I Bleed Blue and White

I finally got my copy of Attitude of a Champion today, and finished watching it for the first time a few minutes ago. I’m delving into the bonus features as I post this.

To sum it up in one word is easy: Amazing. An all-around great job by everyone who was involved.

Here are some random thoughts I jotted down while watching it.

Thoughts:

• I got chills at the opening montage. Dwayne’s steal especially. Really took me back to being there at the game.
• Loved the practice video followed by the clips of the team executing in the game. Really gives you a new perspective on the offense that Jay runs.
• Frank Tchuisi never got enough credit for what he brought to the program. The fact that he is staying around the team is huge for the next group of incoming players.
• Jay Wright was absolutely correct about the victory at Seton Hall. Despite Scottie Reynolds’ absurd performance, that win is one of the few team wins you can point out that really sent the team on its way. I never saw a single clip from that game because I was out in Steamboat with Mark, so it was a really a new experience for me.
• Never heard about the team meeting at South Florida before. Another testament to Frank and the rest of the seniors.
• For some reason I always forget the first Pittsburgh game (a great win). Probably because we tailgated out in the freezing rain for 3 hours before it.
• Hilarious that Reggie Redding doesn’t think of himself as a lockdown defender. But I’m glad he’s embraced the role.
• The one memory I have of that Notre Dame game is Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark giving Luke Harangody a crash course in how to play both offense and defense in the post.
• Senior Night was so special.
• I completely forgot about coughing up the lead against Marquette in the Big East Tournament. Yikes.
• If Corey Fisher makes a similar jump in play like he did last year, this next season could be another big year. Same goes for Corey Stokes.
• The Boston trip is one that I will never, ever, forget. One of the most fun, rewarding times in my short life. Words cannot really describe the entire weekend. During the portion of the DVD that covered that part of the season, I had goosebumps the entire time.
• I’m really going to miss both Dante and Dwayne on the floor. They were truly the heart and soul.

If you haven’t purchased your copy of the DVD yet, make you sure head to the Villanova Online Store and do so immediately!

The official DVD for the 2008-2009 Villanova Wildcats Final Four team is now available online at Villanova.com! The DVD is selling for $19.95 and is a must-have for any Villanova fan.

…Just confirmed the order…Brian had nothing but good things to say about it when he went to see it on Thursday so make sure you pick up a copy!…

Before getting to my experience this past Thursday night regarding “Attitude of a Champion,” another sports outlet is looking ahead to the college basketball season.  Yahoo! Sports recently posted their bracket projections for the 2010 NCAA Tournament.  For what it’s worth, they have Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State, and Villanova as #1 seeds. 

On Thursday, August 6th, I made it to the 7:30 pm showing of “Attitude of a Champion” in the Connelly Center Cinema on the campus of Villanova.  My guess is this auditorium seats about 200 people, and there were about 40 people in the room for this particular viewing.  The only person I knew was Scott Graham, who produced and narrated the documentary for Wipeout Productions.  He introduced himself to the audience in the beginning, and I immediately recognized his voice from the show, “Inside Villanova Basketball,” which airs weekly throughout the season.  Graham mentioned that the idea for the documentary took form in the very beginning of the season.  As he put it, “We wanted to have snip-its, just in case something big happened.  Well, something big did happen.”  He also mentioned how it was the most fun he’s ever had on a project and wishes he was still working on it.  Anyways, the airing I saw was 56 minutes in length.  It follows the team’s journey throughout the season, through the ups and downs, the peaks and valleys.  More importantly, though, the team’s seniors, Dante Cunningham, Frank Tchuisi, Dwayne Anderson, and Shane Clark, truly are the focal point of the video, just like they were on the team.  Watching the documentary made me want to go back and re-live the amazing ride it was.  Everything, from the footage to the narration to the interviews, was excellent.  After the airing, I purchased the DVD outside the Cinema for $20.  It will be made available for sale online on August 10th on villanova.com.  Obviously, the 2008-2009 season was an unforgettable one, and the “Attitude of a Champion” video truly encapsulates how special of a year it was.  In my opinion, a definite must-see.

Villanova has teamed up with WipeOut Productions to create the Official 2008-2009 Highlight Video, titled “Attitude of a Champion.” Full details are available on Villanova’s website, but there will be an official on-campus premiere on August 4th in the Villanova Room and Cinema in The Connelly Center. There will be two showings, at 6:00 p.m. and 7:30.

Additionally, there will be two more showings on August 6th at the same time, but with more limited seating.

Free parking is available in Main Lot and admission is free, but first-come, first-serve.

The DVD will be available for purchase immediately following the event for $19.95, and will be on sale to the public via Villanova.com on August 10th.

…This is supposed to be an amazing job, complete with not only highlights but behind the scene footage as well…needless to say it is a must own for any Wildcat fan…

…So if you are a student that’s on campus or an alum that’s in the area make sure you get to the premieres early as I’m sure it will be crowded…

As you can see by the title, this post will contain a variety of different things, so I apologize for the randomness.  First, with the deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft officially over, some new preseason rankings have come out.  Andy Katz has placed Villanova at #4 in his new top 25.  Katz on the Cats,

Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds and a highly touted newcomer class means the Wildcats are the pick to win the Big East.  Losing Dante Cunningham hurts, but Jay Wright has this program rolling. There won’t be a dip.

SNY also published their updated Big East rankings for next season with Villanova coming at #1 in the conference.  On Villanova,

Reynolds returns to bolster an experienced core that includes Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes and Reggie Redding.  The Wildcats also feature a top-five national recruiting class that should make Jay Wright’s team the class of the Big East.

While Katz released his opinion on teams for next year, he also came out with a story regarding the World University Games.  Corey Fisher is trying out for the U.S. team competing in the Games, and it looks like he has a good shot to make the team now, as Kansas guard Sheron Collins recently backed out of the tryouts.  Katz on Fisher,

Collins’ absence practically puts a must-get tag on Arizona point guard Nic Wise and Villanova lead guard Corey Fisher. Both players were probably going to make the squad anyway, but now it almost seems like a given.

Katz also mentions in the article that Boston College is trying to schedule a Big East opponent for next season, and Villanova is at the top of their list. 

 The Nova Notebook is back with another offseason feature, entitled “Attitude of a Champion.”  This is the title of the 70-minute DVD that will be coming out in August, which tells the tale of Villanova’s 2008-2009 basketball season and their ultimate run to the Final Four.  The film features behind the scenes footage and interviews throughout the season.  All of Nova Nation will be looking forward to this release later in the summer.     

Lastly, even though many people see Villanova as a national title contender next year, replacing a player like Dante Cunningham will be a tall task.  Recently, Jay Wright and Tony DiLeo (former 76ers head coach) gave their thoughts on Dante’s future in the NBA.  Most notably, they both think he will have a long career, lasting possibly 10 years or more.  The above link will take you to the video page for Comcast SportsNet.  Then, click on the SPORTSNITE tab, and the aforementioned video is from 6/16-Jay Wright on Dante Cunningham’s future in the NBA.