Now that the deadline has officially passed for underclassmen to declare for the NBA Draft, ESPN’s Andy Katz and Doug Gottlieb have updated Top 25 Rankings for next season. Katz has Villanova at #6 and he says:
“The Wildcats drop a tad, as Scottie Reynolds‘ decision to enter the draft without an agent has resulted in some uncertainty. But the incoming class — Maalik Wayns, Dominic Cheek and big man Mouphtaou Yarou all are top-25 recruits — is so good the Wildcats get the benefit of the doubt here. With the departure of three Syracuse underclassmen, Nova should be the pick to win the Big East.”
Gottlieb, on the other hand, seems to like the Wildcats a little more than Katz, as he has Villanova at #3.
“The Wildcats are loaded with talent, and with some added inside depth, will be better than the team that made its Final Four run this past season. Nova has a legitimate shot at a title in 2010. Some in Philly believe the Wildcats might be better off without junior Scottie Reynolds, who entered the draft but hasn’t hired an agent. Incoming big man Mouphtaou Yarou is tough to handle and Dominic Cheek can defend several positions. Like Kansas, the Wildcats only have to sacrifice their individual egos to win big.”
There a few comments that these writers made that I wanted to comment on. Katz mentions Syracuse’s losses to the draft, which I think certainly propels us ahead of them for next year, but don’t sleep on West Virginia. They should be very, very good next year. Gottlieb says that some people think Villanova will be better off without Scottie, but I completely disagree. Scottie is a proven veteran who has been through the trenches of the Big East, and this should not be underestimated. Villanova didn’t have the most talent this year, but the veteran leadership and experience proved to be vital in the run to the Final 4. I, for one, definitely want Scottie to come back.
sweetybox1
April 30, 2009
I love the attention and high rankings the team is getting for next year, if for no other reason than because the hype can be pretty fun and get us through the off-season. That said, I find it unlikely next year’s team will be “better” than the 2009 squad because those seniors were key to our whole run, and I don’t see anyone truly filling that void. Hopefully Reggie & Scottie (assuming he’s back) make some improvements over the summer and can step up the way Dante et al did this past year.
Regardless, being ranked so highly based on the strength of the incoming class bodes well for the future, as it looks like we will have a strong team for years to come.