I Bleed Blue and White

Thursday night, Villanova plays Kutztown in an exhibition at the Wachovia Center.  For me, this is when the season starts, as the Wildcats will face a team other than themselves in front of a live audience for the first time since the loss to North Carolina.  Sure, official practice started a few weeks ago, but in reality, they are basically practicing year round, so the upcoming exhibition represents the keynote address for the 2009-2010 Villanova Wildcats.  Anyway, here are some “things you already know” articles as we draw closer to the Kutztown contest. 

• Jeff Borzello, a NBE basketball blogger, talks about the season of great expectations for Villanova basketball
• Rivals breaks down the #4 team in their Preseason 347: the Villanova Wildcats
• Rivals breaks down the supposed weaker Big East

So before our trek to Detroit, Liz and her friends Jackie and Heather decided that they absolutely hated Tyler Hansbrough. I’ve never heard 3 girls talk so much smack before. But naturally, with North Carolina in our sights I enjoyed every minute of it. They decided that they needed to put their feelings about him onto cardboard, and the result was fantastic.

Hansbrough may have got the last laugh, but this sign has to rank up there with the all-time greats. Below is a picture of Liz (on the left) and her friend Jen with the sign. This sign was prominent in the preGame tent at Bookie’s. And it even made its way into the hands of Blue Man! once we got inside Ford Field. So if you saw that sign at any point on Saturday, you probably met my girlfriend, and possibly even me.

Special thanks to FedEx Kinko’s and White Tavern Vodka, who were instrumental in the construction of this bad boy.

Game recap and box score if you missed the game.

Sometimes, you just have to tip your hat and admit that the other team is just better. Some people will look at this game and be upset and get mad, but in reality North Carolina is a great program, with great players, and a phenomenal coach. Villanova is getting better in all those categories every day, but last night the Tar Heels were just better.

Be proud. Stand tall.

Ty Lawson completely lived up to the hype surrounding him. His 22 points and 8 assists felt like a lot more, and he was a nuisance to ‘Nova all evening. Wayne Ellington seemingly could not miss a shot, and finished 5-7 from downtown. His game was a harsh reminder of what the Philly product could have meant for Villanova.

Danny Green made the shots when he was left open, and Tyler Hansbrough got to the line often enough to finish with 18 points and 11 rebounds.

I could dissect this game on Villanova’s end and tell you who played bad and who played well, but it really came down to the fact that once again in the Tournament, ‘Nova should poorly from the outside, and they did not play defense and did not rebound well. The latter two especially have been instrumental in their tournament run and their season as a whole. It failed them last night and the Heels took full advantage of it.

Scottie Reynolds had a team-high 17 points, but it was on an awful 6-18 shooting, including a porous 3-11 from behind the arc. I’m not a Reynolds basher at all, but when it’s not your night shooting the ball, you need to find other ways to help the team win. There have been nights this season where Reynolds has done just that, but not in this game.

His backcourt mate Corey Fisher did a great job getting into the lane, but the ball wouldn’t fall for him. And on more than one occasion the refs blatantly refused to call a foul, even as Fisher was getting mugged. His 5-19 effort looks bad on paper, but I liked his initiative on offense. Sometimes the ball doesn’t drop.

Reggie Redding seemed to be the only Wildcat to find some consistent offense, including from the outside, yet he only played 29 minutes and was never in foul trouble. If he is the team’s smartest player (I believe that) and one of their best playmakers (I also support that), Jay Wright’s reluctance to play him more was certainly a head-scratcher.

Dante Cunningham started off well, but North Carolina did a good job taking him out of the game. Dwayne Anderson’s shots wouldn’t fall if the hoop was a foot wider. Again, just that kind of night.

But let’s not forget what this team did. How many of you expected a Final Four appearance at the beginning of the year? Probably just the team did, and they met their goals.

As a fellow senior with the 4 guys on the team, I was crushed last night after the loss. But I don’t want to sulk about the loss. This team was amazing, and I couldn’t be more proud of them. Dante Cunningham has turned himself into a possible 1st round draft pick. Shane Clark fought through an injury-riddled career to become one of my favorite players. Dwayne Anderson might be the best story this school will ever have. And Frank Tchuisi never stopped giving all he could for his team and his school.

So don’t feel bad and cry over this loss. This team accomplished so much more, and they deserve to be celebrated. I’m as proud to be a Villanova fan as I ever have. These guys have continued to raise the bar for the program, and leave as the best senior class Villanova has ever had. Congrats boys!

The Game: #3 Villanova (30-7, 13-5) vs. #1 North Carolina (32-4, 13-3)

Location: Ford Field in Detroit, MI

Time: 8:47 p.m. ET

Broadcast: CBS and CBSHD

Brief Rundown: Villanova came out on top in one of the most epic tournament games ever thanks to Scottie Reynolds’ heroics. Before that, they had escaped tiny American in the 1st round before destroying both UCLA and Duke. This is the Wildcats first trip to the Final Four since they won it all in 1985.

North Carolina made Oklahoma look awful last weekend, despite Blake Griffin’s great day. The Tarheels destroyed Radford in the opening round before a comfortable victory over LSU and a blout of Gonzaga.

The last time these two played was in 2005’s Sweet Sixteen. The Tarheels advanced on an awful traveling call on Allan Ray. The Wildcats want revenge.

3 Keys to Victory:

1. Slow down Lawson – Ty Lawson has been magnificent for UNC thus far. The uber-quick point guard has fueled the team’s run thus far, and nobody has had an answer for him. Shutting him down completely is crazy talk, but slowing him down and not allowing him to run wild will slow down the entire Tarheel attack.
2. Punch them in the mouth – UCLA and Duke, two teams from outside the rugged Big East, had no idea what to do with Villanova’s tenacity. It was if they’d never seen it. Well North Carolina hasn’t either. For all their talent, they are a very soft team. Make it known that we’re in the building and get them on their heels (no pun intended) early.
3. Shoot it well – This is something Villanova has not done at all in the tournament. They’ve been dreadful from the outside and that needs to change fast for ‘Nova to win. Reynolds, Fisher, Stokes and Anderson need to make some shots. And that in turn will open up the dribble-drive even more.

…Lets Go Nova…I’ll be in Detroit but ‘Nova Nation should be amped up for this wherever you are…let’s have some preGame chatter…

This is going to be my 2nd to last post (the last will be the typical preGame post) before I head to Detroit. I’m leaving around 3-4 a.m. and I’m hoping to be in Detroit in the early afternoon. Long drive, ugh. But at the end of that is the proverbial pot of gold. So it’s all worth it.

Since I finished up school for the week I’ve been listening to the radio and TV trying to get a sense of what the media thinks about this game. After listening to the talking heads, I’ve come to the conclusion that while everyone would love to see the upset, nobody is really giving us a chance at all.

After all, we’re up against big bad North Carolina and their roster of future pros. Heck, if I hadn’t been watching our team all year, I might even think we have no chance. Half the country still doesn’t know our team. They know Scottie Reynolds, sure. And probably Dante Cunningham as well since even though he’s relatively new on the scene. But the rest? Just a ragtag group of guys who don’t belong.

Even our suit-connoisseur of a coach (who we think Roy Williams has a crush on) is new to the party.

And I really wouldn’t have it any other way. Cunningham and Tyler Hansbrough (as much as we’ve ragged on him) should have a great matchup. Ty Lawson is clearly (in my opinion) the best player in this tournament, but is he ready for the bevy of players that will bump him and bother him?

Who is stopping Corey Fisher from getting into the lane? Lawson is quick, but nobody on UNC cares about defense.

Which brings me to my main point. Boomer Esiason pointed out on WFAN that defense wins this time of year. Did anyone see Michigan State stomping Louisville like that? Of course not, but it is because they played D. North Carolina will score against ‘Nova. They are that good. But they aren’t going to score 90, or even 80. And when they play in the 60s and 70s, they aren’t as good. Because they can’t rely on themselves to get a stop when they need it.

Villanova on the other hand has had everyone raving about the way they defend. Raving about the way they punch people in the mouth. Raving about how they refuse to back down. Now all of a sudden, they aren’t going to do those things? Give me a break.

Here’s what I think. Nobody gives us a chance, and that helps us. We’re locked in. We’re focused. Meanwhile Ty Lawson is at the casinos. Nevermind the fact that we are familiar with the awful Ford Field setup from last year, or the fact that we got screwed at the hands of the officials 4 years go to this very same program. We can do this without all of that motivation.

So are you ready to give up on our boys? I’m certainly not. They may not be the most flashy and they are not talked about as future lottery picks, but they are winners.

See you in Detroit.

Before, we showed you the ‘heart and soul’ of North Carolina. Down in ACC country, they refer to that man as ‘Pyscho T’ for some reason, even though Tyler was crying because Gerald Henderson was mean to him.

Well, this is our heart and soul. He doesn’t have any nicknames that try and puff up his reputation. He doesn’t cry. And most importantly, he doesn’t take shit from anyone. And really, you could say that about anyone on Villanova. Because our players don’t feel entitled to anyone. They don’t whine to the refs. They get in your face, put a scowl on, and put a whooping on you.

But this man especially, is why we have the attitude on our team that we do. He doesn’t accept losing, and he doesn’t let anyone push him around. And that rubs off on every other player around him.

Let’s just say I’m really happy that we have #22.

Senior Sports Illustrated writer Tim Layden’s newest piece covers the bruising nature of college basketball. The article, which is going to appear in the newest issue of Sports Illustrated which hits newsstands today, features all four Final Four teams, with a heavy emphasis on Villanova.

“Villanova, the Tar Heels’ semifinal opponent, turns the concept inside out. Its most punishing athletes are its guards: Reynolds, Redding (6′5″, 205 pounds), sophomore Corey Fisher (6′1″, 185) and swingman Dwayne Anderson (6′6″, 215), who will guard every opposing position. It was Reynolds who crushed UCLA senior Darren Collison with a hard foul early in their second-round matchup, setting the game’s agenda. On the day before the East Regional final, Jamie Dixon watched film of Villanova, observing how the Wildcats guards repeatedly attacked overmatched Duke in transition and in the half-court. “Villanova doesn’t run a lot of offensive sets,” says Dixon, clicking through possessions. “They like to get their guards in one-on-one situations and take you that way. They’re experienced and they’re strong.”

The article also talks about the protective padding that is becoming popular in basketball, which some experts say is more padding than football players wear.

…This is a great article by Layden, and is one of the huge stories of this weekend…what teams are the most physical?…Layden believes all 4 are equally physical, but let’s be honest here…North Carolina is clearly the least physical of the four, and by a wide margin at that…that could be a huge advantage for ‘Nova…