'Nova falls to DePaul

Villanova 76
DePaul 84
(box score)

DePaul: 5-7 (1-0 BE)
#16 Villanova: 10-2 (0-1 BE, 3-0 B5)

Next game: vs. Pittsburgh, 01/06 at the Pavilion.

Disaster struck for the favored Villanova Wildcats tonight as they opened conference play with a loss to DePaul, a team with a losing record.

Even with the Demons leading at the half and late in the second period, it still seemed likely that the 'Cats would mount and complete a comeback, especially after the win last month over LSU.

Villanova did chip away at the Demon lead, and managed to come within 4 points at the 3:27 mark after running off a 10-0 spurt. The comeback quickly collapsed, however, and the #16 Wildcats dropped their first conference game.

Poor shooting and porous defense seemed to be the causes of the upset tonight in Rosemont, Ill., as the 'Cats had difficulty putting the ball in the basket and preventing their opponents from doing the same. The Wildcats also committed 25 fouls, nine more than DePaul.

Congratulations to reader "Snig Li" for most closely predicting the game's final score.

Next up for Villanova are the Pittsburgh Panthers on Sunday afternoon at the Pavilion for the Wildcats' Big East home opener.

On to the player grades. "READ MORE" below for player performance grades and analysis.

• Scottie Reynolds (S, 32 min)

  Reynolds definitely had some difficulties tonight, especially on the offensive end. The Wildcats' leading scorer was held to just 11 points on 4-12 shooting, including 1-4 from the three. He led the team in assists, with 5, but also committed a team-high 4 turnovers. Reynolds was also held to just 2 rebounds in a game where the Wildcats were out-rebounded 32-21.
  Grade: B-
  
  

• Dante Cunningham (S, 30 min)

  Offense was the bright spot for Cunningham tonight. Dante played efficiently, scoring 16 points on 6-9 shooting. He was, however, limited to just 5 rebounds. Despite the low board total, Cunningham was nonetheless the Wildcats' best frontcourt player tonight.
  Grade: B




• Corey Fisher (S, 30 min)

  Let's get the controversy out of the way early: was Jay Wright correct to yank Fisher at the 3:19 mark with 4 fouls? In my opinion, it was a terrible decision. Villanova had just completed a 10-0 run, and Fisher seemed like the only 'Cat who could score. Aside from the foul trouble, Fisher played a decent game. Corey scored a game-high 23 points on 8-15 shooting, and was a solid 4-10 from the three-point line. He had 2 each of rebounds, turnovers, and assists, but did not come up with any steals. Perhaps in the future, Jay will feel comfortable leaving Corey out there in foul trouble, because the team seems to need his presence, especially when coming from behind.
  Grade: A-




• Reggie Redding (S, 26 min)

  Redding rebounded from some mediocre recent performances with a solid game, despite the losing team effort. Redding scored 9 on 2-3 shooting and was a perfect 5-5 from the line. He led the team in rebounding, with 6 boards, and in steals, with 2. He dished out 2 assists and committed 2 turnovers. Redding did get into some foul trouble, with 4 personals, but otherwise it was a good game for Reggie.
  Grade: B
  
  

• Shane Clark (S, 26 min)

  Clark was ineffective for much of the game. With just 4 points in 26 minutes, Clark did not live up to his offensive responsibilities. He shot 2-5 from the field and 0-2 from the three. He had 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 turnover. Despite some excellent play earlier this season, Clark seems to have struggled of late, and one wonders whether some of his minutes would not be better spent going to Pena or Grant.
  Grade: D




• Antonio Pena (17 min)

  Pena played about an average game. He scored 8 points on 2-4 shooting, and was a perfect 4-4 from the foul line. He pulled in 4 rebounds, and had 2 turnovers, a steal, and a block. He too suffered from foul trouble with 4 fouls. It was a decent effort from Pena, but I think he has more in him.
  Grade: C




• Malcolm Grant (15 min)

  Grant did make just a single shot in his 12 minutes, and shot 1-4, all from behind the three-point line. It's my opinion, however, that perhaps Grant could have been given more playing time, given the energy he invariably brings to the team. I know Grant usually means instant offense, but maybe he needed some more time to get going tonight. After his heroics against LSU, Grant should have been given a bigger role to play in the Wildcats' potential comeback tonight. Instead, Grant only got 15 minutes of playing time, in which he scored 3 points and dished out 2 assists. Surely it was not Grant's best effort, but I would like to see what he could have done with more time.
  Grade: C+




• Dwayne Anderson (15 min)

  Anderson has earned more minutes lately, and he continues to show excellent hustle and determination. While he put out an gargantuan effort against DePaul, Anderson seemed to lack the offensive firepower to be effective. Anderson was shut out from the field, shooting 0-3, including 0-2 from behind the arc. He was 2-2 from the foul stripe to score his 2 points. He did have a solid night on the glass, pulling in 5 rebounds in 15 minutes. Anderson too was afflicted by foul trouble, notching 4 personals in his limited court time.
  Grade: C-




• Corey Stokes (10 min)

  Stokes played 12 minutes but had hardly any impact on the game whatsoever. He missed the only two shots he took, both from behind the three-point line. He really seems to be struggling in terms of shooting confidence. Aside from the missed shots, his only impact on the box score was a single rebound and a block. Hopefully Stokes finds his rhythm soon, because another scorer would be welcome, especially on nights like tonight when Villanova can't get its offense going.
  Grade: D




• Incomplete grades: None



• Did not play:
  Casiem Drummond (ankle), Andrew Ott (CD), Frank Tchuisi (CD), Jason Colenda (CD).