Well, after another loss where the weaknesses stuck out like a sore thumb again, there is definitely a panic inside the Villanova camp.  Jay Wright might not admit it, the players might not admit it, fans might not admit it, but this team is spiraling downward at a rapid rate.  I’m not going to solely focus on yesterday’s debacle against the Mountaineers, because the problems of this team have been glaring for the last month or so.  I’m obviously not an expert, but I feel the need to call out some people, so take a look below.

In no particular order:

1.  Jay Wright-The man who has turned this program around is starting to bother me a little.  Without a doubt, the officiating has been extremely bad this year, but every time I look over, Jay is complaining about something to the referees.  At some point, the attention of the man in charge has to turn to his own players.  Instead of berating the refs for the full 40 minutes, even though they usually deserve it, Wright needs to start actually teaching and making adjustments during the game.  Second, the rotation has to be cut down to a set 8 or 9, unless dire circumstances warrant otherwise.  Playing 11 guys in the postseason is not going to work in my opinion.  Nobody can get into the flow of the game, and furthermore, most of the players never know how much they are going to play each game.  This may seem like good motivation, especially for the young guys, but I think it’s starting to mess with the chemistry of the squad.  One last thing–stop getting technicals Jay.  He must have around 8 T’s this season, which is not ok. 

2.  Maurice Sutton-Plain and simple, he should not be on the floor for meaningful minutes, unless there is extreme foul trouble.

3.  Maalik Wayns-The excuse may be that he’s only a freshman, but his reckless play is an issue now.  Sure, we saw flashes of brilliance early in the season, and there’s no doubt he has the potential to be a star on the Main Line, but other teams are figuring the youngster out.  They know he will force just about any shot and is prone to turnovers.  Thus, opponents are more than happy to let him make one spectactular play, which will usually be coupled with multiple turnovers and errant shots.  We need him to create, but turning the ball over every other possession doesn’t cut it.

4.  Taylor King-There are far more serious concerns with King than on the basketball court.  I heard from a friend that King has been suspended for academic reasons, but this may just be a cover up, as he might have got caught smoking weed.  Again, this is not confirmed, so don’t hold me to it.  On the hardwood, it’s all in King’s head in terms of his offense.  His shot is obviously not falling, and it’s screwing up his psyche.  If he gets the chance to play again this season, I still think he can be a valuable asset with his rebounding and defense, both of which have been surprisingly stellar this season for a team that has not done well in these categories.  

5.  Reggie Redding-The senior was never an offensive star in college, but he hasn’t produced at all when the Cats have the ball.  He can take it to the hole, we have all seen it before, but not so much this year.  I’m not asking Redding to light up the scoreboard, but at least look like you’re a part of the offense and create something for your teammates every once in awhile.

6.  Corey Stokes and Antonio Pena-Lumping these two together stems from their lack of consistency.  Both are extremely talented players with the ability to take over games singlehandedly, but they never seem to put back-to-back solid games together or even a full 40 minutes.  For example, Stokes will hit a couple of trey balls early on in a game, but then he disappears for long stretches.  Pena looks dominant one game and then comes up with a dud the next.  Stokes probably deserves to be called out more than Pena, but if Villanova is going to get back on track, these two will be need to be vital cogs.

7.  Fans in attendance-This includes myself.  Each of the games I’ve been to seemed to have a noticeable lack of energy in the building compared to years past.  Obviously, there’s a pass for yesterday’s game with the students still on Spring Break, but passionate fans really can energize a team.  Now is not the time to desert this team, rather their struggles should motivate us even more to maybe make a difference in propelling the Cats back into form.

Some may think I’m being too harsh or just flat out wrong, but this is just how I see it right now.  One person/one issue is not the sole reason for the lackluster performances recently, but when all of the problems are combined, the Cats do not play like we expect them to play.  At this very moment, my optimism is dwindling, but I still have hope that this team can turn it around and make a run over the next few weeks.  One thing is for sure: we will definitely find out what these group of Wildcats are made of in the very near future. 

I’ll end this post on a positive note by mentioning the Wildcats who earned 2010 Big East Honors.

Scottie Reynolds-First Team

Corey Fisher-Third Team

Maalik Wayns-All Rookie Team

Thanks to blog reader Katie for mentioning the story in the comments of the previous post.  Sure enough, Corey Stokes was cited for public urination last night on the Main Line.  The key here is that Stokes was not arrested, unlike Reggie Redding, who was arrested prior to the season and susbsequently suspended.  The article mentions that Stokes is likely to play against Syracuse on Saturday, but it will be interesting to see how Jay Wright handles this.  A second player in trouble with the law in a very short time frame does not look good for a premiere coach like Wright.   

Funny thing is I was at the same bar Stokes and some of his teammates were at last night.  Hopefully, this does not become a distraction, especially now heading into March.

I need to start off this post with some horrific news, as this is certainly much more important than anything I have ever blogged about.  Early Saturday morning, my friend and fellow May ‘09 graduate, Eddie Didonato, was shot six times after an altercation outside of a bar in Philadelphia.  Without getting into too many specifics, Eddie is at Jefferson University Hospital in Philly in the intensive care unit trying to recover from this unimaginable act.  Doctors remain optimistic that he will survive this battle, and in an amazing show of will, Eddie has been able to squeeze some of his closest friends’ hands.  Please keep Eddie and his family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Obviously, the rest of this post means basically nothing compared to the news above, but please feel free to read on.  I knew yesterday was going to be an intense day for myself, with Villanova-Georgetown at noon, Jets-Chargers at 4:30, and the season premiere of 24 at 9:00.  In terms of these 3 things, it couldn’t have gone much better.  A lot of alums were back for the Cats game at the Wachovia Center, even though the weather was less than stellar.  Below are a few of my thoughts on the hoops game yesterday.

-I thought Villanova looked real good in the first half, especially with the intensity of their press and trapping the Hoyas in certain situations.  Leading by double digits at halftime doesn’t hurt, but I received a text from one of my buddies at half.  It read, “what is your ibbw halftime analysis?”  To which I responded, “looking good, but gtown will make a run.”

-The Hoyas came out of the intermission pissed off and determined to make it a game.  Greg Monroe really took over, and the Cats did not shoot the ball particularly well.  The double digit lead dissipated to about 5, and there was still roughly 13 minutes left.

-When Georgetown tied it up with 4+ minutes left, I really thought the Cats were in trouble, because nobody could stop Monroe and Nova was ice cold.  In the end, though, did you really expect Scottie Reynolds to let the Cats lose?  It’s becoming like clock-work that when Villanova needs a big play, Scottie will be there to produce. 

-Four quick additional observations: 1. Wachovia Center was packed but not all that loud in my opinion…2. Our depth is unreal, as every player on the roster logged some minutes except Russell Wooten…3. Greg Monroe = lottery pick…4. What has happened to Corey Stokes this season?

Some links below to wrap up this Big East showdown:

-Villanova-Georgetown Box Score

-AP Recap 

-Postgame Quotes

-Scottie Named Big East and Big Five Player of the Week

-Nova Notebook: The Foye-Reynolds Relationship

-Jan. 18th Updated College Basketball Rankings

-ESPN Contributor Dana O’Neil on Scottie’s Maturation On and Off the Court

Again, please take a moment to pray for Eddie Didonato, a member of the Villanova community.  Thank you.

With the year coming to a close, it’s time to reminisce about some Villanova basketball things.  First, Jonathan Tannenwald, who writes a blog called “Soft Pretzel Logic” for the Philadelphia Inquirer, compiled a list of the top ten local college basketball games of 2009.  The #1 game is obvious, but see the other Villanova games that made Tannenwald’s list.

Obviously, the players made these games so special and memorable, but some players who we thought would be a part of these games were not.  I’m referring to those that transferred out of the Villanova basketball family.  Jay Wright has seen his fair share of transfers in recent years, so let’s take a look at how these players are doing at their respective universities.   

-Bilal Benn (transferred to Niagara University in May 2007): While on the Main Line, Benn represented what Villanova basketball is all about; toughness, hard work, defense, pride.  Unfortunately, he just could never get in a rhythm on the offensive end, as he couldn’t knock down shots and turned the ball over too much.  It also didn’t help that Scottie Reynolds was on the verge of becoming a freshman phenom, so Benn was put on the back burner so to speak.  At Niagara, though, he has become a star, averaging 15.6 points and 11 rebounds per game this season for an underrated team.  Benn has missed the last couple of games after undergoing minor knee surgery, but he should return in mid-January.

-Andrew Ott (transferred to Penn State University in January 2008): It’s usually tough to find big men on a Villanova roster, but at 6′ 8″, some thought Ott had the potential to be a low post threat for the Cats.  In all honesty, he just didn’t have the body to compete in the rugged Big East.  He logged some minutes when others were in foul trouble, but other than that, he was rarely used in games.  Thus, he departed to Penn State, where he hoped to be a more integral part of a team.  He has achieved that to a certain extent, playing in all 12 Nittany Lion games this year and averaging 10 minutes, 3.3 points, and 2.2 rebounds per game.  While not all that impressive, Ott is definitely more suited to play in the Big 10 as opposed to the Big East.

-Malcolm Grant (transferred to University of Miami in April 2008): Easily the most puzzling of transfers I can remember.  Everyone could see Grant had a ton of talent and potential, but he could not find consistent minutes at Villanova.  There were constant rumors that he was in Jay Wright’s doghouse, but no one ever admitted to this.  Nonetheless, he singlehandedly brought the Cats back to win one of the most exciting games in Villanova history.  Down 21 to LSU with 8 minutes to go at the Wachovia Center, Grant was inserted to spark a lackluster team, and he did just that, willing the Wildcats to victory.  Despite these heroics, he was still overshadowed by fellow recruits Corey Stokes and Corey Fisher, which may have played a hand in his decision to transfer.  In his first season with the Hurricanes now, Grant is one of the studs for a very solid 12-1 team.  He plays nearly 24 minutes a game, while averaging 11.4 points and almost 4 assists a game. 

-Casiem Drummond (transferred to Marist University in December 2008): Probably the biggest guy to put on a Villanova uniform in recent years, there were high expectations for Drummond.  With Villanova’s usual lack of size, Drummond was seen as the force that could fill the center position void.  In his sophomore year, he averaged 13 minutes, 5 points, and 5 rebounds per game.  Unfortunately, he struggled with weight issues throughout his time on the Main Line, and transferred early in the 2008-2009 season.  Transferring from Villanova to Marist, many assumed he could dominate for the Red Foxes in the MAAC.  Drummond just became eligible to play a few weeks ago, and then was declared academically ineligible, so he will not be on the basketball court any time soon.

8:57 pm eastern time: Game just ended.  Villanova Wildcats defeat Penn Quakers 103-65.  Some notes on the game below.

1. Cats came out strong tonight, unlike the other night against Fairleigh Dickinson, jumping out to quick 15 point lead, which all but deflated any hopes Penn had of an upset
2. Halftime score: 55-25
3. Nova shot an absurd 58% from the field, 51% from downtown, and 78% from the free throw line for the game, while holding the Quakers to 36% from the field and 29% from 3 point range
4. Six Villanova players scored in double figures: Malik Wayns (very impressive thus far) with 16, Corey Stokes, Scottie Reynolds, and Taylor King all with 14, Corey Fisher with 13, and Antonio Pena with 12 
5. Darren Smith had 21 for Penn, but sharpshooter Tyler Bernardini put up a goose egg (credit Corey Stokes for shutting him down)
6. Most important stat of the game aside from those shooting percentages: Cats outrebounded Penn 41-18

In other Big East college basketball action, Cincinnati leads Prairie View A & M by 4 early in the 2nd half, South Florida leads Virginia by 12 in the 2nd half, Notre Dame is up 14 over St. Francis with 5 minutes left, and Colgate and UConn are just under way in Storrs.  Kentucky barely escaped the Red Hawks of Miami (Ohio), winning 72-70.  Much more in-depth analysis to come. 

Note: I’m going to be doing my postgame reports a little different this year. More reactions and opinions, less reporting.

My excitement could hardly be contained all day as I sat in my office. And this was all knowing that I wouldn’t be able to watch the first half of the game. Hey, Villanova basketball is back. A light goes on in me. I didn’t think anything could get me down. This, of course, proved to be untrue.

Taylor King impressed in his debut.

I arrived at Grand Central Station ready to catch the 6:29 train when I discover that the train hasn’t even arrived yet, with just 10 minutes until it’s scheduled departure. Finally, at 6:30, it arrives and I hustle on board. The conductor tells everyone to get off, saying the police need to search the train. Fabulous.

After a quick search (seriously, if you are going to search the train with SWAT, be thorough) we depart and I settle in. Around 6:55 I have an epiphany that I can listen to the game on my phone by downloading a radio application. I do this, and tune into 950-AM in Philadelphia, the station that usually broadcasts ‘Nova games. To my dismay, some asshole is talking about Donovan McNabb sucks and he wishes he would just quit. Now, maybe the game wasn’t on the radio, but I was 99% positive that it was, and this really set me off.

So now with just seconds until the tip, I try to load ESPN’s GameCast onto my Blackberry. “Data Not Available.” As 10-12 people around me at the time can attest, this caused an audible curse and a slammed fist into the back of the seat in front of me. I mean, really? I follow football and basketball games all the time on my phone, and never have a problem. Then again, it was Friday the 13th, and something was bound to go wrong.

So as a last resort, I finally load up my Twitter account and begin to follow the game thanks to brianisawesome, dgoneil1, and VillanovaBBall. Many thanks to all 3 of you, who legitimately kept me informed about the 1st half.

But oh no, from there the trouble wasn’t over. I finally get home with the 2nd half about to start and begin to get the backdoor feed going on my computer. Now, keep in mind this is a new computer that doesn’t have all my necessary add-ons installed yet. So I need to install Microsoft Silverlight to watch the game. Fine, this will take 20 seconds. But oh no, the file is corrupt! I have no idea what this means. And I was very angry for hours as I watched updates on ESPN’s bottom-line. As I said, ‘Nova basketball turns a switch on.

So I didn’t get to see any of the game. Until RFC brilliantly uploaded the highlights just hours after the game. Phenomenal. I really went from a completely angry person to a very euphoric person — all because of highlights. In the end, nothing could spoiler the opener for me, even if I didn’t get to see it. I did get to talk to some people who did see it, and take a few notes from the highlight tape. Here we go:

• Heard from multiple people that Antonio Peña had a crappy game? Really? 9 points and 10 rebounds seems pretty solid to me. FT’s (3-6) continue to be a problem but I think I’ll take a (near) double-double from ‘Tone every night.
• As much as I like hearing that Scottie Reynolds was managing the offense, I like hearing even more that he’s got 2o points or more. Terrible shooting night for the senior and I’m sure he’ll rebound nicely soon, but I don’t want to see too many of these games this year.
• Corey Stokes! Looks like he’s taken a big leap forwards in terms of leadership, defense, and scoring. Yes, the majority of his points were of the long-range variety but that and-1 finish was great and it wasn’t the only time he attempted to get into the lane.
• Taylor King! Heard from a lot of people that he has the best game out of everyone. Enthusiastic, great rebounding, and scoring to boot. That 3 he launched from the corner was one of the quickest releases I’ve ever seen. So smooth. TK looks like he’s going to be big for us this year.
• Corey Fisher looks like he’s in better shape (again) and legitimately looks like a guy who will challenge for 1st-team All-BIG EAST. He just looks so much more confident than he already was.
• Dominic Cheek just looks like a basketball player. Super smooth. Mouphtaou Yarou looked better than I expected, and at the same time I was a little disappointed. Can’t decide. Maalik Wayns doesn’t look like a freshman, nor play like one. He’s the real deal. Hopefully I’ll get to see some Isaiah Armwood next game. Love that he played. Don’t redshirt him!
• Maurice Sutton may be ready to contribute sooner than we thought.
• Seriously, Reggie Redding isn’t back yet. How friggan deep are we?

All in all, I just loved seeing the first game. It’s a joy to finally have ‘Nova basketball back. I’m excited for the year and ready for the ride!

9:13 pm eastern time: Game just ended.  Interesting opener to say the least.  Final score-Villanova 84 Fairleigh Dickinson 61

• Very, very sluggish start for the Cats, as FDU only trailed 35-34 at the half
• Defense shut down the Knights in the second half, only allowing 27 points
• Terence Grier and Mike Scott with big games for Fairleigh Dickinson, putting up 17 and 15 points, respectively
• Corey Stokes accounted for 20 points on 5-11 shooting from downtown, Corey Fisher with 13 and 4 assists, and Antonio Pena with 9 points and 10 boards
• Scottie Reynolds built a small brick house tonight, as he had 8 points on 2-10 shooting, including 0-4 from 3-pt range

Much more in-depth analysis on the way.  By the way, Seton Hall beat St. Peter’s 53-51, and as of right now, Pittsburgh is down 13 to Wofford early in the second half.

Disclaimer: I was not able to attend or view/listen to this game. All of what follows are opinions of various people that I talked, texted, or followed on Twitter. This is more of a general recap.

From the sound of things, it appears that Villanova fans got a mix of good and bad last night in watching the team defeat Kutztown 110-84 at The Wachovia Center. I’m going to run down a list of what I heard from last night:

The Good:

• Scottie Reynolds – Looked exactly how you thought he would, and maybe even better. Looks leaner and quicker and primed for a real All-American campaign. Had 27 points and 4 assists in 29 minutes of action.
• Corey Fisher – Looks even stronger than last year. His body continues to be redefined from the kid who showed up out of shape as a freshman. Hit a few nice mid-range jumpers after he pulled up in the lane. 18 points and 5 assists for Fisher-Price.
• Corey Stokes – Really aggressive on defense, improved ball skills which allowed him to take his man to the goal and/or pull up and knock down a jumper. Still a lights out shooter.
• Team Shooting – 60% from the field and 63% from downtown. Quite frankly, as one person put it – “we can shoot the f*ckin ball real good.”
• Taylor King – 4-4 from beyond the arc. Played with a lot of passion. Really lost a lot of weight and looks to be in much better shape, although he is definitely a tweener. Looked better defending the post than he did defending out on the arc. From all signs though, he won’t be a defensive liability like some thought and looks like he can help defend inside.
• Antonio Peña – Really improved offensive game. Hit a few nice baby hooks and even knocked down some mid-range jumpers. He isn’t Dante Cunningham (yet), but from all accounts he was one of the stronger players on the court.
• Maalik Wayns - More than one person said he was by far the most impressive of the freshman. Knocked down a 3 for his first career basket and was in the face of people all night. Played with a lot of heart. Him, Reynolds and Fisher sound like they are going to terrorize teams. Sounds like he’ll be a fan favorite.
• Mouphtaou Yarou – Picked up a lot of soft fouls, but was aggressive on offense, which is good to hear. Can’t have him shying away.

The Bad:

• Defense – Apparently, there was very little of it. We expected to have a dropoff with the personnel we lost, but apparently Jay Wright was going absolutely wild at a few points during the game. Not good. One person tweeted “we play defense like a mid-level ACC team.” Ouch.

The Puzzling:

• Dominic Cheek – Only 14 minutes of action for the true frosh. Heard he has the skills and the desire, but lacks the strength. Still, thought he would get more action with Redding out. King appears to be ahead of him by a good amount. This doesn’t look good for my predictions on him.
• Maurice Sutton – Just 4 minutes of playing time for the big man. For a team that has an unknown frontcourt, you’d figure he’d get a little more run in an exhibition game. Oh well. Think we all need to temper our expectations on him this year.

At the end of the day, the team did what they were supposed to do. They blew out Kutztown, who never really had a chance. The defense is a huge concern to me personally, because that is what the backbone of Villanova teams usually is. But you’ve got the offense. From all accounts it could be one of the best in the country if they can get consistent production out of the frontcourt.

The Game: #5 Villanova vs. Kutztown (Exhibition)

Location: The Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, PA

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

Broadcast: If anyone has anything please let us know

Brief Rundown: Villanova is coming off the school’s first Final Four appearance since they won it all in 1985. The most heralded senior class in school history is gone (Frank Tchuisi remains on the coaching staff) but a consensus Top-5 recruiting class has arrived. Villanova boasts one of the best and deepest backcourts in the country, but the frontcourt remains a mystery for the time being.

Kutztown is ranked 16th in the Division II preseason polls, and is coming off one of the best season’s in the school’s history as well. They won the PSAC East Championship, made the PSAC Finals, and made their first trip to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Final. They are led by pre-season All-American Stephen Dennis, who is currently third on Kutztown’s all-time scoring list.

3 Keys to Victory:

1. Find a stopper - With Reggie Redding out until late December, ‘Nova needs to find another defensive stopper. Corey Stokes has shown great strides in his defense the last two years, and he may have the mentality to be that guy. Dominic Cheek could also be a candidate. Stephen Dennis is as good a pre-season test as they could hope for.
2. Don’t pull a Syracuse – Seriously, I’ve been talking a lot of crap to my Syracuse friends.. Don’t make me regret that. Come out and play the game.
3. Enjoy it - For the freshman, this is your first taste of ‘Nova basketball. Make it worthwhile. For the seniors, this is the start of the season you’ve been working towards. Lead this team towards greatness.

Links:

• Bears can’t wait to face Villanova (Reading Eagle)

…Lets Go Nova!…let’s have some predictions on score, starting lineups, whatever you want in the comments section…

I don’t care if it is Kutztown and the game doesn’t really count. I want to win by 50. I want Corey Stokes and Taylor King jacking up (and sinking) 3’s from just over mid-court. I want alley-oops.  I want Mouphtaou Yarou to shatter a backboard. I want Jay’s best suit. I want people diving for loose balls. I want Rollie Massimino to trip a ref.

And I’m going to celebrate the win like I would any other. I’m pumped.

Note: Working on a different sort of prediction thread. It’ll be up by tomorrow.