I Bleed Blue and White

Wesley Johnson of Syracuse.  I am absolutely stunned, as I thought Scottie Reynolds was a virtual lock for this award.  This honestly may have come down to one shot.  If Scottie nails the game-winning 3 ball on Saturday against West Virginia, he adds to his impressive year and probably wins the award.  Regardless, though, Reynolds should have won.  In the end, think about it this way.  This snub should piss the heck out of not only Scottie, but the team, the coaching staff, and the fans.  Let’s hope Scottie uses it as motivation and goes out there and proves why he truly is the Big East Player of the Year.  If he can get on a roll, the rest of the team should be inspired, which could allow them to gain some momentum.  In reality, as Scottie goes, the team goes.  Other notable awards coming out of the Big East today were Jim Boeheim for Big East Coach of the Year and Lance Stephenson for Big East Rookie of the Year.

Well, after another loss where the weaknesses stuck out like a sore thumb again, there is definitely a panic inside the Villanova camp.  Jay Wright might not admit it, the players might not admit it, fans might not admit it, but this team is spiraling downward at a rapid rate.  I’m not going to solely focus on yesterday’s debacle against the Mountaineers, because the problems of this team have been glaring for the last month or so.  I’m obviously not an expert, but I feel the need to call out some people, so take a look below.

In no particular order:

1.  Jay Wright-The man who has turned this program around is starting to bother me a little.  Without a doubt, the officiating has been extremely bad this year, but every time I look over, Jay is complaining about something to the referees.  At some point, the attention of the man in charge has to turn to his own players.  Instead of berating the refs for the full 40 minutes, even though they usually deserve it, Wright needs to start actually teaching and making adjustments during the game.  Second, the rotation has to be cut down to a set 8 or 9, unless dire circumstances warrant otherwise.  Playing 11 guys in the postseason is not going to work in my opinion.  Nobody can get into the flow of the game, and furthermore, most of the players never know how much they are going to play each game.  This may seem like good motivation, especially for the young guys, but I think it’s starting to mess with the chemistry of the squad.  One last thing–stop getting technicals Jay.  He must have around 8 T’s this season, which is not ok. 

2.  Maurice Sutton-Plain and simple, he should not be on the floor for meaningful minutes, unless there is extreme foul trouble.

3.  Maalik Wayns-The excuse may be that he’s only a freshman, but his reckless play is an issue now.  Sure, we saw flashes of brilliance early in the season, and there’s no doubt he has the potential to be a star on the Main Line, but other teams are figuring the youngster out.  They know he will force just about any shot and is prone to turnovers.  Thus, opponents are more than happy to let him make one spectactular play, which will usually be coupled with multiple turnovers and errant shots.  We need him to create, but turning the ball over every other possession doesn’t cut it.

4.  Taylor King-There are far more serious concerns with King than on the basketball court.  I heard from a friend that King has been suspended for academic reasons, but this may just be a cover up, as he might have got caught smoking weed.  Again, this is not confirmed, so don’t hold me to it.  On the hardwood, it’s all in King’s head in terms of his offense.  His shot is obviously not falling, and it’s screwing up his psyche.  If he gets the chance to play again this season, I still think he can be a valuable asset with his rebounding and defense, both of which have been surprisingly stellar this season for a team that has not done well in these categories.  

5.  Reggie Redding-The senior was never an offensive star in college, but he hasn’t produced at all when the Cats have the ball.  He can take it to the hole, we have all seen it before, but not so much this year.  I’m not asking Redding to light up the scoreboard, but at least look like you’re a part of the offense and create something for your teammates every once in awhile.

6.  Corey Stokes and Antonio Pena-Lumping these two together stems from their lack of consistency.  Both are extremely talented players with the ability to take over games singlehandedly, but they never seem to put back-to-back solid games together or even a full 40 minutes.  For example, Stokes will hit a couple of trey balls early on in a game, but then he disappears for long stretches.  Pena looks dominant one game and then comes up with a dud the next.  Stokes probably deserves to be called out more than Pena, but if Villanova is going to get back on track, these two will be need to be vital cogs.

7.  Fans in attendance-This includes myself.  Each of the games I’ve been to seemed to have a noticeable lack of energy in the building compared to years past.  Obviously, there’s a pass for yesterday’s game with the students still on Spring Break, but passionate fans really can energize a team.  Now is not the time to desert this team, rather their struggles should motivate us even more to maybe make a difference in propelling the Cats back into form.

Some may think I’m being too harsh or just flat out wrong, but this is just how I see it right now.  One person/one issue is not the sole reason for the lackluster performances recently, but when all of the problems are combined, the Cats do not play like we expect them to play.  At this very moment, my optimism is dwindling, but I still have hope that this team can turn it around and make a run over the next few weeks.  One thing is for sure: we will definitely find out what these group of Wildcats are made of in the very near future. 

I’ll end this post on a positive note by mentioning the Wildcats who earned 2010 Big East Honors.

Scottie Reynolds-First Team

Corey Fisher-Third Team

Maalik Wayns-All Rookie Team

As we approach ‘Senior Night’ at The Pavilion tonight at 9 p.m., I thought it was appropriate to give a little love to one of the program’s all-time greats (and hopefully, it’s all-time leading scorer in just a few more weeks). So Scottie, this Bud is for you!

Scottie Reynolds has been the foundation of this program for the last 4 years, and as a 2009 graduate of Villanova, has meant a hell of a lot to my college experience. I watched him burst onto the scene his freshman year, and internally struggle with the decision to be a follower or a leader on a team that had just lost 3 great players. Jay let you loose, and we watched you torch the hated UConn Huskies for 40 points, a game where you opened our eyes and we knew we had something special.

During your sophomore year the team was firmly on your shoulders, and many would have been content with a ‘re-building year.’ But you wouldn’t let it happen. You snuck us into The Dance late in the year and followed that up by leading a dazzling comeback against Clemson (that banked 3 sent me into a full-body frenzy at the bar that night) and eventually back to the Sweet 16. Your legend continued to grow.

What is there to say about your junior year (and my senior year). You sent me out on top by providing many of us with the single-best memory of our lives. Words can’t even express how much love I have for that season, that team, and for you in particular.

So what’s left for you in your senior year? Well, tonight you’re going to go out on top like a true champion. You’ll be rightfully serenaded by The Pavilion faithful. And hopefully, you’ve still got a little magic in you. We all want to go back to the Final Four, but farther this time. We’re behind you the whole way. Let’s do it one more time Scottie.

After a full 4 days of rest following the big West Virginia win, Villanova looked lackluster and played sloppy at times yesterday in a 92-81 victory over the feisty Providence Friars at the Wachovia Center.  Turnovers, especially against the press, seemed to be a big problem for the Wildcats.  Give credit to Providence though, as they are very active and quick on defense.  Nonetheless, the good guys took care of business late, which is what you are supposed to do as a decided favorite and the #4 team in the nation.  Below are some articles recapping the win and how the Cats can get better. 

-AP Recap

-#4 Villanova Too Much for Providence in 92-81 Win

-The Closer: Reynolds’ 2nd-Half Numbers Turn Heads

-Villanova’s Winning Formula Works Again in Win over Providence

-Reynolds Rescues Villanova Again

-Video Clip from CSN Philly (this link will take you to the video page for Comcast SportsNet…click on the SPORTSNITE tab and the clip is from entitled, “Jay Wright talks about Nova’s sloppy start-2/12″)

Hopefully, Villanova can rectify their mistakes in a hurry, because the desperate and hated UConn Huskies come to town tomorrow night.  Two things I can’t wait for: 1) Bill Raftery announcing, obviously and 2) Jim Calhoun calling his standard timeout 30 seconds into the game and ripping his players. 

Latest from Sean Donovan. It’ll give ya goosebumps.

Not only did Villanova have to deal with mother nature over the weekend, but they also faced two of the best teams in the country on the road in a matter of 60 hours.  Like I said prior to the Georgetown game, I would have signed up for 1-1 over this stretch.  The Wildcats obliged with the win at West Virginia, and they get a solid 4 days off before a nice pair of home games against Providence and Connecticut.  Before we start focusing on the upcoming contests, let’s wrap up the game from last night.

-Postgame Quotes

-Villanova rallies from Georgetown loss, beats West Virginia

-Villanova beats West Virginia on the road

-Reynolds leads rebound victory for Villanova

-Andy Katz: Quick hitters from around the country

-Jay Wright’s interview with Mike Francesa

WFAN is my favorite sports radio station by far, and Mike Francesa is the best of the best.  One of the things Francesa touches on with Wright is the possibility of expanding the NCAA Tournament to include more teams.  Wright is in favor of a 96 team tourney, but Francesa brings up some good points to not expand the field; he mentions that regular season games will be less exciting, because in theory, it will be easier to make the big dance, so the regular season contests won’t mean as much.  I, for one, agree with Francesa and do not believe the tourney should be expanded.  There are only a few teams at most every year that get snubbed, which is part of the excitement of Selection Sunday.  Even some very mediocre teams get in the field, so there’s no reason to let 32 more average teams get in.  Anyone have any thoughts on this topic?

Before we talk about the road ahead, let’s put a bow on the Seton Hall game.  Unfortunately, I did not get to see the game last night, as I had a basketball game of my own, although I did listen to the second half on the radio.  Since I missed the Cats in action, I resorted to a bevy of internet sites to get me caught up on Nova hoops.  Below are some of the things I delved into. 

-Villanova vs. Seton Hall AP Recap

-Villanova vs. Seton Hall Box Score

-Villanova vs. Seton Hall Postgame Quotes

-Reynolds Scores 2,000th Point in Win

-Jay Wright and Adam Zagoria’s Bet

-Villanova Has Championship Feel

-CSN Philly Quick Villanova Basketball Clips  (this link takes you to the CSN Philly video page…click on the SPORTSNITE tab and there is 1 clip from January 31st discussing a possible #1 ranking and 1 clip from February 2nd relaying Scottie reaching 2,000 points)

9 Big East regular season games down, 9 to go.  A perfect start in conference has everyone salivating about what this team could accomplish, but as we all know by now, the second half of the schedule is much tougher than the first.  I never like to look too far ahead, much like the Cats always seem to focus on the “next game,” so I’ll only take a quick glance at a very important game in a few weeks.  The showdown with Syracuse should be a doozy, and the hype is already starting, as the Carrier Dome is sold out and an attendance record will be broken in the process.  But… 

Again, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, because over a 2 and a half day span this weekend into next week, Villanova will play road games against #7 Georgetown and #6 West Virginia.  As I ask in the title, is a loss on the horizon?  In my opinion (and I think I may take some heat about this from you Cat fans), I would be very content to come out of these next 2 games at 1-1.  Could the Cats win both?  Sure.  Could they lose both?  Easily.  In the end, coming out of this 2 game stretch with a win and a loss would be solid.  I want to hear what you think, though; would you be ok with 1-1 come Tuesday morning or is 2-0 the only option?

UPDATE: Sean says all the credit should go to Andrew Keefe, so that’s where it’s going. Great job Andrew! Sean, thanks for nothing…

Thanks to Sean Donovan we can relive this great piece from CBS at last year’s Final Four on Scottie Reynolds. I’d never seen this before since I attended the Final Four last year, so this was great to see. Thanks Sean!

I need to start off this post with some horrific news, as this is certainly much more important than anything I have ever blogged about.  Early Saturday morning, my friend and fellow May ‘09 graduate, Eddie Didonato, was shot six times after an altercation outside of a bar in Philadelphia.  Without getting into too many specifics, Eddie is at Jefferson University Hospital in Philly in the intensive care unit trying to recover from this unimaginable act.  Doctors remain optimistic that he will survive this battle, and in an amazing show of will, Eddie has been able to squeeze some of his closest friends’ hands.  Please keep Eddie and his family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Obviously, the rest of this post means basically nothing compared to the news above, but please feel free to read on.  I knew yesterday was going to be an intense day for myself, with Villanova-Georgetown at noon, Jets-Chargers at 4:30, and the season premiere of 24 at 9:00.  In terms of these 3 things, it couldn’t have gone much better.  A lot of alums were back for the Cats game at the Wachovia Center, even though the weather was less than stellar.  Below are a few of my thoughts on the hoops game yesterday.

-I thought Villanova looked real good in the first half, especially with the intensity of their press and trapping the Hoyas in certain situations.  Leading by double digits at halftime doesn’t hurt, but I received a text from one of my buddies at half.  It read, “what is your ibbw halftime analysis?”  To which I responded, “looking good, but gtown will make a run.”

-The Hoyas came out of the intermission pissed off and determined to make it a game.  Greg Monroe really took over, and the Cats did not shoot the ball particularly well.  The double digit lead dissipated to about 5, and there was still roughly 13 minutes left.

-When Georgetown tied it up with 4+ minutes left, I really thought the Cats were in trouble, because nobody could stop Monroe and Nova was ice cold.  In the end, though, did you really expect Scottie Reynolds to let the Cats lose?  It’s becoming like clock-work that when Villanova needs a big play, Scottie will be there to produce. 

-Four quick additional observations: 1. Wachovia Center was packed but not all that loud in my opinion…2. Our depth is unreal, as every player on the roster logged some minutes except Russell Wooten…3. Greg Monroe = lottery pick…4. What has happened to Corey Stokes this season?

Some links below to wrap up this Big East showdown:

-Villanova-Georgetown Box Score

-AP Recap 

-Postgame Quotes

-Scottie Named Big East and Big Five Player of the Week

-Nova Notebook: The Foye-Reynolds Relationship

-Jan. 18th Updated College Basketball Rankings

-ESPN Contributor Dana O’Neil on Scottie’s Maturation On and Off the Court

Again, please take a moment to pray for Eddie Didonato, a member of the Villanova community.  Thank you.

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.