'Nova rains threes in Ottawa in romp over "Gee Gees"
posted by Pete @ LetsGoNova.com9/03/2007 12:04:00 AM
Villanova exploded for triple digits tonight to remain undefeated on its Canadian exhibition tour with a 103-72 win over the host University of Ottawa Gee Gees.
A fourth and final game for the trip is scheduled tomorrow at noon back at Carleton University against an all-star team of Ottawa and Carleton basketball alumni.
The 'Cats connected on a scorching 14 of 19 three-point attempts to blow the Gee Gees out of their own gym. Ottawa had actually led, 23-20, as late as the 12:41-mark in the first half before a pair of threes by Scottie Reynolds put the Wildcats ahead for good.
Reynolds led Villanova in scoring with 19 points, and shot a ridiculous 5-5 from behind the arc. He also dished out a team-high 6 assists in his 26 minutes of floor-time.
Corey Stokes also shot well from the three, converting 4 of 6 attempts for 12 points, in 26 minutes of playing time.
Rounding out the Wildcats' prolific-scoring backcourt were Corey Fisher with 11 points, Reggie Redding with 12 points, and Malcolm Grant with 13 points off the bench. Redding, in particular, was impressive with his 5-6 shooting effort, including a perfect 2-2 from behind the three-point line.
The frontcourt upperclassman Dante Cunningham dominated the paint with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 swats in a team-high 28 minutes.
The starting lineup tonight featured Cunningham and Shane Clark up front, and Redding, Reynolds, and Fisher in the backcourt.
The offensive firepower comes as no surprise for a Wildcats team with a plethora of new scoring options. Though Big East defenses will be significantly more stingy than those the 'Cats faced north-of-the-border, Villanova's explosive backcourt may prove too much for anyone to contain once it gets going from outside.
Villanova's improving frontcourt is now also loaded with young depth, and foul trouble may be less of a concern for the 2007-2008 season.
So what have we learned through three games this weekend? For one, All-American Corey Stokes, as advertised, will immediately be one of the best shooters in the Big East. Scottie Reynolds picked up where he left off last spring as one of the best guards in the college game, period. Corey Fisher is a solid ballhandler and will be a player.
Malcolm Grant may have been most impressive of all; often overlooked in the shadows of his higher-touted classmates this offseason, Grant looks like he will prove to be a dangerous fifth guard in the Wildcats' attack, one who could probably start for 75 percent of the Big East from day one.
Next up for Villanova is a team of alumni all-stars from Carleton and the University of Ottawa. I honestly do not know what to expect from the alumni; suffice it to say I doubt the group will give Villanova much trouble.
One final note: Carleton, Villanova's first opponent this weekend, beat the Alabama Crimson Tide tonight in Ottawa by a score of 83-72.
A fourth and final game for the trip is scheduled tomorrow at noon back at Carleton University against an all-star team of Ottawa and Carleton basketball alumni.
The 'Cats connected on a scorching 14 of 19 three-point attempts to blow the Gee Gees out of their own gym. Ottawa had actually led, 23-20, as late as the 12:41-mark in the first half before a pair of threes by Scottie Reynolds put the Wildcats ahead for good.
Reynolds led Villanova in scoring with 19 points, and shot a ridiculous 5-5 from behind the arc. He also dished out a team-high 6 assists in his 26 minutes of floor-time.
Corey Stokes also shot well from the three, converting 4 of 6 attempts for 12 points, in 26 minutes of playing time.
Rounding out the Wildcats' prolific-scoring backcourt were Corey Fisher with 11 points, Reggie Redding with 12 points, and Malcolm Grant with 13 points off the bench. Redding, in particular, was impressive with his 5-6 shooting effort, including a perfect 2-2 from behind the three-point line.
The frontcourt upperclassman Dante Cunningham dominated the paint with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 swats in a team-high 28 minutes.
The starting lineup tonight featured Cunningham and Shane Clark up front, and Redding, Reynolds, and Fisher in the backcourt.
The offensive firepower comes as no surprise for a Wildcats team with a plethora of new scoring options. Though Big East defenses will be significantly more stingy than those the 'Cats faced north-of-the-border, Villanova's explosive backcourt may prove too much for anyone to contain once it gets going from outside.
Villanova's improving frontcourt is now also loaded with young depth, and foul trouble may be less of a concern for the 2007-2008 season.
So what have we learned through three games this weekend? For one, All-American Corey Stokes, as advertised, will immediately be one of the best shooters in the Big East. Scottie Reynolds picked up where he left off last spring as one of the best guards in the college game, period. Corey Fisher is a solid ballhandler and will be a player.
Malcolm Grant may have been most impressive of all; often overlooked in the shadows of his higher-touted classmates this offseason, Grant looks like he will prove to be a dangerous fifth guard in the Wildcats' attack, one who could probably start for 75 percent of the Big East from day one.
Next up for Villanova is a team of alumni all-stars from Carleton and the University of Ottawa. I honestly do not know what to expect from the alumni; suffice it to say I doubt the group will give Villanova much trouble.
One final note: Carleton, Villanova's first opponent this weekend, beat the Alabama Crimson Tide tonight in Ottawa by a score of 83-72.
Labels: 2007-2008, Canada Tour, Carleton, Ottawa
6 Comments:
Thanks for your timely reporting. It is very much appreciated out here in the "boonies"....
Thanks
The Ottawa Weekend was a huge success for the team. Not only did the Wildcats beat every opponent by double digits, but they did it with a variety of lineups and offensive/defensive schemes. The last game, against a group of All-Stars (ex-Carleton players who went pro and play mostly overseas in Europe and Australia), had Scottie Reynolds explode with 33 points. Good to see he is putting the Pan American disaster behind him.
Seriously... It is going to be scary to see our backcourt when everyone is hitting his stride -- we are going to be unguardable.
I believe that this year's team is deeper in the backcourt and the frontcourt than the Elite 8 team from 2 years ago. With one more year of experience, they will be national championship contenders.
I am also feeling almost as good about our prospects as for the next seasons as I did in the early Foye, Ray, Sumpter era.
I once heard Digger Phelps commenting, something to the effect, I believe about us, that you can't win the big one without a dominant inside game. We have all seen those nights when the 3's just won't drop. I would be 100% more confident in going beyond the elite eight in the next two seasons if we had that one "big guy".... however when the 3's are dropping we can beat anybody!
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