I Bleed Blue and White

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.

It doesn’t get much better than this-a 3 day weekend, the NFL Divisional Playoffs (huge game Sunday for my NY Jets), and two Big East college basketball showdowns (Syracuse at West Virginia and Georgetown at Villanova).  Both of these hoops games are featured on Rivals’ “Five games to watch this weekend” and ESPN’s “Weeklend Watch.”

Mike Huguenin, a Rivals’ editor, on the Hoyas-Cats contest: 

This is the first game in a four-game stretch in which the Hoyas play three times on the road: against ‘Nova, Pitt and Syracuse. Yikes. Villanova needs to be worried about stifling Georgetown big man Greg Monroe. Georgetown has two top-notch guards; Villanova has about, oh, 23 or 24.

Dana O’Neil, ESPN contributor, is also psyched up for the game at the Wachovia Center:

OK, I’ll be there, so I’m being selfish. But this classic Big East battle always is good entertainment, and with the way both teams are playing — Villanova won the foul fest at Louisville and the Hoyas topped Connecticut – I doubt it will disappoint this time around. Against the Wildcats’ deep backcourt, Austin Freeman is going to have a much more difficult time going for the unconscious 33 he put up against the Huskies, but Villanova will have its hands full contending with Greg Monroe.

Furthermore, Jay Bilas breaks down this matchup in depth in the ESPN “Weekend Watch,” so take a look at that for some additional opinion and analysis.  Lastly, Andy Katz spoke with Jay Wright in the latest edition of “Katz’s Korner,” but I can’t give you a preview of that since my computer at home is not working properly at the moment.  If someone gets to watch the video, please discuss it in the comments, so we all have an idea of what it’s about. 

I will be at the game on Sunday, and I believe Chris and Jamie will too.  Usually, the best ‘Nova tailgating goes down at the end of the Wachovia Center farthest away from Citizens Bank Park.  If you see us down there, come say hello and we can hype up the Cats while having a few beers.

I hesitated to report this story when I first saw it this morning, but I’m sure most of you have seen it by now as it has quickly become national news. The Sporting News reported late last night that Mouphtaou Yarou may have eligibility concerns because of questions surrounding his real age.

That quickly sent ‘Nova Nation into a state of panic.

(Not me, I was on my 3rd glass of wine and was completely clueless. IBBW, your #1 source for breaking news)

Anyways, Dana O’Neil talked with Jay Wright today who is reporting that Yarou has been cleared and is good to go for Friday’s opener against Fairleigh Dickinson. In fact, it appears that Yarou never even played in the tournament in question. Solid reporting, TSN. Way to give everyone a heart attack.

So everyone take a deep breath. It appears that everything is okay.

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…

ESPN writer Dana O’Neil and Scouts Inc. John Stovall analyzed the A-10 conference today.  Of the 10 non-conference games that O’Neil “can’t wait to see,” 4 are A-10-Big East matchups.  Coming in at #2 on the list is the St. Joseph’s Hawks vs. the Villanova Wildcats on December 9th at the infamous Palestra.  O’Neil, regarding this contest:

Even though this is a transition year for the Hawks and the Wildcats ought to be a top-10 team, nothing is guaranteed when the Holy War is played at the Palestra.  This is the sort of game that ‘Nova coach Jay Wright dreads.

Touche.  In Big 5 games, especially at the Palestra, especially St. Joe’s vs. Villanova, records and rankings can be thrown out the window.  While Villanova will be the heavy heavy favorite, you just never know, because this rivalry is one of the best in the nation.  Other A-10-Big East games that O’Neil discusses are Xavier vs. Marquette (November 26th), Pittsburgh at Duquesne (December 2nd), and Temple at Georgetown (November 17th).

Dana O’Neil, who covers college basketball for ESPN, is reporting that Scottie Reynolds is ‘leaning toward’ returning to ‘Nova for his senior season.  This is not official, but there must be something to it if O’Neil is making the story public.