I Bleed Blue and White

With the year coming to a close, it’s time to reminisce about some Villanova basketball things.  First, Jonathan Tannenwald, who writes a blog called “Soft Pretzel Logic” for the Philadelphia Inquirer, compiled a list of the top ten local college basketball games of 2009.  The #1 game is obvious, but see the other Villanova games that made Tannenwald’s list.

Obviously, the players made these games so special and memorable, but some players who we thought would be a part of these games were not.  I’m referring to those that transferred out of the Villanova basketball family.  Jay Wright has seen his fair share of transfers in recent years, so let’s take a look at how these players are doing at their respective universities.   

-Bilal Benn (transferred to Niagara University in May 2007): While on the Main Line, Benn represented what Villanova basketball is all about; toughness, hard work, defense, pride.  Unfortunately, he just could never get in a rhythm on the offensive end, as he couldn’t knock down shots and turned the ball over too much.  It also didn’t help that Scottie Reynolds was on the verge of becoming a freshman phenom, so Benn was put on the back burner so to speak.  At Niagara, though, he has become a star, averaging 15.6 points and 11 rebounds per game this season for an underrated team.  Benn has missed the last couple of games after undergoing minor knee surgery, but he should return in mid-January.

-Andrew Ott (transferred to Penn State University in January 2008): It’s usually tough to find big men on a Villanova roster, but at 6′ 8″, some thought Ott had the potential to be a low post threat for the Cats.  In all honesty, he just didn’t have the body to compete in the rugged Big East.  He logged some minutes when others were in foul trouble, but other than that, he was rarely used in games.  Thus, he departed to Penn State, where he hoped to be a more integral part of a team.  He has achieved that to a certain extent, playing in all 12 Nittany Lion games this year and averaging 10 minutes, 3.3 points, and 2.2 rebounds per game.  While not all that impressive, Ott is definitely more suited to play in the Big 10 as opposed to the Big East.

-Malcolm Grant (transferred to University of Miami in April 2008): Easily the most puzzling of transfers I can remember.  Everyone could see Grant had a ton of talent and potential, but he could not find consistent minutes at Villanova.  There were constant rumors that he was in Jay Wright’s doghouse, but no one ever admitted to this.  Nonetheless, he singlehandedly brought the Cats back to win one of the most exciting games in Villanova history.  Down 21 to LSU with 8 minutes to go at the Wachovia Center, Grant was inserted to spark a lackluster team, and he did just that, willing the Wildcats to victory.  Despite these heroics, he was still overshadowed by fellow recruits Corey Stokes and Corey Fisher, which may have played a hand in his decision to transfer.  In his first season with the Hurricanes now, Grant is one of the studs for a very solid 12-1 team.  He plays nearly 24 minutes a game, while averaging 11.4 points and almost 4 assists a game. 

-Casiem Drummond (transferred to Marist University in December 2008): Probably the biggest guy to put on a Villanova uniform in recent years, there were high expectations for Drummond.  With Villanova’s usual lack of size, Drummond was seen as the force that could fill the center position void.  In his sophomore year, he averaged 13 minutes, 5 points, and 5 rebounds per game.  Unfortunately, he struggled with weight issues throughout his time on the Main Line, and transferred early in the 2008-2009 season.  Transferring from Villanova to Marist, many assumed he could dominate for the Red Foxes in the MAAC.  Drummond just became eligible to play a few weeks ago, and then was declared academically ineligible, so he will not be on the basketball court any time soon.

Surpisingly, I have something positive to report regarding a Big East player.  I bashed the players who were suspended recently, but hopefully, it looks like at least one of them is turning it around.  Reggie Redding, arrested in late July for marijuana possession, has owned up to his poor decisions and is trying to turn a negative into a positive.  Redding spoke with Joe Juliano of the Philadelphia Inquirer and said:

I want to be a positive example for the program, for the university, just do the right thing, don’t get into any bad situations and not feel sorry for myself.  What happened, I can’t look back.  I can’t start over.  I’m just going to look forward. 

Obviously, some may say he is just saying this for the sake of saying it, but Jay Wright has praised Redding’s handling of the situation too, saying:

He’s still a leader on this team and you can’t hide that.  Everything we do, he’s a leader.  I think he’s handled it great, I really do.

Hopefully, Redding can continue to be a positive presence around the team and stay out of trouble.  A player who remembers Redding very well is Pittsburgh’s Jermaine Dixon.  As you all remember, Reggie was the imbounder for Scottie Reynolds’ infamous shot in last year’s Elite Eight.  It was Dixon who had the assignment of covering Reynolds during that sequence.  The bitter loss still haunts Dixon to this day.   

You’re only as good as your last game and that game is still in my head.  That’s the only game I have, so I sit there and watch it sometimes.  I like to critique myself and see what I did wrong, so I can get better….I was getting over it, but the thing that always held me back was Levance stayed in his house for a month after that.  He didn’t come out.  He was hurting and that kind of hurt me. I was getting over it, but his pain still stays with me.

I can imagine that game and specifically, that play, still linger in the minds of the Pitt players, coaches, and fans.  There’s no doubt that the Panthers will be looking for revenge when the Wildcats travel to the Pedersen Events Center this year. 

With Achraf Yacoubou committing to Villanova today, you can add yet another young stud to  Jay Wright’s long list of star recruits.  Obviously, the hype around the current freshmen, all big time recruits, is very high.  Again, though, don’t underestimate what last year’s senior class meant to the team, the program, and the university.  Jay Wright certainly knows what he lost due to the graduation of Cunningham, Clark, Tchuisi, and Anderson.  To sum it up, he calls the current squad “prettier” than last year’s team, meaning that as of right now, his team obviously has lots of talent, but the intangibles (toughness, poise, determination, etc.) are still a question mark. 

On the loss of last year’s seniors:

They were so unselfish, so tough, so rugged.  Now we kind of look a little prettier, but I know in a Big East battle what those three brought.  In preparing our guys, you don’t know how much we’re going to miss them.  I miss them a lot already.

On the current state of the 2009-2010 Wildcats:

These [returning] guys are all highly recruited guys.  They can score, they look good out there, things the fans like.  I like them, too. But with Dante, Dwayne, and Shane, no one would talk about them [last season]…They did all the work that made us win games.  We have guys do a lot of things that the media likes, but they’ve got to learn to do the things that those three did.

I’ve been saying it all offseason and I completely agree with Jay’s comments.  Sure, on paper, this team has more talent than last year’s group, but great talent usually isn’t the key to long-term success.  It’s about meshing together, executing game plans, working harder than opponents, filling respective roles regardless of stats and personal achievements, etc.  I absolutely think this team can be great and make a deep run, but the season is a marathon and you never know how it’s going to play out.  One thing is for sure though: it should be a real fun ride. 

Be safe and enjoy Hoops Mania and Homecoming Weekend.

To give up something you enjoy a great deal is definitely tough, but when it’s for another person, especially a loved one, it might be a little easier.  Brian Lynch, former Villanova basketball player and husband to tennis phenom Kim Clijsters, had to give up his basketball career, at least for now, in order for Kim to get back into tennis.  He takes care of daughter Jada, representing the so called “stay at home dad” these days.  Allowing his wife to get back into tennis certainly paid off, as she won the U.S. Open a few weeks ago.  But what has it been like since dropping basketball?  Frank Fitzpatrick, a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, details how Lynch has dealt with the transition.  Some interesting quotes from the article are below.

On his basketball ability:

I knew I wasn’t good enough for the NBA, but I felt like I was a solid player who might be able to go to Europe.

On the sacrifice he made:

But when Kim got back into tennis, we decided I’d hang it up to care for our daughter and to give Kim a normal family life.

Definitely a true family man Lynch is.  It must have been that much sweeter seeing his wife win the prestigious U.S. Open.  Hopefully, he gets the chance to pick up basketball again, whether it’s as a player or a coach. 

Mari Schaefer and Don Beideman, writers for the Philadelphia Inquirer, composed an article with some new, detailed information regarding Reggie Redding’s marijuana incident.  He has an August 20th court date stemming from charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.  Something that could factor in court is how Redding handled himself at the scene.  Radnor Police superintendent, John Rutty, states,  

Redding ‘was not impaired.’   He was very cooperative with police and has never been in trouble before.  Redding was very remorseful at the scene.

This could help him in court, but a judge’s decision is not the only thing Redding must face.  His attorney, James Famiglio, says,

He has two separate procedures he needs to be concerned about.  One is the legal system and one is Villanova.  He is going to deal with them both head on.

I’m sure Radnor police is loving this, as they always seem to enjoy Villanova kids getting in trouble. 

Mike Kern of the Philadelphia Inquirer made an excellent blog post to the Philly Hoops Insider yesterday.  The post is entitled, “Saying Thanks to Scottie” and it really is a great read.  I think it echoes many of the same sentiments that a majority of the Villanova basketball fans have.  Please take the time to read this piece if you get a chance.

There’s a write-up in the Philadelphia Inquirer today about Scottie Reynolds entering his name in the NBA Draft.  There’s not much new stuff from what we already know in this article, but there is some.  He spoke to current Philadelphia 76ers’ players Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young, regarding what the NBA is like.  Here’s what they told Scottie:

“They said it’s a different world,” Reynolds said. “It’s not like college. Know what you’re getting yourself into. They were letting me know so I wouldn’t get caught by surprise.”

Also, Scottie says entering his name in the draft but not hiring an agent is a win-win situation.  I completely agree.

“If it goes my way, great,” Reynolds said. “If I come back, I’ll be happy as well. I’m putting everything into it. There’s times when you have to think about yourself, know what’s best. That’s how I approached it.”

There’s also a short clip of Scottie talking to the media yesterday after a workout at the Davis Center, provided by Comcast SportsNet.  The above link will take you to the video page for Comcast SportsNet, then click on the SPORTSNITE tab, and Scottie’s video is from 4/21 – Scottie on declaring for the NBA Draft.