When Brian first texted me yesterday with the news that Reggie Redding had been suspended for the fall semester, I had a few different reactions. My initial words were, “Damn, that’s going to hurt.” And it surely will. Redding was a very big reason why we went to the Final Four. He took his defensive prowess and added a rapidly improving offensive game, and opened up a new chapter in his Villanova career. So yes, missing a senior leader while the team tries to navigate it’s way through the OOC schedule will hurt.
But there are a couple of silver linings in this mess, with the first being increased playing time for Dominic Cheek and Maalik Wayns. Taking Redding out of the backcourt mix for 10-12 games allows the freshman guards to get more of a ‘trial by fire.’ In the short run, it may cost us a couple games as the two young guys go through growing pains, but in the grand scheme of things it will help prepare them for the daunting Big East schedule, and the NCAA Tournament.
In Cheek’s case, he’s already got a little bit of Redding in him. He’s got great length to match up with some of the bigger guards (although the strength probably isn’t there yet) and like Redding, he loves to play defense. He’s got a nice shot from the outside and if you remember the McDonald’s Game, loves to get inside and hit the boards (another ‘Villanova Basketball’ staple.)
Wayns doesn’t play the same position as Redding, but again his minutes will increase because there is one less guy in the rotation. And like Cheek, he’s got the makeup to succeed early because he’s a hard worker who is a classic pass-first point guard.
So while it may not be all good initially, let’s just say I’m very excited to see more of Cheek and Wayns than I am scared to throw them in there because of Redding’s suspension.
Finally, that brings us to Corey Stokes. Stokes was billed with a lethal shot coming in, and hasn’t let anyone down in that department (and actually showed improvement last year). But after a somewhat mixed freshman campaign, he took a major step forward last season as he showed us an increased desire to play top-end defense, as well as an improving offensive game that began to include the dribble-drive and the mid-range jumper.
Stokes has the most to gain in Redding’s absence, because if he was on the fence for a starting spot before the suspension, he’s absolutely in there now. Just for argument’s sake, this is what I believe our starting lineup will be on opening night:
Corey Fisher — Scottie Reynolds — Corey Stokes — Antonio Pena — Mouphtaou Yarou
You can argue that Stokes may have even started at the expense of either Pena or Yarou while Redding was still in the picture, but I believe he would have been the 1st man off the bench.
So now, it is Corey’s time to shine. I don’t want to say he has to fill Reggie’s shoes, because while they play the same position, they have different strength’s and weaknesses. I’d rather see Stokes take charge in his own way. And not only that, but he is an upperclassman now. He’s a leader on this team. That’s a role we haven’t seen him in yet, so how will he respond to that challenge?
Color me very excited for the early portion of the season. I’ve decided that I’m just not going to dwell on what could be if Redding was playing, and rather view him as a mid-season acquisition, much like the Phillies acquired Cliff Lee. Because if this team struggles early, there is some hope on the horizon. But if they gel early and are looking strong, Redding’s return for one last senior hurrah is icing on the cake.
