I Bleed Blue and White

For most 22 year-olds, a guaranteed large sum of money would most likely turn into a spending spree.  Dante Cunningham is not a part of most 22 year-olds though.  With his contract officially signed with the Portland Trailblazers, Dante remains humbled, as all he continues to think about is the upcoming season and helping the team win.  Center Court, the official Trailblazers blog written by Casey Holdahl, caught up with Cunningham, and he discussed his thoughts on certain topics now that the contract is signed.

Dante, on what he plans to do with his big salary:

I really don’t want much.  I just really, really want to play ball.  I’m going to bring out my old truck from college out here.  I live in a townhouse so I really don’t need much here.  It’s kind of a laid back kind of place.  You really don’t need to be flashy or anything like that out here.

On what he’s been up to lately, Cunningham states:

I got here Wednesday, signed on Friday, found a house Saturday, so I’m moving in today.  It’s rolling along right now.  Guys are coming in.  It’s clicking.  I’m liking Portland a whole lot.

Regarding rookie hazing:

Jerryd Bayless talked to me a little bit about it at summer league.  He informed on a couple of tricks, who to stay away from.  Everyone goes through it.  It’s a rite of passage.  Hey, I’m ready for it.  Hopefully no one gets too crazy, too overboard on me.

It’s great to see that Dante hasn’t changed one bit since moving on to the NBA.  Humbled, poised, hard-working.  No glamour.

Just got a Twitter update from former Villanova player John Celestand about his blog. Celestand is currently working for ESPN Regional/ESPNU as a color analyst covering Big East games, but he also operates his own blog called CELEVISION.

Celestand just wrote an article for SportsFanLive entitled Laughing on the Outside, Crying on the Inside. He discusses his thoughts on the Michael Beasley situation, Plaxico Burress’ indictment, and Michael Vick’s return to football. Being a blogger myself, I naturally have been browsing Celestand’s blog for the last hour or so and have really enjoyed it. It’s great seeing another Villanovan doing well in the sports industry, as I hope to do one day.

So if you didn’t know what Celestand is up to, you do now. Make sure to check out CELEVISION, and you can follow John on Twitter here. Keep up the great work John!

I was thinking today about the last few seasons of Villanova hoops. Over my 4 years there I saw two great teams (2005-2006 and last year’s) as well as a team that exceeded my expectations (2007-2008) and one team who met my expectations (2006-2007). And then I began to think about the upcoming season, and what to expect from this year’s team.

After a productive summer, Fisher is ready for the big-time.

In my eyes, there are 5 distinct groups that we could split the team into:

Proven commodities:

• Scottie Reynolds, Reggie Redding

Guys who are ready for the spotlight:

• Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes

Guys who can make this team great:

• Antonio Peña, Taylor King

Newcomers:

• Mouphtaou Yarou, Dominic Cheek, Maalik Wayns, Isaiah Armwood, Maurice Sutton

Anything you get is gravy:

• Jason Colenda, Russell Wooten

I didn’t list King amongst the newcomers because he has played big-time college basketball before. If he can grasp the concept of Villanova basketball and doing the dirty work as well as provide the offense we know he’s capable of, he’s a guy, like Peña, who could bring us to the next level.

What’s most troubling to me though, is that we will be introducing 5 new guys to the rotation. Many people have said that Armwood may be looking at a redshirt year while Sutton may not yet be ready, but the frontline is pretty thin and if they can play hard and play good defense (we know Sutton can) then they will see some time.

But like any sport, chemistry is incredibly important. Especially for the team-style brand that Jay Wright preaches. The last two great ‘Nova teams had brilliant chemistry. Guys knew each other like family. So it’s not a stretch to say that there will be growing pains when introducing new faces, while counting on new players and become leaders (Fisher and Stokes) and while waiting for a true leader in Redding to return from suspension.

Our OOC schedule as it stands right now isn’t anything that will cause the team to lose sleep at night, but it does have some possible speedbumps that could turn us from a consensus Top 5 squad into a middle of the Top 25 squad. Looking over the schedule, 5 games have the potential to either be character-builders or struggles in the early going.

Puerto Rico will provide and early and stiff litmus test as to how this season could unfold. George Mason is never a pushover, but I still like our overall talent level to carry us through. The next round leaves Georgia Tech as a potential opponent. They’re a young team, but very, very talented and they have an experienced coach in Paul Hewitt. Should we make the finals, whoever we play will likely be a stiff test as well.

Beyond that, the BB&T Classic vs. Maryland in Washington D.C. may be listed as a neutral game, but I bet it plays more like a Maryland home game. Maryland is rapidly improving, and has always been a good program under Gary Williams. Plus, it seems like at least once every year they pull off a shocker. Not that beating us would be a shocker, but we could easily be in the Top 5 while they could be unranked.

And finally, the Holy War vs. St. Joe’s. I don’t think many people care as much about this game as they do, but that’s precisely what is worrisome. It’s the Super Bowl for the Hawks, and it will be played at The Palestra this year, where anything can happen.

In the end, I see Villanova getting through this portion of the year either unscathed or with 1 loss. But with Reggie Redding, there will be some learning curves.

What do you think about our OOC schedule?

We’ve had an account on Twitter since last year’s NCAA Tournament started up, but I’ve never really gotten immersed into all of it’s functionality. Lately though, I’ve been getting a few more emails telling me that more people are following me on Twitter (up to 19 now), so I’ve been playing with it for the past few days trying to figure it out.

It occurred to me last week that this phenomenon is probably here to stay, at least for longer than I anticipated. In light of that I’m going to be using it to link stories from the blog, share opinions, break news, and give commentary on the games when the season gets begins.

So, if you are on Twitter, you can follow me, message me, or do whatever you like and I will do my best to be more interactive and responsive, as I just realized some people had tried to do that and I had no idea that they had made an attempt to contact me. As much as I’ve resisted it, I can see the upside in it for connecting with other Villanova fans and sports minds alike since I’m no longer on Facebook.

You’ll notice the Twitter icon in the upper right hand corner of the blog, just above the search bar. If you click on that, it will take you to my Twitter page and you can either start an account, or follow me if you already have one.

Jeff Goodman of FoxSports just released his Top 20 transfers for the upcoming season, and a couple of familiar names are on the list. Goodman lists Taylor King at #13 on his list, which includes 7 players who are transferring into Big East schools.

“Taylor King, 6-7, 225, F, Soph., Villanova: The former Dookie will give the Wildcats a perimeter shooter.”

One spot ahead of King is where former Wildcat Malcolm Grant resides. You’ll recall he transferred to Miami (FL) following what I thought was a solid freshman campaign. Grant saw the writing on the wall though, and left for greener pastures.

“Malcolm Grant, 6-1, 185, G, Soph., Miami: After hardly playing at Villanova, Grant will start at the point for Frank Haith and the ‘Canes.”

…There are a lot of questions surrounding King and how he’ll fit in Jay Wright’s system…nobody is denying he can scorch the nets, but he’ll be relied upon to do some of the heavy lifting in the post as well…

…As for Grant, I wish him all the best…I loved him in his short time with us…who can forget that LSU game…he’ll do well in the ACC…

ESPN continues their Summer ShootAround series with a look at the Big East. The article, which contains many aspects concerning Villanova, is a great read, so I highly suggest taking the time to sort through it as it really gives you a good feel of what to expect as the conference turns over a new leaf. Below are the Villanova highlights.

Jay Bilas on Villanova, who he ranks as the best team in the conference:

“The Wildcats are a bit younger, but very talented at every position. Jay Wright has guards that he encourages to make plays, and Villanova is versatile enough to attack mismatches on offense and switch every screen on defense. Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes form one of the nation’s strongest backcourts, and all can get into the lane and to the free-throw line. Freshmen Dominic Cheek and Maalik Wayns can play right away. But making up for Dante Cunningham and Dwayne Anderson will be a challenge.”

Dana O’Neil on Mouphtaou Yarou, who she believes is 1 of 10 key players in the conference:

“How far the Wildcats go may depend heavily on how quickly the rookie big man succeeds. Jay Wright always has been a guard’s coach, and Villanova has no shortage of backcourt talent again this year. But it is not a coincidence that when the Wildcats finally found a talented inside man — Dante Cunningham — they went to the Final Four. If Yarou, with the help of fellow freshman Isaiah Armwood, can make up for Cunningham’s loss, Nova might be busy on the final weekend of the season again.”

John Stovall on Mouphtaou Yarou and Dominic Cheek, both a part of 10 freshman to watch this season:

Yarou – “He’s big, strong and has solid skills. ‘Mouph’ should definitely have an immediate impact. He’s physically ready to play and skilled enough to have his presence felt right away in the Big East.”

Cheek – “He’s talented enough to be an all-conference player. He has to improve his motor, but once that happens he’ll be heading to the next level. Look for Villanova’s two other recruits — Maalik Wayns and Isaiah Armwood — to make an immediate impact as well.

Dana O’Neil on Villanova vs. Maryland, 1 of 10 non-conference games to watch:

“Two of the most exciting guards in the nation, Greivis Vasquez an Scottie Reynolds, square off in the nation’s capital. The Terps, who return just about everybody, are good enough to give Big East favorite Villanova a run for its money.”

Dana O’Neil on a potential Villanova/Georgia Tech matchup in Puerto Rico:

“This is a big if, because the Yellow Jackets would need to knock off A-10 favorite Dayton in the first round (and Nova has to beat always-pesky George Mason), but this semifinal matchup would feature some of the best freshmen in the country: Mouphtaou Yarou, Isaiah Armwood, Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek for Villanova; Derrick Favors and Mfon Udofia for Georgia Tech. Mix in the fact that Tech coach Paul Hewitt, like Jay Wright, is a Rollie Massimino disciple and you have the stuff for a high-level game in November.”

And finally, ESPN’s ‘quick take’ on Villanova:

“Jay Wright is at the point where he is reloading, not rebuilding. The Wildcats bring one of the top recruiting classes in the country, headlined by Dominic Cheek and Maalik Wayns, to go with the nucleus from the Final Four team. Senior guard Reggie Redding, arrested for marijuana possession, will be ineligible until mid-December. But with plenty of depth at the guard position, Villanova ought to survive without him.”

…The last part about reloading instead of rebuilding has really been a theme around Villanova’s program lately…I love it…I say it everyday but I really wish the start of the season was closer…

Villanova alum Randy Foye was recently given Honorable Mention for on New Jersey’s Top 25 list of Sports Brokers. Foye, originally from Newark, has started his own foundation and has been a positive influence in his home city since moving on to the NBA.

“The Newark native and NBA guard is trying to make an impact in his home city, one kid at a time, with his foundation. At a time when we need role models in sports, he’s a good one.”

To learn more about Randy Foye’s charity organization, make sure to visit the Randy Foye Foundation’s website.

…Good for Randy…he’s a breath of fresh air as we continue to hear about athletes messing up everyday…way to be a good role model for the youngsters Randy…

LB Osayi Osunde

I’m getting bored waiting for basketball season. It’s a long time until October when things really start moving on that front. So I decided that from now on we’re going to at the very least update you on the other ‘Nova sports teams as their seasons progress. We won’t be going nearly as in-depth as we do for basketball, but being a graduate, I have come to realize that I’m going to end up pulling for more than just the basketball team.

So, we’ll do our best to get some more sports into the rotation. To start off, let’s talk about the football team, which just had their annual Media Day last week. Head Coach Andy Talley and several players were on hand to talk to the media about the upcoming season, which kicks off when the Wildcats play Temple at The Linc on September 3rd at 7:00 p.m.

Villanova is returning an obscene amount of talent on offense, headlined by a couple of juniors; RB Aaron Ball and WR/RB Matt Szczur. The Wildcats were picked as pre-season CAA co-champions with Richmond, and are expected to be among the best teams in the country.

Four players were selected as pre-season 1st team All-CAA; Szczur, LB Osayi Osunde, OT Ben Ijalana, and DE Tim Kukucka. Osunde was also given pre-season All-American honors by the FCS. Osunde has led the team in tackles for the last two seasons.

Lastly, check out this article by Mike Kern of the Philadelphia Daily News, in which he talks with Osunde and others about the bad taste that was left from last season.

…I’m really glad the football team has big aspirations…Villanova has been primarily known for the basketball team, but it’d be great if another team could consistently be on the national radar…who knows, maybe in a few years they’ll even make the jump to the FBS if the Big East looks to expand…

There are going to be many noticeable differences between last year’s Final Four team and the 2009-2010 Villanova Wildcats.  One of the main things I continue to think about is the change in leadership.  Of course, there’s the captains, Scottie Reynolds and Reggie Redding, who know what it takes to win night in and night out.  I have no doubt they will be good leaders, but Redding can’t play until mid-December, so who knows how that will affect his ability to lead the team?  He’s already set a bad example for the younger players, with his suspension stemming from possession of marijuana charges.  Scottie can lead, but he doesn’t seem like the most vocal.  As a result, his leadership comes from the plays he makes, physically showing his teammates how to do certain things.  Nothing wrong with that, but we can’t underestimate how important the leadership of the 4 seniors from last year’s team. 

In essence, I truly believe someone needs to step into the spotlight and contribute to guiding this team.  Personally, I think this someone should be Antonio Pena.  The big guy has lots of potential, which we’ve seen at times, but more consistency from Pena will be crucial.  He’s been in big games, gone up against the best players in the country, but now it’s time for him to take over.  There are no returning big men on this team (who have seen meaningful action), except for Antonio.

As a result, he needs to guide forwards Taylor King, Maurice Sutton, and freshman Mouphtaou Yarou.  They haven’t experienced Big East basketball like Pena has, which means someone needs to teach them.  The coaches can give it a shot, but it becomes much more surreal when it comes from a player who has been through it.  The natural leaders are going to be Reynolds and Redding, both guards, but the team needs at least one more leader, preferably a big guy.  I know the recent ‘Nova Notebook’ by Mike Sheridan focuses on Big ‘Tone playing a bigger role this year, but there’s a difference between saying it and actually doing it.  If he does it, his ability and guidance of the younger players could be a key cog in Villanova’s success this year.

Do you think Pena needs to step up this year?

Dante Cunningham, who was selected #33 overall in the NBA Draft, has officially signed with the Portland Trailblazers on a multi-year deal. Terms of the contract have not been disclosed.

“I am so grateful and happy to be a Trail Blazer,” said Cunningham. “This is a dream come true and I can’t wait to get to work with my teammates. I’m looking forward to moving to Portland and helping this team in any way that I can.”

“We are really excited about the versatility and determination Dante brings to our team,” said Pritchard. “Dante had a great summer league and we believe he has the potential to become a very good player in this league.”

Cunningham became the 12th player on Portland’s roster, and will wear #33 for the team in the upcoming season.

…Great news…congrats to Dante…you earned it!…nod to VUHoops for the link…