I Bleed Blue and White

It’s BIG EAST Media Day (I’m so pumped that the season is almost here) and this is the time when coaches get together and vote on the various pre-season lists.

Villanova was picked to finish 1st in the conference this year, narrowly edging out West Virginia, who finished just 3 points behind them in voting.  UConn and Louisville round out the Top 4. Villanova was last picked 1st in 2005-2006.

Scottie Reynolds was selected as a 1st-Team All-BIG EAST member, but he was the only Wildcat to garner such honors. Luke Harangody was picked as the Player of the Year (no problem there, he’ll have the stats but not the team) and Lance Stephenson was picked as the freshman of the year.

…Good for the team, now you’ve just got to go out and actually earn it…congrats to Scottie as well who I feel has never gotten the respect he deserves with these types of things…

…A little shocked Redding didn’t make the 2nd-team or Honorable Mention…he may be out for the fall semester but he’ll be back for the conference slate…I’d be shocked if he wasn’t on one of those teams at the end of the year…

When does it end?  This is the question I keep asking myself after learning of yet another incident shedding a negative light on the Big East.  A few days ago, Louisville sophomore Terrence Jennings and senior Jerry Smith were arrested at an alumni homecoming party for an altercation they got into with a person at the party.  Not only are Jennings and Smith supposed to be key contributors to the Cardinals this year, but Smith is a team captain along with senior guard Edgar Sosa.  I think we all know the importance of leadership, especially from captains, after last year’s performance by Cunningham, Clark, Tchuisi, and Anderson.  So far this year, before the season even starts, the following Big East players have either been arrested, suspended, or both: Daryl “Truck” Bryant (WVU), Joe Mazzulla (WVU), Reggie Redding (Villanova), Gilbert Brown (Pittsburgh), and now Jennings and Smith.  These players get a chance to play in one of the best conferences, if not the best.  They get an opportunity at a great education and for virtually all of them, it’s a free education.  Not only that, but many have the chance to earn the big bucks at the next level and be set for the rest of their lives.  It just boggles my mind that these athletes continuously put their career/lives/education/etc. in jeopardy for stupid things.  I guess the Big East not only lost a lot of talent from last year, but also lost a ton of intelligence.  Who will be next to screw up?

Via ZagsBlog, Jay Wright took some time to speak about the scheme he plans to run this upcoming season while at the Garden State Coaches Clinic, and from what he’s said, the team might inspire some memories of teh 2005-2006 team that put Villanova back in the national spotlight.

“When Reggie Redding comes back [from suspension], that gives us an option of really having four experienced guards on the floor,” Wright said at the Garden State Coaches Clinic.

“If our bigs are good enough, Antonio Pena and Mouph [Yarou] and Maurice Sutton, if they can play with those four [older guards], it would be nice,” Wright said. “I think we have some good options with [Duke transfer] Taylor King and Isaiah Armwood [in the frontcourt].

Wright indicated that his optimal 4-out-1-in offense would comprise of Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher, Redding and Corey Stokes. Even with that much talent on the court, the depth of the bench is startling to think about.

…I just played out that scenario in my mind…awesome…I loved watching the 4 guard offense (though it has its disadvantages) in 2005 with Foye, Ray, Lowry and Nardi…but I think this year, where we lack a proven frontcourt, it could be absolute hell for opponents in spurts…

UPDATE: Goodman has upgraded Villanova to #8 after some of the ‘Nova faithful let him have it in the comments section. Still not high enough to warrant praise from me.

The usually reliable Jeff Goodman has me completely puzzled on his latest post. In his list of the best backcourts in the country, he lists Villanova all the way at #10. Goodman on the Wildcats:

Reynolds and the rest of his backcourt mates don't have the hype of some others.

“That’s a lot of talent and depth for Jay Wright & Co. Reynolds has the experience, and Fisher needs to mature in order to become an elite floor leader. Stokes can really shoot the ball, and both Cheek and Wayans have tons of potential.”

It should be noted that Goodman did not include Reggie Redding in his analysis. Why? I have no idea. He’s going to miss 10-12 cupcake affairs before conference play, which is what really matters. Bad oversight by Goodman.

…This is a putrid list…UCLA is ranked above us, and they have absolutely zero backcourt experience, and this is after we took them to the woodshed last year…really I could realistically debate everyone outside of Michigan State and Kansas, because everyone else Goodman seems to assume that freshman are going to be stars (except for ‘Nova it seems)…

…Anyways, I read this and it confused me at first, before I really read the whole thing and it angered me…

…Discuss…

Brian Lynch was a bit before my time, but a few friends have been talking about him at the U.S. Open this week. For those of you who don’t know, Lynch married tennis star Kim Clijsters and has been all over the TV this week during his wife’s matches.

For those who do not follow women’s tennis, Lynch changed the landscape will a single question. This is the man who took Clijsters out of professional tennis after their marriage following her winning the U.S. Open in 2005. Yep, that’s right. Brian Lynch has took a tennis star in her prime out of the game for 4 years. Only a Villanova man.

Lynch took his game to Europe after 'Nova.

So if you’ve been missing Brian Lynch, or just want to find out who exactly this man is, turn on CBS this Friday.

• VUHoops is all over the Brian Lynch phenomena by noticing he is #11 on Google Trends. No, seriously. He really is.
• Sticking with the alumnus theme, Mike from VUHoops let us know that former Villanovan Andrew Sullivan is captaining Great Britain at Eurobasket 2009.
• Villanova By The Numbers is looking into Scottie Reynolds’ bid to become the all-time leading scorer at Villanova. He is 623 points shy of Kerry Kittles’ record of 2,243. According to stats-guru greyCat, he would need to average roughly 20 points per game in his final year to hit the mark.
• VUHoops has posted the recap of their Wisdom of Crowds experiment for the guards. It’s an interesting look into things, although like Ed suggests over there, I have a hard time figuring out how the masses figure Reggie Redding’s minutes per game will decrease by nearly 5 minutes.
• Villanova Golf Coach Will Reilly and sophomore Eddie Ryan are helping inner-city youths learn life skills through the game of golf. The pair teamed with the Northeast Philadelphia Boys & Girls Club to create the program.
• Field hockey players Steffi Caniglia and Dana Ramsden were selected to the Big East Honor Roll for their performances over the weekend.
• Goalie Chris Bresnahan was selected the Philadelphia Soccer Six Player of the Week.
• And for the second time in the season’s first three weeks, freshman Heidi Sabatura was named the Big East Rookie of the Week for women’s soccer.

UPDATE: The Delco-Times is reporting that it was the drug paraphernalia charge that was dropped in Redding’s case, and not the possession charge as was originally reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Redding is scheduled to return to court in Media, PA on October 8th.

Original: At the preliminary hearing this morning, proscetuors have dropped one charge in the Reggie Redding case. The charge of possession or distribution of small amounts of marijuana has been dropped, while the charge of possession of drug paraphernalia is still be prosecuted. Both charges are misdemeanors.

The ‘drug paraphernalia” was a grinding device. Redding remains suspended from the basketball team until December 18th when the fall semester officially ends.

…Interesting turn of events…the possession charge that was drops seems more serious than the one still being prosecuted (to me anyways) so this is good news for Reggie…

Pico from The East Coast Bias reached out to a bunch of the Big East bloggers and asked us to answer a bunch of questions for a roundtable he’s hosting. This is the first series of questions he has with another set coming in October.

When Pico posts all the responses on his blog I’ll make sure to link to it, but for how here are my answers.

Q: What’s new with your team since the end of last season?

IBBW: Villanova lost the most successful senior class in it’s history, but replaced it with a consensus Top-5 recruiting class (you’ll hear the names Dominic Cheek and Mouphtaou Yarou a lot early on). Oh yeah, and our senior leader Reggie Redding was suspended for the fall semester for possession of marijuana. He’ll be back for the Big East though, so I think we can hold the fort until then.

Q: Cash or Clunker: Name the teams that you think will be the top 3 squads next season in the Big East (the Cash)… and the bottom 3 (Clunkers). Bonus: which team’s finish in the league is most difficult to predict?

IBBW: The Cash – Villanova, West Virginia and UConn will be the Top-3 this season. I don’t think anybody will really gripe with that. The league is deeper this year, but it lost a little at the top.

The Clunkers – Rutgers, St. John’s and DePaul. In my opinion you could give a couple others a look here, but I like their coaching situation a lot better than these three.

Bonus – I’ll admit I have no idea what South Florida is going to do. Their home court advantage was stellar last year, and they have some guys who can really play, and I like their coach too. They are either ready to make some noise or you will forget they are in the league.

Q: The Big East enters the season without a lot of players who have carryover buzz from last season – Luke Harangody and perhaps Scottie Reynolds are the names a casual fan might be most familiar with. Which players will step up and be the “face of the league”?

IBBW: As much as it pains me to admit it, Greg Monroe is probably going to have a monster year and be considered the best big man in the conference. He was in the spotlight last year and it looked to be too much for him. Now that he’s off the radar a bit, he’s going to make people realize he’s here again. And as a homer pick, Corey Fisher. We’re already talking about him possibly leaving for the draft after this season. He’s going to be up there with the best guards in the country.

Q: Before practice starts, who would you say is the most pivotal player on your team? Who is your candidate for breakout player in the Big East (and please state how the player will be better than last year)?

IBBW: The most pivotal player for Villanova is Antonio Peña. We lost 3 very good frontcourt players, and it is now Peña’s time to step up. I think he’s ready to do it, and so does Jay Wright. That inspires a lot of confidence. Villanova has the guards to beat most teams but if they are thinking Final 4 again they are going to need some consistent play inside.

I have a feeling you’re going to hear Gus Gilchrist’s name a lot this season. As he goes, South Florida will go. The sophomore year is when you see the lights go on for a lot of players, and Gilchrist was already good. He’s going to stamp his name on the 1st or 2nd team this year after he takes the rest of the team under his wing and becomes a true leader.

IBBW: I was the most anti-Twitter blogger you could find at it’s outset. But then after watching it on SportsCenter every morning, I realized it was here to stay. It’s a great way to get updates from people and news outlets you are interested in without having to click refresh every 10 minutes. I’m welcomed Twitter on IBBW and I’ve found that I’ve been able to reach a bigger group of people.

IBBW: Looking forward to football and avoiding watching the Mets. College and the pros. Villanova is an FCS program but we’re a Top-5 team this year, so it’s very exciting. And I’m going to have to give a shout out to the New York Football Giants. We’re winning it all again this year.

Q: The summer is slow; so when Pitino’s “mistake” is made public, or when Calipari’s former team is penalized, or when someone poses a way for the Big East Conference to pick up new football members, the story tends to stick around a little longer than it would during the season. What college basketball story are you tired of this offseason?

IBBW: All of them, although I thoroughly enjoyed Rick Pitino’s out-of-the-blue press conference where he talked about anything and everything but himself. But it is the world we live in. Everyone has an opinion and a forum to voice it. I’m just ready to get back to some good ‘ol fashioned hoops.

Special thanks to Pico for setting this up. Be on the lookout for his full report on the roundtable in the coming weeks.

Is it really that easy to get suspended these days or maybe it’s just too hard to follow rules?  Who knows, but today, Pittsburgh suspended redshirt junior Gilbert Brown for the fall semester due to academic problems.  So let’s see, that’s Joe Mazzulla (WVU), Darryl “Truck” Bryant (WVU), Reggie Redding, and now Brown to add on to the list of Big East players being suspended at one point or another.  Most of these players are upperclassmen as well, but evidently, they don’t get it.  In fact, Brown was honored after the season with one of the Pitt team awards.  No, this is not a joke, but he actually received the “Academic Excellence Award” after last season.  Academic excellence leads to suspension for academic reasons.  Interesting.

Overshadowed by DeJuan Blair, Sam Young, and Levance Fields last year, Brown was expected to step up and be a key cog for the inexperienced Panthers this year.  Pitt’s nonconference schedule is not incredibly difficult, but is certainly no cakewalk.  They play Iowa in late November, Wichita State and/or Texas in late November, and Indiana in early December.  Brown will be eligible for reinstatement on December 20th, just before Big East play begins.

Added by Chris:

…You may also know this man as the guy that Scottie elevated over for the game winning shot in Boston last year…for more on the suspension, check out Pitt Blather’s reaction…

Jason King, a writer for Yahoo! Sports, posted his Big East preseason power rankings today.  From my point of view, nothing really too shocking with this list.  Villanova comes in at #1, as King states:

“Most would consider the Wildcats the favorite to win the league title and advance to the Final Four for the second year in a row and just the fourth time in school history.  The decision of point guard Scottie Reynolds to withdraw from the NBA draft was huge for Villanova, which returns its top six perimeter players (although standout Reggie Redding will be ineligible until the spring semester).  The biggest question mark is in the paint, where Duke transfer Taylor King and touted freshman Mouphtaou Yarou will have to make up for the loss of leading scorer Dante Cunningham.”

Enjoy the weekend.

ESPN continues their Summer ShootAround series with a look at the Big East. The article, which contains many aspects concerning Villanova, is a great read, so I highly suggest taking the time to sort through it as it really gives you a good feel of what to expect as the conference turns over a new leaf. Below are the Villanova highlights.

Jay Bilas on Villanova, who he ranks as the best team in the conference:

“The Wildcats are a bit younger, but very talented at every position. Jay Wright has guards that he encourages to make plays, and Villanova is versatile enough to attack mismatches on offense and switch every screen on defense. Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes form one of the nation’s strongest backcourts, and all can get into the lane and to the free-throw line. Freshmen Dominic Cheek and Maalik Wayns can play right away. But making up for Dante Cunningham and Dwayne Anderson will be a challenge.”

Dana O’Neil on Mouphtaou Yarou, who she believes is 1 of 10 key players in the conference:

“How far the Wildcats go may depend heavily on how quickly the rookie big man succeeds. Jay Wright always has been a guard’s coach, and Villanova has no shortage of backcourt talent again this year. But it is not a coincidence that when the Wildcats finally found a talented inside man — Dante Cunningham — they went to the Final Four. If Yarou, with the help of fellow freshman Isaiah Armwood, can make up for Cunningham’s loss, Nova might be busy on the final weekend of the season again.”

John Stovall on Mouphtaou Yarou and Dominic Cheek, both a part of 10 freshman to watch this season:

Yarou – “He’s big, strong and has solid skills. ‘Mouph’ should definitely have an immediate impact. He’s physically ready to play and skilled enough to have his presence felt right away in the Big East.”

Cheek – “He’s talented enough to be an all-conference player. He has to improve his motor, but once that happens he’ll be heading to the next level. Look for Villanova’s two other recruits — Maalik Wayns and Isaiah Armwood — to make an immediate impact as well.

Dana O’Neil on Villanova vs. Maryland, 1 of 10 non-conference games to watch:

“Two of the most exciting guards in the nation, Greivis Vasquez an Scottie Reynolds, square off in the nation’s capital. The Terps, who return just about everybody, are good enough to give Big East favorite Villanova a run for its money.”

Dana O’Neil on a potential Villanova/Georgia Tech matchup in Puerto Rico:

“This is a big if, because the Yellow Jackets would need to knock off A-10 favorite Dayton in the first round (and Nova has to beat always-pesky George Mason), but this semifinal matchup would feature some of the best freshmen in the country: Mouphtaou Yarou, Isaiah Armwood, Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek for Villanova; Derrick Favors and Mfon Udofia for Georgia Tech. Mix in the fact that Tech coach Paul Hewitt, like Jay Wright, is a Rollie Massimino disciple and you have the stuff for a high-level game in November.”

And finally, ESPN’s ‘quick take’ on Villanova:

“Jay Wright is at the point where he is reloading, not rebuilding. The Wildcats bring one of the top recruiting classes in the country, headlined by Dominic Cheek and Maalik Wayns, to go with the nucleus from the Final Four team. Senior guard Reggie Redding, arrested for marijuana possession, will be ineligible until mid-December. But with plenty of depth at the guard position, Villanova ought to survive without him.”

…The last part about reloading instead of rebuilding has really been a theme around Villanova’s program lately…I love it…I say it everyday but I really wish the start of the season was closer…