By Paul Gotham

Thirty-three days ago, Jay Wright’s Villanova Wildcats dispatched the Seton Hall Pirates, 81-71. A No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament dangled in front of the denizens of Philly.

Only days prior, they easily defeated Notre Dame. Analysts praised Wright and pointed to a deep bench that the ninth-year coach deftly deployed to his team’s advantage. Using ten players at least ten minutes or more, Wright continued encouraging aggressive play from his soldiers. There seemed to be no consequence for playing the attacking style.

Since the victory over the Pirates, Villanova has dropped five of nine.

Could the style of play, which brought so much early success, be the reason for Villanova’s recent slump?

Villanova followed the triumph over Seton Hall with a loss at Georgetown. The final score was 103-90. One could easily look at Georgetown’s point total as cause for concern.

How did Georgetown score so many points?

One possible contributing factor is this statistic – 38-20. That is, the number of personal fouls committed by Villanova as opposed to those by Georgetown.  As a result, the Hoyas made more free throws (39) than the Wildcats took (23).

Georgetown outscored Villanova at the line by 22.

Antonio Pena and Taylor King fouled out of the game. Corey Stokes, Mouphatou Yarou, Maalik Wayans, and Isaiah Armwood all finished with four apiece.

The trend continued when Villanova lost to UConn by nine. Referees whistled Villanova for 30 infractions to UConn’s 19. The Huskies graciously accepted Villanova’s charity going 35-44 from the stripe. Villanova went 16-20.

Pena, Stokes, and Maurice Sutton fouled out. Two Huskies finished with four offenses.

In their next contest, Villanova fell to Pittsburgh. The Panthers took advantage of 26 Wildcat sins going 26-34 from the line. Jamie Dixon’s team outscored Villanova by 15 in the free throw category.

Reggie Redding and King were disqualified. Pena, Scottie Reynolds, and Corey Fisher played the end of the contest with four fouls.

Jay Wright’s squad looked to reverse their fortunes against Syracuse. Instead, the Wildcats were whistled for 25 transgressions. Syracuse ended the game with 14. The Orange hit 24 of 33 free throws. Villanova went 13 of 18. Syracuse won 95-77.

Wright and his team have four days before playing in the Big East quarter-finals. Four days to change their ways. Four days before setting out on a potential return to the Final Four.

By Paul Gotham

Setting: West Virginia and Villanova close their Big East regular seasons at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia Center when Bob Huggins brings in his No. 10 Mountaineers (23-6/ 12-5) for a clash with Jay Wright’s No. 8 Wildcats (24-5/ 13-4).

Plot: Both of these teams have clinched byes into the Big East quarter-finals.

Sub-plot: Neither of these teams are limping into the conference tournament, but they are not in full stride either. Of late, Villanova is four and four. West Virginia is four and three. Can these teams afford to rest? Or do they need to rediscover their momentum?

Flashback: A little more than a month ago, Scottie Reynolds hit a game-high 21, and Corey Fisher added 17 as the Wildcats stole one in Morgantown, 82-75.

Villanova leads the series 21-18. West Virginia has won four of the last six meetings in the series.

Villanova has earned 30 invitations to The Dance, including last year’s Final Four appearance and a National Championship in 1985. On twenty-two occasions, the Mountaineers punched tickets to The Dance. West Virginia played for the national title in 1959.

Foreshadowing: Thirteen Mountaineers have played in the NBA. Joe Alexander is the only current alum of West Virginia basketball in the Association. Thirty-eight Wildcats have moved on to the Association. Malik Allen, Dante Cunningham, Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry and Tim Thomas spent their college days playing for Villanova.

Conflict: West Virginia is 19-0 when holding opponents to 69 or fewer points. Villanova averages 83. Both teams have rebound margin of 5.3, but in recent losses Villanova has been exposed on the glass.

How big of a role will be played by Villanova’s 6′10″ Mouphtaou Yarou? The freshman averages almost 13 minutes off the bench. He scores three points and grabs three boards but gets called for 2.3 fouls per game.

Villanova’s offense starts with Scottie Reynolds. The senior guard is at his best when he can exploit open lanes to the basket. He is adept at drawing contact and finishing. Reynolds scores almost 19 a game with 3.4 assists and 2.6 turnovers.  Reynolds hits 41.6 percent from behind the three-point arc. He will need success from long range to spread out the West Virginia defense.

Corey Fisher adds almost 14 a game along with an assist to turnover ratio of 2 : 1. Most of Fisher’s assists come from drive and dish situations.

At 6′8″, Antonio Pena represents Villanova’s tallest starter. He scores 11 and grabs 7.4 boards. The junior’s biggest challenge Saturday will be staying out of foul trouble while limiting the WVU front court.

Reggie Redding chips in nearly eight points and five rebounds. Corey Stokes chips in nine and four.

Da’Sean Butler and Darryl Bryant lead the Mountaineers with 52 and 39 three pointers. Butler hits 34.9 percent of his shots from long range while Bryant knocks down 34.2 percent.  Butler leads four Mountaineers in double figures with 17.1 per game. Kevin Jones and Devin Ebanks score 13.7 and 12.4 respectively. Bryant adds 10. Ebanks leads the way with 8.4 rebounds.

Resolution: If nothing else, this should be a close game. That favors the home team, Villanova. The Wildcats hit over 75 percent from the line. West Virginia scores 69 percent from the charity stripe.

Got any comments on the game? Post them here.

West Virginia Notes

Villanova Notes

Photo by Dennis Nett/The Post-Standard

By Paul Gotham

Setting: Tune in and put away the remote. You won’t want to miss a second of this Big East clash when Jay Wright and his No. 7 Villanova Wildcats (23-4/ 12-3) collide with Jim Boeheim and his No. 4 Syracuse Orange (26-2/ 13-2).

Plot: First place in the Big East and a possible number one seed in the NCAA Tournament hang in the balance.

Sub-plot: An on-campus record crowd of 34,616 is expected to file into the Carrier Dome. The university is already encouraging fans to plan ahead and arrive early. Both of Syracuse’s losses this year have come at home.

Wright and his Wildcat staff will have to make a decision about junior guard, Corey Stokes.

Flashback: Dwayne Anderson led six Wildcats in double figures as Villanova trumped SU at the Dome last February, 89-86. Dante Cunningham led all with 12 rebounds as Villanova got the better of the boards, 34-30.

Syracuse leads the all-time series 34-30, but Wright boasts a record of 9-4 against his Big East foe. Villanova swept the series a year ago, and the Wildcats have taken three of  four in the Dome.

Villanova has earned 30 invitations to The Dance, including last year’s Final Four appearance and a National Championship in 1985.

The Orange have made 26 NCAA Tournament appearances under Boeheim. In the last 10 years Syracuse has reached ‘The Dance’ seven times with three ‘Sweet Sixteen’ appearances (‘00, ‘04, ‘09) and a National Championship in ‘03.

Foreshadowing:  Thirty-four Orange have earned spots in the NBA. Carmelo Anthony, Jonny Flynn, Donte Green, Jason Hart, Etan Thomas and Hakim Warrick currently hold spots in the Association. Thirty-eight Wildcats have moved on to the Association. Malik Allen, Dante Cunningham, Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry and Tim Thomas spent their college days playing for Villanova.

Conflict: Villanova plays a four-guard set with no one taller than 6’8″ in the starting five. The Orange go with a front line of two 6’9″ players and 6’7″ forward.

In their two losses, Syracuse’s zone was susceptible to high-low action on the interior. But both Pittsburgh and Louisville had the bigs that could execute that plan.

How big of a role will be played by Villanova’s 6’10″ Mouphtaou Yarou? The freshman averages almost 13 minutes off the bench. He scores three points and grabs three boards but gets called for 2.3 fouls per game.

Villanova’s offense starts with Scottie Reynolds. The senior guard is at his best when he can exploit open lanes to the basket. He is adept at drawing contact and finishing. Reynolds scores 19 a game with 3.3 assists and 2.7 turnovers.  Reynolds hits 40 percent from behind the three-point arc. He will need success from long range to create gaps in the Orange zone.

Corey Fisher adds almost 14 a game along with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.9 : 1. Most of Fisher’s assists come from drive and dish situations.

At 6’8″, Antonio Pena represents Villanova’s tallest starter. He scores 11 and grabs 7.5 boards. The junior’s biggest challenge Saturday will be staying out of foul trouble while limiting the SU front court.

Reggie Redding chips in nearly eight points and five rebounds.

The big question for Wright deals with his decision regarding Stokes. The junior is valuable to the Villanova attack hitting 34 percent from beyond the arc.

Wes Johnson and Andy Rautins have led the Orange charge for much of the year. The two have combined for 27 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assist per outing.

Rautins’s selfless play has been key to the Orange success. The senior guard finds seams in opposing defenses that most could not. Rautins does not always get credit for assists, but his passes always shift defenses. Add to that his 41 percent accuracy from behind the arc, and Rautins is dangerous.

Johnson makes a variety of plays for the Orange. His most overlooked contribution to the Orange attack could be his work on the offensive glass. Johnson has grabbed an offensive board in all but four contests this year. Two of those games were blowouts. The others were wins for the Orange where opposing defenses made it a priority to limit Johnson.

Freshman guard Brandon Triche might face his biggest challenge yet this year. Triche averages just under nine points and three assists, but the Wildcats will bring more pressure than he has seen thus far. Triche has shown flashes where he can drive strong to the basket and finish. Can he do that against Villanova’s guards?

Rick Jackson and Arinze Onuaku are formidable pair in the paint. The two combine for twenty points and nearly 12 rebounds.

Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine give this Orange lineup valuable minutes from the bench. Joseph has scored in double figures in eight of the last nine Syracuse games. In 21 minutes per game, Jardine has amassed an assist to turnover ratio of 2.3 :1.

Go 'Cuse!

Resolution: Syracuse’s two losses are the result of complacency. The Orange carried a 13-game winning streak into their loss to Pittsburgh. Louisville has floundered this year and caught the Orange unprepared. Syracuse will not look past Villanova.

The Wildcats have struggled of late losing two of their last three. Wright’s gang will be prepared, but what effect will the Stokes situation have? Villanova can ill afford to lose any of their key contributors for this game.

Villanova will need as many easy baskets as possible. They will press and trap looking to create turnovers and lay ups. The Wildcats will need to slow the Orange in transition.

Villanova will stay close, but Syracuse’s bench will be the difference.

Got any comments on the game? Post them here.

Leading up to the 2009 NIT Season Tip Off on November 16th, Pickin’ Splinters will be counting down the top 25 of the college hardwood nation.

’08 – ’09 Results: 30 – 8 (13 -5 Big East) Lost to North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament’s Final Four, 83 – 69.

Coach: Jay Wright 178 – 91(eight seasons at Villanova) 300 -176 overall

Key Returners:

Scottie Reynolds – 15.2ppg, 2.9rpg

Reggie Redding – 7.1ppg, 4.9rpg

Corey Fisher – 10.8ppg, 2.3rpg

Antonio Pena – 5.1ppg, 4.2rpg

Corey Stokes – 9.4ppg, 3.4rpg

Notable Non-Conference Tilts: 11/19 vs. George Mason, 11/20 vs. Dayton or Georgia Tech, 12/6 vs. Maryland, 12/9 at St. Joseph’s, 12/13 at Temple

Stat of Identity: 75.3% from the free throw line

By Paul Gotham

On January 21st Villanova fell to UConn, 89-83. The loss dropped the Wildcats to two wins and three losses in the Big East Conference. From there Jay Wright’s gang recovered and won nine of ten on their way to the school’s first Final Four trip in over two decades.

This year’s version of the Villanova Wildcats will need to call upon that resolve which led the team to Detroit seven months ago. Wright’s Wildcats might swing through the season like a pendulum. The Wildcats will need to endure some lows as they prepare for another possible run in March.

Villanova returns one of the most experienced back courts in the college game. Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher and Reggie Redding all averaged at least 24 minutes per game during ’08 – ’09 – they understand what it takes to win big games. Each dished out over 100 assists – the three upper class men understand the value of teamwork. The three led the Wildcats to 300 steals last year while limiting opponents to 237. Corey Stokes will come off the bench. The junior would start in most programs. But in the guard-rich Villanova system, Stokes will have to wait his turn.

As deep as Villanova’s back court is, that is how lean their front court is. Wright got by with Dante Cunningham and Dwayne Anderson. What the two lacked in size they made up for with athleticism. Taking their place is Antonio Pena and freshman, Mouphtaou Yarou.  Pena played 17 minutes a game last year. Yarou will look to make the transition from Africa.

With an active back court, Villanova has the ability to make each game a battle of 94 feet. The Wildcats might need to do that to avoid shortcomings 15 feet within the basket.

25 | 23t | 23t | 22| 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6

by Patrick ‘Rey’ Reynell

I consider myself a Philadelphian. Not native nor born and raised, but rather adopted. In fact, I grew up in Western New York State and chose to spend my college years at Temple University. I called the city of brotherly love home for four years.

Though I no longer reside there, I feel an affinity to everything Philly. So you can imagine how aghast I was to find myself cheering for Pittsburgh in the 2009 East Regional final.

Philadelphia is an unbridled Mecca of sports; unfortunately, its college basketball is often overlooked. It’s a jewel really, that many people do not give enough credit. Temple, Villanova, Saint Joseph’s, La Salle, Penn, and even Drexel, although Drexel is not considered a part of the ‘Big 5.’

I enrolled at Temple in the fall of 2001. The spring before, I visited the campus for the first time. Temple was playing in the NCAA tournament and had advanced to the elite eight as an 11 seed.

They lost the regional final to Michigan State 69-62. As fortune would have it, Temple never made the NCAA tournament while I lived there but hey – it’s Philly. There are always other schools in the brotherhood to cheer.

If Temple is out in March, there’s an unwritten rule to cheer for Philly. Besides, we’re a cordial group of rivals.

Philly schools gave its residents some good Marches. So with Temple out in the first round of this year’s tournament, you’d think Villanova’s Final Four run made me happy. There was one problem: my bracket said Pittsburgh.

After Temple’s improbable run in the tournament in 2001, Saint Joe’s seemed primed for a run of their own with two extraordinary guards, Delonte West and National Player of the Year Jameer Nelson. Dynamic guards in Philly – like caramelized onions and steak.

It was the 2004 tournament when I cheered on Phil Martelli and Saint Joseph’s after their undefeated regular season. I was heartbroken when Oklahoma State’s John Lucas hit that shot to beat St. Joe’s in the elite eight, as if I were an alumni of the small , private school on City Line Avenue.

Neither Temple nor Saint Joe’s seemed to be able to find those spark plug guards lately, perhaps because Jay Wright at Villanova has been taking them all.

A season later in 2005-2006, Wright and his crew captured the hearts of Philadelphians when he decided to red shirt his big man, Curtis Sumpter, after a knee injury. The significance of this was he didn’t look to replace him with a big man. His strength was his guards, thus he started four guards.

I loved the brass of playing four guards. Wright also showed some confidence by sticking to his defensive philosophy and playing man-to-man by just completely fronting everyone in the post. The combination of Randy Foye, Allan Ray, and Kyle Lowry was fun to watch to say the least.

I cheered for Wright’s Villanova crew that year in March, much the same just a season prior for Nelson and the Hawks. They lost in the elite eight to eventual national champion, Florida.

In typical sports fandom fashion, I filled out my bracket at work this year and submitted my five dollars. I picked Pittsburgh, but for no other reason than they seemed like the most experienced. I’m wholly realize it’s just a crap shoot.

By the regional finals, I was behind the leader by only one game. I was well aware of it, but also figured that if Villanova won, no big deal right?

When it came to the end of the game, Levance Fields of Pittsburgh made a timely steal and was fouled.

Then it happened: I cheered.

I cheered against Philly. I cheered against my adoptive home. And worst of all, I cheered for western Pennsylvania.

On the next possession, Scottie Reynolds of Villanova flew up the court and scored with less than a second left. I almost felt dejected. Here was Philadelphia making a triumphant return to the Final Four. Villanova making its first trip back since their miraculous run to the championship in 1985, and I was concerned about . . . my bracket.

I sat in my chair utterly baffled. I should have been happy for Philly. Instead, I had gotten caught up in my bracket thinking not just of the money, but also of being right in my picks. As if picking the games made me some kind of expert, some kind of college basketball connoisseur.

I’m sorry Jay Wright. I’m sorry Villanova. Most importantly, I’m sorry Philadelphia. I forgot for one single moment how important our allegiances are, not just to our school, but the places we call home. For a brief moment I turned my back on you. And for what? A silly, meaningless bracket.

There’s a reason I don’t do any fantasy leagues. I don’t want to start cheering for my players and become a hasty follower of my own team.

And now, there is a reason I will never do another bracket. Though it was just a moment, I felt like a deserter.

As an Owl, I’d be horrified at a Penn, ‘Nova, or Saint Joe’s alumni that did not cheer if we were the only Philly representative left in March. For a moment, I was that person, and I was appalled at myself.

Never again.

Go Villanova!