I Bleed Blue and White

I’ve now written this post for the 3rd time. My first attempt was all over the place. I was on Raf’s nuts, praising #1, and killing the refs. Then I read the manifesto I had just written and decided it was below a 2nd-grade writing level. So after I calmed myself down I wrote another saga detailing the downfall of the college basketball referee, and how it all culminated in the atrocity that we witnessed last night.

And now, on my third attempt, we’re just going to give praise to Scottie Reynolds, or as I now know him, God. (Hey, Liverpool did it with Robbie Fowler — let’s run with this). Last night we saw a team get the breaks beat off them in the 1st half. That deficit felt insurmountable at one point, a fact not lost on me as I tweeted for the 2nd time in 3 days that a game was essentially over (I’m what you would call a major reverse jinx).

And then in the 2nd half you saw one of the best players Villanova has ever seen completely take over a game. As Bill Simmons would say, Scottie went into “F*ck You Mode.” What made his 30 point outburst in the 2nd half all the more impressive is that he was averaging just 6 points per game for his career against the Cardinals.

His perfect effort from downtown wasn’t even a surprise. After nailing 2 in the first half he came out and hit 3 in the 2nd — and all three were the boldest shots I’ve ever seen him take, completely silenced Freedom Hall, and made Bill Raftery pee his pants in the process. And each time he pulled up, you just knew they were going in. It was incredible.

Loyal reader Chocolate Thunder pulled this gem late last night — “Maalik Wayns hit a free throw to give Villanova a 76-72 lead with 6:05 to go. It was the last time any Wildcat other than Reynolds scored.” Did it feel that way? Yes. Are you surprised? No. Did you love every god damn second of it? Hell yeah.

I’m glad we’ve got God on our side. Here’s some other random thoughts from last night:

• I’ll say it again – Sean McDonough, Jay Bilas and Bill Raftery make any game 1000x better. There’s no better crew in their line of work. Their passion, knowledge, audible excitement and the way they abuse the referees is phenomenal.
• Awful, awful game from Reggie Redding. 2 points and 7 turnovers. We got freshman-Reg last night. In a hostile environment with a young team, you need more from your senior leader and most consistent player. We won so it doesn’t seem as bad, but if we had lost that game you’d be hearing a lot more about his play. Still love ya though Reg, and I do believe you are the glue that holds this team together.
• Anyone see Corey Fisher and Edgar Sosa woofing at each other? They clearly are not friends. That dates back to NYC high school hoops. I thought Fisher got the best of him last night. He was making a lot happen. Felt like he had more than 12 points.
• How about Mouph Yarou in his first real action of the year. Thought he did a great job with Samardo Samuels (who played a great game) and was victimized by the refs on some fouls. He got me very excited for what he can bring the rest of the year. He’s much more athletic that I thought.
• Our FT shooting (35-49) was awful. We could have lost that game with how poor we were shooting the freebies.
• How about that Jay Wright technical? I’m 98% certain that if one of the 7 people restraining him had let him through, he would have actually killed an official. Regardless, it was a key turning point in last night’s game. The team definitely responded to that.
• Maalik Wayns single-handedly kept us in the game in the 1st half. He was hurt by fouls after the break but he was phenomenal in the opening stanza. Handled himself extremely well for a freshman.
• Speaking of freshman handling themselves well on the road, both Dominic Cheek and Isaiah Armwood did well too. Armwood disappeared after playing a lot early due to foul problems. Cheek played great D and had a nice floater on the break which gave us privilege to this gem from Raf – “Ohhhhh with the teardrop…running down the Cheek!” (Shout out to Blue Man! for the quote)
• Taylor King was outstanding. I tweeted that I thought the game was going too fast for him in the 1st half (it was) but he really picked it up after the break. He as integral in that win.
• It took me this long to finally get to the refs, but here it is — That was the worst officiated game I think any of us have ever seen. The officials should be ashamed of themselves for such a poor performance that took the spotlight off the teams playing and onto themselves. Jeff Goodman from FOX called for them to have an extended rest and to have their eyes checked. I really think they should be suspended for a week. If you were to review that tape, I’m sure you could find at least 30 fouls that shouldn’t have been called. It was an abomination. At one point I was convinced those guys were betting on the OVER. So to all three of you (whose names I will not repeat), go f*ck yourselves.
• And just so we end this on a good note, let’s have one more celebratory mention of God. Sir Scottie Reynolds was just magnificent last night. Get his jersey in the rafters now!

…We’re off until Sunday when we host Georgetown…I will be attending that game with the IBBW crew and friends, so if you are going to be out in D Lot, we may run into each other…

Well, well, well. Villanova is FINALLY an underdog. Not by much, but in my opinion (if I really gambled of course) this makes them a pretty good value pick. Then again, everyone here will pick ‘Nova tonight. Who will be bold enough to buck the trend?

• On Game Day, I will post the official line we will be using for the game.
• In that thread, post your pick against-the-spread for the game that night.
• Make sure you use the same username for every pick (I know some of you are registered, if you aren’t this is a good reason to do so to make it easier). Also, make sure you provide your email so that I can contact the winner at the end of the year.
• Anonymous entries will not count.
• Entries posted after the game starts will not count.
• If you do not provide a pick for the game, it will be marked as a loss in the standings.
• If you are away and can’t make a pick in the thread, you can email me your pick. Email me at clane2787@gmail.com and I will try to email you back ASAP with the line (again, it must be emailed before the start of the game).
• The winner at the end of the year will win a prize (TBD) and I promise it will be something good. I’m not going to be lame like that. I’m searching eBay for cool Villanova stuff as we speak.
• In the event of a tie, the poster with the best BIG EAST record (regular season) wins. If still tied, the best Big 5 record wins. If still tied, the best OOC record wins. If still tied, we may have to do multiple prizes.

The line for tonight is Villanova +3. Leave your picks in the comments.

The Game: #6 Villanova (14-1, 3-0) at Louisville (12-4, 3-0)

Location: Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

Broadcast: “Big Monday” on ESPNHD

Brief Rundown: Villanova had another nail-biter with Marquette, but for the 2nd time in a week they managed to pull out the W and in the process move to 3-0 in the young conference season. Corey Stokes’ offense, which had been M.I.A. for weeks, was a key factor in getting the Wildcats going early. They’ll need him again as Louisville sometimes gives some zone looks.

Louisville has been an enigma this year. They have loads of talent, but they look like they really miss Terrence Williams and Earl Clark, as nobody has stepped up into a leadership role. The way they played Kentucky was nice, but losses to Western Carolina, Charlotte, and UNLV raise more than a few concerns. Their 3 conference wins were against Providence, South Florida, and St. John’s. Again, nothing to be impressed by. But this is still Louisville. Villanova needs to be on their A-Game.

What I Want To See: Word came down today that Jay Wright wants to play Mouphtaou Yarou for 20-25 minutes. If that really is happening, I want to see him hold his own against Samardo Samuels and Terrence Jennings. Nobody is expecting him to dominate, but we can’t afford for him to get abused all night either. Welcome to the BIG EAST Mouph.

Links:

• Louisville attempting a ‘White-Out”
• Card Chronicle
• VUHoops
  

It’s BIG EAST Media Day (I’m so pumped that the season is almost here) and this is the time when coaches get together and vote on the various pre-season lists.

Villanova was picked to finish 1st in the conference this year, narrowly edging out West Virginia, who finished just 3 points behind them in voting.  UConn and Louisville round out the Top 4. Villanova was last picked 1st in 2005-2006.

Scottie Reynolds was selected as a 1st-Team All-BIG EAST member, but he was the only Wildcat to garner such honors. Luke Harangody was picked as the Player of the Year (no problem there, he’ll have the stats but not the team) and Lance Stephenson was picked as the freshman of the year.

…Good for the team, now you’ve just got to go out and actually earn it…congrats to Scottie as well who I feel has never gotten the respect he deserves with these types of things…

…A little shocked Redding didn’t make the 2nd-team or Honorable Mention…he may be out for the fall semester but he’ll be back for the conference slate…I’d be shocked if he wasn’t on one of those teams at the end of the year…

In a must-read report for SNY, Adam Zagoria discusses former Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese’s role in Memphis Athletics since he left the conference. According to Zagoria, Memphis desperately wants to join the Big East, but there are several areas that don’t seem like a fit.

The Tigers wanted to join along with South Florida, Cincinnati and Louisville back in 2004, but they weren’t invited. One thing working in their favor is the Big East’s desire to add more football programs to the small 8 teams they currently have. With conference championship games becoming more popular, Memphis is an attraction.

It’s more difficult on the basketball side, however. There are already 16 teams in what is by many considered to be a conference that is too big. Adding a 17th, and therefore probably an 18th, would border on crazy.

…I would love Memphis to join the basketball ranks, and for them and the Big East, it makes complete sense from a football standpoint…but the numbers of teams would just be crazy…would they really kick one of the basketball schools out?…

…Any thoughts on this?…

Today, ESPN announced their Big Monday schedule for the upcoming college basketball season.  Every Monday between January 4th and March 1st, there will be a doubleheader on ESPN, with a 7 p.m. Big East game and a 9 p.m. Big 12 game.  Villanova will be featured in this time-slot 3 times, including January 11th at Louisville, February 8th at West Virginia, and February 15th vs. Connecticut.  The rest of Big Monday slate, along with my initial reactions to each game, is as follows:

January 4
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati *Pitt at Cincy to kick off the Big Monday season-couldn’t find a better Big East matchup?

January 11
Villanova at Louisville *Need some revenge from last year’s 2 losses to the Cardinals

January 18
Syracuse at Notre Dame *Fighting Irish need to put up a solid showing on national TV to show they are back

January 25
Georgetown at Syracuse *Great rivalry

February 1
Connecticut at Louisville *No more Thabeet to match up with Samuels

February 8
Villanova at West Virginia *1-2 in the conference (better be a lot closer this year)

February 15
Connecticut at Villanova *Remember storming the court in 2006 at the Wachovia Center (place should be rocking)

February 22
West Virginia at Connecticut *Dislike both of these teams a lot

March 1
Georgetown at West Virginia *Georgetown competing for a Big East crown this year?

There you have my thoughts.  What does everyone else think about this schedule?

Added by Chris:

…2006 Wachovia game was the best home game I’ve ever been to…my first “it’s so cold it hurts to drink beer” experience at Villanova…so worth it though…I’m marking Feb. 15th down as a sick day right now…

Obviously, new news is hard to come by these days, since the offseason is in full swing.  With that said, there is some relatively important news coming out of the Big East.  There were recent reports that Louisville’s Rick Pitino expressed interest in the Sacramento Kings head coaching vacancy.  Whether he did or not is something I can’t be sure of, but today, Pitino told a Lousville spokesperson that he currently has no interest in the Sacramento Kings job or any NBA job for that matter. 

It’s always hard to judge the validity of some of these rumors, like the one of Pitino expressing interest in the Kings job.  He certainly may have, considering he’s been a head coach in the NBA before.  All in all, though, the Louisville job is one of the most coveted in sports, and I think Pitino recognizes that.  With his team falling one game short of the Final 4 this year, I think there will be extra motivation for him to prove he can take another team that deep in the tournament.  Just like when there were reports that Jim Calhoun might be retiring but he stayed, I like that Pitino is staying.  He is a huge name in sports and adds to the overall persona of the Big East. 

A new week for us, and more players are staying in school, more players are entering the NBA Draft, and we’ve even got some transfer updates in the Big East. Exciting indeed! (I really hate the offseason).

It was reported earlier that Jonny Flynn was going to enter his name in the draft, but not hire an agent. This would have left the door open for a return by Flynn, but his plans have changed. Flynn is going to sign with Leo Rose, the agent who represents LeBron James.

…Adios Jonny…we all know the real reason why you left — Villanova was just too good for you…seriously though…good for him…he’s going to be a steal for whoever gets him in the mid-1st round…and personally as a Knicks fan I wouldn’t be too upset if the Knicks reached a bit and grabbed him in the lottery (assuming they are at the bottom end)…

Devin Ebanks has decided to stay at West Virginia. Not really a shocker there. He needs some time in the weight room before he can reach his full potential. But that potential might be higher than anybody else in the conference.

Jeff Goodman’s blog has been updated to include the impending transfer of Omar Wattad, a 6′5″ SG from Georgetown. Wattad, who you’ve probablyl never heard of either, is a sophomore who was a former 2-star recruit. He was buried on the bench for the Hoyas so his transfer isn’t a total shocker. Good luck to you Mr. Wattad.

And to nobody’s surprise at all, Earl Clark has declared for the draft and hired an agent. The ultra-talented Clark is a lock for the lottery, and has shown flashes this year of reaching his enormous potential. He really came on strong at the end of the year. I’m not even going to bring up how this guy almost came to ‘Nova (well, I guess I just did).

…Flynn and Clark are two guys I’m not going to miss at all…in Flynn’s case though, Syracuse is going to have a rough year without him…Louisville should be okay…

Chas from Pitt Blather is hosting a live blog tonight. During the discussion myself and bloggers from all the Big East teams remaining will discuss how the tournament has gone so far, how dominant the Big East is, etc., etc.

Panelists will include:

• Chas Rich of Pitt Blather
• Sean Keely of Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician
• Mike Rutherford of Card Chronicle
• Andrew Porter of The UConn Blog
• Yours Truly

I’m going to try and set up a window for the live blog here, but since I’ve been know to be an idiot from time to time, you may have to head over to Pitt Blather if you want to catch the action. And if you are too busy to watch 5 idiots talk basketball, you can always catch the transcript tomorrow.

I’ve been looking around this morning trying to get a feel for where we will eventually end up in the NCAA Tournament. Looks like I’m not the only one who feels like we’re a 3 seed. Joe Lunardi’s latest bracket has Villanova as a 3 seed in Philadelphia. Lunardi has us playing Binghamton, who are playing UMBC in the America East Conference Tournament Championship. After that, we’d play the winner of Arizona and Penn State.

Likewise, Jerry Palm’s bracket has us as a 3 seed, but not in Philly. Palm’s latest bracket has us in Miami playing Buffalo in the 1st round, with a matchup with either Xavier or Maryland in the 2nd round.

Like I said, I feel we’re a lock for a 3 seed. It really just depends on where we end up playing our games. I’ve read some chatter that with a BET win tonight, Syracuse could get a 3 seed and steal our spot in Philadelphia. That would be a load of crap if you ask me considering we beat them twice this year, but stranger things have happened.

The biggest threat to playing in Philadelphia is Michigan State. If Michigan State wins the Big 10 Tournament, they could possibly find themselves as a #1 seed. Right now we’re assuming that North Carolina and Pittsburgh are locked up as #1’s. UConn, Louisville (they have to win tonight) and Memphis are also in play. If Michigan State loses, they’ll be a #2. Same with Louisville. But if both win, they both have a strong case.

North Carolina will play in Greensboro, and UConn will play in Philadelphia whether they are a #1 seed or a #2. Pittsburgh will be in Dayton. But if Michigan State gets a #1, they could be sent to Dayton, thus sliding Louisville to Philadelphia (although I still think the Spartans go to Minneapolis regardless). But the scenario is out there.

When our name is called, I’m still confident we’ll be in Philadelphia. But I’m a little more nervous than I was yesterday.