VILLANOVA 2008-2009 SNAPSHOT

June 17, 2008

Head Coach: Jay Wright
2006-2007 Record: 22-13 (9-9 Big East) NCAA Sweet 16


Returning Players:
Shane Clark, Senior (Forward)
Dwayne Anderson, Senior (Guard/Forward)
Dante Cunningham, Senior (Forward)
Frank Tchuisi, Senior (Forward/Center)
Scottie Reynolds, Junior (Guard)
Reggie Redding, Junior (Guard)
Casseim Drummon, Junior (Center)
Antonio Pena, Sophomore (Forward)
Corey Stokes, Sophomore (Guard)
Corey Fisher, Sophomore (Point Guard)

Incoming Players:
Maurice Sutton, Center/Power Forward


Transferred Out:
Malcolm Grant, Freshman (Guard)

Graduated Players:
none

Open Items/Issues:
Following the season, to nobodies surprise, Malcolm Grant opted to leave the program following an up and down freshman season that either saw him scorching the nets or riding the pine. The Wildcats chased elite recruit Tyreke Evans until the end, only to see him select Memphis, but the Wildcats did add some needed post depth with the addition of Maurice Sutton at the end of the spring recruiting period.


Summary:
With not one senior on the club last year, Villanova definitely had an interesting season. After a losing six of seven games in a 23-day period from mid-January to mid-February things looked bleak. Not just for their prospects of the NCAA Tournament, but the Big East Tournament did not look to be firmly in their grasps either. However, the young Wildcats righted the ship, won a few key games and snuck in the NCAA Tournament as a 12-seed.

After a big rally to upset 5th-seeded Clemson, Villanova made it two in a row in the Big Dance with a win over Siena and a trip to the Sweet 16, so just weeks after a mid-season swoon, Villanova was one of the last three Big East teams playing in the NCAA's.

Now, the core of that team returns, led by guard Scottie Reynolds, to try and improve upon their season. The team will not look much different from last season as they did not have any seniors and only lost reserve guard Malcolm Grant due to transfer, so some of the shortcomings that led to the up and down 9-9 Big East campaign also are in tact as well.

However, the Wildcats are a year older, and improvements from Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes should provide Reynolds with offensive help on the perimeter. The front court will look similar with Caseim Drummond, Shane Clark, Dante Cunningham and Antonio Pena rotating at the forwards and Dwayne Anderson and Reggie Redding provide help on the wings. Frank Tchuisi and Maurice Sutton give depth to the post.

Villanova, much like West Virginia, is a very good team. They are likely to improve upon their 9-9 conference record with added consistency because of maturation, but their lack of front court production might come back to hurt them once again. They should be better all the way around from last season and will always play hard. They are a solid upper-division Big East team, again, maybe a notch below the top four contenders.

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