I Bleed Blue and White

ESPN’s Andy Katz breaks down the 17 players who will try out for the 12 spots on the U-19 National Team.  Tryouts are June 16th-18th in Colorado Springs, and as Chris mentioned in the previous post, Dominic Cheek will be trying out.  Katz on Cheek,

He is a part of a heralded freshmen class entering the Main Line campus. If the ‘Cats are to win the Big East — and they will be favored to do just that — Cheek will likely be a key element.

Additionally, Katz believes that New Mexico assistant and former Villanova player Chris Walker will be the replacement for Patrick Chambers as assistant coach.  Katz on Walker,

Expect Jay Wright to announce Villanova graduate and current New Mexico assistant Chris Walker as his new assistant coach in the near future. Though the deal isn’t finished yet, a source told ESPN.com that Walker will be hired to replace Pat Chambers, who left Villanova last month to become the head coach at Boston University.  A former point guard for Rollie Massimino, Walker led the Wildcats in assists for three seasons and made three postseason berths in his collegiate career.

A couple of interesting items to point out from the last week or so. First, the Nova Notebook, written by Villanova’s director of media relations Mike Sheridan, has returned with a piece on Dante Cunningham. The entry discusses Cunningham’s excitement in working out for NBA scouts, but also his continuing role in helping out the younger Villanova basketball players.

Next, the field for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Tipoff, a tournament to be held in Puerto Rico next season, has been announced.  The tipoff takes place Novemeber 19th-November 22nd, and the 8 teams in this mini-tournament include Boston University, Dayton, George Mason, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kansas State, Ole Miss and Villanova.

Lastly, with the departure of Patrick Chambers to Boston University, there is a coaching vacancy on the Villanova staff.  It looks like University of New Mexico assistant coach Chris Walker, a former basketball player at Nova, is a leading candidate. He interviewed for the position this past Monday, but declined to comment if he is actually considering the opening.

These mini-tournaments early in the year have become a staple on Villanova’s schedule.  While the teams in the field may not seem all that impressive, these games are very important, as you never know which team will end up having a great year.  Nonconference wins, such as these, provide big opportunities early in the season to build the foundation for your NCAA tournament resume.

Also, if you notice, Boston U. is in this field.  Wouldn’t it be interesting to see Chambers vs. Villanova?  In terms of the coaching vacancy, I don’t know much about Chris Walker, but from what I read in the posted article, it sounds like he is a great recruiter, which can never hurt.  I know Jay will pick a solid guy to fill the Chambers vacancy.