in their annual 'Holy War' contest.

Most of the counter punching came from the shooting tough of Taylor King from beyond the arc. King hit four key three-pointers, each seemingly when the Hawks were trying to climb back into the game. Perfecting the pick and pop, King scored 20 points and added 9 rebounds off the bench. The Duke transfer has found a home in Jay Wright's attack with his understanding of how to pick his spots for his lethal jumper.

Scottie Reynolds led the Wildcats with 22 points and Antonio Pena scored 15. Junior Corey Fisher added 13 points and 6 assists in the win.

Next up for the Wildcats is another City Series game with Temple on Sunday afternoon.

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VILLANOVA FLEXES BACKCOURT MUSCLE IN WIN OVER TERPS

Villanova flexed their perimeter muscle playing at the Verizon Center on Sunday night against Maryland in the BB&T Classic. Deep-Shooting 'Nova Outlasts Maryland (Philadelphia Inquirer) by making 16 of 39 three-pointers in a 95-86 win over the Terps.

The Wildcats also were able to outrebound Maryland 45-33 and forced 19 turnovers. Senior Scottie Reynolds paced the offense scoring 25 points as Nova's Reynolds is Right at Home (DelCo Times) as Reynolds grew up roughly 25 miles from Washington in Herndon (VA).

Sophomore backcourt mate Corey Fisher contributed 20 points and four assists, was 4-for-6 beyond the arc and ignited an 8-0 run late in the game after Maryland (5-3) cut the deficit to 61-58 with 13 minutes, 33 seconds to go in the game.

Villanova Makes Quick Work of Maryland (Philly Daily News) racing out to a 49-38 halftime lead by making 11 three's in the game's first 20 minutes. Corey Stokes added 18 and Taylor King scored 13 in the win.

The Wildcats are back in action Wednesday against city rival St. Joe's.

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VILLANOVA ROUTS LOCAL RIVAL DREXEL

Villanova continues to plow forward, even with freshman center Mouphtau Yarou sidelined indefinitely with Hepatitis B and are 7-0 after beating Drexel last night 77-58. Villanova Rolls Over Drexel (Delco Times) behind 19 points and 11 rebounds from Antonio Pena and 16 from Taylor King off the bench. The 'Nova 'd' was impressive, too, as Villanova Stifles Drexel (Philadelphia Inquirer), holding the Dragons to 18 first half points and just 31 percent shooting from the field for the game.

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MOUPHTAU YAROU COULD MISS SEASON DUE TO ILLNESS

Villanova began the season as a Big East favorite and was widely expected to be a final four contender. With a mix of experienced guards and a nationally acclaimed recruiting class, Jay Wright's squad had a mix of established veterans and high potential newcomers. One player expected to play a huge role in the improvement of the team as they progressed from November into the Big East schedule and in their preparation for the post season was 6-foot-10, 250-lb freshman Mouphtau Yarou. However, Illness May Cost 'Nova's Yarou the Season (DelCo Times). The viral infection that sent him home from Puerto Rico during the Purto Rico Tip-off Tournament could force the center from Benin to miss the remainder of the season.

“Obviously, it’s very serious,” Wright told the DelCo Times by phone on Monday. “We know what it is, but we’re just not ready to say exact what it is until we have all the facts. We won’t be able to do that for a few days. We’re awaiting the final evaluation from the medical experts.”

Yarou will definitely not play when the third-ranked Wildcats (6-0) entertain Drexel (3-4) Wednesday night at the Pavilion, it will be the fifth straight game he has missed.

The loss of Yarou could mean more playing time for Maurice Sutton. The 6-11 redshirt freshman has been solid in the first six games. He has started three times is averaging 4.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and nearly two blocked shots a game.

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QUESTIONS RAISED ON AGE, ELIGIBILITY OF MOUPHTAU YAROU

An odd story concerning Villanova circulates this morning as Questions About Age of Moupthau Yarou Arise according to Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News.

Multiple sources pointed Sporting News to an item on the website for FIBA—basketball's international governing body—that listed a Mouphtaou Yarou, age 23, as competing in a 2007 Africa club tournament.

If Yarou were 25 now rather than 19, as his bio on the Villanova website indicates, it would be possible he could be ineligible to compete for the Wildcats. If it were the same person and the FIBA age is correct, this could jeopardize Yarou's college basketball eligibility. NCAA rule 14.2.3.5 states that in each year an athlete enters any organized competition beyond his 21st birthday, the athlete sacrifices one year of eligibility.

Villanova is currently not concerned with the issue as they have received his passport, his naturalization papers and his international student athlete form which report him as being born in 1990. A compliance official, according to the Sporting News, plans to speak with the freshman big man about the issue.

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BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: VILLANOVA

April 29, 2010

Verbal Commitment Alert: Markus Kennedy, 6'9 PF/C of Living Faith Christian Academy (NJ)

Fresh off a Final Four appearance, the Villanov recruiting train keeps on rolling along with a verbal commitment from the class of 2010 in Markus Kennedy. Kennedy Makes Decision (ZagsBlog) after visiting with 'Nova head coach Jay Wright and West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins in the last week.


Projected 2009-2010 Roster:

Seniors: Scottie Reynolds (G), Reggie Redding (G)
Juniors: Corey Stokes (G), Corey Fisher (PG), Antonio Pena (F)
Sophomores: Maurice Sutton (C/BF)*, Taylor King (WF)**
Freshmen: Maalik Wayns (PG), Isaiah Armwood (F), Mouphtau Yarou (C/BF), Dominic Cheek (SG)
2010 Commitments: James Bell (SG), Markus Kennedy (PF/C)

* Maurice Sutton is expected to redshirt in the 2008-2009 season which would place him as part of the 2009-2010 freshmen if that holds true.

** Taylor King is sitting out the 2008-2009 season as a transfer. He will have three years of eligibiity beginning with the 2009-2010 season.



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Villanov adds some beef with an early verbal commitment from the class of 2010 when Markus Kennedy pulled the trigger and selected the Wildcats over West Virginia last night. Kennedy, a 6'9, 250-lb BF/C who attended powerhouse St. Patrick's as a sophomore before transferring to Living Faith for his junior season. Kennedy has a big body that with a dedicated strength and conditioning program can turn into a monster on the blocks as he is already very skilled offensively. He can score in the post with a variety of moves and each time out he seems to be improving his ability to face-up and knock down shots away from the ball. Imrpoved conditioning will help him defensivly and on the boards. With Villanova looking to push the basketball, Kennedy will be forced to be in shape and help him reach his excellent potential.

Kennedy is already the second commit for 'Nova in the class of 2010. While Jay Wright and Villanova were in the process of closing a blockbuster class in 2009, they got a head start in the class of 2010 with the early verbal commitment from James Bell. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard, who attends the Monteverde Academy in Florida, chose Villanova over interest from Florida, Clemson, Miami and West Virginia, according to ZagsBlog.com.

Before playing at Monteverde, Bell played at the Arlington Country Day School where he averaged 13 points and 9 rebounds a contest. Bell has performed on the AAU circuit with the strong Team Stat program out of the sunshine state that also recently produced USF guard Dominique Jones. Bell is a native of New Jersey, which, along with 'Nova's excellent graduation rate under Jay Wright, played a key role in his decision. Bell is an athletic guard on the wing.

Jay Wright is now left with two open scholarships for the class of 2010 as the AAU season begins to heat up. Maryland wing Will Barton has been on the 'Nova radar for some time and the Wildcats are also looking closely at his younger brother, Antonio. It was expected that 'Nova would be seriously in the hunt for St. Patrick star guard Kyrie Irving, but the presence of Wayns entrenched as the future point guard has led Irving to look more at other schools. Delaware big man Malcolm Gilbert is on the radar as well.

The cherry on top of the highly touted 2009 recruiting class that could have the Wildcats as a favorite in the NCAA basketball betting pools come next March was delivered just prior to Christmas when Dominic Cheek chose the Wildcats. He joins Maalik Wayns (PG), Isaiah Armwood (F) and Mouphtau Yarou (C/BF) in a recruiting class that moves, not only to the top of the Big East classes for 2009, but at or near the very top of all the classes nationally for the class.

Cheek was highly coveted by programs across the land and had narrowed his choices to the Wildcats, Kansas, Memphis, Rutgers and Pittsburgh. In the end, the two teams that had separated themselves from the rest were his ling-time leader Villanova and the defending national champs, Kansas. In the end, the long, developed relationship that Cheek and the 'Nova staff have won out over the rest.

Cheek is a dynamic scorer with great range and under-appreciated athleticism. He has the size (6'5) to get his shot off over the majority of perimeter players in the college game. Coming from the powerful St. Anthony's program, Cheek is no stranger to tough competition and big games. He will be a great addition for the Wildcats in the Big East and his ability to knock down the three-ball will play very well in the system of Jay Wright.

In addition to the relationship with the VU staff, Cheek had also become very close to fellow 2009 'Nova commitment Maalik Wayns. Cheek and Wayns were teammates this summer on the USA National 18-U team and have become quick friends. Wayns is a typical tough Philly-bred point guard that handles and distributes the ball with the best of the class. He is not afraid to venture into the paint and will hit tough shots when needed. Expect to see Wayns and Cheek develop tremendous chemistry on the court with Wayns finding Cheek often for scores.

With Big East rivals such as Georgetown and Pitt also trying to woo Mouphtau Yarou to their programs, Jay Wright was the winner of the sweepstakes for the 6-foot-10, 250 pound African import late this summer

Just prior to Yarou's commitment, the NBE Basketball Report was lucky enough to talk with Anthony Lewis, the head man of the Cecil Kirk AAU program, who coached Yarou on the AAU circuit to close out the AAU season. Unlike many African imports, Lewis tells us that Yarou is quite advanced in his skill set and is more polished than one would expect, particularly in the paint. He is very agile and can stick the face-up jumper. Above all, Yarou is a "high quality kid," according to Lewis.

The NBE Basketball Report also viewed Yarou late in the summer at the Reebok Summer Classic East and the Nike Main Event where he backed up Lewis' descriptions of his play. His excellent athletic ability makes him an excellent shot blocker and intimidating presence in the paint as well as a very good rebounder. He also showed solid moves inside as well as the ability to hit the 15-foot jumper and the ability to finish strong.

Anthony Lewis also informed the NBE Basketball Report that is it most likely going to be Montrose Christian this year for Yarou. Previous, he was attending Massanutten (VA) Military Academy during his short time in the United States (only been here for six months or so, according to Lewis).

Earlier last summer, Jay Wright took another step to completing a huge class of 2009 as when forward Isaiah Armwood, who plays at the aforementioned Montrose Christian, committed to 'Nova. Armwood has long been considered Villanova's to lose and he made the call for the Wildcats.

Armwood is a 6'8, 195 lb combo forward who is an intriguing prospect because he has length and athletic ability that few 6'8 players in the class can bring. His skill set seems to be ready to explode with the ability to go beyond the arc and take a big forward to the perimeter. Against a smaller forward, Armwood can take them inside. He has the potential to remind Wildcat fans of Curtis Sumpter with the inside/out match-up problems he can cause opponents.

Armwood averaged about 13 points and 10 rebounds last season for Montrose Christian and coach Stu Vetter. He missed much of the 2nd half of the season with a sprained MCL in his knee. Prior to entering the Big East, he will have to add some weight and strength to battle in the Big East.

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VILLANOVA MEETS NORTH CAROLINA IN NATIONAL SEMIFINAL

April 3, 2009


The 2009 NCAA Final Four is finally here. After 60 games of March Madness excitement, we are down to the final three games as we crown the national champion for the 2009 NCAA Tournament.

Saturday's nightcap at Ford Field in Detroit will feature the Villanova Wildcats, coached by Jay Wright, of the Big East against Roy Williams' North Carolina Tar Heels squad of the ACC. North Carolina was the overwhelming preseason favorite and here they are in the Final Four. Expectations that can make some teams wilt, have been welcomed by coach Williams this year.

"Well, first of all, I love that because that means we've been winning a lot," Williams told gathered media on Friday about how he feels of the overwhelming pressure as the season-long favorite. "So I like that part of it. I like that idea
of people expecting you to be pretty good because you are good."

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While this is a return trip for the Tar Heels, who fell in the semifinals a year ago against eventual champion Kansas, this is a new experience for coach Wright and his Wildcats. Villanova last made it to the Final Four in 1985 when an 8th seeded Rollie Massimino coached team upset Georgetown in the classic championship finale.

While the Wildcats are not quite the monumental underdog as they were in '85, they are still a 7-point underdog according to the latest college basketball betting odds posted. Coach Wright does not believe the underdog mentality will work so well with this particular Villanova team.

"Coach Mass was great at creating that atmosphere," said Wright. "He loved being the underdog. I'm not as good at that. Our players believe they can win. We use a term, we don't have to play perfect, we just have to play together."

In '85, it was near a perfect performance that Villanova used to slay mighty Georgetown in the finale, shooting 78% from the field. Wright compares this current UNC squad favorably to that Hoya team.

"That year, Georgetown was just incredible, intimidating," Wright said. "Carolina is probably just as good as that Georgetown team."

However, he also feels his current team, led by junior guard Scottie Reynolds and senior forwards Dante Cunningham and Dwayne Anderson are pretty good as well and will not need the underdog speech about knocking off the mighty Tar Heels.

"You know, they were an 8-seed," Wright said of the '85 Wildcats. "With this group...they just have a confidence about them. They have a belief in what we do."

The Villanova path to the Final Four has been impressive. After rallying from a 14-point deficit early in the second half at the Wachovia Center against American, they hit their stride by punishing both UCLA and Duke. Their Elite 8 win over Pittsburgh was one of the tournament's all-time classics as the Wildcats averted a near collapse down the stretch when Reynolds scored with .5 second left in a 78-76 win over their conference rival.

The Tar Heels have been dominant in the NCAA Tournament, winning their four contests by an average margin of 22.5 points. They did find themselves down in the second half in Round 2 against LSU, but a closing run helped UNC win going away, 84-70.

North Carolina really enjoys a game where they can get out and run in an attempt to outscore their opponent. Villanova will try and be physical, but smart, and play both ends of the court, hoping that a balanced effort will key an upset.

Guards Corey Fisher, Reggie Redding and Reynolds will have to do their best to force the Carolina offense out of their rhythm, similar to the dominating defense effort they employed against Duke in the Sweet 16. If they can disrupt passing lanes and limit the touches of Tyler Hansbrough and Deon Thompson, that will help neutralize UNC's interior edge. Against Pitt, 'Nova was able to limit DeJuan Blair to nine shot attempts, although he made all nine, it was the quantity that was the key.

North Carolina will likely handle the pressure better with Ty Lawson as the point guard compared to Duke and Pitt. The Panthers were hurt by Levance Fields never being fully healthy, a worry with UNC as Lawson has a bad toe, but he has looked his super-quick self throughout the tournament.

With Lawson able to break down the defense, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green will get some open looks. Their ability to make these shots in a pressure situation will open more of the interior. The UNC experience in this situation, having been in the Final Four a year ago, should be their key to victory.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

North Carolina 79
Villanova 71

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