2006-2007 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 7) VILLANOVA

October 15, 2006


Things are going to look different at Villanova this year and it will not necessarily be a bad thing. Gone from last year's team that won a school record 28 games, shared the regular season conference title with 14 wins and appeared in the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament are 75% of their exciting four guard line-up: Randy Foye, Allan Ray and Kyle Lowry. Along with those three, inspirational leader Jason Fraser also has graduated and moved on, taking a big part of the foundation that Jay Wright has established at Villanova.

However, one important piece returns from injury and it is a big one! Curtis Sumpter might have been the missing piece of a championship last year as he missed the season because of an injured knee that required surgery in the preseason. It was the second surgery on the injured knee in 7 months, now, a year later, the hopes of the Villanova season hinge largely on the rebuilt knee of heir 6'7 forward.

That is not to say that Villanova is a one-man team, but they will be a different team this year. Starters Will Sheridan and Mike Nardi return along with several talented forwards and a very solid recruiting class that will keep Villanova in the thick of the upper-half of the conference. A few lucky bounces and breaks and this team will be in the mix for a Big East Tournament bye once again.

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It is hard to overlook the Wildcats losing Lowry, Foye and Ray and not believe they will take quite a step back this season. Those three guards were such a big part of what they were able to do last year and why they were successful and unique. This season, they should still be successful, just not as unique. They will line up in a more traditional format and go to battle in the Big East. Like last year, they still miss a big post presence offensively and defensively to make a difference in this conference, but unlike last year, they will have the ability to force match-up problems with their four guard look.

Sumpter is definitely their leader and best player. It still remains to be seen how his knee reacts and holds up over the long season. What is sometimes more difficult upon the return to action is overcoming the mental aspect of the injury, and since he has suffered the injury not once, but twice in 18 months, it will likely be on his mind often and he already admits to feeling himself holding back at times. Villanova will need Sumpter to be that nightmare inside out match-up on the rest of the league at the forward spot, able to post up a small forward or take a big forward out to the baseline and either score from the perimeter or beat him off the dribble to finish at the rim. They will also need his rebounding ability, something that this team also has a question-mark with. I have no doubt Sumpter will be good this year, but will he be at 100% of his capabilities, which I think they need form him to finish higher.

The rest of the team is very interesting. Mike Nardi is a steady point guard, but now has the additional role of being a scorer from the perimeter, since nobody else is proved on being able to. Nardi has been the perfect complimentary guard the last couple years in the attack, now he needs to assume a new role. The Villanova staff and fans are rightfully excited about his expected running mate, freshman guard Scottie Reynolds out of Virginia. Reynolds is as pure of a shooter as there is in the freshmen class. He is not ideal height for a shooting guard at about 6'0 tall, but in the Villanova system, that should not matter. He has good enough ball-handling skills to play with the ball and, as mentioned, is a deadly shooter off the ball. The guard positions will be backed up by a pair of versatile wing guards in sophomore Bilal Benn and freshman Reggie Redding. Benn played little last year, but is a physical guard that can play excellent defense and do a little of everything. Redding has a chance to be a very good player in the Big East in time and is a bit of a throwback with his excellent mid-range game and excellent all-around play. As more of a swing man, sophomore Dwayne Anderson will try to find time and provide some touch from beyond the arc to the Villanova attack.

This season, much of Villanova's different look will be brought on by the talent they have stocked at the forward position. Without a natural center likely to be ready to log big minutes, it is possible that the Wildcats will use a three forward line-up often with Sumpter, returning starter and senior Will Sheridan and a pair of sophomores in Shane Clark and Dante Cunningham, along with freshmen Antonio Pena, competing for the rest of the minutes. All five players are very versatile and are capable of playing in multiple combinations and positions along the frontcourt. Sheridan has been the overlooked contributing memeber the last couple years who has embraced his role as the 'other' player in the 4-guard line-up. Sheridan does all the dirty work and has come through when needed as his opportunities present themselves. Clark missed the first half of the season last year after he was not admitted into Maryland and then enrolled at Villanova. Having a full preseason under his belt should help the long, lean and athletic wing player find a firmer role within the scheme. He has a high amount of upside and looks to make a big impact this year. Cunningham hopes to develop into a similar player as Sumpter, but he is not quite as versatile, but is a strong forward when it comes to rebounding and defense. He is more comfortable close to the basket and looks like a solid career player for the Wildcats that, like Clark, still has his best basketball ahead of him. The player in this group to watch is Pena, the 6'6 NYC native who can play tough inside and continues to improve his game away from the basket. He has some players with more experience ahead of him, but as he learns his way around the league and continues to improve his skills, look for him to take off.

Three more frontcourt players are likely to be squeezed out of the rotation this year in a numbers game. However, 6'10 Caseim Drummond has the size and demeanor to be a solid Big East post player and will probably see some time leaning on some of the better big men in the conference from time to time. 6'9 forward Andrew Ott brings a nice looking set of skills and could be a very nice player down the road. Sophomore Frank Tchuisi is intriguing, yet very raw, and probably does not see much time on the floor again this season.

Jay Wright has definitely lifted the Villanova prospects and this season looks like a transition year. The Big East schedule makers are still very fond of the Wildcats and paired them with home and homes with Georgetown, Syracuse and Notre Dame, definitely a tough pairing and they do not get the honor of seeing South Florida on their schedule (or St. John's).

The Wildcats have to find a lot of offensive to overcome the personnell losses from last year's team. They still do not project to be an above average rebounding team and their perimeter play will no longer be at the elite level it was last year. However, they still have a deep stable of athletes, this year it is at the forward position. I worry about guard depth and experience behind Nardi, and as Villanova proved last year, college basketball is a guard's game. Villanova will still be in the mix and should be an NCAA Tournament team, but the only proven player in the role he will be asked to produce in has a big question mark (Sumpter). Sheridan and Nardi have proven to be solid contributors, but now they will have to be more than that for this team to be in the mix for a top four finish in the conference. It definitely not out of the question, but there is too much of an inkown around this team to count on it happening.

Projected Big East record: 9-7

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