I Bleed Blue and White

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).

The Big East Conference announced this afternoon that Villanova’s roadtrip to Syracuse on February 27th, 2010 will be the site of ESPN’s College GameDay.

The show will air live from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and again from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The game will then be played starting at 9:00 p.m., and will be shown on ESPN.

…I could be mistaken, but I believe that this is the first time that Villanova will feature on ‘GameDay’ so this is exciting news…I just wish it was a home game…

ESPN writer Andy Katz and Scouts Inc. National Director of Recruiting Paul Biancardi completed a very thorough break-down of the ACC today.  While covering key offseason stories, important players, and primetime freshmen, they also discuss 10 non-conference games they “can’t wait to see” this year.  #6 on the list represents the Maryland Terrapins vs. the Villanova Wildcats, which will take place on December 6th down in Washington D.C. at the BB&T Classic.  Katz, on the game:

The highlight matchup of the BB&T Classic will be Greivis Vasquez versus Scottie Reynolds at the point.  But both teams will want to push the ball and get after each other defensively.  The Terps are a trendy pick for a top-four ACC finish, while the Wildcats should be the Big East favorite.

Other ACC-Big East matchups that Katz points out are Duke at Georgetown (date TBD) and a potential classic if Duke and UConn both make it to the finals of the NIT Season Tip-Off (Nov. 27th).  With the ACC being analyzed today, one would think that the Big East is next on the list so stay tuned.

Remember that soft nonconference schedule Villanova played last year?  Not so much this year.  Personally, I would rather take a few lumps early in the season, if it means being better prepared down the stretch.  Any thoughts?

In the latest post to his blog, Andy Katz lays out 50 guys who could make the initial list for The Wooden Award, which is given annually to the nation’s most outstanding basketball player. Katz lists Corey Fisher among his 50 players to watch, but goes even further with Scottie Reynolds, ranking him 9th out of his Top 15 players for the award.

“9. Scottie Reynolds, Villanova — Reynolds made the shot of the NCAA tournament with a layup against Pitt. If he leads the Wildcats to the Big East title, he’ll be in play.”

…To be fair, we ragged on Katz pretty bad last season, but he slowly grew on us as the year went on after basically refusing to admit we even had a team at the beginning of the year…we forgive you Andy…

…A little shocked Fisher is on this watch list, but then again he really came on strong at the end of last year and he’ll be in the spotlight this year…you never know what can happen…

…As for Scottie, he’s had such a crazy career…unstoppable as a freshman…’down’ by our standards as a sophomore and then part of a Final Four team as a junior…although that team was more about the senior class than him…

…So how does it all end for Scottie?…I hope well…he’s one of my favorite players, even if he does catch it harsh sometimes from ‘Nova Nation…I think a John Wooden Award and a Nat’l Title would sew up his place in the ‘Nova Hall of Fame, don’t you?…

According to a report in The Providence Journal, the Big East may be considering changing the format of their post-season tournament yet again. After last season marked the first year where the Top 4 teams in the standings received a ‘double-bye’ and all 16 teams were invited to New York City, it appears there still may be some tweaking to do.

The proposed changes include the elimination of ‘byes’ altogether, and would pit the top teams against the bottom teams on Day 1 of the tournament, which last season drew no TV coverage and very low crowds.

Under the proposed changes, the 1-16, 2-15, 3-14, and 4-13 games would be played on Tuesday, while the other 4 games would be played on Wednesday. The quarterfinals would then be held on Thursday as they were last year, with the Top 4 teams presumably getting a day off in on Wednesday.

Many critics last year felt that the top teams sat for two long, as they sat in the stands and watched not 1, but 2 games before they took the court. After two of those teams (Pittsburgh and UConn) lost, many felt a change was needed.

With the added bonus of almost assured TV coverage from ESPN on Tuesday, these changes could possibly be implemented.

…Count me in the group that thinks this is a horrible idea…the regular season is the true barometer of the conference, not a 4 day tournament where anything can happen…if you work your tail off all year, you deserve to have a break for this tournament, especially if you have your eyes set on a deep NCAA Tourney run…

…And does it really help your cause to be playing the #15 or #16 seed in this tournament when you are fighting for NCAA seeding?…probably not, because if you somehow lose, you only look worse, while if you win, it does absolutely nothing to help your resume…

…I can see where it makes sense for the conference, because they’ll get more exposure and draw bigger crowds, but I’m surprised that coaches of the top teams would want ‘less rest’ before the grueling NCAA Tournament…

It’s already August, which means only a few more months of me having to endure the misery known as the New York Mets, but more importantly, only a few more months until the college hoops season.  One person who is ready for college basketball year round is the infamous Dick Vitale.  Today, he released his rankings of the top 40 teams for the upcoming season.  Villanova fell in at #7, with Vitale saying,

Jay Wright had to be thrilled when Scottie Reynolds said no to the NBA and came back to the Big East.  Wright has a super class coming in, plus Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes among the returning talent.

Vitale wasn’t the only ESPN contributor posting rankings today, as Andy Katz came out with his top 25 teams.  Katz rated the Wildcats more favorably than Vitale, with a ranking of #4.  Katz says,

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.

Although it may seem far away to you, the college hoops season is drawing nearer and nearer.

Depending on work, I am going to try and get to the “Attitude of a Champion” showing tomorrow night at the Connelly Center.  If I do, stay tuned for my reaction.  I will try not to spoil anything though. 

As the summer rapidly progresses along, we draw closer and closer to the college basketball season.  Today, Villanova learned their Big East home and away opponents for the upcoming season.  Also of note, Villanova will play West Virginia, Marquette, and Georgetown twice, both home and away. 

Without a doubt, Villanova has one of the toughest schedules in the Big East, and Andy Katz agrees with this assessment.  He says,

Already you can see Villanova will have the toughest slate in the Big East if the predictions hold up.

Additionally, Katz breaks down some of the early tournaments, such as the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, which Villanova will participate in.  Another ESPN writer, Pat Forde, ranked his most recent top ten rivalries.  Villanova-Pittsburgh comes in at #5 on Forde’s list.  Forde, on why the rivalry is hot now,

If you saw that memorable East Regional final last spring, you know why. Scottie Reynolds snatched away Pitt’s first Final Four in eons with a last-second drive, giving Nova a leg up in the Pennsylvania hoops hierarchy. It also gives the Wildcats a leg up in what many people believe will be the Big East rivalry of the next decade as Jay Wright and Jamie Dixon turn down other jobs and become even more entrenched. Nova could be the favorite to win the league this season, with Reynolds pulling out of the draft and returning to potentially haunt Pitt again. And even after losing the guts of a great team, you cannot discount the perennially competitive Panthers.

The rivalry will continue to heat up as the Wildcats have to travel to Pittsburgh this year to face the Panthers.  Pitt always plays well at home, as the atmosphere is always great for college basketball, but tough for road teams to play in.  We are curious to hear your thoughts on Villanova’s Big East opponents or the Villanova-Pitt rivalry.

Villanova junior guard Corey Fisher has been selected to participate on the United States team for the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia.  Fisher joins 11 others on the 12-man squad, which will be coached by Wisconsin’s Bo Ryan.  It was thought that Fisher may have a tough time making the team, because Kansas’ Sheron Collins was practically a shoe-in at point guard, which meant that Fisher had to compete with Penn State’s Talor Battle and Arizona’s Nic Wise.  Collins backed out a couple of days ago due to family reasons, opening the door for Fisher and Battle to make the squad.  According to ESPN’s Andy Katz,

No one associated with the selection was overwhelmed by the point guard position with Collins out, but Battle and Fisher are expected to suffice, considering the talent at every other position.

The team’s schedule in the Games is as follows: July 3rd vs. Finland, July 4th vs. South Korea, July 6th begins the 2nd round, July 9th begins the medal round, July 11th is the finals.

Do not underestimate the experience that Fisher will gain in this tournament.  Playing against foreign players is a very difficult task, but a very worthwhile one nonetheless.  Fisher will only get better by playing against some of the best players in the world.  Congrats to Corey. 

As the NBA Draft rapidly approaches, prospects, especially projected 2nd-rounders, try to get in as many workouts as possible for various teams.  Recently, Dante Cunningham has worked out for the Charlotte Bobcats on June 12th, the Utah Jazz on June 15th, and he has a workout scheduled with the Portland Trailblazers today, June 17th.  After these workouts, the media caught up with Dante down in Charlotte and out west in Utah to discuss these sessions. 

ESPN college basketball analyst Joe Lunardi is back with an updated version of his notorious bracketology.   For what it’s worth, Lunardi projects Villanova as a #2 seed, but reading into March Madness projections on June 17th is way too premature to say the least. 

Pat Forde, of ESPN, also came out with his top ten teams for next season.  For Forde, Villanova ranks #2 behind the Kansas Jayhawks.  His take on the Cats:

When Scottie Reynolds re-upped, the Wildcats became Big East favorites and a national title threat. Reynolds returns to join three other key players from last season’s Final Four team, plus coach Jay Wright adds one of the nation’s best recruiting classes and Duke transfer Taylor King. Replacing Dante Cunningham’s points, rebounds and leadership will be the hard part.