Big East Report Team Blog: Villanova

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

2009-12-10T10:48:00.001-05:00

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.

VILLANOVA FLEXES BACKCOURT MUSCLE IN WIN OVER TERPS

2009-12-07T10:46:00.002-05:00

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.

VILLANOVA ROUTS LOCAL RIVAL DREXEL

2009-12-03T14:56:00.001-05:00

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.

MOUPHTAU YAROU COULD MISS SEASON DUE TO ILLNESS

2009-12-01T10:44:00.001-05:00

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.

QUESTIONS RAISED ON AGE, ELIGIBILITY OF MOUPHTAU YAROU

2009-11-10T10:40:00.000-05:00

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.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: VILLANOVA

2009-04-29T09:06:00.005-04:00

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.

READ ON...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

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.

VILLANOVA MEETS NORTH CAROLINA IN NATIONAL SEMIFINAL

2009-04-03T21:10:00.005-04:00

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."

Read More...Click HERE! or 'Read More' Below!

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

VILLANOVA BLASTS DUKE IN SWEET 16

2009-03-27T01:22:00.003-04:00

March 26, 2009

It is an all-Big East final in the East Regional with a ticket to the Final Four for either Pittsburgh or Villanova. The Wildcats earned their spot in the Elite 8 with a thorough beating of Duke, 77-54, at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston.

After playing two games at 'home' in the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Jay Wright's club took their NCAA Tournament show on the road and buried the Blue Devils of the ACC with good ole Big East toughness and defense.

"I think kind of everything fell into place for us," said Villanova coach jay Wright following the game. "When we got a lead to start the second half, they had to press. And we made the plays."

After a defensive struggle in the first half, which saw 'Nova clinging to a 26-23 lead at the half, the Wildcats unleashed a fury on both ends of the court that quickly buried the Blue Devils, much to the delight of a well represented Wildcat crowd.

"You know, we like to call it Nova Nation, it's everywhere," Dante Cunningham said following the win. "It was great to hear everyone behind us yelling and screaming."

After Duke cut the lead to 26-25 after the break, The Wildcats went on a 23-8 run, capped to take a commanding 49-33 lead with 12:25 remaining.

The unrelenting Villanova defensive pressure limited Duke to 16-60 shooting in the game, 26.7%. Often, the Blue Devils had absolutely nothing created during a full 35-second possession and were left launching prayers just to get a shot off.

"We all knew we can score," said Scottie Reynolds, who had a game-high 16 points. "We knew we could put points on the board, but it's going to be those times where we're not going to be able to score and we have to do it on the defensive end. And I think everyone has taken pride on that and likes to come back on defense and try to get stops."

Villanova also had nine players score, all with at least four points, and in one 12-1 run that really stretched the lead and put the game away, six different Wildcats scored the 12 points.

"I think that's been the strength of our team, is really having 8 scorers," said coach Wright. "It is -- it's really fun coaching a team when you know one or two guys aren't hitting shots, you know you've got five others that can make shots and make plays. What we're starting to do now is all eight of those guys are playing consistently defensively. That's what's making us really good."

Next up for Villanova is a familiar foe, Pittsburgh. The two teams met once this season and Villanova got past the Panthers 67-57 in the closing of the Spectrum. Tune in Saturday to see if they can make it two in a row!

"We know that they're going to come out tough, we've played them before," said Cunningham, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds against Duke, of Pitt. "We won the first one, but we're not going to take them lightly."

VILLANOVA, DUKE HIT ROAD TO MEET IN BOSTON

2009-03-26T11:16:00.004-04:00

March 26, 2009

For Villanova, the opening two rounds of the 2009 NCAA Tournament were enjoyed from the comforts of home. The Wildcats defeated 14th seed American, 80-67, and 3rd-seeded UCLA, 89-69, at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.

In order to be eligible to play in the Wachovia Center in the NCAA Tournament, Villanova scheduled just three games in their 'second home' this season, but they were the home team on the floor 12 times in the previous two seasons, so it was definitely as much of a home court advantage as a team could have nowadays in the NCAA Tournament.

"What can I say? If you get to play and you don't have to travel, it's an advantage," said 'Nova coach Jay Wright yesterday. "But you can have your own place turn on you when you're going against the underdog and everybody gets behind the underdog, that's a little unsettling, too."

READ REST OF THE STORY...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

For a brief time, Villanova might have faced a little bit of that as they found themselves trailing by 14 points early in the second half against American. However, their comeback was aided by the energy the hometown crowd brought and 26 trips to the free throw line in the second half.

"They definitely bring energy," senior Dwayne Anderson said of the home crowd. "It's great to have your fans in the background yelling and screaming and going crazy and everything. So that's something that we enjoy."

"Around the game there are advantages to being home," coach Wright added prior to their match-up with UCLA in the second round.

Now, the comfort zone of being in familiar surroundings is gone as the Wildcats meet Duke, who played their first two NCAA games in close proximity to their Durham campus in Greensboro (NC). The similarities of the two teams do not end there as they both play a similar style of game, one that has both sides respecting the other to the fullest.

"I think all of us, coaches and players, have watched Duke over the years, we have great respect for them," said Jay Wright. "We love how their team plays."

Duke has an idea of what to expect, because there are a lot of similarities between both teams.

"They have a lot of guys that can pressure the ball, they really can get a lot of steals because of their athleticism," Duke guard Jon Scheyer said of the matchup. "And the way they play, they're really aggressive."

Even that level of athleticism and aggressive play caught Ben Howland and UCLA off-guard, a team that prided itself in the same characteristics. Duke, however, believes they see that style often.

"We're used to that in practice and games," Scheyer said. "It's something both teams have faced."

Entering the game, UCLA had similar thoughts, but the aggressive nature and physical defense that Villanova likes to apply with guards Scottie Reynolds, Reggie Redding and Corey Fisher on the perimeter could be at a level the Blue Devils are not prepared for. Inside, Dante Cunningham will look to have a big game against the weakness of Duke, which is their interior.

Villanova, however, will have their hands full with the versatile skill of Kyle Singler and the athletic prowess of Gerald Henderson, who combines size and athleticism to attack the rim. Seniors Dwayne Anderson and Shane Clark will be tested defensively.

According to the latest March Madness betting odds, Duke is favored by 2 1/2 points. This game has all the makings of a classic, with two teams built quite similar on the perimeter and missing some interior depth. While Villanova will try to make the game a little more physical, both teams are likely to look to push the pace and look for quick scoring options.

The 'Nova talent is strong, but giving the edge to Kyle Singler and Gerald Henderson as possibly the best players on the court is not a stretch. Dante Cunningham should have a strong game inside and there is the expectation of Scottie Reynolds taking over a little more offensively.

Getting away from home and facing some adversity will be a big key for Villanova. It is quite likely that calls could go against them at times, which seems to be a consistent pattern when playing Duke, it might be a tough situation for the Wildcats to overcome.

I expect Villanova to fight to the end, but a possible early hole might be too tough to dig out of. If Villanova can stay up with Duke early and through the first half, they have a great chance, but I think playing from behind against Duke will be tough and be the downfall for Jay Wright's club.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Duke 78
Villanova 73

VILLANOVA NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES

2009-03-25T12:27:00.001-04:00

March 25, 2009

Complete with a Jay Wright photo sporting the short shorts of the day, the Philadelphia Daily News' Rich Hoffman writes that Villanova Coach Wright's Mettle Was Forged as a Senior at Bucknell where he came off the bench for coach Charlie Woollum.

The importance of Corey Fisher to the 'Nova basketball team has been documented often down the stretch this season. Fisher was awarded the conference's 6th-man Award at the awards banquet and Fisher's Body of Work has been Strong for Villanova (Courier-Post). A key to his rise in his sophomore campaign has been a new dedication to better eating habits and taking care of his body to play at the highest level of college basketball. The difference in his ability to defend has earned him more time, which allowed more offensive opportunities which has led to renewed confidence.

If I was Duke, watch out for Scottie Reynolds Thursday night. He could be ready to strike after a couple not-so-Reynolds-like offensive performances in the opening rounds. With a deeper pool of offensive talent supporting the junior, No Scoring is No Problem for 'Nova's Reynolds (Evening Bulletin) as he is doing what is needed for his team to win and advance. Be rest assured, when the need arises, he will be ready!

Here is a nice Philly Daily News story on sophomore Corey Stokes: Hoops Has Taken Stokes from Nerf to 'Nova.

VILLANOVA REACHES SWEET 16 AGAIN

2009-03-21T23:05:00.000-04:00

March 21, 2009

In the day's first game in he Wachovia Center, Villanova took on 6th-seed UCLA, who had a streak of three consecutive NCAA Final Fours on the line.

The Wildcats made sure there would not be a fourth consecutive trip as they waxed the Bruins 89-69 to advance to the Sweet 16 for the 2nd consecutive season and fourth time in the last five years.

"I just think our guys really just were aggressive for 40 minutes," Villanova coach jay wright said of his team's performance on Saturday. "Our defense, for us that was good defense. That was really good defense. And we played it for 40 minutes."

Villanova used a balanced attack, placing six players in double figures, led by senior Dante Cunningham's double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Dwayne Anderson also posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds as the Wildcats out-rebounded Ben Howland's club 41-28 in the game.

"I think our defense and our offensive rebounding probably was the difference," said Wright.

Also in double figures for 'Nova was Reggie Redding and Corey Fisher with 13, Corey Stokes with 12 and Scottie Reynolds added 11.

By forcing 18 turnovers and dominating the boards, Villanova gave themselves 20 more shot opportunities, which translated into the difference in the game.

"I thought that Villanova played great today and really handled us," said UCLA coach Ben Howland. "They out boarded us. We had too many turnovers."

Next up for Villanova is a trip to Boston where they will meet Duke in the East Regional semifinals. The Blue Devils escaped a tussle in Greensboro Saturday night against Texas.

VILLANOVA RIGHT AT HOME IN NCAA TOURNAMENT

2009-03-18T23:44:00.002-04:00

March 19, 2009

Villanova makes their fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance, a streak that only trails the eight in a row by Pittsburgh in the Big East, on Thursday night when they take on 14th-seeded American. A 13-5 Big East record and 26-7 overall mark earned Jay Wright's squad a third seed in this year's tournament and the honor of playing in the city of Philadelphia at the Wachovia Center, which doubles as a home court for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats are a veteran squad, led by seniors Dante Cunningham, Dwayne Anderson, Shane Clark and Frank Tchuisi, who are looking to finish their college careers on ann ultimate high.

"We're very grateful to be in this position four years in a row," Anderson said of appearing in the Big Dance each year he has been at 'Nova. "We know what it takes."

Classmate Dante Cunningham agreed and takes pride in the legacy his class is leaving on the program. The Wildcats leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 16 points and 7.2 rebounds on the season, told reporters this week that "We definitely understand what it takes to get here. Our seniors, previous years, taught us well. Hopefully we're teaching our younger guys, you know, how to continue this tradition that we've set."

The tradition includes a trip to the Elite 8 in their freshman season, on a team led by Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry, Allan Ray, etc. and a surprising run to the Sweet 16 last year. Will this season yield even better results?

"Last year we were the No. 12 seed," said Anderson. "We had the underdog mindset. So we're going to have the same mindset for this year."

The journey begins Thursday at home, or very close to it, the Wachovia Center, against American, the champions of the Patriot League. Riding a 13-game winning streak and winners of 19 of their last 20, American is not just happy to be 'dancing' this season. They feature four senior starters that were also starters on last year's NCAA team that played Tennessee relatively tough in the opening round before falling 72-57. Leading scorer Garrison Carr, who is averaging nearly 18 points a game this season, scored 26 in last year's loss to the Vols.

"I think it's pretty much true," senior forward Brian Gilmore said of last year's initial experience of the NCAA Tournament. "There were some of our teammates who were just kind of caught by that big atmosphere that we hadn't been in."

Gilmore, who averages 12.4 points and a team high 5.4 rebounds, believes this year's team is better equipped to handle the bright lights of March.

"This time around I think we're prepared for that [atmosphere]," said Gilmore. "We know this is another big stage. Obviously it's our last go round as seniors. We
can't afford to be taken aback and on our heels like we were last year."

American has played some big conference foes this year, but with little success. Jeff Jones' Eagles have lost by an average of 23 points to Oklahoma, Georgetown and Maryland, all played on the road. Villanova is right there with any of those foes, and like those games, this will also be played in enemy territory.

What might be even tougher to handle for American is the challenge posed by the 'Nova guard crew, one that a Patriot League team is not going to get to see very often.

"I think it's going to be a challenge for both
Garrison and I," said senior point guard Derrick Mercer, who played his high school ball for the legendary Bob Hurley at St. Anthony's High School in Jersey City (NJ). "We usually don't go in and play against players with that type of caliber, like Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds."

It has been since December 22nd, a 67-51 loss at Maryland, since American has faced a quality opponent. Although they have experience with an excellent group of seniors with a team that has been in the NCAA Tournament before, they face a Villanova squad that has been battle tested night in and night out in the Big East. The college basketball odds show Villanova as a 16 1/2-point favorite to end the Eagles' season and squash their dream of a first round upset. While the American strength is in their backcourt, a need for March success, the 'Nova backcourt will be up to the challenge and Dante Cunningham should be too strong underneath.

It is fully expected that "nova cruises past American on Thursday night to set up a highly anticapted second round match-up between the winner of the 6/11 game between UCLA and VCU.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 82
American 59

VILLANOVA BACKCOURT COMES TOGETHER FOR NCAA RUN

2009-03-18T14:43:00.000-04:00

March 18, 2009

Reggie Redding came to Villanova with the reputation of a player known to put the ball in the basket at high levels. Afterall, no No St. Joseph's Prep player had ever scored more points than his 1,568. With the Wildcats, however, other players can score the ball as well, but the 6-foot-5 junior guard Redding Accepts His Role for Villanova (Philadelphia Daily News), even if it is one that has stunned Speedy Morris, his former high school coach. Redding has become a defensive stopper for Jay Wright's squad, something Morris did not see coming from his former star, who was not much of a defender back at St. Joseph's Prep.

With Scottie Reynolds and Corety Fisher adding the perimeter firepower, Redding chips in offensively when the opportunity arises. In fact, Villanova is Enjoying Fisher's Growth Spurt Heading into NCAA Tournament (Philly Daily News) as the sophomore guard's adapting to his role at Reynolds' side has fine tuned the 'Nova backcourt with each player finding the niche that has led to the highly successful run through the later half of their Big East schedule.

The evolution of his backcourt mates has allowed Reynolds to grow his game as well. As a freshman, he was a great scorer that sometimes would get too caught up in the challenge of outscoring the opposing guard that he could be out of control. Now, even though his numbers have dipped in the offensive production categories, Reynolds' complete Game Transcends Numbers (Philly Inquirer) and 'Nova is a better team for it!

VILLANOVA LOOKS TO EARN BE FINAL BERTH

2009-03-13T11:13:00.001-04:00

March 13, 2009

After seeing conference co-favorites fall last night, Louisville is left standing in Friday's semifinal round of the 2009 Big East Tournament after getting past Providence, 73-55, in Thursday afternoon quarterfinal action. The Cards' defense was strong again, forcing 26 Friar turnovers and converting points inside with Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels leading the way.

Villanova looked like they were cruising into the semifinal match-up with the Cards by taking a 16-point halftime lead over Marquette. However, there was no easy way into the semi's as Marquette stormed back and took a late lead on the Wildcats. Villanova beat the buzzer with a Dwayne Anderson lay-up and broke the hearts of the Golden Eagles.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's match-up:

It's Villanova at the Buzzer (Philadelphia Inquirer)
After Surviving, Villanova Gets Louisville (Hartford Courant)
Cardinals Ward off Curse of the Garden (Louisville Courier-Journal)

Villanova and Louisville met once in the regular season with the Cards surviving a one-point win as the Wildcats missed several point-blank opportunities in the closing seconds to win. It is expected that tonight's clash could come down to a similar nail-biting finish.

Louisville's strength this season is forcing turnovers with their constant pressure. The wildcats might be one of the few teams they can rattle with the press as Villanova has an experienced guard corps that represent their strength of the team.

Junior Scottie Reynolds and sophomore Corey Fisher make an exciting backcourt pair that can play both ends of the court. Junior Reggie Redding is a defensive specialist that is quickly becoming one of the best 'glue' guys in the NCAA with his timely scoring and terrific passing. His dribble-drive and dish to senior Dwayne Anderson was the game winner on Thursday afternoon. Anderson, like on Thursday, is always in the right place at the right time and his classmates Shane Clark and Dante Cunningham, the league's most improved player, should hold their own against the Cards front line.

With guard play so key in the postseason, Villanova has the pieces to make things VERY interesting.

Louisville will rely on their tremendous front line trio of Terrence Williams, Earl Clark and Samardo Samuels, all of whom could be 1st round NBA draft picks as early as this June. Williams and Clark are versatile stars that create tough match-ups on both ends of the court.

Where Louisville will need a strong performance is from their backcourt. Villanova will apply their own type of pressure, extending their defense in the halfcourt out into the perimeter to try and make passing into the post difficult in an order to negate the UL size advantage.

This game should be another tight one down to the wire. Going out on the limb, with Villanova a 4 1/2-point underdog according to the early college basketball odds, it could be another Big East upset.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 68
Louisville 66

VILLANOVA LOOKS TO PREVAIL OVER JAME-LESS MARQUETTE

2009-03-12T10:46:00.001-04:00

March 12, 2009

Marquette got a temporary tonic for what ails the Golden Eagles in their opening game of the 2009 Big East Tournament against a totally inept St. John's. Marquette led the Redstorm 38-10 at the half and cruised home to a 74-45 victory at Madison Square garden.

This was the first win for the Golden Eagles since losing Dominic James to a broken foot for the season. Losses to UConn, Louisville, Pitt and Syracuse followed after James went down, but this had to feel good for Marquette. The good feelings may not last long as Villanova is next up.

MU and the Wildcats split their two meetings this past season, each winning on their own floors. However, Villanova won the last meeting, 102-84, a month ago with a healthy Dominic James.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on the contest:

Dwayne Anderson is Villanova's Motor (Philadelphia Daily News)
Parents Showed Cunningham How to Lead (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Villanova to Meet Marquette in Big East Quarterfinal (Philly Daily News)
Battered Marquette Believes it's on Right Course After Slaughterning St. John's (Chicago Tribune)
Smother Lode: Defense Ignites Rout (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)

Villanova earned a double-bye into the Big East quarterfinals, thanks to in large part to the Marquette free fall following the James injury. While the schedule toughened significantly, and even a healthy James might not have helped, the concern heading into the 2009 NCAA Tournament is how will Marquette fare against a NCAA Tournament caliber team? Well, we will have an answer this afternoon.

Both teams are extremely strong on the perimeter both offensively and defensively. marquette reminded onlookers of their perimeter strength as the Johnnies were Throttled on their Home Floor by the swarming Golden Eagles. Wesley Mathews and Jerel McNeal anre still all-league players and lazar Hayward has learned to mix in his outside strengths with a developing post game that is a tough match-up for any forward in the league.

Villanova looks to match MU with Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher in the backcourt and Dante Cunningham in the paint. Where the Wildcats have a significant edge is in their depth. They can mix and match players like Shane Clark, Antonio Pena, Reggie Redding, Corey Stokes and Dwayne Anderson into the line-up and expect production from each one. Unfortunately for Marquette, they do not have that luxury as they depend almost solely on the aforementioned trio for their production. Playing two games in two days will likely take its toll and Villanova simply has more answers when they need them because of the depth.

Today's NCAA Basketball Odds list the Wildcats as a 2 1/2-point favorite in this afternoon's contest. Look for Villanova to assume control after the half a post a solid win.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 79
Marquette 70

VILLANOVA CLAIMS BIG EAST FOURTH SPOT WITH SENIOR NIGHT ROMP OVER PC

2009-03-06T11:51:00.001-05:00

March 6, 2009

The was plenty at stake last night at the Pavilion on the Villanova campus when the Wildcats hosted Providence in the Big East regular season finale for both clubs. A win for 'Nova would clinch a cherished top-four finish in the Big East standings. For the Friars, a win would go a long way in putting them on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble.

With the emotion and energy of their fans honoring seniors Dwayne Anderson, Shane Clark, Dante Cunningham and Frank Tchuisi, all playing their final home game, Villanova Cruises to Win and Byes (Philadelphia Inquirer) in rounds one and two of the Big East Tournament by locking up fourth place in the conference with a 97-80 win over PC.

Junior Scottie Reynolds led the Wildcats with 23 points and Cunningham and Anderson made their final appearance in the Pavillion, where Villanova has won 28 straight, memorable by scoring 19 points a piece as Villanova Earns Byes and Nearly a Week Off With Win over Providence (Philly Daily News). 'Nova's next action will come Thursday in the 2009 Big East Tournament with a 2 PM game at Madison Square Garden.

Sophomores Corey Fisher (13 points) and Corey Stokes (11 points) also reached double figures and junior Reggie Redding led the unselfish Wildcats with 11 assists and zero turnovers. As a team, Jay Wright's squad had an impressive 26:7 assist to turnover ratio in the contest with assists on 74% of their made field goals.

By contrast, Providence turned the ball over 22 times and helped lead to VU getting 17 more field goal attempts in the game as the Friars Miss Chance Make their Case for an NCAA Bid (Providence Journal) and will likely have work to do in next week's Big East Tournament to keep from falling off the bubble and into the NIT.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: PROVIDENCE @ VILLANOVA

2009-03-05T11:43:00.004-05:00

March 5, 2009

The stakes are always high in college basketball in March. The regular season finales in the Big East begin tonight and there is a lot riding on the match-up in Philadelphia between Villanova and Providence.

The Wildcats enter the contest with a 12-5 Big East record and 24-6 overall mark. While selection Sunday will not be a sweat for 'Nova, a win tonight in the regular season finale would clinch a top four finish in the Big East, meaning a double bye in the 2009 Big East Tournament which begins next week in Madison Square Garden.

The stakes for Providence are much higer. With a 10-7 Big East conference record, PC has put themselves in good position to be invited to the Big Dance. However, their overall mark of 18-11 keeps them squarely on the bubble and very vulnerable to falling on the wrong side. A road win over the Wildcats, couples with resume building wins over Syracuse and Pitt at home should be plenty for the Friars to take their place in the Field of 65.

Here are some game previews and stories on tonight's game:

Villanova Needs Win Tonight Against Providence to Improve Big EastTournament Seeding (Philadelphia Daily News)
Capsule Preview: PC at Villanova (Providence Journal)
PC Can Help Itself Off NCAA Tournament Bubble with Win at Villanova (Providence Journal)

The Friars and Wildcats met in Rhode Island back on February 4th and 'Nova held off a furious late came rally by PC to hold on for a 94-91 win. Scottie Reynolds led Jay Wright's squad with 31 points in that contest.

Villanova led 49-34 at the half and built there lead to as much as 20 points in the earlier meeting before a slwe of three's and driving buckets by Sharaud Curry and Wyinmi Efejuku ignited the comeback. A three by Efejuku with four seconds remaining closed the gap to 92-91, but it was too little too late.

According to the latest college basketball lines, Villanova is a 10 1/2-point favorite tonight in a game at their on-campus home, the Pavillion, where 'Nova has won 27-straight. Their home loss last weekend occurred at the Wachovia Center. The rebounded from the 56-54 setback against Georgetown to blow past Notre Dame on the road after halftime Monday night.

It is also senior night for the Wildcats and a chance for their fans to send-off leading scorer and rebounder Dante Cunningham as well as Dwayne Anderson, Shane Clark and Frank Tchiusi.

The keys for 'Nova will be their perimeter defense, something that is usually a great strength of their club, led by Corey Fisher, Reynolds and Reggie Redding. They will be matched up against Currey, Efejuku and Jeff Xaiver predominately on the PC side. Villanova is certainly aware they can put up points in a hurry, but so can they, especially on their comfy and cozy home floor.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 88
Providence 75

2009-03-03T15:59:00.001-05:00

March 3, 2009

Notre Dame has been working at digging out of the hole that a seven-game losing streak had caused. There seemed to be some progress of rebuilding the season from the ruins of a failed top 10 team, but the Irish NCAA Hopes takes Another Hit (Post-Tribune), and this one could be fatal, as it appears the Irish are Likely Headed to the NIT After Bad Loss to 'Nova (South Bend Tribune) on the Joyce Center court Monday night.

Villanova and ND played to a 32-all first half tie as a mountain of Irish turnovers prevented ND from taking a lead at the break.

The second-half was a different story as No. 11 Villanova Pounds Notre Dame (Chicago Tribune), outscoring the Irish 45-28 in the second half on the way for a 77-60 win.

'Nova junior Scottie Reynolds scored 23 points and senior Dante Cunningham added 18 for the Wildcats who shot 45% from the field and committed just five turnovers in the entire game.

The Wildcats, coming off a weekend loss at home to Georgetown, earned their 12th conference win and keeps the pressure on the Big East 'top four' in the race for a double-bye for the 2009 Big East Tournament. The Wildcats will close the regular season with a home game against Providence later this week. Villanova Responds to Beat Notre Dame (Philadelphia Daily News) and looks to regain their momentum into the postseason.

VILLANOVA LOOKS TO DASH IRISH NCAA HOPES

2009-03-02T11:28:00.000-05:00

March 2, 2009

Barring a deep run in the 2009 Big East Tournament next weekend, this might be the last hurrah for Notre Dame and their NCAA Tournament chances. The Irish are 7-9 in the Big East, but they have won four of their last six games and finish with two at home this week, beginning with tonight's Big Monday match-up against Villanova. This past Saturday, the Irish lost a golden shot at improving their resume significantly when they fell just short in a 72-65 loss at UConn in a game that was much closer than the final score indicated.

The Wildcats are safely in the NCAA Tournament as Jay Wright's squad is 11-5 in the Big East and 23-6 overall. However, they look to get back on track after a Saturday afternoon home loss to Georgetown, which followed a two-point come-from-behind win on the road over lowly DePaul.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the web:

Notre Dame (16-12, 7-9) vs. Villanova (Gary Post-Tribune)
Villanova at Notre Dame (Chicago Tribune)
Notre Dame Faces Another Must-Win vs. Villanova (Chicago Tribune)
Anxious Irish to Tangle with 'cats (Journal Gazette)
ND in Must-Win Mode (South Bend Tribune)

This is it for the Irish. Backs are against the wall, we will see how they respond.

Following a seven-game losing streak where everyone left ND for dead, they responded to win four of five, including a rousing 90-57 win over Louisville to put an end to the losing streak. They nearly made it five of six, but went down at the wire against UConn in Storrs over the weekend.

A win at West Virginia or a win at Connecticut would have done wonders for the Irish resume, which currently is not good enough for the NCAA Tournament. A win on their home floor tonight against Villanova is another step in the right direction and they close the regular season at home on Friday against St. John's, so they still have a chance to reach .500 in Big East play at 9-9 with two more wins.

The Irish have reigning Big East Player of the Year in Luke Harangody inside to lead the way and he should be able to put up big numbers against the Wildcats. Villanova will hope to put pressure on Harangody with the improved offensive threat that is ante Cunningham, forcing harangody to play both ends of the court and hope the long season and lots of minutes can wear the 6-foot-8 big man down.

In their cozy confines of the Joyce Center, the Irish shooters led by seniors Kyle McAlarney and Ryan Ayers, tend to find the range much better than on the road. The tough perimeter defense of the Wildcats will look to lock down the perimeter, but if you give McAlarney a sliver of room he can make you pay. Opening up the game with some three's will open room inside for Harangody and Irish point guard Tory Jackson will be under a lot of pressure to manage the offense effecitvely and eficiently.

Villanova had been putting up points at a high rate, using a balanced attack led by Cunningham and junior Scottie Reynolds. Sophomore Corey Fisher has also been a more consistent source of offense and, along with Reggie Redding, a stout defender on the perimeter. What has made 'Nova so tough in their recent run of good play has been the offensive contributions from Shane Clark and Dwayne Anderson, a pair of seniors, as well as Corey Stokes, which seem to come at the right time when needed.

As always, a Jay Wright team will come out and play hard. They will be looking to shake off the cold shooting of Saturday, and the Irish defense is one that is more than likely to allow an opponent to get well offensively.

However, this is simply a must-win for the Irish and playing at home, you can expect them to be playing confident and with a sense of comfort at the Joyce Center. Look for some early three's and then Luke Harangody to take over in the paint. Once that happens, it will be tough for Villanova to overcome the energy that will take over the building.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Notre Dame 83
Villanova 75

VILLANOVA LOOKS TO STAY HOT VS. HOYAS

2009-02-27T23:16:00.001-05:00

February 28, 2009

An old school Big East battle is rekindled at the Wachovia Center at high noon on Saturday as the Villanova Wildcats will host the Georgetown Hoyas. This game was expected to carry much more meaning in the Big East standings, but the struggles of the Hoyas have left them down and out of the Big East race.

Villanova is still in the mix for a top-four seed for the 2009 Big East Tournament as they enter Saturday’s contest 11-4 and with a 23-5 overall mark. The Wildcats have been one of the hottest teams in the nation, winning nine of their last 10 games. They will look to keep the pressure on UConn, Louisville, Pitt and Marquette by claiming an early afternoon win on Saturday.

Georgetown, on the other hand, has been mired in a head-scratching slump, losing nine of their last 11, with wins coming against South Florida and Rutgers. Last weekend’s Saturday/Monday dual losses at home to Marquette and Louisville have dropped the Hoyas to 5-10 in the Big East and 14-12 overall, not very impressive for a team that boasts former McDonald’s All-American recruits such as Greg Monroe, Chris Wright and Austin Freeman in their starting line-up along with DaJuan Summers, who was also a very highly regarded recruit when he signed with the Hoyas.

Georgetown certainly has high-end talent, the problem has been that that talent sees a significant drop-off in level and experience following the starting five. As the losses began to mount, the team’s confidence and chemistry seemed to erode rapidly. Guards Wright and Jesse Sapp had a much-publicized halftime confrontation in a loss to Duke and Sapp has also been benched for his attitude toward the coaching staff in another game.

Georgetown showed some signs of snapping out of the funk, nearly stealing a win at Syracuse and then blowing out USF, but last weekend’s pair of losses seemed to take the final wind out of their sails.

Villanova had a classic letdown performance on Wednesday as the DePaul game followed their frantic win over Syracuse in the Dome last weekend, a game where SU missed four game-tying attempts in the last seconds and the Wildcats escaped with a win over a big rival.

The Wildcats will need a better performance on Saturday to beat Georgetown. Look for Jay Wright’s crew to extend defensive pressure and force Chris Wright to make proper decisions in pushing the ball or pulling it back out to run the Hoya offense. This defensive philosophy will also make it difficult for Georgetown to go inside to freshman Greg Monroe, an under-used weapon in their arsenal. Coach John Thompson III acknowledged the Hoyas problems this week during the Big East coaches conference call with their decision-making within their intricate offensive system.

“We always have given guys a lot of freedom to play,” JTIII told reporters. “You have to make the right decisions, you have to share the ball.”

It has been a long season for Georgetown since the calendar has flipped from 2008 to 2009. Playing a hot Villanova team on the road is unlikely to make things any better after the crushing defeats of last weekend. This could be a very tough game for the Hoyas to big themselves back up for.

NBE Blogger Preview:

Villanova 78
Georgetown 66

Georgetown Could Learn from Nova (Washington Times)

From West Africa to the City of Brotherly Love

2009-02-26T12:02:00.001-05:00

Mouphtau Yarou impresses at Primetime Shootout, next stop 'Nova

By Matt Whitfield

Villanova has perhaps the brightest outlook of any team in the Big East conference. Currently sitting at 11-4 this season with talented underclassmen such as Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher leading the charge of late, next year’s squad will add highly touted Duke transfer Taylor King as well as a recruiting class rated in everyone’s top five of incoming classes. It would not be a shock to many if Villanova didn’t make a serious tournament run next year.

Headlining the recruiting class is soft spoken, 6-9 big man from Montrose Christian in Mouphatau Yarou. Yarou, who does not play like your typical 6’9 player, recently came to the United States from Benin, West Africa. After his team’s victory over Shabazz in the 2009 Primetime Shootout, Yarou caught up with NBE and discussed the future and what it’s like for him now living in America.

Yarou committed to Jay Wright’s program and signed a letter of intent back in November, but that didn’t come without the nudging of Montrose teammate and fellow ‘Nova signee Isaiah Armwood, who influenced his decision to sign with the Philadelphia-area program. Yarou was said to have offers from other big time programs including Connecticut, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, and St. John’s. In the end, however, Yarou choose Villanova because he felt it was the total package, mixing both good academics and basketball. Yarou says he’s hasn’t talked to his other fellow recruits except for his teammate; however, he says he has communicated with future teammates Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher. Yarou, who has shown to be a tremendous rebounding machine, told NBE he feels he can bring more defense and rebounds to next year’s squad.

For all the hype and fanfare Yarou just arrived in the United States a little over a year ago in January of 2008. He is still adjusting telling NBE, “It’s really hard because everything is new for me. The language, because I speak French in my country, and the weather, the food, everything is different.”

While he enjoys American food saying his favorite dish is pasta and shrimp, he says the basketball couldn’t be any more different in the two countries. Yarou stated to NBE that, “here it is more physical,” and that, “[basketball] here is better than Africa.”

Despite being in the country for such a short period, Yarou speaks English fairly well and speaks the international language of basketball even better showing people he is not a timid big man on the court. Yarou, who led his team with 21 points, countless rebounds, and earned MVP honors in the win over Shabazz, told NBE he would like to be more comfortable on offense and improve his defense. For a player who calls Kevin Garnett his favorite NBA player, and is as tenacious as he is on the court, Yarou should hold his own next year, and eventually be a force to be reckoned with as he adjusts to the American game and grows into his large frame.

VILLANOVA LOOKS TO KEEP DEPAUL WINLESS IN BIG EAST

2009-02-25T10:55:00.001-05:00

February 25, 2009

Jerry Wainwright and his DePaul Blue Demons are running out of chances to avoid an 0-18 record in Big East play. Currently sitting at 0-14, the Blue Demons have a home game tonight against red-hot Villanova and wrap-up their home schedule this weekend with St. John's before finishing on the road against West Virginia and Georgetown.

Villanova continues to play for NCAA seeding and are coming off a very impressive road win at Syracuse on Sunday afternoon. Their athletic and deep backcourt looks to be a nightmare for the Blue Demons and the experienced front court led by Dante Cunningham also matches up well with DePaul. At 10-4 in the Big East and 22-5 overall, getting a top-four Big East seed for the Big East tournament is a real possibility for the Wildcats and should keep them focused in what could be a classic sandwich game.

With Georgetown up next and coming off the thrilling 89-86 win at Syracuse, a letdown may be very natural for Jay Wright's squad. Making the cold trip to the midwest in the middle of the week is never a fun prospect, even for college kids, so getting their intensity level up in a near-empty Allstate Arena might be a challenge.

Led by junior Scottie Reynolds and senior Dante Cunningham, and also getting increased productioin from sophomore corey Fisher and senior Dwayne Anderson, the Wildcats seem to be coming together quite well as February rolls ahead towards March. Their penchant for extending defensive pressure deep into the backcourt will test the very weakness of DePaul that has been the biggest cause of their 0-fer Big East record: ball-handling. With Jabari Currie lost for the season, freshmen Jeremiah Kelly and Mike Bizoukas handle most of the duties at the point. Scoring wings Will Walker and Dar Tucker will also have pressure to produce against the 'Nova defensive specialists.

At some point you have to beleive something goes right for DePaul. Players like Mac Koshwal and Dar Tucker can be productive players in the Big East and Will Walker has shown he could score in the Big East. The problem is the rest of the roster will have to play over their heads to give a Big East-level performance, something that can very much happen, but has yet to do so. Nobody wants to be that first victim, and although I think they put up a fight, I do not see 'Nova being the first to fall either.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 79
DePaul 67

DOME SWEEP DOME FOR VILLANOVA

2009-02-23T12:55:00.001-05:00

February 23, 2009

Villanova and Syracuse highlighted Sunday's Big East schedule with an afternoon showdown at the Carrier Dome televised by CBS nationally. The Wildcats withstood a late flurry of potential game-tying three's as Villanova Survives Syracuse, 89-86 (Philadelphia Daily News), sweeping the season two-game home and home with the Orange.

Senior Dwayne Anderson led six Wildcats in double figures with 22 points.

In front of an excited crowd of nearly 27,000 partisan to the home team, Villanova Turns on the Defense Against Syracuse (Philadelphia Inquirer) to ignite an 11-0 run to answer an Orange run that saw them erase a 10-point deficit to take a 59-57 lead midway through the second half.

Reggie Redding was the defensive catalyst, picking up two of his six steals at the beginning of the run, in helping 'Nova regain control of the game. Redding also added 11 points and a team-high 7 assists in the game.

Villanova, 10-4 in the Big East and 22-5 overall, also got 15 points from senior Shane Clark and sophomore Corey Fisher and 12 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists from senior Dante Cunningham. Scottie Reynolds added 10 in the win.

Nova finishes up the regular season with a trip to DePaul this week before a Saturday-Monday pair with Georgetown (home) and Notre Dame (road) before closing with Providence ahead of the 2009 Big East Tournament.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ SYRACUSE

2009-02-22T10:22:00.001-05:00

February 22, 2009

Syracuse looks to get revenge for an earlier loss to Villanova when the two teams tangle Sunday afternoon in the Carrier Dome. Just two weeks ago, Syracuse went to Philly and were smoked by the Wildcats from the get-go in a 102-85 loss. The Orange had lost five of six and six of eight prior to a win last Saturday against Georgetown, pushing them back above .500 in Big East play at 7-6. Their 10-game gauntlet of top Big East teams comes to a close on Sunday. In this current stretch, SU has shown to be a notch or two below the top teams in the Big East, a win against Villanova should close the gap.

Villanova had been one of the hottest teams in the country, let alone the Big East, until a Friday night in Morgantown slowed some of their momentum. VU bounced back on Thursday with a 10-point home win over lowly Rutgers and currently sit at 9-4 in the Big East, two games ahead of SU, but two games behind the conference leaders.

Orange Scouting Report: Syracuse vs. Villanova (Post-Standard)
End of the Gauntlet (Post-Standard)
Orange Try for No. 20 (Syracuse.com)

Syracuse has picked up their game at the Dome on a few ‘must-win’ occasions and the expectation they will do so again in this situation. Having eight days off to get Andy Rautins and Arinze Onuaku healthier and allow nagging injuries to Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf heal should give the Orange a huge lift against ‘Nova.

The Wildcats have been playing very well and that is likely to continue on Sunday. It should be an outstanding game, but a healthier Onuaku will make things a little more difficult for Dante Cunningham inside. Cunningham torched SU for 30+ points in the first meeting. The SU zone will put the pressure on the Villanova perimeter shooters, but look for some man-to-man as well and a Dome crowd feeding the ‘Cuse energy level.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Syracuse 79
Villanova 72

VILLANOVA WINS ON SENIOR NIGHT OVER RU

2009-02-20T11:05:00.002-05:00

February 20, 2009

Villanova got back in the win column following a loss in their last game by extending the misery of Rutgers under Fred Hill. Villanova Shakes off Loss With Win over Rutgers (Philly Daily News) as the Wildcats Claw Past Knights (Asbury Park Press) on 'Senior Night' for Villanova.

A 24-7 run by Villanova put the game in their control after Rutgers took a brief 54-52 lead around the 10-minute mark of the second-half. Twenty turnovers were the biggest downfall for the Knights as Rutgers Loses to No. 12 Villanova, 82-72 (Star-Ledger).

Scottie Reynolds had a game-high 21 points for 'Nova as the Wildcats improve to 9-4 in the Big East and 21-5 overall. Corey Stokes added 17 and Corey Fisher 14 in the win. The sophomore duo played their high school basketball in New Jersey and came off the bench to key the big run that decided the game for VU.

Freshman Mike Rosario had a team-high 19 for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights shot a season-best (in Big East play) 52% from the field and found the range from three-point range, shooting 10-22, but Villanova forced 20 turnovers and out-rebounded RU on the offensive boards 14-5, which led to 13 more shot attempts for Villanova and the difference in the game.

Seniors Dante Cunningham (12 points), Dwayne Anderson (8 points), Shane Clark (6 points) and Frank Tchuisi (0 points) were all in the starting line-up last night for 'Nova.

Villanova, who was smacked by WVU in their previous game, 93-72, meets Syracuse Sunday afternoon in the Dome for a nationally televised contest on CBS.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: RUTGERS @ VILLANOVA

2009-02-19T09:44:00.003-05:00

February 19, 2009

Villanova's hot streak was interrupted on Friday night when they were thumped by West Virginia in Morgantown. The Wildcats had won six games in a row entering that game, including hanging 102 points on Syracuse and Marquette in back to back wins before the 93-72 loss at WVU.

Jay Wright's squad is now 8-4 in the Big East and 20-5 overall. They returned everyone of signficance from a club that last season went to the Sweet 16 as a 12-seed and this year they should certainly be looking at a seed anywhere between a 3 or a 6 in the NCAA Tournament.

On the other side of tonight's ledger is Rutgers. It is another disappointment for Fred Hill's squad, although this season was supposed to be different. Expectations were rising for Hill's program as he entered his third season with some solid returning players and some highly regarded recruits. Unfortunately, results on the court have not come very quickly and RU is in real danger of having their worst season yet under Hill.

Rutgers is currently 1-11 in the Big East and suffered out of conference losses, at home, to St. Bonaventure, Lehigh and Binghampton. In three season as Rutgers' head coach, Hill is 6-42 in Big East conference games. OUCH!

Here are some pregame stories and previews from the web:

Villanova's Wright Hopes Big Loss Woke Team Up (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Villanova's Reynolds Gives Team Whatever it Needs (Philadelphia Daily News)
Colonia's Donnely Now Helping 'Nova (mycentraljersey.com)

Not so long ago, Fred Hill recruited New Jersey to the benefit of Jay Wright. Hill was a key part of Wright's staff and was the lead recruiter fr players such as Randy Foye, helping Villanova reach the Elite 8. Now Hill is recruiting Jersey for the benefit of his own program and had some impressive success the last couple years with players such as Corey Chandler, Greg Echenique and Mike Rosario. However, recruiting success has not brough success on the court as of yet and the Scarlet Knights are scuffling through another losing season. The continued losing has also slowed down the recruiting momentum as well.

Last season, Rutgers surprised a nationally ranked Villanova squad in the RAC. With everyone back for the Wildcats, they will certainly remember that result as they prepare to meet the Knights this season. This time the game is at the cozy Pavilion on the VU campus.

Villanova is likely to attack the ballhandling and decision-making defeciencies of Rutgers directly. Guards Corey Fisher, Scottie Reynolds and Reggie Redding are all strong defensively and they will extend pressure to take RU out of their offense. In the paint, Dante Cunningham will use his shooting touch to move inside and out to score points.

Rutgers will need a hot-shooting performance from Mike Rosario as well as other players to step up offensively. The interior players such as Echenique, Hamady N'Diaye and JR Inman should be able to find some success in the paint against a smaller Villanova line-up, but the trick is to get them the ball, something the RU guards have been unable to do with any consistency this season.

Villanova is an 18 1/2-point favorite tonight on their home floor. Their combination of hot shooting and pressure defense will be a very tough combination for RU to handle away from home.

NBE Blogger Preview:

Villanova 90
Rutgers 68

VILLANOVA LOOKS TO CONTINUE ROLL, VISITS WVU

2009-02-13T11:13:00.001-05:00

February 13, 2009

Last night we saw how a desperate team could react on their home floor in a must-win situation. West Virginia has much of the same necessity for a win tonight when they host Villanova for a Friday night Big East conference special.

Friday the 13th in Morgantown for a 9 PM contest, that is a scary proposition for an opponent. The red-hot Villanova Wildcats, winners of six in a row, look to continue their winning ways against a WVU squad that has lost three of their last four games and fallen below .500 in the Big East at 5-6.

Here are some pregame stories and previews on tonight's contest:

Nova-WVU Not Lacking Intrigue (Times West Virginian)
Rare Friday Night Gem Kicks Off Full Weekend of Hoops (ESPN)
WVU Faces Elite Villanova (Daily Mail)
WVU Looks to Cage Wildcat Offense (Journal-News)
Streaking Villanova Visits (Charleston Gazette)
WVU to Host No. 13 West Virginia at its Hottest (Times West Virginian)
Difficult Stretch Continues for WVU (Metro News)
Wildcats Hopes to Open Tourney Close to Home (Philadelphia Inquirer)

During the 'Nova six-game winning streak, they have gotten big games from Scottie Reynolds (31 at PC, 27 vs. Marquette) and Dante Cunningham (31 vs. SU), but the consistent play of Corey Fisher, averaging 13 points, shooting over 56% and stepping up his defensive efforts, might be the biggest lift the team has had.

Fisher came to Villanova amidst much hype, but he struggled in his freshman season. He battled injuries as well as finding his place in the backcourt alongside Scottie Reynolds as both seemed to be scoring point guards. Fisher finished the Big East schedule last season shooting under 25% (15-61) from the field over the last eight games and averaging 5.6 points a game and in the Big East Tournament, he scored just two points in two games.

His play of late seems to indicate he finally is getting 'it' in Jay Wright's system and finding his place. His 21-points in this week's win over Marquette was another display of a more efficient Fisher on offense while still helping with the little things at the other end of the court when needed.

With Reynolds and Cunningham consistently leading the offense, Fisher finding a role to excel at in a complimentary position has helped take VU to new heights.

The schedule has been pretty brutal for WVU and they begin a crucial two-game homestand with Villanova on Friday and then Notre Dame coming in on Wednesday. For a team fighting to stay on the right side of the NCAA Bubble, they must pick up wins that will serarate them from other NCAA hopefuls. Following the pair of home games, they hit the road for Rutgers, the anticipated return of Bob Huggins to Cincinnati and a game at South Florida before finishing at home with DePaul and Louisville to close the regular season.

Offensively, WVU has shown they can struggle mightily in Big East play. Villanova will look to concentrate on Alex Ruoff and Da'Sean Butler, the two most responsible for making the WVU offense go. The experienced guard corps of VU will also target freshman point guard Darryl Bryant and try to disrupt the flow of the Mountaineer offense by making everything tough on him. This might be the key development. WVU has not dealt well with the pressure and physical defense of Louisville, UConn, Pitt and Marquette, and the Wildcats will look to unleash their attack as well.

For WVU to win, the x-factor will likely have to be Devin Ebanks. The much-hyped, 6-foot-9, multi-talented freshman forward needs to be a consistent source of offense in support of Ruoff and Butler. Ebanks has scored in double figures in four of the last five games, including a career-high 16 in Monday's loss at Pitt.

West Virginia, unranked, is a 4 1/2-point favorite tonight against the 13th ranked team in the country. While the WVU computer numbers remain very strong, led by a tough defense, their play in the Big East does not give one a lot of confidence in this match-up, mostly because of their youth at key spots, especially at point guard.

Villanova is averaging 99 points a game in their last three outings as they have been able to play in a free-flowing environment, averaging over 81 possessions a game, an astounding number. WVU plays at an average pace nearly identical to the national average of 66.7 possessions a game. With a freshman point guard, controlling that tempo will decide the game. However, in the ebb and flow of college hoops over the long season, 'Nova is due for an off game and with a raucous crowd and a desperate team coached by Bob Huggins, WVU should squeek one out.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

West Virginia 68
Villanova 65

VILLANOVA STAYS HOT, OUTGUNS MARQUETTE

2009-02-11T11:43:00.001-05:00

February 11, 2009

Heading into the game last night between Villanova and Marquette it seemed perfectly reasonable that each team had a backcourt that would make scoring tough on the other. That assumption turned out to be incorrect as Villanova Lights it up Again (TimesHerald) in a convincing 102-84 win over the Golden Eagles.

Just days after scoring 102 in a win over SU, Villanova Pads It's Resume With Win over Marquette (Philadelphia Daily News), their sixth win in a row as they move to 8-3 in the Big East and 20-4 overall. The Red-Hot Wildcats are Clicking on All Cylinders (Evening Bulletin) offensively as they got a game-high 27 points from Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher added 21 with Shane Clark (16), Dante Cunningham (15) and Dwayne Anderson (10) also reaching double figures.

Jerel McNeal led Marquette with 23 points and became the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Golden Eagles' illustrious program, however, the Defense Falters on McNeal's Record Night (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) as 'Nova shoots 59% from the floor and hits 13 of 24 three's. The Wildcats also had a 32-7 advantage in bench scoring and outrebounded the Golden Eagles by a 37-29 margin.

Lazar Hayward had 22 points and 9 rebounds for MU with Wesley Mathews adding 16 and Dominic James scoring 14 and adding 9 assists. However, after the main four, only nine points were contributed fromt he rest of the team as Villanova Outruns No. 10 Marquette (Philadelphia Inquirer).

While the guard trio of Marquette continues to get a lot of well-deserved recognition and attention, the Villanova group of backcourt players definitely were up to the challenge and their defense and improving offensive production is definitely making it clear that the Guards are Making 'Nova a Threat (phillyburbs.com) in the Big East and nationally.

Not a lot of rest ahead for the Wildcats who have a 9 PM Friday night date against West Virginia in Morgantown.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: MARQUETTE @ VILLANOVA

2009-02-10T10:59:00.000-05:00

February 10, 2009

The big game in the Big East for Tuesday night takes place in Philadelphia with a top-15 match-up between Villanova and Marquette. This is a rematch from a New Year’s Day match-up in Milwaukee that saw the Golden Eagles win 79-72 and start their nine-game Big East win streak. That streak game to a stunning halt on Friday night when South Florida upended Marquette, 57-56, down in the Sun Dome.

Villanova has been on fire of late, winning five straight games to move to 7-3 in Big East play. The lone losses for the Wildcats have come against Marquette, Connecticut and Louisville, the only teams with one-loss in Big East play. The highlight of their winning streak was a 67-57 win over Pittsburgh, their most impressive win of the season.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

’Nova Forward is Stepping Out of Shadows (Gloucester County Times)
Williams Succes at MU Doesn’t Surprise Crean (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
Clark Adds Experience at Villanova (DelCoTimes.com)
Villanova in Good Position Heading into Homestretch (Philly Daily News)
Nova Braces for Marquette’s Backcourt Trio (Philadelphia Inquirer)
McNeal Not Distracted by Scoring Title (Journal Sentinel)
Game 24: Villanova (Journal-Sentinel)

Villanova and Marquette is a classic match-up of strength versus strength as each team boasts talented backcourts that fuel their game plans. Marquette features three seniors in their starting backcourt: Jerel McNeal, Wesley Mathews and Dominic James. The ‘three amigos’ helped spark the Golden Eagles to a 9-0 conference record and a 12-game winning streak overall under new coach Buzz Williams. All three players are quick and athletic, dictating the flow of the game with their ability to push the basketball, attack the basket and extend defensive pressure on the ball. The importance of their roles are multiplied by the lack of inside strength and numbers of the Golden Eagles. Their line-up is completed with 6-foot-6 Lazar Hayward playing power forward and 6-foot-8 Dwight Burke playing center. Often time, Hayward is their most productive rebounder and interior defender, although he is playing out of his natural position at power forward and used as their de-facto center. Out of necessity, Hayward has developed into a solid post contributor, but against the bigger Big East teams ahead on their schedule, this could be an area that is exploited in league play and beyond as the seasons gets tougher here on out.

Another weakness of the Golden Eagles is they do not shoot very well as a team. McNeal has improved his three-point shooting by leaps and bounds this season (career 30% shooter from three coming into the year), shooting 47% from beyond the arc and has been unreal in Big East play, but their 4-24 from beyond the arc against USF was a major reason for their first conference loss, not to mention their 10-23 performance from the foul line.

McNeal is a definite Big East Player of the Year candidate. He continues to fill the stat sheet and has eclipsed 20 points in nine of 10 Big East contests and is shooting 50% (33-60) from beyond the arc in conference games.

Villanova is one of the few teams in the nation that has three guards that can match-up with the Golden Eagles’ trio. They may not be as explosive offensively, but Reggie Redding and Corey Fisher are quickly elevating themselves into position of one of the best defensive backcourt tandems in the country. Scottie Reynolds still has a big hand in the offense averaging 15 points and 4 assists and has a 40-point performance (at Seton Hall) and a 31-point performance (at Providence) in a couple tough road wins, showing the veteran can carry the load when needed.

The difference in this ‘Nova squad and the last couple years has been the consistent inside play of Dante Cunningham. The unsung senior has flown under the radar and is scoring a team-best 17 points a game and leading the club with over 7 rebounds a game. He is coming off a 31-point, 10-rebound double-double in the Wildcat’s weekend washout of Syracuse. Cunningham, along with Antonio Pena, Shane Clark and Dwayne Anderson give ‘Nova some depth and versatility in the frontcourt, even without real Big East-level size, and in this game, it very well could be the difference in Nova picking up a big home win.

The oddsmakers have made Villanova a 4 ½-point favorite on their home floor. Both teams will look to push the basketball and really get after it defensively, Villanova has just enough inside to control the rebounding and get a couple second chance points to turn the tide in this game.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 74
Marquette 67

VILLANOVA SERVES ORANGE CRUSH AT WACHOVIA CENTER

2009-02-07T23:22:00.001-05:00

February 7, 2009

Speaking of a Big East stunner. Jim Boehiem had to be absolutely stunned at his team's lack of effort on the defensive end as Syracuse watched Villanova score early and often against little resistance in what turned out to be a 102-85 blowout win for the Wildcats.

Dante Cunningham Helps Bury SU (Post-Standard) as the 'Nova senior pours in 31 points and Villanova Comes Up Big Against Syracuse (Philadelphia Inquirer).

The Wildcats shot 55% from the field and out-rebounded SU 46-35. Corey Stokes had 16 and Corey Fisher 14 off the bench and Shane Clark added a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds helping 'Nova move to 7-3 in the Big East with their fifth win in a row.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SYRACUSE @ VILLANOVA

2009-02-07T07:26:00.001-05:00

February 7, 2009

Another big game in the Big East matches 6-3 Villanova against 6-4 Syracuse at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. The Wildcats, since dropping an 89-83 decision at No.1 Connecticut, have reeled off four consecutive wins, including a 10-point victory over Pittsburgh. In their last game, Scottie Reynolds scored 31 and Dante Cunningham, Reggie Redding and Dwayne Anderson all had double-doubles as the Wildcats held off a late Providence rally for a 94-91 win on the road.

Syracuse looked to be headed in the opposite direction as the Orange had dropped four of five following a 4-0 conference start. Syracuse got back on the right track Wednesday night with a 74-61 home win over West Virginia in the Dome.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the internet:
Wildcats Pace Appears to be Good Enough (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Syracuse has been hit hard by injuries, but are slowly coming back to health. Andy Rautins returned from an ankle injury to play 21 minutes in the win versus WVU and Arinze Onuaku was a little more productive in Wednesday’s game than he was in the loss to Providence a week earlier. Still, Onuaku’s problems with tendonitis in his knee are likely to linger and figuring out how healthy he is from game to game will be a chore. It is not good news for the Orange as the junior big man is tough to move in the paint and is the only player SU has to bang against some of the beef found in the Big East.

With Onuaku limited and Rautins finding his stroke from the perimeter again, the offensive burden falls back to the SU guards and against WVU Jonny Flynn and Eric Devendorf were up to the task, combining for 44 points in the win. They will find things much tougher against a physical defensive unit that makes up the ‘Nova backcourt. Sophomore Corey Fisher is starting to make his name as a top-notch defender and Reggie Redding already enters the game known as one of the better perimeter defenders in the Big East. Syracuse will likely try to isolate Paul Harris and have him use his size and strength to over power his defender to score points.

Syracuse will employ their standard 2-3 zone defense. The veteran Reynolds should have a better idea of how to attack and find the gaps than WVU did, setting up perimeter shooters like Corey Stokes and Anderson to knock down some three’s on their home floor.

With a gimpy Onuaku, Villanova’s ability to extend pressure in the backcourt is even more of an advantage as SU is more unlikely to take advantage of one-on-one mismatches inside. Paul Harris is likely to have a good game if he can put the ball on the floor under control and get into the lane, but the Villanova defense is likely to control other SU options. Offensively, ‘Nova will look to hit the gaps of the zone and knock down their shots when the opportunity arises.

It should be a good game, but in the end, Villanova’s defense carries them to a win.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 70
Syracuse 65

VILLANOVA FIGHTS OFF FRIAR RALLY TO WIN

2009-02-05T11:46:00.000-05:00

February 5, 2009

This one was not looking like it was going to come down to the wire, but Villanova Escapes Providence With a Win (Philadelphia Daily News) after PC's Furious Rally Falls Just Short Against Villanova (Providence Journal), 94-91.

Villanova seemed in control of this one throughout, leading 49-34 at the half and stretched it to as much as 20 in the second half before Providence began to rally. The Friars cut the lead to just a point, 92-91, on a Weyinmi Efejuku three-pointer with two second left. However, the Wildcats were able to get the ball into the hands of Scottie Reynolds who sunk two free throws and PC did not get off a final shot before the buzzer.

The Cats Hang on to Post a Victory Over Providence (Philadelphia Inquirer) with the junior Reynolds scoring 31, making 13 of 15 from the foul line. Senior Dwayne Anderson added 19 points and 10 rebounds and Dante Cunningham and Reggie Redding each provided 12 points and 11 rebounds as 'Nova won the battle of the boards, 50-38.

Villanova is now 6-3 in the Big East and the No. 17th ranked Wildcats host Syracuse on Saturday and then welcome in Marquette on Tuesday.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: 'NOVA LOOKS TO DROP FRIARS

2009-02-04T11:03:00.001-05:00

February 4, 2009

Providence College will host the Villanova Wildcats in a Big East conference match-up tonight at the Dunkin Donuts Center. This game will be a moment of truth of sorts for the Friars, who stand at 6-3 in conference play, but are coming off a 94-61 pummelling at the hands of UConn over the weekend.

The Wildcats have won three in a row, including a victory over Pitt last Wednesday in the finale of the Spectrum in Philadelphia. Villanova is now 5-3 in the Big East and looking to put some seperation between themselves and the crowded middle of the pack, and this pushing the Friars closer to conference mediocrity.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the internet:

'V' is for a Villanova Team that is Very Tough to Beat (Philadelphia Daily News)
Villanova is PC's Next Big East Challenge (Providence Journal)
Capsule Preview: Villanova at Providence College (Providence Journal)

Before their home win over a crippled Syracuse squad last week, the best win registered by the Friars game against in-state rival Rhode Island from the Atlantic 10. Their best Big East win was their road victory over Cincinnati, a team that 'Nova decimated themselves this past Sunday.

The Friars desperately want to be included in the NCAA Tournament talk and their 6-3 Big East record might have some talking in that manner. However, their lack of out of conference quality wins will force games like this one to be a must-win.

The Wildcats are playing well, especially on the defensive end, and Corey Fisher is becoming a more consistent weapon on both ends of the court. The 'Nova defense will pressure the PC guards, who can be shaky with the ball and their decision making is not always the best. This strategy is usully used for Villanova to cover their lack of strength in the paint, but led by Dante Cunningham and Antonio Pena, Villanvoa matches up favorable with the Friar frontcourt.

The college basketball betting odds have 'Nova listed as a 3 1/2-point favorite on the road. They are the better team and their match-up should allow them to get the job done in this contest.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 75
Providence 68

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: CINCINNATI @ VILLANOVA

2009-02-01T10:02:00.001-05:00

February 1, 2009

Villanova will look to follow-up Wednesday night’s emotional victory over No. 3 Pittsburgh in the Spectrum finale as they welcome surging Cincinnati to the Pavilion on Sunday afternoon. The Bearcats are also coming off a big win as the knocked off Georgetown on their home floor Wednesday.

One Wednesday night, Villanova pulled the energy from the 17,000+ fans gathered for the final college basketball game at the Spectrum and some timely foul trouble on DeJuan Blair to gain control and then their defense did the rest as the Wildcats knocked off Pitt. It was the first significant in for Jay Wright’s squad this season.

The same can be said for Cincinnati, although Georgetown has been in a freefall of late. Still, the Bearcats came through with a win that still holds some weight on their resume and have won four of their last five after starting conference play 0-3.

The Bearcats are led by junior guard Deonta Vaughn, who is averaging a team-high 15.6 points a game. The emergence of Texas transfer Mike Williams, who also missed last season to an injury, has also keyed their recent run. Williams is averaging 10.2 points a game on the season, but that number is up to 14.8 in the last seven contests. The 6-foot-7 Williams also teams with 6-foot-9 frosh Yancy Gates (10 points/game), 6-foot-8 JUCO transfer Stephen Toyloy and 6-foot-11 sophomore Anthony McClain to give Mick Cronin’s team a much deeper frontcourt than his previous UC clubs.

Villanova is led by 6-foot-8 senior Dante Cunningham, who is enjoying a breakout season. The big forward averages team highs in scoring (16.5), rebounding (7.1), blocks (1.4) and steals (1.7). Junior Scottie Reynolds also adds his normal scoring punch, averaging 14.5 points a game and a team-high 4.2 assists a game. Reynolds also shows he can still carry the club, evidenced by his 40-point outburst in an OT win over Seton Hall earlier.

The oddsmakers have Villanova as an 11 ½-point favorite. The number seems slightly generous with the Wildcats prone to a letdown as they are in the midst of a very tough stretch of games and this being a follow-up to the Pitt win. UC is prone to some offensive slumps and the Villanova defense is strong, especially on the perimeter, where they will make it tough on Vaughn, but the UC size could keep this one pretty close throughout.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 69
Cincinnati 60

'NOVA CLOSES SPECTRUM WITH UPSET OF PITT

2009-01-29T09:48:00.001-05:00

January 29, 2009

It was just what Jay Wright's Villanova squad needed last night. With over 17,000 fans packed into the Spectrum, the Wildcats gave the venue a Fond Farewell (phillyburbs.com) as Villanova Beats Pitt for a Signature Win (Philadelphia Inquirer), something that had alluded the No. 21 ranked team to this point.

It was only fitting that in the final basketball game scheduled at the Spectrum, one of Philly's own led the way as Reggie Redding scored a career-high 18 points as Redding Helps Upset Pitt (Times-Herald), 67-57. Dante Cunningham added 15 points for the winners.

The win provided a Nice Parting Gift for the Spectrum (Philly Daily News) and 'Nova improved to 4-3 in the Big East and 16-4 overall on the season.

Pittsburgh, who has played five of their first eight conference games on the road, fell to 6-2 in the Big East and are now 18-2 overall. Poor Shooting and Foul Troubles Doomed Pitt (Tribune-Review) in this one, much like it did in their previous loss to Louisville.

DeJuan Blair was limited to just 20 minutes because of fouls and fellow frontcourt starter Tyrell Biggs played just 17. Pitt led 19-9 with 8:35 left in the 1st half and seemed to be in complete control when Blair picked up his second foul and sat the rest of the half. 'Nova jumped back into the game with a 17-6 run over 6 minutes before a quick six points by Gilbert Brown before halftime allowed Pitt to take a 31-26 lead at the half.

The fouls continued for Pitt in the second half as Biggs and Blair both picked up their third just minutes into the half and Villanova started to take control of the game and once Blair picked up his fourth, a 7-0 'Nova run gave them a 55-48 lead as the game headed to the stretch, where VU iced it from the foul line.

Sam Young led Pitt with 14 points and 9 rebounds and Philly native Brad Wanamaker added 13, before eventually fouling out. The Panthers turned the ball over 17 times.

With Blair on the bench, the Panthers energy seemed to dwindle as the game went along and the Spectrum crowd kept Villanova attacking in the second half and helped pull out the win.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SPECTRUM FINALE FEATURES PITT, 'NOVA

2009-01-28T11:37:00.000-05:00

January 28, 2009

A match-up of top 25 teams takes place in Philadelphia as Pittsburgh travels across the state to meet Villanova. The game will be the final basketball game played in the historic Spectrum which is scheduled to be razed late next summer.

Villanova is ranked #21 in the country, but they are still looking to get that win that will make pundits believe in their squad. The Wildcats have won three (SHU, USF & SJU) in Big East play and lost three (Marquette, Louisville & UConn). Their best win of the year was against Big 5 rival Temple in the out of conference schedule.

Pittsburgh comes to Philly as the hunted. The Panthers are ranked No. 3 in the country and, much like the Super Bowl participants from their city, rely on a physical style of defense that can intimidate other teams. This Pitt team also has an element of athletic ability offensively that allows them to strike quickly and put up a run of points that leaves the opponent wounded.

Here are some pregame stories and previews from the internet:

’Nova Memories Run the Spectrum (DelCo Times)
Spectrum Hosted Glorious College Games (Philly Daily News)
Villanova, Pitt Ready for Typical Big East Slugfest (Philly Daily News)
Pitt to Face Villanova With a New Twist (Tribune-Review)
Nova to Play in Landmark Spectrum Finale (Philly Inquirer)
Dixon’s Scoring Gives Pitt Shot in the Arm (Observer Reporter)

Pitt will bring a familiar look to the Spectrum that the Wildcats saw earlier this season in a game against Texas at Madison Square Garden. ‘Nova lost to the Longhorns, 67-58, while being hit hard on the boards. Texas outrebounded Jay Wright’s squad 55-38 and those second chance opportunities from the offensive rebounds made the biggest difference in the game.

Villanova will attempt to counter Pitt’s size and strength in the paint by extending their defense and trying to pressure the Panthers. In their lone loss of the season at Louisville, Pitt turned the ball over 20 times and was out of sync as UL wiped out a 10-point Pitt lead with a 19-3 run at the 8 minute mark of the second half.

Even though many point to the UL press that brought down the Panthers from their perch of a #1 ranking, it was foul trouble to DeJuan Blair that hurt Pitt the most. With Blair in the game, Pitt was able to score points on second-chance opportunities and they limited the Cards to one-shot, keeping the press from being able to set-up. Blair will be the key tonight, if he can stay on the floor, he can help Pitt control the game. If he is picking up little reach or bump fouls 25+ feet away from the basket and finds himself saddled to the bench with fouls, the dynamic of Pitt’s team changes.

Villanova is very guard-driven on offense, so Jermaine Dixon will be key once again for Pitt and the long and athletic, 6-foot-3 guard will be challenged with stopping Scottie Reynolds. What makes Pitt so tough is that Brad Wanamaker and Gilbert Brown come off the bench and the defensive ability hardly misses a beat. Pitt can also go big with Sam Young as a small forward or slide him to the power forward spot and match-up with the smaller Wildcat line-up, but still hold a size and athletic advantage.

The Panthers are a pretty healthy 3 ½-point favorite on the road. Keeping in mind the Texas game from earlier this season, Pitt is a tough match-up for the Wildcats as they will be able to attack their weaknesses while not giving up an athletic advantage to the ‘Nova backcourt. Even though it is a ‘home’ game and will have a historical value being the final basketball game in the Spectrum, this is far from being the home court for Villanova. Look for Pitt to control this game and put it away with a couple impressive runs as long as DeJuan Blair is able to be on the floor.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Pittsburgh 72
Villanova 65

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ SOUTH FLORIDA

2009-01-24T08:55:00.000-05:00

January 24, 2009

Villanova looks to climb back to .500 in conference play when they travel to South Florida for a noon tip-off on Saturday afternoon for a Big East match-up. The Wildcats are coming off a tough loss at Connecticut from earlier this week.

South Florida is 2-4 in conference play after completing a home and home sweep over DePaul. USF has never won more then three Big East games in a season since joining the conference, but will have 12 games left to see if they can find two more victories to surpass that previous mark. Unfortunately, the schedule makers did not give them more cracks at the Blue Demons.

Chris Howard Lights up the Sun Dome for the USF Bulls (St. Pete Times)
Bulls & Villanova Set for Noon on Saturday (gousfbulls.com)
Bulls Basketball Keeps Building Despite Losing (Tampa Tribune)
USF Loses Senior Center Ajayi to Knee Injury (St. Pete Times)

The Bulls have been showing some improvement of late. Although they won just once on a recent three-game conference road trip, an 80-58 demolishing of DePaul, USF hung pretty tough with Pittsburgh before losing 75-62 and made a valiant comeback at West Virginia before coming up short, 62-59. They returned home and finished off a sweep of DePaul with a 70-61 victory. Making the win more impressive was they did it without Jesus Verdejo, their second leading scorer.

USF has been getting consistently big scoring efforts from Dominique Jones. The sophomore shooting guard leads the team on the year in scoring (18.8/game), rebounds (4.9), assists (4.1) and steals (1.6). What is more impressive is in the last four games, Jones has averaged over 26 points a game as well as 5 assists and 7 rebounds. He has also been able to get to the line 39 times in his last three games.

Villanova junior guard Reggie Redding will have the assignment to stop Jones. Redding is a very good defensive player that will play the role of defensive stopper quite well. He will not worry about his own offense and will not let not scoring cause his concentration to lapse on the defensive side of the ball.

Also helping the Bulls show improvement has been the progression of freshman Augustus Gilchrist. The 6-foot-10 F/C is a tough match-up because he is very comfortable shooting from the perimeter. He recorded his first double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds in their last win over DePaul and also had a 22-point outing at Pittsburgh.

Villanova is a very balanced team with seven players averaging at least six points a game, led by senior Dante Cunningham who is averaging a team-high 16.7 points and 7.1 rebounds. Like Jones for USF, Cunningham leads ‘Nova in a variety of categories as he also leads the Wildcats in blocked shots (1.3/game) and steals (1.7). Junior guard Scottie Reynolds adds support offensively to Cunningham, averaging 15.2 points a game and leads the team with 4.1 assists a game. Reynolds is still the player likely to make the clutch shots for Jay Wright’s squad and has shown he is still capable of carrying the scoring load when needed, like his 40-point performance in an OT win at Seton Hall earlier.

The latest college basketball odds show Villanova to be a 6 1/2-point road favorite. It is a game to watch carefully, as it sits right in between UConn and Pitt for the Wildcats.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 68
South Florida 64

VILLANOVA FALLS TO 2-3 IN BIG EAST

2009-01-22T10:37:00.002-05:00

Villanova had opportunities to earn that first statement win of the season, however a hot-shooting first half only allowed the Wildcats to keep pace with Connecticut. The hot-shooting would not last and in the end UConn's AJ Price Scores Career-High 29 Points to beat 'Nova (NY Daily News), 89-83, on Wednesday night.

Price's 29-point effort came on the heels of his 23-point outing in a win Sunday over Seton Hall. It was the first time this season that Price put back-to-back strong offensive outings, showing more signs that AJ is Just What UConn Kneeds (New Haven Register) as we head towards the midway point of conference play.

Price scored 20 of his 29 in the first half as both teams scored at will, going into halftime knotted at 48-all. The Wildcats hung even with UConn by shooting 56% in the first half.

Jerome Dyson added 19 points for the winners and his four-point play after being shoved from behind by an intentional foul committed by Corey Stokes gave UConn momentum to make a run to finally put some distance between then and 'Nova as the Huskies Push Back (TheDay.com) to win their sixth straight.

With Hasheem Thabeet limited to just 17 minutes because of foul trouble, Jeff Adrien picked up the slack inside with another double-double (12 points, 14 rebounds) as 'Nova's Rally Falls Short (Philadelphia Inquirer) as the Wildcats only connected on 34% of their shots in the second half.

Villanova was able to put five players in double figures, led by Dwayne Anderson's 15 points, but Villanova Falls Short Against UConn (Philly Daily News) and their strength as the Huskies fixed their foul shooting woes (just 8-18 on Sunday) by connecting on 31 of 39 attempts as the Huskies Hold Off 'Nova (Norwich Bulletin).

Scottie Reynolds scored 14, five coming in the last minute. Corey Stokes, Reggie Redding and Antonio Pena scored 12 points each.

Nova's leading rebounder and scorer, Dante Cunningham, scored just six points with only 3 rebounds as he was limited to 14 minutes of action before fouling out.

Notes:

-UConn held a 37-32 advantage on the boards and both teams turned the ball over 14 times in the contest.

-'Nova committed 26 fouls, leading to the Huskies outscoring the Wildcats 31-18 from the foul line.

-Villanova dips to 2-3 in conference play. They travel to play South Florida at noon on Saturday.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA VISITS UCONN

2009-01-21T11:51:00.000-05:00

January 21, 2009

Just another night in the Big East when a pair of ranked teams go head to head as 20th-ranked Villanova makes the trek to Hartford to take on No. 3 UConn.

The recurring theme when this game is analyzed is the need for Villanova to make a statement. The Wildcats have played three ranked teams, losing to all three (Texas, Marquette and Louisville) and we are 17 games into the season and their two best wins have been against local Big 5 rivals Temple and St. Joe's.

For UConn, they have something weighing on their mind as well, a three-game losing streak to jay Wright's squad.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

No Break for UConn (TheDay.com)
'Nova Looks for Respect vs. UConn (Evening Bulletin)
Easy Times May Be Over for Villanova (Philly Inquirer)
Villanova Looks to Make Statement (Philly Daily News)
Taken for Granted, Adrien Becomes UConn's Leader (Rep-Am)
Huskies Hope to Shake Wildcats (Norwich Bulletin)
UConn Trying to Keep Momentum Rolling (Rep-Am)
Versatile Villanova to Test UConn (Hartford Courant)

The match-up between UConn and 'Nova is concentrated on by looking at the size and NBA frontline of the Huskies and the traditionaly strong guard play of the Wildcats. While Dante Cunningham is enjoying a strong senior season and has given the 'Nova frontcourt new life, they just can not match-up withthe size and strength of a line-up that will start Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien and Stanley Robinson and also bring Gavin Edwards off the bench.

While Scottie Reynolds leads a strong Villanova backcourt line-up, it is probably pretty accurate to say that the UConn backcourt should be, at least, the equal to their counterparts tonight. If AJ Price can build some momentum from his hot-shooting in the weekend win over Seton Hall (although, do not expect the same number of open shots tonight) and the speed infusion that Kemba Walker brings and Jerome Dyson's ability to play both ends of the court, this is a pretty good backcourt in its own right, even if they are overlooked because of their frontline.

We are still waiting on proof of how good Villanova is. They will certainly have motivation to make a statement, but UConn might as well with the bright lights of the ESPN cameras on their home floor against a previous nemesis. As a 9 1/2-point favorite, we like UConn to start flexing a little more muscle and knock down some free throws tonight.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Connecticut 74
Villanova 62

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: ST. JOHN'S @ VILLANOVA

2009-01-18T08:26:00.001-05:00

January 18, 2009

Villanova (1-2) looks to climb back to .500 in Big East play on Sunday afternoon when they welcome St. John’s to the City of Brotherly Love for a big East match-up. The Redstorm are 1-3 in Big East play so far this year.

With much of the city of Philadelphia fixated on the NFL Odds of the Eagles reaching the Super Bowl later this afternoon, there is a little hoops appetizer to start their sports day.

Villanova will look to shake off the rust of not playing in eight days, when they lost to Louisville 61-60 at home. The Wildcats made a late run to take the lead, but a Terrence Williams basket with seven seconds put UL up by one. In the final seconds, ‘Nova missed two free throws and a couple point blank shots and ended up with a disappointing loss.

St. John’s played both Pittsburgh and Connecticut tough for about a half this past week, but ended up falling to both as they just did not have enough depth to compete the full forty minutes. Still, Jay Wright understands that Norm Roberts’ team will come after the Wildcats on the defensive side of the ball.

“I love their team’s toughness,” Wright said this week during the coach’s conference call. “They have four guys in double figures. They’re very well balanced. They play great team defense. I love their team defense.”

Against the Panthers, DJ Kennedy scored 18 points. It was Kenendy who was the catalyst for SJU’s upset win over Notre Dame earlier this season. Against UConn, Paris Horne scored 24, however, they will need to fin more than just one guy stepping up, they need a team effort, like they got against ND.

Injuries are also a problem for the Redstorm. They already lost Anthony Mason Jr for the season to injury and will likely be without starting point guard Malik Boothe once again. Justin Burrell has been playing with a mask after breaking facial bones in practice back in December, he has not seemed to be at his best since the injury. Adding to the injury list is Rob Thomas, the redshirt sophomore who has a long history of injury problems (among others) that have kept him off the floor. Thomas pulled a groin and did not play in the second half versus UConn on Thursday.

Villanova’s leading scorer this year is Dante Cunningham, who is averaging over 17 points and nearly 8 rebounds a game. Junior Scottie Reynolds is still capable of carrying the offensive load, too. For evidence of that, you need not look much further than his 40-point outburst in an OT win at Seton Hall which accounted for the Wildcats’ lone conference win to this point.

Look for Villanova to extend the defensive pressure in the half court to make it difficult for SJU to run their offense with freshman Quincy Roberts handling the point guard duties with Boothe out. This is where VU is at their best and should lead them to victory as 14 ½ point favorites.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the web:

St. John’s Sees Light After Brutal Stretch (NY Times)

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 70
St. John’s 60

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: LOUISVILLE @ VILLANOVA

2009-01-10T09:37:00.002-05:00

January 10, 2009

The Big East wastes no time putting a top match-up on the court on Saturday with Louisville travelling to Villanova for a high-noon showdown.

The Wildcats evened their Big East record at 1-1 with an 89-85 overtime win over Seton Hall at the Prudential Center 9n Newark (NJ) earlier this week. Star junior guard Scottie Reynolds carried ‘Nova to the win, matching a career-high with 40 points in the victory. His performance was needed, every single point, as highly regarded sophomores Corey Stokes and Corey Fisher, both former New Jersey high school stars, both went scoreless.

Louisville finally opened their conference schedule this week as the Cards travelled to Tampa and came out of the sunshine state with a win over South Florida, 71-57. Earl Clark was the star of the show with 22 points and 9 rebounds as UL won in their first true road game of the season.

Here are some game previews and stories found on the ‘net this morning:

Cards Start Tough Stretch (Louisville Courier-Journal)
Cardinals Prepping for Speedy Villanova (SportingNews.com)

This will be another test for the Louisville guard corps of Edgar Sosa, Andre McGee, Jerry Smith and Preston Knowles as the Wildcats are always guard heavy. Jay Wright will try and extend the defense to push the UL offense away from the basket to neutralize the size advantage the Cards enjoy with Samardo Samuels and Earl Clark in the frontcourt. The ball-handling and passing of Terrence Williams could be a big key in this one.

Villanova is coming off an OT win at Seton Hall, but they are going to need Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes to provide MUCH more offense to win against the better teams of the Big East. Stokes is bumped and bruised, so they need him healthy as his perimeter shooting ability opens it up for the other guards to get to the rim and take the pressure of Scotty Reynolds.

Inside, Dante Cunningham is going to have his hands full with Samuels and Clark on the boards. VU will need Antonio Pena and Shane Clark to play big to keep the opportunistic Cards off the boards.

The early morning college basketball betting odds have Villanova as a 2 ½ point favorite to defend their home court. Winning at home is essential in college basketball and the importance is only multiplied in the Big East. This is a great opportunity to see what both UL and ‘Nova are made off this season. Expect a close, tight game with the Wildcat guards fending off Louisville in a nail biter.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 66
Louisville 65

VILLANOVA GETS PAST SETON HALL

2009-01-07T21:43:00.001-05:00

January 7, 2009

by Ray Floriani

NEWARK, NJ – This is going to be the norm in the Big East this winter. Seton Hall, 0-2 after being handled convincingly by Syracuse and West Virginia, takes eighteenth ranked Villanova to the wire before losing in overtime. The visiting Wildcats, who lost at Marquette on NewYear’sDay, earned their first conference win of the season with an 89-85 overtime victory at the Prudential Center.

Three keys to the victory….
• In a shootout between Scottie Reynolds of Villanova and the Hall’s Jeremy Hazell, the former got the edge. Reynolds tied his career high with a 40 point effort. He was effective getting in the lane and on the perimeter(5 of 8 from three)and especially in the stretch as he hit a succession of free throws to seal the verdict. Hazell led the Hall with 26 points but took 24 (9 of 24) shots in the process.

• Defense. Outside of banking in a trey to tie the game with eight seconds to play in regulation, Hazell did most of his damage the first half. He finished with 19 of Seton Hall’s 37 points at the break and was 5 of 10 from three. The second half, Reggie Redding was assigned to Hazell defensively and did a nice of of limiting him and not letting him get into a groove.

• Nova led by eight with four minutes to go and proceeded to score one field goal, Antonio Pena in the lane, the remainder of regulation. Again , overcoming a situation like that on the roads and pulling out the win is very significant.

Finally…
• Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez was encouraged by John Garcia’s 12 board night, but ‘Nova’s Dante Cunningham had another sterling performance with 21 points 13 rebounds, and a number of them coming in crucial junctures. Another sign of encouragement for the Hall was freshman guard Jordan Theodore’s 9 points in eighteen minutes. “Tonight Theodore came of age,” said Gonzalez.

• Matchups. “They are guard oriented,” Gonzalez said of Villanova. “They are a good matchup for us in terms of size. They don’t have that size of a Pitt or Georgetown.”

• Quotes : “Everyone here who follows the Big East is not surprised. People around the country were but with nine ranked teams they follow the conference closer and are beginning to understand St.John’s beating a Notre Dame, these things happen all the time in this league. Hey, it’s fun and you never have to worry about getting up for a game.” – Villanova coach Jay Wright

• “In the Big East matchups and scheduling are important. Georgetown wins at UCONN and now they are 1-2. I’m not happy we are 0-3but a lot of it has to do with matchups and scheduling. Everyone in this conference will lose games.” – Bobby Gonzalez

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ SETON HALL

2009-01-06T12:24:00.002-05:00

January 6, 2009

Seton Hall returns to action on their home curt, just three days after being blasted by West Virginia, 92-66, at the Prudential Center. In two Big East games, the defenseless Pirates have yielded an average of 96 points a game while being outscored by a combined 50 points in losses to WVU and Syracuse.

Villanova opened their conference slate on the road on New Year's Day and fell to Marquette in the Bradley Center in a competitive and entertaining game. The Wildcats will look to even their conference record at 1-1 when they take on the Pirates tonight.

Here are some pregame stories and previews found on the web today:

Villanova at Seton Hall (Sports Network)

Villanova makes the short trek from Philly to Newark (NJ) for a Big East conference match-up against the Seton Hall Pirates. Villanova lost at Marquette in Thursday's conference opener as they shot just 41% from the floor and hit ony six of 20 from three-point range in the 79-72 loss. If your offense is ailing, a game with SHU is likely to fix that.

In Big East play (2 games) opponents are shooting 55% from the field in a mix of dunks, lay-ups and open three-point shots (20-40) against SHU. sure, maybe they ran into a couple of hot-shooting teams, but the Pirates try to force tempo without numbers and the results have been a lot of easy baskets for the opposition.

Offensively, SHU is just four of 36 in two games from three-point range. Jeremy Hazell is averaging 26 points a game in the first two league games, but nobody else has been a consistent offensive threat.

A healthy John Garcia provides a big lift for the Pirates and the 'Nova post players do not have anyone with his bulk to match-up. However, the injured knee limits Garcia's effectiveness and the style of play the Pirates lean to also cancels out the effectiveness of Garcia in the paint. Quicker post players like Antonio Pena and Dante Cunningham could pose problems for Garcia and the thin SHU frontcourt.

The Villanova gaurds have not been shooting the ball very well, so it will be interesting if Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher are able to find the mark. The Pirates will try to keep Corey Stokes from getting any open looks, but if the game starts to open up, look for the sophomore shooting specialist to find his spots and dial in from long rage tonight.

The Pirates need to improve their offensive effeciency and not just work on volume in the Big East. Their shots are due to start to fall for others other than Hazell, but will they have enough inside to take advantage of Villanova's small line-up? Probably not...

With Villanova a 6 and a half point favorite according to the latest college basketball odds, the Wildcats are a good bet to even that conference record with a road win.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 78
Seton Hall 70

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ MARQUETTE

2009-01-01T12:47:00.003-05:00

January 1, 2009

Marquette hopes to host a New Year's party at the expense of Villanova when the two teams meet New Year's Day at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee. The latest college basketball odds list the Golden Eagles as the three-point favorite to start off 2009 with a win.

This is a match-up of two teams with excellent guard play, but neither would be considered to have a strong frontcourt. We would give the edge in the backcourt in this one to Marquette, while the Wildcats, led by Dante Cunningham, will be expected to have the edge up front.

Here are a couple pre-game stories from the web:

Villanova to Test Big East Waters (Philly Inquirer)
Familiar Setting as Villanova Opens Big East Play (Philly Daily News)
MU Has Big Task in Conference (Milwaukee Journal-sentinel)

Marquette is led by the senior guard trio of Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Mathews, all having strong starts this year under new coach Buzz Williams. Lazar Hayward provides most of the scoring and rebounding for an undersized and undermanned front line.

Villanova always has strong guard play under coach Jay Wright. Scottie Reynolds returns to lead the troops, but the emergence of senior Dante Cunningham as a highly productive post player on both ends makes the Wildcats very dangerous.

In this one, look for the home crowd to help energize Marquette to push and attack the 'Nova defense. It should be a good game, with the senior trio in the MU backcourt pulling out the win.

Prediction:

Marquette 69
Villanova 63

Notes For MU/Villanova New Year's Jumpoff

2008-12-27T21:47:00.000-05:00

by Zach Smart

In their final out-of-conference tune-up before the first Big East game of the season, Dominic James bailed out the Golden Eagles in heroic fashion.

The senior, hated on by cats who felt he should have never entertained NBA draft illusions, played like…well…a senior.

Let’s not forget, James has been the bulwark and mainstay of Marquette’s offense since he was a freshman. During his freshman year, James turned many heads in a competitive college basketball landscape.

The Big East was leaking with NBA talent that year, as guys like Rudy Gay (UConn), Marcus Williams (UConn), Hilton Armstrong (UConn), Kyle Lowry (Villanova), Randy Foye (Villanova), Quincy Douby (Rutgers), Solomon Jones (South Florida) and James’ then-teammate, super sniper Steve Novak, were all surefire draft picks.

James, the 5-foot-10 guard from Indiana, flexed his elder statesmen muscles and canned a game-winning three with a mere .4 ticks left against N.C. State. The Golden Eagles’ pulsating 68-65 triumph over N.C. State lifted them to 10-2 on the season, allowing them to creep back into the Top-25.

Read More...Click 'Read rest of Article' Below!!!

-

T
The No. 25 Eagles sat in a zone early, one that Wolfpack freshman Brandon Costner seeped into early and often. Costner, a feast-or-famine junior forward, put on his best show of the season.

The 6-foot-9 behemoth dropped 24 points, hitting on nine of ten shot attempts and scoring 11 of the game’s first 15 points. He busted the 2-1-2 zone matchup that Marquette soon ditched, nailing treys at a 5-for-5 clip.

Marquette came roaring back from an early funk. They surged ahead, 23-20 with 7:23 to play in the first.

In the game that saw The Eagles struggled with Marquette’s length and springy athleticism (though MU was only outrebounded by a thin 25-23 margin), James, the team’s foundation who shoulders more Big East big game experience on this side of Jeff Adrien and Craig Austrie, had the final say. .

James scored 18 points and handed out six assists. The trio of Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, and Lazar Heyward combined for 54 of the Golden Eagles’ 68 total points.

With Wesley Matthews, the local product who’s established himself as a go-to-guy (his numbers are up to 19.1 ppg after averaging 11 as a junior) leaving his game in parts unknown, the three computed for nearly 80 percent of MU’s offensive output.

The Wolfpack bench won the pine time battle by outscoring their opponents, 12-5.

Still, Marquette has arguably one of the top backcourts in the nation with the three-guard set of James, McNeal, and Matthews. With college basketball still a guard’s game, their college basketball odds are always strong.

Guard play, always a dictator of destiny in Big East basketball, will be a major factor in the Golden Eagles’ New Year’s day showdown with 11-1 Villanova.

Villanova no longer has the four-guard operation that drove teams crazy in 2006, but Corey Stokes, Corey Fisher, and junior guard Scottie Reynolds (14.5 points, 4.5 assists, 18.0 ppg in the last three games) will put the Marquette backcourt to the test.

While Marquette had trouble handling the length of N.C. State, it doesn’t get much easier against the Wildcats.

Not one single iota of easier, especially now that Dante Cunningham has started to flower.

The 6-foot-8 forward is averaging 17.8 points and 7.8 boards got the better of heavy NBA prospect Damion James in an eyeball to eyeball matchup with heavy during the Jimmy V Classic.

Cunningham’s meteoric rise was kick-started with a 31-point, 11-board eruption in a win over Fordham back in November. His 23 and 12 night at Madison Square Garden upgraded him into a new zip code. A.J. Abrams lights-out shooting, however, was what really tamed the Wildcats.

With Dwayne Anderson back in the swing of things like clockwork, the ‘Cats seem to have augmented thier depth.

With Cunningham beginning to percolate (shooting a blistering 58 percent from the floor), MU will need some manpower as a stopgap measure up front.

Marquette’s Dwight Burke, who’s putting up meager numbers (2.3 points, 3.5 boards) and looked more lackadaisical than Ben Wallace on offense in last year’s Big East tournament, needs to get his game up.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: VILLANOVA

2008-12-12T10:07:00.003-05:00

December 12, 2008

Verbal Commitment Alert: Dominic Cheek, 6'5 (SG) of St. Anthony's in Jersey City (NJ)

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)

* 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.

The recruiting saga of Dominic Cheek will officially come to a close this evening at 6 PM. However, one of the worst kept secrets has been let out of the bag publicly as ZagsBlog.com is reporting that Cheek is Headed to the Big East and will announce this evening for Villanova, multiple sources close to the situation have informed ZagsBlog.

READ ON...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

The cherry on top of the touted recruiting class assembled by Jay Wright that he coveted has been delivered as Dominic Cheek has chosen 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 this 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.

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 will attend Monteverde Academy in Florida this coming season, chose Villanova over Florida, Clemson, Miami and West Virginia, according to ZagsBlog.com.

Last year at the Arlington Country Day School, Bell averaged 13 points and 9 rebounds a contest and 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.

Even with the loaded class of 2009 in the fold, the recent transfer of Casseim Drummond from the program has left Jay Wright with two scholarships to play with this spring. They also have two seniors on the 2009-2010 roster, and with the commitment of Bell, means three slots are also open for 2010 if they do not add anyone else for 2009. Expect Villanova to continue to be in the mix for more top players up and down the east coast. One thing is certain, Jay Wright has certainly increased the college basketball odds of his Wildcats breaking through and challenging for a Final Four in the near future with his recruiting efforts in the class of 2009. 'Nova fans will have a lot to cheer about very soon!

VILLANOVA FALLS IN JIMMY V TEST

2008-12-11T16:44:00.004-05:00

By Ray Floriani

NEW YORK CITY – A final look back at the Jimmy V Classic.

Score:

Texas 67
Villanova 58

For Villanova this was their first major test of the year. Actually, they faced Rhode Island in the Hoop Group Classic but didn’t get the challenge they expected. Texas provided the measurement . It would be harsh to say the Wildcats failed. Let’s say it was a learning experience.

For one, you can’t go 16 of 25 from the line against a marquee opponent and entertain thoughts of getting a victory as that percentage will lesser your NCAA basketball odds night in and night out.

Another factor was taking care, or not in this case, of the ball. Jay Wright’s club was guilty of 19 turnovers. Again, a problem facing opposition with this pedigree.
On a positive note was the play of Dante Cunningham. Texas posed a huge problem with three 6-10 players in the rotation. The Texas ‘bigs’ are collectively not the greatest skilled but they can bang and wear you down. Cunningham had another nice performance, battling inside and putting up a team high 23 points 12 boards. Dwayne Anderson added 9 boards in relief. The 6-6 senior swingman will have to step up and help inside on a regular basis once Big East play unfolds with a succession of physical challenges.

A.J. Abrams of Texas had a game high 26 points and registered a number of them in the stretch with the game in the balance. Abrams stepped up and hit a succession of big shots, usually on the perimeter, in the stretch. Nova trailed by four points midway through the second half. On several consecutive trips they simply could not get the contest to a one possession game. Thanks largely to Abrams’ clutch shooting.

The game boiled down to defense. Villanova was not able to dig in and get those key stops in the stretch. Chalk it up to game toughness which is something Wright admitted his team needed a little more of. Texas defended well all night long and got those stops.

The Tempo Free breakdown:

...........Score.........Possessions...........Efficiency

Texas........67..............68....................99
Villanova....58..............70....................83

* The Texas defense never rests

JAMEER NELSON, KYLE LOWRY...MAALIK WAYNS?

2008-11-13T12:55:00.003-05:00

by Matt Whitfield

Watching Maalik Wayns play is not like watching any ordinary high school basketball player. For all of 17 years old Wayns already has the size, toughness, and on on-court awareness to be a star point guard in college. Wayns is committed to Villanova and, according to Rivals.com, is the fourth best point guard and 25th best player overall in the class of 2009. High School recruiting guru Bob Gibbons said he believes Wayans can be as good as New Orleans Hornets PG Chris Paul and right now compares him to North Carolina’s outstanding PG Ty Lawson.

Wayns currently attends Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia. The same school made famous by one-time Parade High School Basketball Player of the year Eddie Griffin. Griffin was a supremely talented, yet troubled, basketball player who sadly had his life and career cut short when he was killed in a car-train accident. When asked about playing in the Eddie Griffin Classic in honor of the former Roman Catholic Alum Wayns said,” I’m honored; he’s probably the greatest player ever to come out of Roman Catholic. I’ll do anything to honor my school [or] honor my city.” Wayns did indeed. Besides putting on a stellar performance in helping lead Team Philadelphia to the sweep, he showed his respect to Griffin by being the only hoopster to play in the event three years straight.

Besides being a top prospect, many recruiting analysts, as well a current and former NBA players, see Wayns as the next great PG to grace Philadelphia. As a top prep product Wayns had other offers to stay in Philadelphia with Temple, St. Joseph’s, and LaSalle. According to Wayns, who always planned on playing basketball in Philadelphia, he chose Villanova because of, “the family atmosphere of the program and the guard orientated program [which] was a right style of a fit for my type of game.”

Only time will tell if Maalik Wayns can follow the footsteps of Kyle Lowry or Jammer Nelson. For now, despite his basketball prowess, Wayns is still just another high school senior who enjoys watching Baron Davis and hanging out with his friends in his spare time. Next year is another story as Wayns will be vying for playing time at Villanova, a team that will be loaded again in the backcourt with Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher, and Corey Stokes. Will Wayns play? No one knows for sure, but no one just gets crowned for nothing.

One ting is for certain, Bet On Villanova staying amongst the top of the Big East with backcourt talent like that year in and year out.

ARMWOOD PRIMED FOR MONTROSE & VILLANOVA

2008-11-13T12:48:00.004-05:00

By Ron Bailey

November 12, 2008 – Baltimore, aka Charm City, has long supplied talented basketball players to the Big East, with the likes of Carmelo Anthony, Donte Greene and Michael Lloyd (Syracuse); David Wingate, Reggie Williams, Kevin Braswell along with DaJuan Summers (Georgetown); plus Bootsy Thornton (St. John’s) and Kevin Norris (Miami when the school was in the conference) immediately coming to mind. The port city has been good to America’s premier hoops conference.

In 2009 another B’More baller enters the league, none other than 6-foot-8 forward Isaiah Armwood. A prototypical run and jump frontcourt man, Armwood, who weighs a svelte 185 pounds, is probably one of the best players in his class of filling fast break lanes and finishing, routinely putting it down on opponent’s heads.

That’s an ability he his displayed for years, and a skill that will make him one of the most exciting players to hit the Big East when he enrolls at Villanova next year. For the record, the Wildcats bested other league schools Louisville and Syracuse, along with the Atlantic Coast Conference’s University of Maryland for his services.

To his credit, Isaiah is not content with simply relying on his high flying antics, as he recognizes what he needs to improve upon: strength, ball handling, and perimeter shooting. Those factors will certainly increase his college basketball odds of contributing early for the Wildcats.

“We do a lot of things in terms of working on our skills” at Montrose Christian School (MD), where Isaiah stars, revealed the Charm City product. “I’ve been doing ball handling and shooting drills, plus lifting weights. My handling and my shooting have improved.”

“I think he’s going to have an excellent season this year,” said Montrose’s coach, Stu Vetter, of his expectation for Armwood’s final campaign. “We’re going to play him inside and outside”: This includes having Isaiah face up from three point land and at times giving several dribbles before pulling up, as well as operating on his beloved baseline. Expect Armwood, who has recovered from a springtime knee injury to continue rebounding and blocking shots. Of course running the floor is a foundation of his game.

Going forward playing inside and out will be good for Isaiah and Villanova, a place he deemed “a great fit for me”, one allowing him to “play both forward positions.” Based upon his continued work, Armwood also believes “I have a good chance at starting my freshman year.”

Could Armwood be the next Baltimore standout to do damage in the Big East? If he continues to improve upon his weak points frankly yes. It’s all up to him, and based upon this preseason, Isaiah is pointed in that direction.

Ron Bailey is the Publisher of i95ballerz.com and frequent contributor to the NBE Basketball Report.

BIG EAST TOP TWO-GUARDS 2008-2009: 10) COREY FISHER

2008-11-11T16:31:00.003-05:00

November 11, 2008

Like Chris Wright on the listing of the Big East's Top 2008-2009 Point Guards, there is a pretty good bet that Corey Fisher moves up this list significantly for next season.

Fisher is a 6-foot-1 guard that plays in Jay Wright's guard friendly system at Villanova. Coming out of New York City and powerful St. Patrick's of New Jersey, Fisher was a highly acclaimed recruit that had high expectations as a freshman. With Scottie Reynolds the primary backcourt threat, it seemed like Fisher never really found a comfort zone sharing responsibilities with Reynolds. As the season wore on, Reynolds began to take over more of the primary ballhandling duties and that is likely to consider this season.

With Reynolds being the primary ballhandler, look for Fisher to find a more consistent role this season. Although not a two-guard, Fisher is not a prototype point guard either, however, he can be a talented scorer and with a year under his belt, look for that experience to help him feed more off the talents of Reynolds and find himself in position to capitalize more often, even while not having the ball in his hands as often.

As a freshman, Fisher averaged nine points a game and struggled from the field, shooting just 35% overall and 33% from beyond the arc. His assist to turnover ratio of 1.35:1 also could use some work.

Villanova has some high expectations this season and Fisher is definitely a key to making those expectations become reality. Villanova has always enhanced their NCAA Basketball Odds with strong guard play, a step forward for Fisher as a sophomore will continue that trend for Jay Wright's club.

BIG EAST TOP POINT GUARDS 2008-2009: 4) SCOTTIE REYNOLDS

2008-11-05T14:27:00.004-05:00

November 5, 2008

The offensive point guard that plays in a multi-guard set is always the hardest to classify. Villanova junior Scottie Reynolds falls into that category like a glove. The 6-foot-2 guard from Herndon (VA) is the main cog in the Villanova system, a very guard-friendly system that coach Jay Wright has become quite popular with among recruits. There is no doubt that Wright lets his guards play, encouraging them to take their opponent off the dribble and attack the defense. Scottie Reynolds is well suited for this offensive philosophy.

As a freshman, Reynolds took the Big East by storm, averaging over 18 points a game in conference play, which included a 40-point outburst at UConn. Reynolds also led the club with four assists a game as the Wildcats made the NCAA Tournament.

Last season, it seemed as though Reynolds progress as a player was a bit stagnate through the season. With freshman Corey Fisher in the backcourt with him, it seemed like neither could get a proper feel for which one was the point guard or the scoring lead guard, however, as the season wore on, Reynolds emerged as the primary ball-handler and seemed to settle more into the role of point guard. He was still offensive minded, but in the system Jay Wright uses, that is what is called upon for his lead guard.

Reynolds saved some of his best basketball for the NCAA Tournament, leading the Wildcats into the Sweet 16 while scoring 46 points and hitting 8 of 12 three's in rounds one and two.

Still, what Reynolds needs to improve upon is his assist to turnover ration, which was 1:1 last season and being under control more consistently. However, as far as scoring from the lead guard position, Reynolds remains among the best in, not only the Big East, but the country. With a top guard leading a guard-favorable attack, Villanova will remain a constant in the March Madness betting pools as guards rule in college hoops. The NBE Basketball Report staff thinks highly enough of Reynolds' game to place him as the #4 point guard in the Big East for the 2008-2009 season.

2008-2009 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 7) VILLANOVA

2008-10-17T16:34:00.002-04:00

October 19, 2008

There will not be much different this season from last when you tune in to check out Jay Wright’s Villanova Wildcat squad. ‘Nova returns their top seven scorers and their top nine players in terms of minutes per game from a squad that reached the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16. At one time last year, the Wildcats were virtually left for dead with a 3-6 conference record and they were coming off a 22-point blow out loss to rival St. Joseph’s (PA), ending their record-setting Big 5 win streak.

However, the Wildcats clawed back, got to 9-9 in the conference and beat Syracuse in a first round Big East Tournament match-up and were granted with a bid to the NCAA Tournament, which surprised some. Villanova took advantage of their opportunity as the young squad staged an incredible comeback to upend Clemson in the opening round and then beat upset-minded Siena in the second round. Eventual national champion Kansas ended the VU run in the Sweet 16.

Now, a veteran ‘Nova club will took for more in 2008-2009.

READ ON...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

Comings:

Not much to report here as Maurice Sutton, a 6-foot-11 center, is the only new recruit added to the roster. Sutton was a late period signing out of Upper Marlboro (MD) and Largo High School.

Duke transfer Taylor King is also on the roster, but due to NCAA transfer rules, King will be sitting out the 2008-2009 season.

Goings:

Similar as with the comings, the only player leaving the roster is Malcolm Grant, an offensively gifted guard whose up and down freshman season led him to look for a new home and he transferred to Miami over the summer. Power forward Andrew Ott left the program mid-year last season and moved on to Penn State.

Net Impact:

Villanova loses the instant offense that Grant supplied. It could be argued that Grant single-handily won their match-ups with LSU and the conference opener with Pittsburgh by showcasing his offensive firepower, scoring 40 points in 43 minutes in those two contests. A few weeks after his performance against Pitt, Grant scored 23 in just 18 minutes in a loss to Rutgers, but was hardly heard from again following that game, scoring just 24 points in the last 18 games of the season. So, in the end, his loss was made up for by others stepping up and should continue into 08-09. Sutton is not likely to see much action this year, but will add size to a squad that does not have a lot on the roster.

2008-2009 Backcourt Outlook:

Under Jay Wright, the Villanova program has become synonymous with top-quality guard play, and in today's game, your college basketball odds are enhanced with strong backcourt performers. That trend will definitely continue this coming season as the Wildcats will be led by junior guard Scotty Reynolds. In his sophomore season, Reynolds led VU in scoring (16 PPG), assists (3.2/game) and steals (1.5/game). Sometimes, Reynolds can be a little out of control, and his 3.1 turnovers a game (another team high) can attest to that. But, make no mistake about it, Reynolds is the straw that will stir ‘Nova’s attack this season and his 46 points in rounds one and two last year in the NCAA Tournament shows his importance. When they needed the big play, he was there to give his team a lift.

If your looking for players that could make the biggest steps forward, keying their team’s success, looking in the direction of Corey Stokes and Corey Fisher could be a wise move. Both came to Villanova last season with tremendously high expectations, but up and down freshman seasons have the duo being slightly overlooked this year. Fisher got off to a quick start offensively, but it seemed early on that he and Reynolds never seemed to have good games at the same time. Towards the end of the season, Fisher struggled with his health and it impacted his scoring ability, as he shot just 35% from the field on the year. Being healthier and with a year of experience under his belt, look for Fisher to show marked improvement on the court as a sophomore.

Stokes, on the other hand, started off slowly, getting very little meaningful time consistently until mid-February when he found his rhythm. Over the last 14 games of the season, Stokes averaged just over 12 points a game and hit for 20 in the NCAA Tournament win over Siena. Stokes ability to hit from beyond the arc is a perfect compliment to his prospective backcourt mates.

Solid junior Reggie Redding is a perfect complimentary piece in the backcourt and senior wing Dwayne Anderson also returns to add perimeter depth. Both players are quality team players that will bring a variety of skills to the mix to help their team earn wins by either rebounding, playing defense or scoring points when needed.

2008-2009 Frontcourt Outlook:

Once again, the biggest question surrounding the Wildcats will be the play of their frontcourt. This year’s unit is the same as last season’s, but a healthier group should bring improvement along with more experience. Still, there is not a difference maker, but good, solid basketball players that might be a little undersized for the Big East.

Senior Dante Cunningham usually puts in the work as the ‘Nova center, but he is a true power forward at 6-foot-8. In his junior season, Cunningham was a consistent performer, netting just over 10 points and a team high 6.4 rebounds a game. He also led the Wildcats with 31 blocked shots on the season, so, as you can tell, this is not an intimidating unit as far as Big East frontcourts go. How consistent was Cunningham? He averaged double figures on the season, only eclipsing 16 points one time, with 21 (including 13 made free throws) against Seton Hall.

Fellow senior Shane Clark returns as a forward in the Villanova game plan. Clark started off the season averaging 15 points and 7 rebounds over their first four games, but nagging injuries limited Clark’s effectiveness the rest of the way and in the middle of the Big East schedule he was seeing little time in terms of game action. He finished the regular season a bit stronger, but overall, his production did not reach expected levels.

One player looking for a big season is redshirt sophomore Antonio Pena, an athletic and tough 6-foot-8 forward. Pena worked his way into being a key contributor last season during the conference schedule and should be poised for more this season. The NYC native has some versatile forward scores, but in the Villanova scheme, he uses his NYC toughness to battle bigger players in the paint for the most part.

Rounding out the frontcourt is junior Casseim Drummond, seldom-used veteran Frank Tchuisi and the lone new face Maurice Sutton. Drummond is an interesting player because he has the size that most of the Wildcat roster lacks at 6-foot-10 and 275 pounds. Last season he figured into the game plan for Jay Wright regularly early on, but a stress fracture in his foot limited his play significantly as the season wore on. If Drummond can keep himself in shape and healthy he could be an important factor in the paint for Villanova this team and give them the element of size they have lacked in recent seasons.

2008-2009 Team Outlook:

This is a good Villanova team this season. They are solid all around and Jay Wright will have his team playing hard for him. They have some upside potential, especially among three sophomores with Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes and Antonio Pena. That trio might key their season and be the reasons why they could move up higher from this pre-season position.

With veteran Scotty Reynolds leading the way and senior Dante Cunningham anchoring the frontcourt, 'Nova has experience in key positions. This should be a consistent team that can get hot on occasion and put together some impressive runs offensively. Their frontcourt is still somewhat of a question mark, it is definitely solid, but as frontcourts go in the Big East, they will be under fire often against teams among the top half of the conference.

In the end, Villanova should be a team in the mix for top-25 consideration and on the correct side of the March Madness picture. If one of two of the sophomores make a giant leap forward this season, this could be a team that surprises a few more and makes a run at the upper quarter of the conference.

2008-2009 Big East Prediction: 10-8

'NOVA COACH JAY WRIGHT REVEALS MUCH

2008-10-06T13:48:00.004-04:00

by Ron Bailey

October 6, 2008 – Villanova’s head coach, Jay Wright, participated in the Hoop Magic Stu Vetter Coaching Clinic recently, in doing so joining a cadre of celebrated, talented coaches, as well as widely respected sports health professionals. For coverage, see i95Ballerz.com (linked above).

Wright, known for having tough, offensively explosive squads focused on the development of plays, providing attendees insight into the mind directing one of the Big East’s most recognized and respected programs.

One set Villanova is well know for is the pick and roll; last year, Scottie Reynolds performed it well, scoring 15.8 points and being tabbed second team All-Big East and MVP of Villanova’s team, during the school’s 22-13, 2007-2008 season. The squad would make March Madness’ Sweet Sixteen round, bucking College Basketball Odds along the way.

“It was working via spacing” stressed Wright, of his team’s proficiency in what is one of the most fundamental yet most difficult to defend basketball plays. There is no wonder many teams in the world’s best league, the National Basketball Association, constantly employ it, as the pick and roll is not only effective, but efficient from time and energy standpoints.

That’s not to say Wright ran pick and roll exclusively, since the team used many other plays and sets. The determining factor of what Villanova’s coach runs? “It’s based on your players” said Wright in a matter of fact manner. “And how the opponent is going to defend you”.

If readers are getting the impression Wright uses a common sense, streamlined approach to basketball play development, they’re right, as he believes an excessive amount of plays is counterproductive. “For the players, they have to think more and it slows them down” remarked Wright of a large playbook. “If you can look at the plays you have, see how they are working and tweak them, that’s better…I don’t have to come up with more plays, just know how they (defenders) are going to play you”.

This philosophy was dramatically revealed by Wright’s revelation regarding his 2005-2006 team’s much touted ‘four guard offense’, one that led the Wildcats to an Elite Eight NCAA tourney berth: “There was no four guard offense. Our forward (Curtis Sumpter) got hurt. We moved Randy Foye into the forward spot and ran the exact same plays. They just played him differently."

There you have it, straight from Wright’s mouth. It’s clear by his 148-83 record at Villanova and four consecutive NCAA tournament invitations (during that period, the team is 96-37), Wright’s system works.

Just a little something to inform NBE Basketball Report readers. Expect more later.

VILLANOVA NEWS & NOTES

2008-09-30T13:42:00.004-04:00

September 30, 2008

Jay Wright had an opening on his staff since associate head coach Brett Gunning accepted a job on the Houston Rockets’ staff. Wright Completes Villanova Staff (Philly Daily News) by promoting Pat Chambers to associate head coach, Jason Donnelly to assistant coach, Keith Urgo to manager of basketball operations and hires Kyle Neptune as video coordinator.

Jay Wright has been working on the class of 2009 for some time and his efforts have been paying off with an elite trio of verbal commitments from Maalik Wayns, Isaiah Armwood and Mouphtau Yarou. Wright is now looking to cap off the class with a bang and Dominic Cheek and Terrell Vinson are two of the possibilities for their two open scholarships which will greatly increase the College Basketball Odds of the Wildcats advancing deep into the postseason in the future.

Villanova had an in-home visit with Cheek on September 23rd and he will visit the campus on an official visit this fall. He has already made an unofficial visit to Villanova back in August (among other previous trips to the Main Line).

The recent increase in highly recruited players choosing schools outside the traditional high-major conferences has sparked a lot of conversation recently. Several Big East schools felt the punch when Aaric Murray recently spurned offers and serious interest from schools such as West Virginia, Villanova, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Connecticut and others and choose LaSalle of the Atlantic 10. Although many are shaking their heads, Aaric Murray’s Decision Makes Sense (Philadelphia Inquirer) to the one person it matters to the most, Aaric Murray.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: VILLANOVA

2008-08-25T21:00:00.002-04:00

August 25, 2008

Verbal Commitment Alert: Mouphtau Yarou, 6'10 (C/PF) Montrose Christian of Rockville (MD)

Projected 2008-2009 Roster:

Seniors: Frank Tchuisi (F), Dwayne Anderson (SG), Dante Cunningham (F), Shane Clark (F)
Juniors: Scottie Reynolds (G), Reggie Redding (G), Casseim Drummond (C)
Sophomores: Corey Stokes (G), Corey Fisher (PG), Antonio Pena (F), Taylor King (WF)
Freshmen: Maurice Sutton (C/BF)
2009 Commitments: Maalik Wayns (PG), Isaiah Armwood (F), Mouphtau Yarou (C/BF)
2010 Commitments: James Bell (SG)

According to the Philadelphia Daily News, Villanova Gets a Commitment From a Top Power Forward in Mouphtau Yarou. The addition of Yarou continues to strengthen a tremendous class of 2009 for Jay Wright and the Wildcats.

READ ON...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

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.

On Friday afternoon, 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 this summer, Jay Wright took another step to completing a huge class of 2009 as, joining early commitment Maalik Wayns, 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.

Villanova still has two scholarships open for the class of 2009. From the get-go, shooting guard Dominic Cheek of St. Anthony's in Jersey City (NJ) has been at the top of Jay Wright's wish list for 2009 and the interest has been mutual. However, Cheek still has yet to narrow down his long list of suitors, but expect the Wildcats to be in it right until the very end, along with schools like Connecticut (where Cheek participated in their Elite Camp), the local New Jersey Big East schools (SHU and Rutgers), Pittsburgh and several from the ACC and beyond. Cheek recently performed in the Boost Mobile Elite 24 in Rucker Park and talked about the relationship he has developed with Maalik Wayns and it could play a role in his decision.

Adding a true center is still a possibility for the Wildcats and Aaric Murray, of Glen Mills (PA) high School, will still be pursued. It is unclear if Yarou's commitment could impact Murray's interest in VU. Another forward Villanova is in the recruiting race for as is Armwood's (amd possibly Yarou's) teammate, Terrel Vinson of Montrose Christian. Mount Vernon wing Sherrod Wright has also been mentioned as a player on the VU radar for 2009.

While Jay Wright and Villanova continue to work towards closing a blockbuster class in 2009, they have gotten a head start in the class of 2010 with the early verbal commitment from James Bell. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard, who will attend Monteverde Academy in Florida this coming season, chose Villanova over Florida, Clemson, Miami and West Virginia, according to ZagsBlog.net.

Last year at the Arlington Country Day School, Bell averaged 13 points and 9 rebounds a contest and 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.

Villanova Recruiting Talib Zanna

2008-08-20T00:39:00.003-04:00

August 20, 2008

It did not matter if he was suiting up for the DC Blue Devils early in the AAU season, with his high school team, Bishop McNamara, in 'The Rock' summer basketball league, or with the DC Triple Threat to close out the summer AAU circuit, no matter where he was Talib Zanna was impressive and continued to show college basketball coaches he was an improving talent.

Zanna was impressive in the Agent Zero to Hero AAU event, displaying the ability to run the floor, as always, and improved willingness to battle inside and establish post position. His efforts in the event earned him a Agent Zero 17U 1st Team All Tourney honors according to i95ballerz.com.

Zanna finished off a fine summer at the Reebok Summer Championships as his strong and athletic play continued on. He showed a continued preference to attack the basket from a face-up position, but knowing his arsenal is beginning to take shape with a more polished inside game is adding to the intrigue around this quality 2009 prospect and has the high-major schools taking strong interest in him.

"The colleges recruiting me the most are Villanova, Pittsburgh, Providence, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech," Zanna stated. "I am planning to visit some schools soon."

Be sure to check out the latest Odds to Win the 2009 NCAA Championship and see how your favorite team stacks up.

Be sure to check out the NBE Basketball Report for more on Zanna and his recruitment.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: VILLANOVA

2008-07-31T15:45:00.002-04:00

July 31, 2008

Verbal Commitment Alert: James Bell, 6'4 (SG) Monteverde Academy (FL)

Adam Zagoria has the story today as James Bell to Villanova (ZagsBlog.net) was announced publicly earlier today. Bell is a shooting guard out of Florida in the class of 2010 that has been very high on Villanova for a few months.

Projected 2008-2009 Roster:

Seniors: Frank Tchuisi (F), Dwayne Anderson (SG), Dante Cunningham (F), Shane Clark (F)
Juniors: Scottie Reynolds (G), Reggie Redding (G), Casseim Drummond (C)
Sophomores: Corey Stokes (G), Corey Fisher (PG), Antonio Pena (F), Taylor King (WF)
Freshmen: Maurice Sutton (C/BF)
2009 Commitments: Maalik Wayns (PG), Isaiah Armwood (F)
2010 Commitments: James Bell (SG)

READ ON...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

While Jay Wright and Villanova continue to work towards closing a blockbuster class in 2009, they have gotten a head start in the class of 2010 with the early verbal commitment from James Bell. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard, who will attend Monteverde Academy in Florida this coming season, chose Villanova over Florida, Clemson, Miami and West Virginia, according to ZagsBlog.net.

Last year at the Arlington Country Day School, Bell averaged 13 points and 9 rebounds a contest and 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.

Earlier this month, Jay Wright took another step to completing a huge class of 2009 as, joining early commitment Maalik Wayns, forward Isaiah Armwood, who plays at Montrose Christian in Maryland, committed to 'Nova. Armwood has long been considered Villanova's to lose and he made the call for the Wildcats today.

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.

Villanova still has three scholarships open for the class of 2009. From the get-go, shooting guard Dominic Cheek of St. Anthony's in Jersey City (NJ) has been at the top of Jay Wright's wish list for 2009 and the interest has been mutual. However, Cheek still has yet to narrow down his long list of suitors, but expect the Wildcats to be in it right until the very end, along with schools like Connecticut (where Cheek will be later this weekend), the local New Jersey Big East schools (SHU and Rutgers), Pittsburgh and several from the ACC and beyond.

Adding a true center is also a must for the Wildcats and Aaric Murray, of Glen Mills (PA) high School, and David Bruce of Linden (NJ) are a couple of the big men on the early Villanova watch list. Another forward Villanova is in the recruiting race for as is Armwood's teammate, Terrel Vinson of Montrose Christian. Mount Vernon wing Sherrod Wright has also been mentioned as a player on the VU radar for 2009.

As the spring recruiting periods moves along into the summer months, expect Villanova to be very active on the recruiting trail for the class of 2009 with a chance for one of the nation's best classes.

AARIC MURRAY LOOKS AT VILLANOVA

2008-07-24T10:58:00.003-04:00

July 24, 2008

Aaric Murray continues to move up in the recruiting rankings and gather offers from schools across the country – but the rising senior is in no rush to make a decision.

“I’m not really sure of a time,” Murray told the Jeff Borzello of the NBE Basketball Report recently. “I want to make sure that I won’t be mad or regret my decision.”

However, the 6-foot-10, 230 lb. center did add that he would like to choose before the start of his final high school season. When asked what schools were recruiting him, Murray gave a laundry list of Big East and Atlantic-10 teams.

“West Virginia, Saint Joseph’s, Villanova, Marquette, Temple, La Salle,” he said. “Do you want me to keep going? Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Connecticut, Kentucky. . .”

Jay Wright and the Villanova Wildcats have already secured verbal commitments from a Philly-area point guard in Maalik Wayns as well as exciting forward Isaiah Armwood out of Maryland. Hoping to cap one of the nation's top recruiting classes off in style, coach Wright and his staff have targeted St. Anthony's (NJ) shooting guard Dominic Cheek, Maryland forward Terrell Vinson a high school and AAU teammate of Armwood, and Murray, which would give the Wildcats a definite new era version of their own 'Fab 5.'

For more on Aaric Murray, please see Jeff Borzello's full article, Catching Up With Aaric Murray at the NBE Basketball Report.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do you know the game? Check to see if you do with the leaders in Online Sports Betting today.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: VILLANOVA

2008-07-01T22:15:00.002-04:00

July 1, 2008

Verbal Commitment Alert: Isaiah Armwood, 6'8 (F) Montrose Christian of Rockville (MD)

The month of July started out with a bang with a commitment for Villanova as Isaiah Armwood made the call. With the news of Armwood to Villanova (zagsblog.net), joining Maalik Wayns in the class of 2009, Jay Wright could be on the verge of a monster class.

Projected 2008-2009 Roster:

Seniors: Frank Tchuisi (F), Dwayne Anderson (SG), Dante Cunningham (F), Shane Clark (F)
Juniors: Scottie Reynolds (G), Reggie Redding (G), Casseim Drummond (C)
Sophomores: Corey Stokes (G), Corey Fisher (PG), Antonio Pena (F), Taylor King (WF)
Freshmen: Maurice Sutton (C/BF)
2009 Commitments: Maalik Wayns (PG), Isaiah Armwood (F)

READ ON...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

We had not heard much from Villanova for quite a long time on the recruiting trail until the May commitment of Maurice Sutton as their roster had been pretty set. However, the class of 2009 has been pointed towards as a big class for Jay Wright and the Wildcats and it is off to a tremendous start.

Joining early commitment Maalik Wayns for the class of 2009 is forward Isaiah Armwood, who plays at Montrose Christian in Maryland. Armwood has long been considered Villanova's to lose and he made the call for the Wildcats today.

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.

Villanova still has three scholarships open for the class of 2009. From the get-go, shooting guard Dominic Cheek of St. Anthony's in Jersey City (NJ) has been at the top of Jay Wright's wish list for 2009 and the interest has been mutual. However, Cheek still has yet to narrow down his long list of suitors, but expect the Wildcats to be in it right until the very end.

Adding a true center is also a must for the Wildcats and Aaric Murray, of Glen Mills (PA) high School, and David Bruce of Linden (NJ) are a couple of the big men on the early Villanova watch list. Pennsbury (PA) shooting guard Dalton Pepper is also closely looking at Villanova in the recruiting process as is Armwood's teammate, Terrel Vinson of Montrose Christian.

As the spring recruiting periods moves along into the summer months, expect Villanova to be very active on the recruiting trail for the class of 2009 with a chance for one of the nation's best classes.

VILLANOVA 2008-2009 SNAPSHOT

2008-06-17T16:02:00.003-04:00

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.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't forget to check out the NBA Basketball Lines for tonight's Finals match-up between LA and Boston!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ISAIAH ARMWOOD TALKS VILLANOVA, DECISION TIME FRAME

2008-05-23T13:22:00.002-04:00

May 23, 2008

Isaiah Armwood is one of the most heralded recruits in the class of 2009 on the east coast and Villanova head coach Jay Wright has made a strong impression on the 6'7 versatile forwards.

The following audio links have Armwwod talking with Ron Bailey on his thoughts on Villanova and the expected timing of his college decision:

Armwood on Villanova, Big East

Armwood on Decision Time Frame

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: VILLANOVA

2008-05-21T14:29:00.003-04:00

May 21, 2008

Commitment Alert: Maurice Sutton, 6'10 (C/BF) from Largo HS (MD)

Villanova is set to add a big man to their 2008-2009 team as Maurice Sutton, a 6'10 Recruit Will Select Villanova (Philadelhia Daily News), according to sources, at a news conference today at his Maryland high schoo.

Projected 2008-2009 Roster:

Seniors: Frank Tchuisi (F), Dwayne Anderson (SG), Dante Cunningham (F), Shane Clark (F)
Juniors: Scottie Reynolds (G), Reggie Redding (G), Casseim Drummond (C)
Sophomores: Corey Stokes (G), Corey Fisher (PG), Antonio Pena (F), Taylor King (WF)
Freshmen: Maurice Sutton (C/BF)
2009 Commitments: Maalik Wayns (PG)

READ ON...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

It has been quite some time since Jay wright has had to add anyone to his roster at Villanova, but after transfers the last 12 months by Malcolm Grant, Andrew Ott and Bilal Benn, the Wildcat roster began to open up. Earlier this spring Taylor King opted to transfer into the program after leaving Duke and on the last official day to sign letters of intent, Wright and staff received word that Largo HS 6'10, 210 C/BF Maurice Sutton will sign with the Wildcats.

Sutton, because of his height and athletic ability, became a hot commodity this spring and chose Villanova over Indiana and Seton Hall. Other schools such as Syracuse, Kentucky and Boston College also had interest in the big man prospect.

At Largo High School (in Upper Marlboro, MD), Sutton averaged about 20 points and 10 rebounds this season playing for coach Lewis Howard.

Villanova returns virtually all of their contributors from a Sweet 16 club in 2007-2008. The Wildcats snuck into the NCAA Tournament field as one of the last teams in, but stunned Clemson out of the ACC with a huge comeback in round one and beat Siena in the 2nd round to move into the Sweet 16 as a 12-seed. The still have one scholarship open for the 2008-2009 season, but nothing seems imminent at this stage.

Even with the commitment of Maalik Wayns for the class of 2009, the Wildcats will still likely have four more scholarships open. A couple of the targets at the top of the Villanova recruiting list inlcude shooting guard Dominic Cheek of St. Anthony's in Jersey City (NJ) and small forward Isaiah Armwood who plays at Montrose Christian in Maryland. Those two recruits have seen the most interest from the 'Nova staff in the class of 2009 since the commitment from Wayns.

Aaric Murray, of Glen Mills (PA) high School, and David Bruce of Linden (NJ) are a couple of the big men on the early Villanova watch list. Pennsbury (PA) shooting guard Dalton Pepper is also closely looking at Villanova in the recruiting process as is Armwood's teammate, Terrel Vinson of Montrose Christian.

As the spring recruiting periods moves along into the summer months, expect Villanova to be very active on the recruiting trail for the class of 2009.

BIG EAST TEAMS FOLLOWING ISAIAH ARMWOOD

2008-05-14T12:53:00.002-04:00

One of the best prospects in the class of 2009 is Montrose Christian's 6'8 small forward Isaiah Armwood. The smooth wing turned in a strong performance playing for the WPC Elite at the recent DC Assault AAU Tournament 'Take Your Best Shot' in Virginia.

Saturday at the DC Assault AAU Tournament (NBE Basketball Report), Armwood scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a win over Potomac Pride. Armwood mentions Big East schools such as Georgetown, Louisville, Syracuse and Villanova in the recruiting process as schools of interest. He also is looking at Maryland, North Carolina and Texas at this stage of the process.

JAY WRIGHT LOOKS TO ST. PAT'S AGAIN

2008-05-06T15:20:00.002-04:00

Jay Wright already successfully recruited Corey Fisher out of New York City and up next could be another NYC transplant at the New jersey prep school as Shaq Stokes is Travelling a Familiar Path, influenced by Fisher.

Stokes is not the only player Jay Wright is keeping an eye on for the future on Kevin Boyle's loaded roster, Markus Kennedy also has caught the attention of the Villanova head coach and if you believe the early hype, Markus Kennedy is Next at St. Pat's to blossom into a star.

Stokes is a member of the high school class of 2011 and Kennedy is part of the class of 2010.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SOUTH FLORIDA @ VILLANOVA

2008-03-05T09:56:00.002-05:00

March 5, 2008

Villanova looks to get back in the win column tonight when they host South Florida, fresh off their first Big East road win...EVER...at Rutgers over the weekend.

Villanova had some NCAA Tournament hopes dancing in their head recently, however losses to Marquette and Louisville pretty much squashed those hopes. However, finishing strong heading into the Big East Tournament can breathe some new life into the Wildcats.

Unfortunately for Stan Heath and the Bulls, the season looks to be winding down this week with no conference or post-season tournament bid, again. So, this is pretty much their season and expect the bulls to go out with a strong effort.

Here are the local media previews and game stories on tonight's Big East match-up:

USF Pitches Jones for Big East Award (St. Petersburg Times)

Not much on the 'net on this game this morning. Villanova will look to pressure South Florida, resulting in easy scoring opportunities for the Wildcats. The guard play for Villanova, led by Scottie Reynolds will have to come up big tonight to offset the inside factor of Kentrell Gransberry for the Bulls. Nobody on the Villanova roster, who is healthy, is likely to match the bulk and size of Gransberry inside, so Villanova will try to disrupt the USF offense by extending pressure and using their quickness.

With Dominique Jones finding his scoring touch and Jesus Verdejo becoming an more consistent offensive threat, USF has looked better lately, especially at home, but they finally were able to get over the hump at Rutgers this weekend. They had some near misses at Cincinnati and recently at home against UConn and Seton Hall, so, they could easily have been in the Big East Tournament mix, but some missed opportunities have cost them.

Villanova went through a really rough stretch, bottoming out with a 22-pt loss to city rival St. Joe's. The young Wildcats have played better lately as well, but their last two losses have halted the momentum they had when they climbed back to .500 in the Big East. They still have a shot to get back to .500 in the league and cling to slight hopes for an NCAA Tournament opportunity.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 73 South Florida 66

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: MARQUETTE @ VILLANOVA

2008-02-25T09:16:00.000-05:00

February 25, 2008

In a matter of a few short weeks, Villanova has bounced back off rock bottom to put themselves back into the NCAA Tournament mix. After losing 77-55 to city rival St. Joseph's, the Wildcats had a five-game losing streak and were 3-6 in the Big East. Talk of the NCAA Tournament was erased from the minds of Villanova fans in replace of hoping they would make the Big East Tournament. However, four wins in their last five games have given Villanova new hope and their win over UConn Saturday adds to their momentum.

Tonight's guest for Villanova is the Golden Eagles of Marquette. Tom Crean's club has won four in a row, all rather comfortably and have positioned themselves solidly in 5th place in the Big East. They have a tough closing three game stretch in the conference (home game with Georgetown sandwiched between road trips to Villanova and Syracuse), but if someone was to falter among the top four, Marquette could steal a bye.

Here are the local media game stories and previews for tonight's game:

The 'D' returns for Wildcats (Phillyburbs.com)
Marquette Men's Basketball Preview (Appleton Post-Crescent)
Eagles Pecial Reserve (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel)
UConn Win Bolsters 'Nova (Inquirer)

The oddsmakers have pegged the game as a pick-em, but the line has moved to Marquette's favor as they are now listed as 1.5-pt favorites in tonight's Big East contest.

Each team relies heavily on their backcourts to win basketball games. Much has been written about the trip of Dominic James, Jerel McNeal and Wesley Mathews for Marquette, but if your not careful, Lazar Hayward is the one that will beat you. The sophomore forwards has really come into his own as a scoring threat this season and holds his own defensively against bigger frontcourts in the Big East. The Golden Eagles have also gotten more consistent production and play from senior Ousmane Barro in the post and the addition of freshman Trevor Mbakwe from injury gives them another physical and athletic post presence that they definitely needed.

However, the game will likely be decided on who comes out on top in the match-up of guards. I like Marquette's chances because of the defensive pressure they will apply to Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher when they have the ball. I expect them to force a lot of challenged shots. Corey Stokes has shown the three-point stroke he came to Villanova with the reputation of having of late, so the secret is out and look for Marquette to extend the defense and be up under him at all times.

Villanova has a capable forward trio in Antonio Pena, Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark and depth in the middle with Casseim Drummond, but often the frontcourt is forgotton about as VU attacks with their guards. The emergence of Dwayne Anderson has also give the Wildcats a lift. Their offense really needs a shooter like Anderson or Stokes to be a threat from the outside to be the most effective as they rely on a lot of one-on-one dribble penetration from the guards and the kick-out safety valve is needed.

Villanova got a huge win over Connecticut on Saturday, but the deeper guard line-up of Marquette will really challenge the Wildcats' strengths tonight. Look for Marquette to set the tone tonight on defense, limiting easy shots on the perimeter. Marquette's offense has been clicking lately with excellent ball movement for easy baskets, I think that will continue against Villanova tonight. Villanova will likely play zone and force Marquette to make perimeter jumpers. Marquette does have a habit of going cold, if they do, Villanova will be in it to the end. I predict Marquette makes enough from the perimeter to stay out in front and hold on for a tough road win.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Marquette 72 Villanova 65

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ VILLANOVA

2008-02-20T09:33:00.001-05:00

February 20, 2008

West Virginia and Villanova is an interesting game taking place at the Pavillion on the Villanova campus tonight. The Mountaineers are on a two-game winning streak following victories over Rutgers and Seton Hall last week while the Wildcats have won two of three following a five-game losing streak.

Here are the local media game previews and stories on tonight's game:

Huggins: WVU Will Make Big East Tourney (Times West Virginian)
Stretch Run Important for WVU (WV Metro News)
Defense is Mountaineers Focus (Daily Mail)
Hahn Happy, Coaching Again (Philadelphia Inquirer)

The Mountaineers are 7-5 and sitting in pretty good shape heading into the Big East's stretch run. However, the schedule is no picnic with four of their final six games on the road and home dates with Providence and Pitt mixed in. The slate of road games begin tonight with a date in Philadelphia to face Villanova.

After a 55-54 loss at Pittsburgh, Bib Huggins was highly critical of his team's play in the clutch. They responded with a couple easy wins over Rutgers and Seton Hall, but expect tonight to be a stiffer challenge on the road and a good barometer to see if their coach's words have pushed them forward.

Villanova has looked much better recovering from a 5-game swoon, edging Seton Hall at home and losing to Georgetown on a controversial foul in the last second. Villanova rebounded from that loss by pounding St. John's over the weekend. The Wildcats have several athletic players and will try to pressure the ball against the Mountaineers. They really need to defend the way they have in their last two games to come up with a victory tonight, losing the WVU shooters like Alex Ruoff, Darris Nichols or Joe Mazzulla would be costly. Each team matches up with the other in the frontcourt, so it could come down to the guards.

Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds will be the key in this game. If they can both manage to play effecient offensively together, I think the Wildcats will pull out a win at home. However, those two have not seemed to gel together as one is either on and the other off or, they are both off. In the race to secure a Big East Tournament berth, the Wildcats need this game.

West Virginia is a slight favorite, but I am going to go with the home team. I think the Wildcats will continue to improve defensively and they match-up well inside against WVU. It will come down to how productive Fisher and Reynolds are, I think they have a good game in unison tonight.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 71 West Virginia 67

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ GEORGETOWN

2008-02-11T09:29:00.000-05:00

February 11, 2008

Not much time for Georgetown or Villanova to think about their games from Saturday as they are both back in action tonight as Big Monday on ESPN tips off at 7 PM at the Verizon Center.

Here are some of the local media stories on tonight's game:

Wallace Aims to Regain Touch (Washington Post)
Hoyas Troubles are all in Back (Washington Times)
Hibbert Savors His Final Georgetown Games (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Thompson III Has Flourished (Inquirer)

Georgetown got stuck in 'White-Out' conditions in Freedom Hall in the 2nd half of their game against Saturday night and they looked like a car wreck in the process, getting outscored 36-20 after intermission in their 59-51 loss to the Cards. The loss dropped the Hoyas' lead in the Big East standings to a mere 1/2 game over Notre Dame with Connecticut and Louisville closing fast.

Villanova stopped the bleeding from a 5-game losing streak, four of which were Big East games, and got a late three-pointer from Dwayne Anderson to edge Seton Hall 72-70. Villanova was coming off a low-point in their season, a 77-55 loss to city rival St. Joe's in the Palestra. That loss snapped their Big 5 win streak and put their season in serious jeopardy of going straight down the tubes.

The Wildcats responded with a needed victory and Anderson's shot, at least termporarily, saves their season. Now, they hit the road to face Georgetown to try and build on Saturday's win.

It is a tough task for the Wildcats. Georgetown brings a lot of size and experience, two traits that Villanova lacks completely. Villanova will try to counter with pressure and force the Hoyas to rely on three-point shooting. On the road, Georgetown has been susceptible to pressure and poor shooting nights against good teams, but at home, the Hoyas have yet to show that as a weakness.

Villanova will extend pressure and trap the Hoyas before falling back into a halfcourt zone defense. Last season when they needed a win early in conference play, the Wildcats completely stifled Georgetown in the Verizon Center with this gameplan. It was effective in tacking Roy Hibbert out of the game and the pressure really had Georgetown's guards struggling.

Georgetown is a 13-point favorite and that definitely seems like a very high number. Georgetown will want to slow the game, get into their offense and pound the ball inside to Hibbert and work outside from there. Villanova will try to force the tempo, but the Wildcats are not a great shooting team from the perimeter. Scottie Reynolds is struggling with his shot and his shot selection seems to be an area he struggles more with. I do not see a true point guard, although Corey Fisher is a big time talent, he and Reynolds are more offensively minded. Inside, Villanove will have a tough time scoring around the basket against Hibbert, Pat Ewing and Vernon Macklin.

Georgetown should win this game, win it comfortably, but the posted spread could be tough to cover.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Georgetown 71 Villanova 60

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SETON HALL @ VILLANOVA

2008-02-08T15:31:00.000-05:00

February 9, 2008

Villanova entered Big East play ranked in the top 25 and after a road win at Syracuse they were 3-2 and seemed to be a team on the rise. However, five straight losses since, four in the conference and one snapping their record Big 5 win streak, has the Villanove season crumbling out of control.

Seton Hall raised the level of excitement of New Jersey basketball fans with a 5-game win streak that had the Pirates sitting at 5-3 in the Big East and quietly figuring out how many more wins they needed to get on the NCAA Tournament bubble. However, Wednesday night was a reality check that might have added a more sobering blow to their chances.

Hosting Notre Dame at home, Seton Hall hoped to make an impression on the rest of the country. Instead, the Pirates were completely run out of their own building, 95-69, and saw Paul Gause go down with a torn ACL which will cause him to miss the rest of the season. Gause missed several of the games during their 5-game win streak with a broken hand, but his importance to the SHU line-up as a secondary ballhandler and defensive wizard will be missed in the longrun. Eugene Harvey is asked to play a TON of minutes in Bobby Gonzalez's pedal to the medal style, something without Gause for the season might have to be re-adjusted.

However, the Pirates have little choice but to keep trying to go full-steam ahead. They are a team without a power forward, using 6'5 Brian Laing in the position. Laing is one of the most productive players in the Big East, but he is sometimes asked to play the role of the biggest Pirate on the floor. John Garcia is their (usual) starting center, but his knee problems are not in the past. Mike Davis has not developed to Gonzo's satisfaction, leaving Augustin Okosun as the big man that is the most consistent, yet, the most raw.

For now, the Pirates are likely to become a 'chuck n duck' attack behind snipers Jamar Nutter and Jeremy Hazell. Nutter is a notoriously streaky shooter, but this style should keep him involved and the lack of options will likely keep him from disappearing. Hazell can shoot lights out from anywhere, especially at home, and he loves to play that role, but he can go 2-12 from the arc of 8-12, just not sure exactly which it will be.

Harvey and Laing will continue to produce, and on the games Nutter and Hazell and hitting their quick pop three's, the Pirates will throw a scare into anyone. How long can they keep up the attack? I am not sure...but, their schedule is favorable down the stretch.

As for Villanova, they are going through some serious growing pains. There is not a senior on the roster and losing three senior starters from last season definitely has had an impact. Jay Wright received a lot of attention with his four-guard line-up that went to the Elite 8 a few years ago and his offensive system seems to still be centered around individual guard penetration with kick-outs to the shooters. Problem is, their best penetrator is also their best shooter in Scottie Reynolds and the rest of the team is not very good ad shooting the three-point shot. Freshman Malcolm Grant can be instant offense, or he is nowhere to be found. Classmate Corey Stokes is a deadly shooter, but is having trouble finding a way to get his shot off in the Big East (slow release, not very good at creating his own shot) and Corey Fisher has shown the ability to score, but like Reynolds, the ability to involve others can be improved upon.

Add those factors to the fact that Villanova still lacks any go-to offensive players in the paint and you have a team set-up to struggle until they figure things out. They have several impressive forwards, but the Villanova offensive scheme does not involve them much. Dante Cunningham and Antonio Pena are expert garbage men inside and Shane Clark, who is battling nagging injuries, can spot up for a shot, but the opportunities are limited. I do like the contributions Casseum Drummond can potentially give them, especially in a game like this one, he could be a difference.

With all that said, Seton Hall is likely to bring a style that is comfortable for the Wildcats to play. Villanova has hit rock bottom, following their loss to St. Joe's on Monday night, sometimes that is the most dangerous a team can be. With Seton Hall, Villanova is unlikely to have to worry about long defensive possessions or running a lot of half court sets...if the game plays out in the style both teams tend to play, it should be a high scoring affair and I think Villanova has just enough of a offensive advantage to hold off SHU.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 83 Seton Hall 75

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SYRACUSE @ VILLANOVA

2008-02-01T14:42:00.000-05:00

February 2, 2008

These two teams have already met this season, with Villanova picking up a surprising 10-pt win at the Carrier Dome. Since that game, the fortunes of both teams have changed pretty dramatically.

Syracuse followed the Villanova loss with a heartbreaking loss at Georgetown in overtime, a game that SU looked like they were about to steal, only to see the Hoyas steal it back. I t looked like things were about to get worse for the Orange when it was announced freshman Antonio Jardine was suspended from the team indefinitely for violating University code. However, even just using six scholarship players, the Orange pulled together and gritted out a win over Providence and got a victory over DePaul.

On the other hand, Villanova has flamed out since their win over SU. The Wildcats were have lost back-to-back-to-back games to Rutgers, Notre Dame and Pittsburgh, all by double digits. The Wildcats are not a great shooting team and they have little size upfront, although the return of Casseim Drummond shoul dhelp as he gets back into game shape.

Syracuse finally found a way to win on the road in the Big East as Arinze Onuaku carried the load for the Orange in a win over DePaul. The big man hit 10 of 13 shots and rescued the rest of SU from a poor shooting night. This is already SU's 10th Big East game and they have been doing this short-handed because of injuries to Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins and roster attrition with Josh Wright (academics) and Devin Brennan-McBride (injuries). The Jardine suspension was expected to break the camel's back, but Jim Boeheim is not in the Hall of Fame for nothing and players like Dante Greene, Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris are highly talented ballplayers.

Winning in the road in the Big East takes 100% mental focus, playing all these games in such a short time frame can drain some of that focus from even the most experienced teams, let a lone one as young at SU. With Villanova absolutely desperate for a win and expect them to use every kind of defense to confuse and frestrate the Orange, a motivated performance from the Wildcats should allow them to protect their home court. Scottie Reynolds should be able to find his spots against the SU zone and more energy on the defensive end should lead to other offensive opportunities.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 74 Syracuse 70

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ PITTSBURGH

2008-01-30T10:56:00.000-05:00

January 30, 2008

The Big East conference can change on a whim and two teams that suddenly find themselves facing lots of questions meet in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night. Pittsburgh has lost two of three, including a shocking home loss Saturday night to Rutgers. The Panthers circled the wagons when injuries decimated their club in late December, but the lack of depth and numbers looked to be taking a toll as the Panthers seemed in a mental fog on Saturday. However, that performance came just days after a dominating win over St. John's on the road.

After Villanova won at Syracuse, it was the Wildcats that seemed poised to make a litte run and position themselves favorably in the conference race. However, a trip to the RAC was no picnic as Rutgers came up with a win and then a trip home to face Notre Dame resulted in another double-digit loss. The Wildcats yielded 85 points a game in two losses last week, nunbers that Jay Wright will implore his team to improve upon vry soon.

Here are the local media previews on tonight's game:

Snapping out of Funk Wont Be Easy for 'Cats (Philadelhia Inquirer)
Pitt in a Must-Win Situation (Beaver County Times)
Panthers Must Avoid Turnovers (Beaver County Times)
Ramon Settles in at Point (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Pitt Tries to Solve Villanova (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

These two teams have already met once and Villanova came away with a thrilling one-point victory at the Villanova Pavillion when Dante Cunningham hit a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left. Villanova extended their defense and forced the Panthers to commit 22 turnovers, including one as the clock expired saving the victory for 'Nova. The Wildcats were keyed in that victory by Malcolm Grant and Antonio Pena off the bench as the Villanova reserves combined for 34 points and Dwayne Anderson added five more for 39 points from the bench compared to just 7 from the Pitt bench.

Villanova will have to use their deeper numbers and defensive pressure again to come up with a road victory. By extending the pressure against Pitt's guards, who do not have a true poit guard, Villanova can counter the Panthers' inside advantage.

On the other side, Pittsburgh needs to get back on the boards and pick up the defensive intensity once again. The Villanova guards are tough match-ups for Pitt, but the Panthers will have to make adjustments to control the dribble penetration of the Wildcats and to make sure they can get into their offense and are able to get shot attempts during their possessions. Pitt will likely get second chance opportunities, so every turnover takes away not only one shot attempt, but also potentially Pitt's biggest advantage, their front line duo of DeJuan Blair and Sam Young.

For Pitt, staying out of foul trouble and hiting some perimter shots to free up room for Blair and Young is the key to their offense. Rediscovering their intensity level is also a must and must come on their home floor.

While Pitt is not getting any healthier soon, Villanova might have Casseim Drummond available and the big body would be a big help against the Pittsburgh front court.

A lot of things point to Pittsburgh in this game, but this is a difficult match-up for the Panthers without Levance Fields to handle the ball. However Pittsburgh usually finds a way to get things down when you begin to count them out. The game is huge for both teams, while the loss to Rutgers is concerning, as of now it looks like an anomaly for the Panthers rather than the norm. So, look for the home team to pull it out, but it likely will not be easy. The Panthers are a 7.5-pt favorite and that seems a little too high to me.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Pittsburgh 67 Villanova 61

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: NOTRE DAME @ VILLANOVA

2008-01-25T14:21:00.001-05:00

January 26, 2008

You have to believe that Jay Wright's Villanova Wildcats will be breathing a little fire on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats looked like a team on the rise after wins over DePaul and a road win at Syracuse the week before, but a resounding loss at previously winless (in Big East action) Rutgers pulled the rug out from beneath of the Wildcats.

Notre Dame is a team that is facing similar questions. The Irish have been unbeatable at home and have league home wins over West Virginia, Connecticut and Cincinnati already this season, but the road has been a different story. The Irish have lost by 26 at Marquette and 19 at Georgetown (it was not really even that close). Those two games (and it is January 25) are the only two true-road games the Irish have played all season. They have also lost to Georgia Tech and Baylor on neutral floors, but have a victory at Madison Square Garden over Kansas State to their credit.

On their home floor, this game is a near 'must-win' for Villanova and it will not be easy. The Irish feature bruising big man Luke Harangody in the middle and Villanova is unlikely to have anyone available (Casseim Drummond is injured) to combat his size and physical nature. Villanova will counter with quickness and effort from Antonio Pena and dante Cunningham, but neither is a vital cog in an offensive system that is predicated on guard play.

Luckily for Villanova, their guard play is strong and led by starters Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher, along with Malcolm Grant and Reggie Redding off the bench. Reynolds struggled with his shot (5-19) in the loss to Rutgers and will have to rebound on Saturday. Malcolm Grant is a new generation 'microwave' and he heated up quickly against Rutgers, scoring 23 points in just 18 minutes before fouling out. Grant seems to be a last gasp option and he has rescued them before, they need to find a way to get him, Reynolds and Fisher to effectively score together.

The Irish have been contemplating some potential line-up changes to give Mike Brey' sclub a little better from the start of the game. The two most likely candidates because of their subpar games on the road seeem to be Tory Jackson and Ryan Ayers. I find it hard to believe either would start the game on the bench as Jackson will be needed against the Villanova pressure defense and Ayers is from the Philadelhia area and they really need his confidence to be intact.

Rob Kurz is also making a return trip to his home area, so the Irish will put forth a strong effort. The will likely attempt to see how far Harangody can carry them, in games like West Virginia and Cincinnati, they found out he could carry them a long way. However, the road has been a different story for the Irish and even a big game from Harangody will be tough to equate into a victory.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 77 Notre Dame 74

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ RUTGERS

2008-01-23T09:27:00.000-05:00

January 23, 2008

Rutgers remains winless in the Big East but they did show some life in a road loss at DePaul over the weekend. Villanova got a cherished road win at Syracuse over the weekend and are positioning themselves favorably in the Big East race.

Here are a couple local media stories on tonight's game:

Rutgers Men's Basketball Readies for Villanova (Asbury Park Press)
Scouting Rutgers & Villanova (Courier News)

If the Big East was to hold form from what we have seen in the first three weeks, Rutgers would win this game. While, I can't really pull the trigger on the Scarlet Knights, they do have a similar make-up as a team to Villanova. However, their talent level is a notch below. for the Scarlet Knights to win, they will have to give their most inspired defensive effort of the season, come up big on the boards and not suffer one of their normal putrid offensive performances.

Villanova seemingly finds someone to step-up from game to game to lead them to victory. Whether it is Malcolm Grant, Antonio Pena, Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher or another player, Jay Wright has a deep team that gives him several different line-up options. He can go big, small or more of a traditional line-up. Quite a difference from his four-guard line-up out of necessity a few years ago.

Rutgers tends to play Villanova very tough at home from time to time. I think they will be fired up tonight and try to parlay some positives from the DePaul game into a more complete performance against the Wildcats. I do think Villanova has too much talent and once they find the right combination in this game, they will exert that talent to get the necessary stops on defense and get the points needed to win on offense. As a 9-pt favorite, Villanova wins, but it should be closer than expected.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 74 Rutgers 67

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: DEPAUL @ VILLANOVA

2008-01-16T09:44:00.001-05:00

January 16, 2008

The DePaul Blue Demons are off to a surprising 3-1 start in conference play. In the preseason it definitely looked like this kind of start could be accomplished with their schedule, but home losses in the out of conference schedule at home to teams like Ill-Chicago and North Carolina A&T certainly left having ANY success in the Big East in doubt.

Villanova, on the other-hand, cruised through much of their out of conference schedule with a mark of 10-1. These teams have already met once on the young conference season, with DePaul earning an 84-76 win on their home court. Villanova has since won at home over Pitt (64-63), but lost on the road at Cincinnati (69-66) and will look to even their conference record tonight.

Here are the local media previews of tonight's Big East contest:

DePaul Goes for Sweep Against Villanova (Daily Herald)
DePaul Familiar With Villanova's Boat (Chicago Tribune)
DePaul Looks to Extend Big East Success (Sun Times)

Villanova is a 10-pt favorite at home tonight against the Blue Demons of DePaul. It was just 13 days ago that DePaul jumped out to a big lead and held on for an 84-76 win over Villanova in the league opener for both teams. DePaul was limited to six healthy players in that game, all of whome scored in double figures, as Jabari Currie, Majita Poscic and Dar Tucker were all injured. Tucker did play three minutes.

The Blue Demons are much healthier now and are still playing well. They sit at 3-1 in the Big East and are tied with Pittsburgh, Marquette, Georgetown and Notre Dame at the head of the conference standings. They even took their success on the road over the weekend picking up a valuable win at St. John's, 60-54, with Dar Tucker leading the way with 16 points.

Villanova finally got a big game from Scottie Reynolds over the weekend as the sophomore guard poured in 32 points. However, it came in a losing cause as the Wildcats fell on the road to Cincinnati, 69-66. Villanova got virtually nothing from forwards Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark and Malcolm Grant, the hero of wins over Pittsburgh and LSU, was scoreless in 8 minutes. Villanova got some good news on the injury front with Casseim Drummond, their leading rebounder, being cleared to practice this week. The 6'10 Drummond is a big body and Villanova does not have anyone else with the body to play physical in this league. Taht is an issue against a team like DePaul that has some beef in the frontcourt with Wesley Green and Mac Koshwal.

DePaul seems to be a team that plays well against Jay Wright's squad. Athletically, DePaul can match-up with most teams in the conference with a big front line and very athletic wings in Tucker and senior Karron Clarke. Draelon Burns is an accomplished scorer and the guard trio of Will Walker, Cliff Clinkscales and Currie continues to improve, find their roles and play more consistent.

Villanova relies on their guards to win. Their group of guards are definitely good led by Reynolds and freshman Corey Fisher, but they are young with the freshman Grant and sophomore Reggie Redding rounding out the group. This guard group is not qute to the level of previous Villanova units and with a thin frontcourt that has been missing Drummond, they need to carry the team.

One area I think Villanova can make a big impact is with pressure defense and I look for them to extend the defense and play with a little desperation, much like they did against Pitt when they forced 22 turnovers. DePaul is prone to this kind of attack and on their home floor, Villanova seems to up the ante defensively.

I still see this as a close contest, but the home team gets a MUCH needed win.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 68 DePaul 62

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ CINCINNATI

2008-01-12T09:33:00.000-05:00

January 12, 2008

The surprising Cincinnati Bearcats will look to knock off another upper-echelon conference foe when the Villanova Wildcats come to the Queen City. The Bearcats have already matched last season's conference win total (2) with wins over Louisville and Syracuse in their first three conference outings.

Villanova, a young team, got a hard lesson of life on the road when they opened up with a loss at DePaul. The Wildcats bounced back with a spirited defensive effort on their home court, forcing 22 turnovers, in a thrilling 64-63 win over Pittsburgh.

Here are the local media previews of the game:

Seniors Want Payback Tonight (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Williamson Puts Team First (Enquirer)
Injuries Hamper Nova's Reynolds (Philadelphia Inquirer)

The healthy of Scottie Reynolds will be a major key to this evening's game. The young Wildcats will need their leading scorer and accomplished Big East guard to set the tone on the road. As Villanova showed against Pittsburgh, they can survive an off night and still win, they are deep enough with talented players, but that was at home and this is on the road.

Obviously, this Cincinnati team is miles better than last year's team and even the team that started the season off in Novemeber, when Mick Cronin stepped back and said they just 'were not a good basketball team.' The return of point guard Jamual Warren has settled down the offense, allowing Deonta Vaughn to only worry about putting points on the board on the offensive side. John Williamson settling into a role that betters the team and with freshmen Rashad Bishop and Anthony McClain becoming contributors, the Bearcats have depth inside and out and more defined roles.

Still, this team kind of goes as their star Vaughn goes. He will face a tough match-up tonight against a group of Villanova guards that really like to get after it on the defensive end, and they should have learned from the Pittsburgh game, that is where they win games.

Freshmen Corey Fisher and Malcolm Grant have taken turns being the leading scorers in their two Big East games and forwards Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark know their roles.

This looks to be a tight game, but the Villanova guards will put the pressure on Vaughn, keeping him in check so the Wildcats can steal one on the road.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 68 Cincinnati 67

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: PITTSBURGH @ VILLANOVA

2008-01-04T15:44:00.000-05:00

January 6, 2008

Although Sunday afternoon is a match-up of a pair of current Top 20 teams in Pittsburgh and Villanova, it is also a match-up of two teams with numerous questions surrounding them both.

The obvious questions at Pittsburgh is how are they going to navigate the Big East conference schedule with a depleted roster. Heading into practice in mid-October, the Panthers were expecting a full allotment of 13 scholarship players available. The news of Darnell Dodson not being cleared by the NCAA hardly caused a stir as he was expected to be redshirted because of depth on the wing. The news of Austin Wallace being injured in practice and lost for the season also hardly made waves since his contributions were expected to be minimal this season. Pitt pressed on, winning their first 10 games and met Duke at Madison Square Garden on ESPN. The Panthers pulled off the upset when Levance Fields hit a clutch three pointer with 4.7 seconds left in the contest, just moments after his best friend on the team Mike Cook went down with a serious knee injury.

Cook's injury raised a question on the Panthers, but they were still regarded as a Top 10 team and a Final Four contender once another of the pieces of the puzzle (Gilbert Brown) was plugged into the mix. Afterall, that is what Pittsburgh does, they plug in good players in place of good players each and every season. Brown even brought a little extra promise as the exciting redhsirt freshman has loads of potential in his 6'5 frame. However, things got worse, during a 25-point drubbing at Dayton, the Panthers saw their most irreplacable player go down with an injury, Levance Fields suffered a broken foot and initial reports had him sidelined for 8-12 weeks, if not the season. He could be back sooner, but now the Panthers enter Big East play with five new starters from a year ago.

for Villanova, the out of conference schedule was a solid success for Jay Wright's young squad. They won 10 of 11 contests, only a controversial last second foul against North Carolina State prevented them from being unbeaten. They did not overly push themselves (no games against Top 25 teams) and the only true road game took place at Temple, but they were working the kinks out as they looked to replace seniors Curtis Sumpter, Mike Nardi and Will Sheridan from last year's team.

Sometimes, winning masks problems, and Jay Wright raised concerns about his team's defense on several occassions, but the young Wildcats were scoring a lot of points and winning. However, that ended on Thursday night in Chicago when a 4-7 DePaul squad rose up and defeated the 17th-ranked Wildcats, 84-76. Now, the Wildcats return home to face cross state rival Pittsburgh in a key game.

Pittsburgh does have one game under their belt since Fields was injured, a 96-75 home win over Lafayette. The Panthers will move Ronald Ramon, a senior, into the starting point guard spot and senior Keith Benjamin will start at shooting guard. In their debut without Fields, Ramon had 11 pts, 10 assists and no turnovers and Benjamin had a career-high 20 pts. However, Lafayette maybe a school in Pennsylvania, but that is all they have in common with Villanova. The Wildcats will likely come out with a little more fire defensively, especially on the perimeter and will likely challenge the ball-handling abilities of Ramon and Benjamin. Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher will likely be after the Panther gaurds from start to finish, trying to force them to set-up their offense out of their comfort zone and make it difficult for them to get the ball inside to Dejuan Blair or to Sam Young on the baseline for then to work against Shane Clark and Dante Cunningham.

The Panther defense will also be challenged by the Wildcats as they will try to attack off the dribble and draw fouls. Pitt is down to jusy nine scholarship players, but Gary McGhee is also hobbled and likely headed for a redshirt and Cassin Diggs is a likely match-up dilemma that the Panthers will be unwilling to use, leaving them with a 7-man rotation. Villanova on the other hand can go with Corey Stokes, Antonio Pena, Malcolm Grant and Dwayne Anderson off the bench as options, so despite missing Casseim Drummond due to injury, the Wildcats are the deeper team.

One thing we do know about Pittsburgh is they will not quit. Jamie Dixon will have them playing hard, but the pressure opposing guards will apply against Pittsburgh is going to make it awful tough for them to run their offense effectively and take advantage of a pair of very good forwards in Blair and Young. it will be a tough game, but Villanova rebounds at home to win this one.

NBE Blogger: Villanova 67 Pittsburgh 62

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ DEPAUL

2008-01-03T09:15:00.000-05:00

January 3, 2008

DePaul has definitely been a disappointment so far this season, but the Blue Demons can start anew as conference play tips off tonight when they welcome Villanova to Allstate Arena. The Wildcats come in with a national ranking in the Top 20, but will be facing their first true road game outside of the city of Philadelphia when they head to Chicago. Here are the local stories on the contest:

'Nova Positively Tough to Beat (Chicago Sun-Times)
Is 'Nova ready for Big East Battles (philly daily News)
DePaul Starts Big East Campaign (Daily Herald)
Still Calling Chicago Home (Scottie Reynolds) (Chicago Tribune).
Wildcats Get Ready for Road Test (Philly Inquirer)
Fisher Gives 'Nova Options (Evening Bulletin)

I think, despite the disparity in records, this game will prove to be more interesting than one might think. DePaul matches-up with Villanova fairly well, however, the Wildcats definitely have the advantage of consistent perimeter play, while the Blue Demons can be all over the place on the perimeter. That, in the end, will likely decide the game.

Super-soph Scottie Reynolds leads the Wildcats with 17 PPG and he has freshman Corey Fisher as his sidekick. Fisher has been elevated into the starting line-up after a slow start battling tendonitis in his knees early in the season, and he continues to improve and look more and more like the prized recruit expected to be a force in the conference. On the wing, Shane clark has also raised his game this season and is a very effecient offensive weapon for Jay Wright's club. Dante Cunningham consistently shows up in the right place at the right time and gives the Wildcats a little more offensive punch than they have had previously in the paint.

The key to this year's Villanova team has been their depth, which allows them to play big, small or anyway in between. Corey Stokes, Reggie Redding, Antonio Pena, Malcolm Grant and Casseim Drummond have all provided quality play and have taken their turns at being key contributors of wins. This team is deep, and versatile, though some of that will be lost without 6'10 Drummond, who is out for at least the immediate future with a stress fracture in his right ankle.

DePaul, expected to be down a bit this year, has disappointed with a 4-7 record. They have won two in a row, so they have built a little positive momentum, but a tough pre-conference schedule has made things very rough on the young squd. The Blue Demons are athletic and they do have some size, but they are painfully inconsistent yet again, especially offensively as they still can not find any consistent point guard play. Karron Clarke (11.5 PPG and 5.7 rebounds) and Dar Tucker (13.6 PPG and 6.7 rebounds) are among the elite athletes in the country and Tucker's freshman classmate Mac Koshwal (11.2 PPG and 8.0 rebounds).

Draelon Burns leads the Blue Demons in scoring (19.4 PPG) and is second in the conference, but does so on a lot of shots (166 in 11 games). Burns and Tucker account for 43% of DePaul's shot attempts as their rotating point guard position (Jabari Currie, Will Walker, Cliff Clinkscales) by and large does a poor job of getting the ball inside and putting players in position to score consistently.

There is still some hope for this DePaul team, they need to start playing smarter and effecient basketball. However, this is the third season under Jerry Wainwright and they continue to lack any form of consistency offensively. You always think these teams are capable of more, sometime we might see it, but Villlanova is clearly better than NC A&T and Illinois-Chicago, two teams that have already won at Allstate this season.

As a 4-pt road favorite, look for Villanova to pull away for a win down the stretch.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 70 DePaul 61

2007-2008 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 7) VILLANOVA

2007-10-12T16:04:00.001-04:00

October 14, 2007

VILLANOVA ESSENTIALS:

Official Website of Villanova Basketball

2007-2008 Official Villanova Roster & Bios

Meet Coach Jay Wright

The Pavilion

2007-2008 Villanova Basketball Schedule

OVERVIEW:

Jay Wright is one of the hottest names in college basketball and enters his seventh season as head coach of the Villanova Wildcats. Coming off three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, the Wildcats will gun for their fourth in a row. Over the last two seasons, the Wildcats have seen Randy Foye, Allan Ray, Lyle Lowry, Jason Fraser, Mike Nardi, Curtis Sumpter and Will Sheridan move on to the professional ranks. They high profile recruits built the foundation and helped launch Jay Wright into the upper echelon of coaching names with his ability to recruit and develop players for the NBA. With the addition of another high profile recruiting class, the beat looks to continue this season for the Wildcats.

In his first few season at Villanova, Jay Wright looked to be snake-bitten as his team never seemed to stay healthy and the top recruiting classes kept landing in the NIT, not the NCAA’s. Then, with a healthy squad for much of a season, the Wildcats busted into the Sweet 16 and nearly knocked off eventual champion North Carolina. However, bad luck once again hurt the Wildcats as Curtis Sumpter was injured and lost for the tournament in the 2nd round. The injuries woes continued as Sumpter had to undergo another surgery prior to the 2005-2006 season, but Wright showed his innovative side unleashing a four-guard line-up on the college basketball world that earned the Wildcats a #1 seed and a trip to the Elite 8 in 2005-2006.

At one time earlier this summer, Wright referred to this season as a bit of a rebuilding task. They have seen a lot of talent move on over the last two years, but the Wildcats, although young, are definitely talented and ready to scratch and claw their way into the mix of another bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2007-2008.

-
Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!

-

THE 2006-2007 SEASON:

Life after Lowry, Ray and Foye was not the easiest at times last season. Facing a brutal opening stretch in the Big East, a Big Monday home loss to Pittsburgh had the Wildcats sitting at 3-5 in the Big East at the halfway mark. In fact, they got out of the gates losing three of their first four and their only win was an improbably 56-52 upset of Georgetown on the road.

The Wildcats regrouped as Scottie Reynolds became one of the elite scorers in the conference, even pumping in 40 in a road win over UConn and Curtis Sumpter was a steady force on both ends of the floor. Villanova won six of their last eight conference games to rebound to a 9-7 record and earn a chance to dance in the NCAA Tournament.

Their dance ticket expired pretty quickly as they fell to the Wildcats from Kentucky 67-58 in round one. Sumpter and Reynolds combined for 42 of their 58 points and all too often in big games, nobody else was able to step up and provide the Wildcats some offensive support. This season Sumpter is gone and takes his 17 PPG scoring average with him. Also, third leading scorer Mike Nardi (11 PPG) and the glue, Will Sheridan, also have graduated, meaning Villanova must replace three starters this season.

THE BACKCOURT:

Once again, Jay Wright showed his ability to recruit with the best of them. After landing Scottie Reynolds late in the process the spring before, Wright signed Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes out of New Jersey as well as NYC native Malcolm Grant. Reynolds was one of the biggest stories in the Big East last year as the freshman exploded to average over 18 PPG in 16 conference games. He also added over 3 rebounds and 4 assists a game in league play and shot an impressive 43% from beyond the arc and nearly 85% from the line. He has a tendency to push his own offense too much at times (41.5% shooting from the field and 60 turnovers in 16 league games), but a year wiser can do wonders for college players.

Reynolds will be helped greatly by the presence of Fisher, a 6’1, 185 lb PG who played at prep power St. Patrick in New Jersey last season. Another NYC native recruiting by Wright, Fisher has all the flair and calmness of a blacktop NYC product. He is tremendous with the ball, creating offense for others or himself. He also has immediate chemistry with incoming McDonald’s All-American Corey Stokes. Although they played on rival prep programs (Stokes played at St. Benedict’s), the pair have been longtime friend. Stokes is a deadly long range shooter that has the ability to be a very good well-rounded player if he can find the aggressiveness in his mentality to attack off the dribble a little more. At 6’5, 195 lbs, expect him to be the deadly stationary shooter benefiting from all the one-on-one dribble penetration by Reynolds and Fisher.

The talented corps of guards is rounded out by sophomore Reggie Redding and freshman Malcolm Grant. Redding is an old-school throwback that is the type of player that winning teams have. He will handle the ball, pass, defend and rebound above average from his guard position. With other offensive-minded teammates, he is the perfect compliment. Grant is NYC tough and has that NYC flair. He will remind onlookers of Kyle Lowry with his take anyone to the rim mentality. He will have to play a little more under control consistently as he is not quite the finisher that Lowry was, but his confidence to compete will allow him to be successful more than not.

THE FRONTCOURT:

Still an area that needs to be improved for the Wildcats to reach their peak potential. Dante Cunningham return for the Wildcats with the most experience in the group. Both are very solid players, however, they are asked to play out of position in Wright's guard-heavy attack. It is on the defensive end of the floor that I have my biggest concerns with the duo in Big East play. Cunningham and Clark can defend very well against similar players, but asking Cunningham to defend a center and Clark to defend a power forward in this league night in and night out will bring some very tough match-ups for the 'Cats.

The newcomer to watch is redshirt freshman Antonio Pena, a 6’8 forward originally from NYC. Pena was highly touted coming out of high school and word is his game has continued to eveolve as a true combo forward. He has size and strength to play a power forward position at this level and his skills away from the basket are said to be improving steadily. Cunningham, Pena and Clark form a very solid trio of forwards that will cause match-up problems of their own agains the bigger, slower front lines in the conference. However, they will have to be consistently playing at a high level on the boards and on the defensive end of the floor for Villanova to improve upon last season's record. I expect them to improve as the year goes on, but some early stumbles could result.

Dwayne Anderson also returns as a small forward, but his playing time really decreased as last season went on and his opportunity for playing time this season is limited as well. Rounding out the frontcourt is Caseim Drummond, Frank Tchuisi and Andrew Ott. Drummond has loads of potential in his 6’10, 280 lb frame and when the Wildcats are forced to go big and with a traditional line-up, he should come in use. I would like to see them use him more and put Cunninghah, Clark and Pena at their more natural positions as I think they can be successful there too. Ott and Tchuisi are going to find minutes hard to come by again this season.

2007-2008 PREDICTION:

The Wildcats definitely have a talented group to work with. It is likely you could see a lot of a three guard line-up and maybe even some of a four-guard look again. However, that group that previously excelled in that type of line-up were juniors and seniors for the most part, something that this current team is lacking in the backcourt. The frontcourt has some very nice pieces to work with and is an underrated group that gets under-appreciated because of the system they are playing in. It will be interesting to see if coach Wright goes a little more towards a traditional set-up and takes advantage of the experience of Clark and Cunningham as opposed to the young backcourt, however, it is tough to do so because of the talent and potential in the backcourt.

Look for another tough start in the early part for Villanova when conference play arrives. However, they should be able to hit their stride once again in the second half and be a better team down the stretch. Depending too much on the young guards will cause some inconsistency, but on some nights, expect this team to look like world-beaters…but on others, a reminder that they are young. The program is strong and should continue to be very good, but this season will have its ups and downs because of that youthful exuberance.

BIG EAST PREDICTION: 10-8

VILLANOVA 2007-2008 SNAPSHOT

2007-05-11T13:48:00.000-04:00

May 11, 2007

Head Coach: Jay Wright
2006-2007 Record: 22-11 (9-7 Big East) NCAA 1st Round

Returning Players:
Shane Clark, Junior (Forward)
Dwayne Anderson, Junior (Guard/Forward)
Dante Cunningham, Junior (Forward)
Frank Tchuisi, Junior (Forward/Center)
Scottie Reynolds, Sophomore (Guard)
Reggie Redding, Sophomore (Guard)
Casseim Drummon, Sophomore (Center)
Antonio Pena, Freshman (Forward)
Andrew Ott, Freshman (Center)

Incoming Players:
Corey Stokes (Guard)
Corey Fisher (Point Guard)
Malcolm Grant (Guard)

Transferred Out:
Bilal Benn

Graduated Players:
Curtis Sumpter (Forward)
Mike Nardi (Guard)
Will Sheridan (Forward)

Open Items/Issues:
It has been a quiet spring at Villanova. There was less than a week's worth of suspense in the Scottie Reynolds/NBA story. Reynolds made it clear quickly he would return for his sophomore season. The only other news has surface that seldom-used guard Bilal Benn has decided to transfer to Niagara for his final two seasons of eligibility.

Summary:
By his own admission, Jay Wright expects the 2007-2008 season to be a 'transition' year for Villanova. Don't feel too sorry for the Wildcat coach who returns the 2006-2007 Big East Freshman of the Year, Scottie Reynolds, and welcomes a couple high school All-Americans in Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes to the Main Line campus in Philadelphia.

The Wildcats will be a bit young next season as they are without a senior on their roster and will have to replace three long-time starters in Mike Nardi, Curtis Sumpter and Will Sheridan. The trio supplied nearly half of the Wildcats scoring output last season. Only Syracuse, DePaul, St. John's and South Florida were impacted more by graduation in terms of last season's scoring output. Obviously, we know Scottie Reynolds can score, but nobody else on the roster has shown the ability to be a consistent scoring threat, which is likely to put a lot of offensive expectations on the incoming freshman. Shane Clark has some scoring tools and redshirt freshman Antonio Pena is another combo forward (Villanova is a team full of combo forwards and guards, it seems) that could be a new source of offense and he could evolve in a Sumpter-type player.

The other area we will question Villanova on is their post defense and rebounding. Dante Cunningham is one player whi will embrace both roles, yet he is far from a true post-player. Casseim Drummond did not play a lot as a freshman, but showed some promise in the pain and if he can show a lot of improvement as a sophomore that would be a huge lift to Villanova's ability to match up with more teams in the conference.

Sophomores Scottie Reynolds and Reggie Redding will team with freshmen Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes and Malcolm Grant to give Villanova a deep and exciting backcourt. Their youth will cause some ups and downs, but they will have a three guard line-up that will match-up with anyone's in the conference and don't count out the occassion 4-guard look either. Shane Clark and Dante Cunningham are now juniors, so they will be asked to become leaders on this team and much is expected of Antonio Pena in the future. With 12 scholarship players, none of them seniors, it might be a little while before Jay Wright is able to add some post help, so this Villanova team is going to go as far as their young guards can take them. Connecticut showed last year that it can be a dicey situation depending on so many younger players, so hopefully a couple juniors will step-up for the Wildcats next season.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Syracuse @ Villanova

2007-03-02T14:23:00.000-05:00

March 3, 2007

This is an interesting game. However, the emotional atmopshere that is sure to grip Villanova as they honor seniors Curtis Sumpter, Mike Nardi and Will Sheridan will create quite an electric atmosphere that Villanova will have an extra bounce or two in their step. Syracuse received a similar boost on Monday night when they faced Georgetown and caught the Hoyas coming off a big high with their win over Pittsburgh. Look for Villanova to take advantage of a similar situation when meeting the Orange after thier huge win over Georgetown.

It is only natural for Syracuse to have a letdown in this game. It was quite a scene in the Carrier Dome on Monday night and the Orange definitely should be confident in their NCAA prospects. Villanova on the other hand probably feels a little vulnerable with their NCAA chances. A loss drops them to 8-8 and likely behind West Virginia and DePaul in the Big East standings, two teams that beat the Wildcats earlier this season who are also on the NCAA bubble. DePaul owns a home win over Kansas, West Virginia beat UCLA and Villanova beat Texas, so each has a signature OOC win. Villanova played the RPI game right, but will the committee take an 8-8 Big East team over a pair of 9-7 teams that beat the 8-8 team? I don't think Villanova wants to find out, so they will have to go out and win! Their road win over Georgetown and a 9-7 conference mark should be enough for them.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 71 Syracuse 65

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Villanova @ Connecticut

2007-02-28T10:19:00.001-05:00

February 28, 2007

Last season this was a battle for the top spot in the conference as both Villanova and Connecticut finished with 14 conference wins and a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. This year, things have changed as neither team is over .500 in the Big East through 14 league contests. Villanova is still in the mix for a bid to the NCAA Tournament with their strong RPI rating, but another loss in the conference and they could find themselves behind several other 9-7 Big East bubble teams. Connecticut is just 6-8 in the Big East, so getting to 8-8 is the ultimate goal, but a tough task with Villanova tonight and a trip to Georgetown on Saturday ahead.

Here are the pregame stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

UConn's Price of Success (Philadelphia Daily News)
Even NIT Berth Looks Grim for UConn (Bristol Press)
Last Gasp for Huskies (Norwich Bulletin)
This Year, Very Different Stakes (Hartford Courant)
'Nova-UConn Remain Intense (Philadelphia Inquirer)
UConn Will Honor Lone Senior Tonight (Norwich Bulletin)

This is definitely a 'bubble watch' game for the NCAA Tournament. Connecticut, at this time, is on the outside looking in, but a win over Villanova and an upset on the road at Georgetown would send the young Huskies to New York city next week with some momentum as they look to make their move in the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Many people believed that one big win could ignite the Huskies and they have done some things better of late, bu they still look for that complete game. As of now, many have Villanova on the right side of the bubble, mostly due to a high RPI, but they still need to find a couple wins down the stretch. At 7-7 in the conference, there is little room for error.

The line on this game is 'even' and it definitely looks like it will be a nailbiter. Villanova has the experience edge with three seniors in the starting line-up (Curtis Sumpter, Mike Nardi and Will Sheridan) and Scottie Reynolds, a contender for freshman of the year in the conference. They also rotate a couple athletic forwards in Shane Clark and Dante Cunningham, but from there, the Wildcats become very young and inexperienced, like tonight's opponent.

Actually, nobody is as young and inexperienced as Connecticut, and it has shown often this year. With no juniors or seniors on scholarship, the Huskies have gone to battle in the Big East with eight freshman and 5 sophomores, only two (Jeff Adrien and Craig Austrie) with extensive previous experience in the Big East (and they were role players last year). All season long the Huskies have struggled offensively, especially with their shooting and decision-making. Jim Calhoun has been persistent in encouraging his troops to do the little things to help make things easier, but the youngsters seem not ready to grasp those concepts. There is a lot of raw talent, but it needs to be refined and the players need to be stronger, physically and mentally, to compete night in and night out in the Big East.

This game figures to be a tight one. I would be surprised if it is really high scoring. Both teams might play fast, but look for each to defend the perimeter very hard and contest every shot possible. In the end, the Villanova experience and Curtis Sumpter should be enought for the Wildcats to earn the win.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 62 Connecticut 58

BIG EAST GAME PREVIE: Georgetown @ Villanova

2007-02-16T14:35:00.000-05:00

February 17, 2007

The Big East tips off Saturday's action with a marquee match-up in Philadelphia when the Georgetown Hoyas make the short trip to meet the Villanova Wildcats. A win on Saturday will move Georgetown into a tie with Pittsburgh for the conference lead with four games to play. Villanova is still trying to solidify their standing in the conference this season and a win on Saturday goes a long way in doing so.

These two teams met in January at Georgetown and Villanova avoided an 0-3 conference start by picking up a very important 56-52 win on the road. The Wildcats forced 21 Hoya turnovers in the contest by extending pressure all over the court. Georgetown has a very thin backcourt and their Princeton-style offense is not designed to run in a hurry, and forcing Georgetown to expend time and energy breaking the press was a key factor in the Hoyas never getting their offense on track in the contest. Despite Mike Nardi and Curtis Sumpter combining to shoot 3-15, Villanova was victorious. On the Georgetown side, the turnovers were the killer, but Roy Hibbert also did not attempt a shot from the field in the entire game and scored hus only two points (2-6) at the foul line. A stat-line of 2 pts and 3 rebounds in 24 minutes by the 7'2 center will not get it done for Georgetown.

In the rematch, the Wildcats will look to use the same formula. They will press and trap Georgetown at every chance they can. Playing at home, Mike Nardi and Curtis Sumpter are nearly guaranteed to have much better games, but will they be able to keep Hibbert from scoring opportunities as well as last time?

After losing to Villanova, the Hoyas turned around and dropped a game to Pittsburgh. However, since then, Georgetown has won eight straight game by an average score of 73-57. Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green have been playing like the two All-American candidates they were hyped to be in the preseason. The effecient Hoyas waste little opportunity on the offensive end and they have been executing at peak capacity in recent weeks. They will look to continue to feed the ball to Hibbert and run more and more of the offense through Green, opening up opportunities for Jonathan Wallace and DeJuan Summers to hurt you as well.

Right now the Hoyas are rolling. I do think Villanova is a quality team, but they will be hard-pressed slowing the Georgetown train as it rolls through Philadelphia on Saturday.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Georgetown 72 Villanova 62

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Cincinnati @ Villanova

2007-02-14T10:59:00.000-05:00

February 14, 2007

Villanova looks tp climb over .500 for the first time this season in Big East play as the welcome last-place Cincinnati to Philadelphia for a conference game. The Bearcats are struggling in Mick Cronin's first season as head coach of his alma mater at 1-9 in the conference and have found themselves almost inventing new ways to lose games down the stretch as well as getting blown out from time to time.

Here are the pregame stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

Past is Future for UC (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Father Feels Mick's Pain (Enquirer)
Nova's Sumpter Conquers Injuries (Cincinnati Post)
UC Tries to End 6-Game Skid (Enquirer)
Wildcats Offense Better than it Looks, Nardi Says (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Villanova is a 15.5-pt favorite in tonight's Big East conference match-up. The Wildcats will look to use their expererince with three senior starters in the line-up to move over .500 in the Big East. The Bearcats have a lot of athletic ability, but they were a team thrown together late in the process by Mick Cronin and it often shows in their play. There is some talent there, but adjusting to the High-Major world of college basketball has been a trying experience for Mick Cronin's squad.

Things are unlikely to get an easier tonight as Villanova looks to score inside and out and force Cincinnati into turnovers with their agressive trapping defense. The Bearcats will need to take care of the ball and shoot well, especially from beyond the arc, or this game could get ugly.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 76 Cincinnati 62

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Villanova @ Seton Hall

2007-02-09T15:00:00.000-05:00

February 10, 2007

Villanova, despite being just 4-5 in the conference, is looking strong in their bid for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats have very good numbers in the RPI ratings and, in our conference RPI ratings, they have played the toughest schedule to date in the Big East by a healthy margin. Now, they have to make sure they win the games they are supposed to win and that means getting the job done on the road when they make the short trip to the Meadowlands to face Seton Hall on Saturday.

The Pirates are sinking, losing four straight conference match-ups and their lack of depth is taking a major toll on their team. With Mani Messy recently leaving the club, they are down to just Stan Gaines and John Garcia as their lone big men with Grant Billmeier out for the remainder of the season. As it stands, they have Brian Laing usually playing a big forward position and they rotate four additional guards in and out of the line-up, but freshman Eugene Harvey and Laing rarely leave the floor.

Going small might cause match-up problems for many teams, but Villanova seems to be a team that can handle it. With Scottie Reynolds and Mike Nardi in the backcourt and Curtis Sumpter and Will Sheridan in the frontcourt, they can then mix and match with Dante Cunningham, Shane Clark, Bilal Benn, Dwayne Anderson and Reggie Redding to be a very versatile team. The Pirates will try to speed up the Wildcats and pressure their guards, but Villanova will likely turn around and use a series of traps and 3/4 court pressure right back at them to force turnovers with their length and athletic ability at the forward spots.

Villanova is too deep and can score in too many ways for Seton Hall in this one. The Pirates will likely hang with them because of their all out effort, but over the course of 40 minutes, they will have a few droughts where Villanova will just keep on plugging away and in the end, pull away.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 76 Seton Hall 68

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Louisville @ Villanova

2007-02-02T14:31:00.000-05:00

February 3, 2007

One of the things I am looking forward to most on Superbowl Weekend is seeing Louisville and Villanova hook up in Philadelphia. Louisville has thrust themselves back into the mix in the conference and for an NCAA tournament bid by winning four in a row and six of seven in Big East play after opening conference play with a loss at Notre Dame. They still need to improve some of their computer numbers, especially their RPI, and winning on the road against Villanova would help a lot.

Villanova is a strange team, although they are just 3-5 in the Big East, they possess some of the better computer and RPI numbers in the country. However, if they keep losing, their conference record might be the biggest black markon their tournament resume.

I do not think it has been any accident that Louisville has enjoyed a four-game winning streak since Andre McGee returned to the mix after a knee injury looked to wipe out his sophomore season. McGee has not put up great numbers since his return, but for a team that has struggled so mightily with injuries the last year and a half, having him and Brandon Jenkins in the backcourt to help freshmen Edgar Sosa and Jerry Smith can not be overlooked. Another ingredient to their turnaround also might be the absence of Derrick Caracter. The continuing saga of their enigmatic freshman big man seemed to be a distraction since September for the club, but they seemed to have been moving on without him, although his return could come at anytime, as could another departure.

Villanova had a nice little run going with wins over Notre Dame, Texas and Providence. Although their best player Curtis Sumpter was limited in the majority of time in those games, not suiting up t all for Texas, the Wildcats came together and looked to be a team on the verge of making a run. However a tough loss on the road to Notre Dame and another one at home to Pittsburgh has Villanova taking another step back. Against Pittsburgh they did get 21 pts and 9 rebounds from Sumpter who definitely looked healthier, but in each game they let healthy 2nd half leads slip away.

Both teams like to get out and push tempo with defensive pressure. Sometimes neither of them will look very pretty in doing so as their games can become a little ragged, especially since Louisville is not one of the better shooting teams in the conference, but they both use their athletic ability to chase down loose balls and get rebounds.

The key for Villanova is to slow down Scottie Reynolds. That is right, slow down one of their own. Against Pittsburgh Reynolds seemed to be going too fast at all times that he went up for wild shots and turned the ball over, he looked nothing like the mature beyond his years point guard that we started to get used to seeing. With Sumpter getting healthier and a nice stream of front court players to match inside with David Padgett and Juan Palacios, this is a good match-up for Villanova if Reynolds makes proper decisions and Mike Nardi and Sumpter to be the senior leaders on their home floor they need.

For Louisville to get a road win against a similar team they need to shoot well. Terrence Williams, David Padgett and Juan Palacios need to make the most of their opportunities and score at a high effenciency rate as Villanova will look to pressure their young guards. I think this Louisville team is coming together very well, but they are running into a desperate team on the road in this one.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 67 Louisville 62

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Pittsburgh @ Villanova

2007-01-29T09:14:00.000-05:00

January 29, 2007

The Big East's Keystone State Rivalry did not take place last year in the regular season as Pittsburgh and Villanova did not meet until the Big East Tournament semifinals at Madison Square Garden. This year, the lone match-up takes place tonight at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia and in front of a national television audience on ESPN's Big Monday.

Here are the pregame stories and previews found on the internet this morning:

Pitt's Cook Has Hoops in his Blood (Philadelphia Daily News)
Pitt's Cook Finally Heads Home (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
Pitt's Aaron Gray is on Nova's Mind (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Young's Scoring Touch Returns, Pleases Dixon (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Click below for our brief preview and prediction on this game and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section.

READ REST OF PREVIEW...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

The Pomeroy Computer seems to be warming up to Pittsburgh as they have climbed up to #9 in the rankings, however, the computer still predicts Villanova to be a 1-pt winner tonight and the oddsmakers seem to agree as Villanova is currently listed as a 1.5-pt favorite in tonight's match-up.

Pittsburgh will hope to use Aaron Gray's size edge over the Villanova frontline to their advantage by feeding the ball into Gray often and running the offense through him. Gray is a very good passer and the Panthers are always one to make the extra pass, so if Villanova decides to double Gray, look for the big man to find the open man and for Pitt to move the ball for a clean look. This year, Pitt leads the Big East in 3-pt shooting percentage, shooting 43% in conference play from beyond the arc, and 40% overall on the season. If Villanova decides not to double Gray, he will look to use his variety of post moves and size to score over Villanova.

When the Wildcats have the ball, they will look to move Gray away from the basket. Outside of Gray, Pittsburgh is not a great rebounding team, so getting Gray out of his normal area will open the lane for Villanova and give them room to crash the boards. Mike Nardi and Scottie Reynolds are dangerous shooting from deep and when they are hitting Curtis Sumpter finds more room to do his thing. When Sumpter playing small forward, he has a huge advantage over Mike Cook, who is still coming along defensively in the Pitt system. Sumpter, however, has been hobbled the last week with a sore leg and the quick turnaround from a game at South Bend on Saturday could be a tough task for allowing the injury to heal and be healthy for tonight's game. This might be the key match-up in this game.

Villanova is coming off a tough road loss at Notre Dame while the Panthers cruised to an easy win over St. John's on Saturday. Villanova uses several different pressure defenses that could cause Pittsburgh some problems when the Wildcats look to go 3/4 or full court pressure. Ronald Ramon and Levance Fields are very good ballhandlers and decision makers (evidences by Pitt leading the conference in assist to turnover ratio in conference play at 1.46:1), but they are a little undersized and if trapped, they could run into some trouble. Once they break the trap, Pittsburgh should be able to find good shots against Villanova.

This is a really tough game. Villanova is an excellent free throw shooting team, shooting 74% in conference play (2nd in the Big East), while Pitt is at just 64% (13th), so in a tight game, which this is expected to be, that could possibly come back and bite Pitt. However, I feel these offenses are similar, but Pitt is the better defensive and rebounding team. With a hobbled Curtis Sumpter, Pitt should have enough to get a win on the road in this one.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Pittsburgh 72 Villanova 67

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Villanova @ Notre Dame

2007-01-26T14:35:00.000-05:00

January 27, 2007

Villanova and Notre Dame meet for the second time in 10 days when they convene on the Notre Dame campus on Saturday for a Big East conference match-up. Villanova hosted Notre Dame on January 17th and entering the game the Wildcats were just 1-3 in the conference and were in desperate need of a win. Since their 102-87 win over the Irish, the Wildcats have also taken care of Texas and Providence and are suddenly one of the hottest teams around. The road woes have continued for the Irish since their loss to Villanova, dropping a 71-68 decision at St. John's in Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. The Irish do remain undefeated at home, 14-0, on the season, but this will be their biggest test at home since opening conference play.

Click below for our brief preview and prediction on this game and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section.

READ REST OF PREVIEW...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

It has not been a good week for the Irish. Late Monday as the team was arriving in New York City for Tuesday's match-up with St. John's, it was learned that their sophomore point guard Kyle McAlarney would not be available for them this season as he was suspended from the University after his late December arrest for marijuana possession. Then, on Tuesday, the Irish were beaten by the Red Storm on a 3-pt shot in the last 10 seconds by freshman Larry Wright of the Redstorm. The Irish are going to have to pick up the pieces as they head back home and get back on track.

Where this game is on the schedule for the Irish also makes it one of utmost importance. With a three-game road stretch following this game with trips to Syracuse, South Florida and DePaul, the Irish will need a shot of confidence to conquer their road woes. However, Villanova is a tough match-up for them as they are a team that shoots as well from the arc and has the ability to pressure the young Irish point guards into turnovers and into a quicker pace than they might be looking to play.

One thing that might fall squarely into Notre Dame's favor is the health of Curtis Sumpter. The 5th year Villanova senior who missed all of last season with a knee injury missed the VU win over Texas and was limited in their win over Providence because of a nagging muscle pull in his leg. Reggie Redding took a lot of his minutes against Providence and would be called on again to match-up with Irish leading scorer Russell Carter, who scored 32 of ND's 68 points at St. John's.

The Irish will look to use Rob Kurz and Luke Harangody inside to open up a lane for Carter and Colin Falls to shoot. However, the Wildcats will counter with Will Sheridan and Dante Cunningham concentrating on rebounding and defense inside. Mike Nardi and Scottie Reynolds picked up the offensive slack for Sumpter against Providence and should fare well against Notre Dame.

The Pomeroy computer likes Notre Dame by 5 in this one. It should be a tight game. I think the Irish have been playing a bit over their heads throughout the season and Villanova seems to be coming on strong. If Sumpter was healthy, I would have no reservations about siding with the Wildcats, still, I think they have just enough depth and a little more well-rounded in the backcourt to get this done on the road.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 78 Notre Dame 74

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Villanova @ Providence

2007-01-23T09:36:00.000-05:00

January 23, 2006

In what is a VERY important game to both teams, Providence and Villanova hook up in the Dunkin Donuts Center in downtown Providence for a Big East conference match-up. The Friars have gotten off to a 3-2 conference start, winning all three games in the 'Dunk' in Big East play. Villanova is off to a 2-3 conference start but have been mighty impressive in their last two outings, beating Notre Dame 102-87 and out-lasting Texas 76-69 on Saturday without Curtis Sumpter.

Here are some of the pregame stories and articles found on the internet on today's game:

Preview: Villanova @ PC (Providence Journal)
Nardi's New Approach (Centre Times Daily)
Young Cat Becomes a Leader (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Aggressive Style Has Kept Wildcats Lean, Mean (Providence Journal)

For Providence, having this game at home makes it a must-have. After falling in back-to-back games to Louisville and Seton Hall on the road, the Friars returned home and righted the ship against lowly Rutgers. The Friars have a little bit of everything with athletes (Herbert Hill, Weyinmi Efejuku), toughness (Geoff McDermott, Jonathan Kale) and shooting (Sharaud Curry, Brian McKenzie, Dwain Williams). They also get some production off their bench, but they still need to improve defensively and in taking care of the basketball. Turnovers killed them against Seton Hall and led to them falling behind by a lot early against Louisville. Tonight, they will need to take care of the ball and for Curry to do a better job of getting everyone involved first and then getting his offense secondly.

There is a question on the health of Villanova star Curtis Sumpter, which worries me about this game. Sumpter is the leading scorer and rebounder for the Wildcats, but in his absence another star may have been born as Scottir Reynolds took control of th egame for Villanova, scoring 26 points and that was following a 27-pt effort against Notre Dame. The Wildcats are going to need a good floor game from Mike Nardi and for him to hit some shots and see production from their frontline of Shane Clark, Dante Cunningham and Will Sheridan for them to get a win if Sumpter is out of the line-up.

I have seen Providence and Villanova both favored by a point, so the game is essentially a 'pick 'em' contest. Without Sumpter, I do not see Villanova being able to score enough on the road in this contest. However, if Sumpter is able to play, he rounds out the Villanova attack and gives them a little extra rebounding which should lead them to a win. It is a cop out, but I see a close game either way with Sumpter being the difference.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Notre Dame @ Villanova

2007-01-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

January 17, 2007

Villanova has some work to do after a 1-3 start in the Big East and will look to get back on the right track tonight when they host the surprising Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Irish did not fair too well in their lone conference road trip, a 66-48 loss at Georgetown, so the Irish will look to reverse that trend tonight.

Here are the pre-game stories and previews from the internet:

Irish Face a Different Villanova (Chicago Tribune)
Irish Face Wildcats in their Own Zoo (south Bend Tribune)
Irish Trip to Pavilion a Chance for New Memories (Journal Gazette)
Paulsbonor's Carter Leads Surging Notre Dame (Courier Post)
Russell Carter: Captain of ND's Destiny (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Irish's Kurz finds Hard Work Key to Success

Click below for our brief preview and prediction on this game and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section.

READ REST OF PREVIEW...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

It is just the fifth conference game for the Wildcats tonight, but it is hard to believe that this is not one they must have when they host Notre Dame at the Pavilion tonight in a game shown on ESPNU. Villanova is coming off a disappointing loss to Syracuse at the Dome on Saturday and is still trying to find their footing this season. Senior Curtis Sumpter is back and healthy leading the way, but he has not been getting consistent help from their frontcourt, mostly because the Villanova attack is still perimeter orientated and without Kyle Lowry, Randy Foye and Allan Ray, it is not nearly as effective. Shane Clark, Dante Cunningham and Will Sheridan have all had their moments, but the Villanova game plan has not concentrated on them consistently. Senior Mike Nardi and freshman Scotty Reynolds are both dead-eye shooters, but Villanova is too dependent on having them be 'on' to win. The only exception was in their victory at Georgetown when their 3/4-court and full court pressure forced Georgetown completely out of their comfort zone offensively, they will probably unleash a similar defensive gameplan tonight.

Notre Dame has started out with three of their first four conference games at home and did exactly what they needed to do, win them. The Irish have held serve against Louisville, West Virginia and Seton Hall, their only conference blemish, a road disaster against Georgetown. Villanova will bring a similar defensive ability with some athletic and long frontcourt players and will look to trap and pressure the Irish ballhandlers. At this point, freshmen Tory Jackson and Jonathan Peoples are their main ballhandlers while Kyle McAlarney remains suspended. This is a match-up that Villanova will like to exploit and test the youngsters ability to control tempo when being pressured. With Luke Harangody and Rob Kurz, the Irish frontcourt is more effecient than their counterparts from Villanova, but the Wildcats' group will pose a big challenge with thier efforts on the defensive end and the boards. This is a nice match-up to watch develop throughout the game.

I look for a big effort defensively tonight from Villanova. The Irish can shoot the ball and some 3's from Falls and athletic plays by Russell Carter will keep them in it, but Curtis Sumpter is the best player on both teams and playing in the cozy Pavilion should put the Villanova perimeter shooters in their comfort zone.

Villanova is forecasted as a 1-pt winner by Pomeroy and a 3-pt favorite by the oddsmakers.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 67 Notre Dame 61

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Villanova @ Syracuse

2007-01-13T07:52:00.000-05:00

January 13, 2006

After picking up a couple road wins in their last two conference games, the Syracuse Orange return home to host the Villanova Wildcats. Syracuse won at Marquette and Rutgers in their last two games after opening the conference with a loss to Pittsburgh in the Dome. The Wildcats dropped their first two conference games (@ WVU, vs DePaul) before going out and literally stealing one at Georgetown.

Look for the Wildcats to try and pressure Syracuse point guard Josh Wright much like they did against Georgetown with constant pressure in the 3/4 court and full court traps. Syracuse is not a deep ballhandling team and they are not one of the better decision-making teams in the conference. Offensively, the Wildcats are a little too dependent on the 3-pt shot and one on one skills, which makes them a little inconsistent and will find the 2-3 zone of the Orange tough to crack. However, if they can get their shooting touch down at the cavernous Dome, they could light it up from the perimeter.

Syracuse needs a good game from Josh Wright, not really in terms of scoring or shooting, but he needs to handle the pressure and get Syracuse in position to score. Demetris Nichols is shooting just 42% in his three Big East contests and Syracuse will need for him to have a big game to counter the production we can expect from Curtis Sumpter. It is a key game for both teams as SU looks to seperate itself from the middle of the pack and Villanova looks to bring them back to the middle with the rest of them.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 62 Syracuse 58

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Villanova @ Georgetown

2007-01-08T08:51:00.000-05:00

January 8, 2007

The 2007 edition of ESPN's Big Monday debuts tonight when the Villanova Wildcats travel to the nation's Capitol to meet the Georgetown Hoyas. In the first week of conference player, the Wildcats did not fare too well, dropping both of their contests, losing on the road to West Virginia and at home to DePaul. While Villanova struggled, Georgetown looked mighty good in dismantling Notre Dame at home.

Here are the pre-game stories and previews from around the internet:

Villanova: Don't Count us Out Yet (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Road is Looking Rough for 'Nova (DelCo Times)
Thanks to a Jolt from Ewing, No Energy Shortage for Hoyas (Washington Post)

Click below for our brief preview and prediction on this game and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section.

READ REST OF PREVIEW...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

In the preseason, Villanova fans probably envisioned a 2-0 conference start when looking at the schedule for their Wildcats in Big East play. Once the games began, Villanova finds themselves at 0-2 with a pair of road games on tap this week agaianst Georgetown and Syracuse as they try to dig out of their hole. It is not going to be easy, especially tonight when they have to face Georgetown's intimidating frontline and defensive presence that throttled the high scoring Notre Dame Irish this past weekend.

All around, this looks to be a bad match-up for Villanova. Georgetown likes to make the defense play for a full 30 sceonds on one end and excels at slowing the opposition's attack on the other end with a confusing match-up zone or a man to man that features great size and length in the frontcourt. Against DePaul, Villanova struggled as they always seemed to be playing too fast and first and foremost, they are still in love with the 3-pt shot, although they do not have their four-guard line-up this year.

Georgetown had some questions entering Big East play, but they put many of them to rest as they completely drubbed Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon. The Hoyas raced out to an 18-2 lead before the Irish knew what hit them and they just sucked the life out of them to complete the victory. The Hoyas have the ability to defend, rebound and run with the best of them and when they are at their best, you feel like you have to score on every possession just to stay in the game. Not a good match-up for Villanova.

The Hoyas can go inside and outside, but their 3-pt shooting is one the keys to their attack as they spread out the floor. Sometimes, they seem to fall in love too much with the perimeter shot, but they should dedicate themselves to going insode to Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green and hit the boards. The Wildcat frontline is not bad, just under utilized, especially offensively. Villanova is led by Mike Nardi and Curtis Sumpter, if the pair of seniors are on, then the 'cats will stick with anyone in the league. Georgetown's defense will key on them and see if anyone else can beat them on the road, in this instance, that is unlikely.

As a 5-pt favorite and a 7-pt predicted winner by Pomeroy, we look for the Hoyas to make it two in a row to start league play and sending Villanova a little deeper in the hole.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Georgetown 69 Villanova 61

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: DePaul @ Villanova

2007-01-05T16:09:00.000-05:00

January 6, 2007

Neither coach, Jerry Wainwright of DePaul or Jay Wright of Villanova, was very happy with the offensive execution of their team in their Big East openers earlier this week. Wainwright was actually satisfied with his teams effort, but their shots did not fall in a loss to St. John's in Madison Square Garden. On the other hand, Jay Wright kept his team on the Coliseum floor to let him know he was not in favor of their approach to the game in their loss to West Virginia. Both teams should have a little extra bounce in their step when they meet in Philadelphia on Saturday.

I look for Villanova to come out sharper in all aspects of the game Saturday. Jay Wright was very displeased with his team's play and I am sure the point was continually driven home to his team on their return to Philly following Wednesday's loss. The Wildcats nearly came all the way back from a 22-point halftime defecit, but they dug themselves too big of a hole as WVU hit the key shots to hold them off.

Curtis Sumpter made a successful return to Big East action, scoring 21 pts against WVU and he will look to take advantage of a favorable match-up in this game to lead Villanova to victory. Look for Mike Nardi to rebound from a poor game as VU matches up well with DePaul's talent.

DePaul could not put the ball into the ocean if they were standing on one of the many piers in New York City on Wedensday. The were awful from 3-pt range and from the foul line, too. Sammy Mejia followed up his 40-point effort against Northwestern State with a clunker and the Blue Demons as a whole will be looking for redemption.

In this one, I think Villanova returns home and is in their comfort zone and earns their first win of the Big East season.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 69 DePaul 63

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Villanova @ West Virginia

2007-01-03T08:45:00.000-05:00

January 3, 2006

West Virginia looks to continue their winning ways at home when they host the Villanova Wildcats tonight in a Big East conference match-up. The Mountaineers are coming off an 81-71 win over Connecticut and look to go 2-0 already in the Big East. This will be the first Big East game of the year for Villanova and marks the return to Big East action for 5th-year senior Curtis Sumpter. Here are the preview articles from around the internet:

Big East Season Starts for Villanova (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Nova Takes Show on the Road (DelCo Times)
Sumpter Back and Strong for 'Nova (Charleston Gazette)
Cats out of the Bag: Big East's Forgotten Team (Covers Canada)
WVU Seeks 7th Win in a Row Tonight (Register-Herald)

On Saturday, a charged-up crowd led to an intimidating atmosphere are West Virginia rode the wave of energy to defeat Connecticut 81-71. The experience was very new to the young UConn team, that is something that should not impact tonight's guest in Morgantown: Villanova. The Wildcats have three senior starters with Mike Nardi (15 PPG and 4.5 assists/game), Will Sheridan (7 PPG, 5 rebounds) and 5th-yr senior Curtis Sumpter (19.7 PPG and 6.7 rebounds) leading a much more experienced group to Morgantown. Villanova also shoots over 78% from the foul line as a team and 38% from 3-pt range. They do not turn the ball over very much and are a solid rebounding team.

The young Mountaineers are going to have to deal with getting ready to play at a high level again after the emotional high of their win against Connecticut. They will not be catching the Wildcats by surprise tonight as the word is out that WVU is quite good. Villanova (according to the RPI) has played a pre-conference schedule that is rated the 21st toughest in the country, compared to WVU's that is rated 313th. WVU is led by senior Frank Young, who is averaging 14 PPG and is coming off a season-high 22-pt performance against Connecticut. Sophomore Joe Alexander, who will have the tough match-up of going against Curtis Sumpter, averages 12.6 PPG and 5 rebounds and uses his length and athleticism to create match-up problems in his own right. The Mountaineers will still look to launch close to 30 shots from beyond the arc and will rely on turnovers and poor shots from their opponent to make up for their lack of rebounding. The problem is, I do not see this Villanova team engaging WVU with many ill-advised shots and poor ball-handling with thier expereinced point guard, compared to UConn on Saturday.

The vegas line currently is sitting at -2 in favor of West Virginia and the Pomeroy ratings show WVU to be a 6-pt winner. I think we have an upset here as WVU comes out a little flat and it is Villanova looking to make their statement that they are the forgotten team in the mix.

NBE Blogger Prediction: Villanova 75 West Virginia 70

What do you think?

2006-2007 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 7) VILLANOVA

2006-10-15T07:11:00.000-04:00

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.

----------------------------

Read Rest of the DePaul preview...click "READ MORE" below!!

---------------------------

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

VILLANOVA FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT

2006-08-18T15:37:00.000-04:00

August 18, 2006

Corey Fisher is almost a forgotton man in recruiting circles. Long since committed to Villanova for the class of 2007, Fisher seems to have dropped off in interest as the recruiting gurus track who will commit next among the players still out there playing for a scholarship, however, Fisher is busy getting a basketball education in the Rucker League's version of Summer School (NY Daily News).

As one of the top 100 athletes in his region, the Connection Newspapers offers this chance to get to know #31 Scotty Reynolds a highly touted member of Villanova's 2006 recruiting class.

BIG EAST RECRUITING REPORT: VILLANOVA

2006-07-18T12:55:00.000-04:00

July 2006

Projected 2007-2008 Roster:

Junior: Frank Tchuisi (F), Bilal Benn (G), Dwayne Anderson (SG), Dante Cunningham (F), Shane Clark (F)
Sophomore: Scottie Reynolds (G), Andrew Ott (C), Reggie Redding (G), Casseim Drummond (C), Antonio Pena (F)
Freshmen: Corey Stokes (G), Corey Fisher (PG), Malcolm Grant (PG), Kraidon Woods (F)

READ ON...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

Jay Wright is HOT! Not much more you can say about the recruiting efforts of the Villanova Wildcats and their coach. We entered the July evaluation period with the Wildcats already committed to 14 scholarships, one over the NCAA limit of 13, for their 2007-2008 season. With Curtis Sumpter returning for the 2006-2007 season and the late addition of Scottie Reynolds, even the decision of Kyle Lowry to stay in the draft pushed committed seniors Kraidon Woods and Malcolm Grant to take a 5th-season of prep ball and hold of enrolling. What makes their recruiting even more quiet is the 2007-2008 roster is void of seniors, making it that there are no current scholarships left for 2007 or 2008. However, as well all know, recruiting can take some twists and turns along the way.

There have been some internet rumors about Kraidon Woods or Malcolm Grant thinking twice about staying committed. With the multiple guard looks that Jay Wright has been able to put together, I think Grant is more likely to stick things out with Villanova. He committed knowing the situation, although Scottie Reynolds was not in the picture at the time, however, Corey Fisher was in the fold and Corey Stokes was a real possibility. Woods, however, could be another story. With a team likely to put at least three guards on the floor in many situations, there could be limited time for the raw, yet high on potential, Woods. Villanova was on him before most, so, we will see. So far, nothing is more than just rumors, but both are situations to follow.

The other likely source of a scholarship opening up is in the way of transfers. The sophomore season of players like Dwayne Anderson, Frank Tchuisi and Bilal Benn will probably tell the story of their future careers as Wildcats. With a very talented class behind them with Andrew Ott, Antonio Pena and Casseim Drummond behind Tchiuisi, Reggie Redding battling with Anderson and Benn trying to win time with Scottie Reynolds, it will be a key season for the returning players to define their roles. When you are reloading your roster and carrying 12-13 players, it is only natural for some to look at additional options for playing time after a few seasons in the program. Again, it is all just speculation, but with 14 commits for 13 spots currently for the 2007 and 2008 seasons, it is something to keep an eye on for future recruiting chances.

For now, the Villanova staff is looking into 2008 prospects and laying the ground work for the future. We will follow the names of players that emerge over time and keep an eye on the roster make-up going through the season.

BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: VILLANOVA

2006-05-23T15:46:00.000-04:00

May 24, 2006

COMMITMENT ALERT: Scottie Reynolds, (G) Herndon, VA.

Here is a story from The Connection Newspapers (VA) on the story that Scottie Reynolds Chooses Villanova.

Projected 2006-2007 Roster:

Seniors: Mike Nardi (PG), Will Sheridan (PF), Curtis Sumpter (F)
Junior: Kyle Lowry (G)
Sophomores: Frank Tchuisi (F), Bilal Benn (G), Dwayne Anderson (SG), Dante Cunningham (F), Shane Clark (F)
Freshmen: Scottie Reynolds (G), Andrew Ott (C), Reggie Redding (G), Casseim Drummond (C), Antonio Pena (F)

Notes: Kraidon Woods and Malcolm Grant are current commitments that are expected to prep for the 2006-2007 school year. Jay Wright already has a verbal commitment from Corey Fisher (PG) for 2007 as well.

READ ON...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

Although Kyle Lowry has yet to make it official, the commitment of Scottie Reynolds almost assures us that Lowry will be staying in the NBA draft. Training at the IMG Center in Florida is not an inexpensive option and Reynolds, even with Malcolm Grant and Kraidon Woods prepping, makes 14 scholarship players with Lowry and the return of Curtis Sumpter. In addition, with the three commitments from Grant, Woods and Corey Fisher for 2007, Villanova has a full class for 2007, as it stands now. With Corey Stokes trying to decide between Connecticut and Villanova, it seems awful early to take a commitment that will already put them over the limit opening them to all that speculation on who will not be back for 2007.

As for their latest commitment, Scottie Reynolds is a 6'0 guard that fits right in with Jay Wright's guard-powered offense. Reynolds originally committed to Oklahoma and Kelvin Sampson but decided to open things up when Sampson left for Indiana. Reynolds has PG size, but is one of the best shooting guards in the class because of his ability to be a sniper from the perimeter. The Wildcats make look a little more traditional next season with Sheridan, Sumpter, Cunningham, Clark and Drummond upfront, but with Reynolds and Reggie Reading in the incoming class and Grant and Fisher right behind them, the 4-guard offense might not be on hiatus very long. Grant could fill the role of Kyle Lowry with his toughness, Fisher could be a similar player to Randy Foye as a bigger guard that could develop into a scoring and passing threat and Reynolds is the dead-ball specialist similar to Allan Ray. Reggie Reading also adds a do-it-all guard that can handle, defend and rebound and find a way to score. It might seem to be a loaded backcourt, but Jay Wright has shown the ability to get them all on the floor.

Reynolds, after re-opening his recruitment, chose the Wildcats over Michigan and also visited Maryland, Illinois, LSU, Wake Forest and Virginia Tech before making his final decision.

We will continue to monitor Villanova recruiting, although things would seem to be quiet for some time with a full load now for the class of 2006 and 2007, as we know in this day and age, things change.

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Pittsburgh vs Villanova

2006-03-10T15:07:00.000-05:00

March 10, 2006

It was a shame that the two Pennsylvania schools in the Big East were not scheduled to play this year in the regular season. However, Pittsburgh and Villanova took care of that in the Big East Tournament and will meet tonight in the second game of the doubleheader at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

To read our preview and see our game prediction, click read more below and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section!

READ OUR PREVIEW...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

Pittsburgh advanced to the semifinals by beating West Virginia last night in the quarterfinals and Louisville in the first round. Pitt has looked VERY good at times and not-so-good at times, in the same game, and for long stretches. Last night, playing without starting forward Levon Kendall who was out with back spasms, the Panthers rallied from an early 12-pt defecit to come back and beat the Mountaineers 68-57. Aaron Gray, started off the game shooting just 1-8 from the floor in the first 10 minutes, but held it together and finished with 19 pts and 15 rebounds. Freshmen Sam Young added 14 pts and 11 rebounds while fellow freshmen Levance Fields added 10 pts and sophomore Ron Ramon added all 10 of his pts in the 2nd-half. Even better news for the Panthers, they will all be back next season!

Villanova earned a 1st round bye so last night was their first action in Madison Square Garden. The Wildcats were in quite a tussle, leading Rutgers by just a point at the half. Quincy Douby was a one-man gang for the Scarlet Knights, scoring 24 pts himself in the first 20 minutes, but Villanova took control in the 2nd half, whipping Rutgers by 31 pts to finish off an 87-55 win. Allan Ray scored 19 of his team high 26 in the 2nd half.

The status of Kendall is unknown at this time, but it is probably a safe bet he will be held out of action. With Villanova's 4-guard line-up, it might be a good night to let him rest for next week and the NCAA Tournament. Pitt showed last night they are willing to go small and played 3-guard lineup with Carl Krauser, Ramon and Fields for most of the 2nd half with Antonio Graves rotating in. Pitt also went even smaller with Keith Benjamin subbing in for Young at a couple key portions of the game. Tonight, to give Aaron Gray a breather, you might see Pitt go small again, which would match up with the 'Nova 4-guards, and use Young in place of Gray and Tyrell Biggs as well. Gray was clearly tired late last night and chasing Kevin Pittsnogle on the perimeter definitely took its toll on the big guy. Tonight he will be anchored near the basket and Pitt will look to go to him often as he is clearly the position on the floor that Pitt will have their biggest advantage.

Villanova will be a difficult match-up for Pitt, however. Kyle Lowry, Randy Foye and Ray are all bigger and more athletic than the Pitt guards. They will pressure the ball and work to get into the lane for their own shots. Pitt does struggle at times in allowing dribble penetration, but plays excellent team defense, especially with their switching and defensive rotations. However, that can get you in trouble against Villanova as Foye and Lowry love to break you down off the dribble and spot up Ray and Mike Nardi from beyond the arc. The Pitt guards are going to have to rebound, especially against Foye. Pitt is vulnerable to the style of play that the Villanova guards excel at on both sides of the ball. Inside, the Wildcats are going to have to anchor down on Gray with Will Sheridan and he will be backed up by Jason Fraser. When the Wildcats need to go a little more traditional to give some of their guards a breather, freshmen Shane Clark and Dante Cunningham at the forwards. This is a line-up that Pittsburgh hopes to force Villanova to use more often to contend with Gray and Young.

Villanova is a 5-pt favorite in tonight's game, which seems just a touch low for me. After a pair of games back to back for Pitt and Villanova cruising last night, I am not sure how much the Panthers will have in the tank. The ball pressure and trapping that Villanva will apply will cut down on the ability of Pitt to get the ball inside. I really look forward to the match-up, and wish we got to see it earlier. Coming off their win over their rivals last night, it is a valid excuse for Pitt to be a little tired tonight. Villanova righfully has their sights set on a possible #1 seed overall in the NCAA Tournament.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 74 Pittsburgh 64

BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Rutgers vs Villanova

2006-03-09T10:04:00.000-05:00

March 9, 2006

There was probably nothing Rutgers wanted to do more yesterday than to put some serious doubt into the chances of an NCAA bid of their in-state rival Seton Hall. The Scarlet Knights did just that, holding the Pirates to 25% shooting and winning 61-48 in a Big East Tournament 1st round game. Their prize? A date tonight with the #2 ranked team in the country, Villanova.

Here are some pregame stories and previews from the internet:

Is This The Year? (Phillyburbs)
Clark Could be 'Nova's X-Factor (Philly Daily News)
Villanova Up Next for Rutgers (Philly Inquirer)

To read our preview and see our game prediction, click read more below and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section!

READ OUR PREVIEW...CLICK "Read More" BELOW

Rutgers rallies around coach Gary Waters and won their third straight game with a 61-48 win over Seton Hall, setting the table for a re-match with #2 ranked Villanova Thursday night. Earlier this season, Villanova rallied behind Kyle Lowry to win at Rutgers, 84-78, in overtime. Lowry led the Wildcats with 28 pts and Randy Roye, the Big East Player of the Year, scored 24 pts in the win. In that match-up, Quincy Douby led the Scarlet Knights with 28 pts.

Villanova will once again unleash their 4-guard attack on the Scarlet Knights, led by Foye, Lowry, Allan Ray and Mike Nardi. Will Sheridan will get most of the minutes inside with Jason Fraser backing him up and Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark will also rotate in when the Wildcats move to a 3-guard look at times.

Rutgers will start Anthony Farmer, Douby and Marquis Webb with Ollie Bailey and Byron Joynes up front with Jimmie Inglis and Jaron Griffin getting most of the bench minutes. As with any match-up with Villanova, handling their ball pressure and stopping their dribble penetration is the key. Neither team will look to the post to score much, so it comes down to the backcourt of each team. Quincy Douby has proven this year he is one of the best guards in the conference, but Villanova has at least three of the best and a 4th that is not too shabby either.

Hopefully, Rutgers is just not happy to win one in the Garden. Last year they popped the Notre Dame bubble only to be run out of the building by Syracuse. Tonigh, a similar thing could happen, because it is doubtful that Villanova scored just 48 pts and shoots 25%.

NBE Blogger Prediction:

Villanova 76 Rutgers 61