Sorry for the lack of a preGame post guys. Work has been crazy this week. Villanova is taking on Montana (bunch of inbred hill people) tonight at 8:00 p.m. on ESPN2 for the FCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP!
Make sure you tune in, as this would make it 2 national titles for ‘Nova in the young athletics season.
…Lets Go Nova!…
The Game: #3 Villanova (8-0) at The Assholes from down the street (3-4)
The biggest asshole of all. Somebody just kill it already.
Location: The famed Palestra in Philadelphia, PA
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN2
Brief Rundown: ‘Nova went into Washington D.C. and took care of Maryland in what many considered to be their toughest OOC game of the year. They held “star” guard Greivis Vasquez in check and rained 3-pointer after 3-pointer down upon the Terps’ heads in a 95-86 victory in what was a solid test for this young but talented team.
The Assholes, on the other hand, have lost 4 in a row to perennial powerhouses including DePaul, Rider, and Cornell. I don’t really have much else on them, because I honestly don’t care for them.
Villanova took last season’s War 59-56 in what was both a great comeback and a terribly blown lead by each team respectively. The Assholes last won this matchup in 2008, which was also the last time in was played at The Palestra.
What I Want To See: Idiot students crying in HD, Antonio Peña continuing his dominance down low, and our vaunted backcourt showing The Assholes their hind parts all night as they blow by them on the way to the hoop . And a 50-point win. But I’ll settle for any win. Put me on suicide watch if we lose.
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GameWatch Info:
…Lets Go Nova!…if you are local to one of the GameWatch’s I highly suggest attending as it is usually a good atmosphere…I’ll be at the Manhattan one if anyone wants to join…
The Game: #3 Villanova (7-0) vs. Maryland (5-2)
Location: The Verizon Center in Washington D.C.
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: MSG+ in NY/NJ and Fox Sports Net
Brief Rundown: Ever since the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, ‘Nova has been cruising through its OOC schedule. They haven’t been tested in a couple of weeks, but that will all change on Sunday night. Antonio Peña has been the workhorse for the Cats as he continues to average a double-double on the year. The Cats defense was superb against Drexel, which is a trend that needs to continue against the Terps.
When this game was first announced, everyone looked at this as one of the best OOC games of the year. The Terps have disappointed in some aspects, losing games to Cincinnati and Wisconsin to start the year (that Wisky loss doesn’t look so bad now). But Greivis Vasquez is still a premier playmaker in college hoops and he has the supporting cast to make this team dangerous. This is listed as a neutral game, but it will be anything but that in D.C.
What I Want To See: We’ve seen Corey Stokes and Dominic Cheek shut down the opponent’s top players all year, but Vasquez is a different animal. If you can stop him, you’ll stop Maryland. It they can’t, the Cats will be in trouble. Those two need to keep doing what they’ve been doing to ensure a victory.
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The Game: #3 Villanova (6-0) vs. Drexel (3-4)
Location: The Pavilion in Villanova, PA
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ‘Nova Nation All-Access
Brief Rundown: Saturday afternoon’s performance against LaSalle looked and felt exactly like you thought it would after the Thanksgiving break – very sloppy. The shooting woes continued for ‘Nova and they got dominated on the boards for the first time in as long as I can remember. Yet, they still beat the Explorers by 18. To me that says this team is good that they can win that easily when playing that poorly.
Drexel is off to a 3-4 start on the year, and it hasn’t been pretty for the Dragons. Junior guard Jamie Harris has been the lone star, averaging over 17 points per game while shooting 46% from the field. Drexel scored a nice 13-point win over Vermont, but has also suffered tough defeats to Rutgers and St. Joe’s. They are only giving up 63 points per game, but only averaging 63.9 themselves. So they’ll definitely try to slow ‘Nova down and make this a halfcourt affair.
Common Opponents: Drexel beat Penn 58-49
What I Want To See: We need to start shooting the ball much more efficiently. This is our last ‘tune-up’ before what should be our toughest OOC test in a virtual road-game against Maryland on Sunday night. The team that has been careless with the ball and forcing up bad shots needs to go away. Also, please don’t get dominated on the boards again. It was a disgrace to watch. We don’t play ball like that.
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…Lets Go Nova!…what does everyone else see happening tonight?…what do you want to see?….
The Game: #4 Villanova (5-0) vs. LaSalle (3-1)
Location: The Pavilion in Villanova, PA
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN2 HD
Brief Rundown: After winning all 3 games in Puerto Rico en route to the title, Villanova has had a much-deserved 5 days off to prepare for their 2nd Big 5 contest of the year. It wasn’t easy down in San Juan, but in every game a different cast of characters stepped up to bring ‘Nova to victory. The most constant force was Antonio Peña, who was named Tournament MVP after posting 17 points and 16 rebounds in the final. The big man is averaging a double-double on the year, and will look to continue that on Saturday.
The Explorers are off to a strong start to their season with wins over Hampton, Davidson and Tulane, and they even played South Carolina closely in a 10-point loss. Rodney Green is the main man this year, and he’s had a fine start to his senior campaign. Green is averaging over 20 points and nearly 8 rebounds per game. He’s big at 6′5″, so expect a heavy dose of Corey Stokes and Dominic Cheek to try and slow him down. He’s the key to LaSalle having a chance.
What I Want To See: I want to see Mouphtaou Yarou, but that looks unlikely. The ‘trap-game’ thought crossed my mind, but the more I think about it the 5 days off gives Jay Wright a chance to refocus the team. I want to continue to see this team rediscover the efficient offense we saw in the last Big 5 outing vs. Penn. We haven’t been shooting it well, especially from outside.
…Lets Go Nova!…
The Game: #2 Villanova (10-1, 7-1) vs. Holy Cross (9-2, 5-1)
Location: Villanova Stadium in Villanova, PA
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Broadcast: 950-AM in Philadelphia
Brief Rundown: Since their only loss of the season at New Hampshire (a possible rematch in the 2nd round), Villanova has been on a great run, including an “upset” at #1 Richmond. The Wildcat defense has been suffocating and forcing a lot of turnovers, and behind a more efficient Chris Whitney, the offense continues to rack up the yardage, and the points. Matt Szczur was named the CAA Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year this week. Villanova earned the #2 seed in the FCS Playoffs and has a legitimate chance at a National Title if they keep up their strong play.
Holy Cross went 5-1 in the Patriot League this year en route to their first conference title since 1991. QB Dominic Randolph was recently named the Patriot League’s Offensive Player of the Year for the 3rd straight season. The kid can ball, and he leads a very, very good offense that averaged over 32 points per outing and over 430 yards of offense as well. Villanova’s defense has been stout, but they should have their hands full with a talented senior looking to go out on a high note.
Interestingly enough, both coaches in this game won their conference’s Coach of the Year award. So if you’re a coaching fanatic, you’re in for a doozy.
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…Lets Go Nova!…this is the 1st game of a football-basketball double-header on Saturday…get out there and show everyone what ‘Nova Nation is all about!…
The Game: #5 Villanova (4-0) vs. Ole Miss (4-0)
Location: The Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPN2
Brief Rundown: After a sloppy start to their run in Puerto Rico against George Mason, the Cats woke up against nationally ranked Dayton on Friday afternoon. Villanova took advantage of the Flyers’ sloppy play and built themselves an 18-point 2nd half lead before they let Dayton climb back to within 2 behind a barrage of 3-pointers. ‘Nova was clutch at the charity stripe down the stretch though as they held on for the 6 point win.
Ole Miss has had a nice run in the tournament after a couple cupcakes to start their season. They knocked off Indiana by 16 in the opening round before defeating Kansas State in the semi-finals. The Rebels boast one of the best backcourts in the country in Chris Warren and Terrico White. Ole Miss can fill it up quickly, as they haven’t scored less than 86 points in any game this season. This is going to be a very good test for the ‘Nova backcourt.
What I Want To See: The matchup between Corey Fisher and Chris Warren. Both are exceptional talents. Whoever can stop the other may hold the key to victory. Beyond that, ‘Nova’s perimeter defense needs to improve. They let Dayton jack up (and make) a ton of 3’s in the 2nd half yesterday. Ole Miss loves to shoot, and Villanova needs be ready.
…Lets Go Nova!…give us an early-season title boys!…
The Game: #5 Villanova (3-0) vs. #18 Dayton (2-0)
Location: The Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPNU
Brief Rundown: Villanova gave ‘Nova Nation a near heart attack with a scrappy, come-from-behind win over George Mason in the opening round. It took an Isaiah Armwood 3 to finally give Villanova a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Villanova was plagued by foul trouble and terrible shooting, both from the field and from the line. They’ll need to be much better if they want to get past Dayton and into the tournament finals.
The Flyers defeated Georgia Tech in the opening round, and like Villanova’s game, it wasn’t easy. Dayton relied on the strength of its young guards to lead them to victory against the strong inside game of Tech. Dayton held a 9-point lead at the half, but was down by 7 with about 4 1/2 minutes left. Their resilience proved strong, as they held off the Jackets in the game’s final moments.
What I Want To See: Well, I’ll tell you what I don’t want to see — more late-game drama. Villanova needs to come out and play with the fire and efficiency of the Penn game. I feel they will shoot the ball better, but the bigger concern may be taking care of the ball. Scottie Reynolds, and the team in general, cannot afford another performance like they had against George Mason.
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The Game: #5 Villanova (2-0) vs. George Mason (2-0)
Location: The Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
Broadcast: ESPNU
Brief Rundown: After struggling for a half against Fairleigh Dickinson, ‘Nova beat the brakes off of city-rival Penn for the full 40 minutes. It was one of the best games that I’ve ever seen a Villanova team play. All the shots were falling, the defense was superb, and even when the bench was emptied, the reserves continued to build the lead. Things will not come that easy against George Mason, and the team needs to be wary of that.
Like ‘Nova, George Mason is off to a 2-0 start to their season after a close win against Liberty and a more comfortable win against Dartmouth. Also like ‘Nova, the Patriots are very young and have 7 new players on their roster this fall. Louis Birdsong is the lone senior, but is not expected to make his mark on this game. Junior Cam Long is the most heralded, but he’ll receive plenty of help from Ryan Pearson (leading scorer against Dartmouth) as well as Andre Cornelius. George Mason likes to play high pressure defense, so the ‘Nova guards need to come prepared.
What I Want To See: I want to see how for real we are. George Mason is a mid-major, but also a well-coached team that is always hungry for an upset. This may prove to be a game where the 4-guard lineup is used quite often. George Mason has some size inside but isn’t the biggest team in the world, and their high pressure defense may be best countered with a lot of ball handlers. Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek may be relied upon to make smart decisions. Hopefully the young guns are up to the task.
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The Game: #5 Villanova (1-0) vs. Penn (0-1) 
Location: The Pavilion in Villanova, PA
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Broadcast: ‘Nova Nation All-Access and ESPN-950 AM
Brief Rundown: Villanova won their season opener over Fairleigh Dickinson by 23 points, but they struggled to pull away from the Knights in the 1st half. It wasn’t until the 2nd half that the upperclassmen, namely Corey Stokes and Corey Fisher, led the Cats to victory. Villanova introduced all 6 of its new players to the home crowd, and none of them disappointed in the time they saw. This is the first Big 5 matchup of the year for both schools. Villanova has dominated the City Series recently and will look to continue that trend.
Penn opened their campaign with a 15-point loss at Penn State on Friday. It wasn’t a terrible game for the Quakers, as Penn State looks to be an up-and-coming team in the Big Ten. Penn actually kept it close until late in the game when the Nittany Lions pulled away. Tyler Bernardini and Jack Eggleston did the majority of the work for the Quakers, and look to be key players this season. Senior guard Darren Smith was 1-11 from the field and 0-7 from beyond the arc. So, I guess he likes to shoot. Let’s keep an eye on that fellow.
Last Meeting: Villanova beat Penn 69-47 behind Dante Cunningham and Corey Stokes.
What I Want To See: The defense that came out in the 2nd half against FDU. That was an embarrassing performance in the opening 20 minutes. Chalk it up to pregame jitters for the team, but that can’t happen again, especially in a Big 5 game. Villanova is the hated school in the Big 5, and Penn will be gunning to ruin their night. Suffocate their perimeter shooting early and build a lead and then put the nail in the coffin.
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…Lets Go Nova!…what’s everyone feeling for this game?…what do you want to see?…
