BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SOUTH FLORIDA @ VILLANOVA

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: MARQUETTE @ VILLANOVA

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA @ VILLANOVA

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ GEORGETOWN

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SETON HALL @ VILLANOVA

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: SYRACUSE @ VILLANOVA

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ PITTSBURGH

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: NOTRE DAME @ VILLANOVA

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ RUTGERS

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: DEPAUL @ VILLANOVA

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ CINCINNATI

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: PITTSBURGH @ VILLANOVA

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

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BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: VILLANOVA @ DEPAUL

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

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