'Nova stays alive with USF win

Villanova 72
South Florida 59
(box score)

Villanova: 18-11 (8-9 BE, 3-1 B5)
South Florida: 12-18 (3-14 BE)

Next game: at Providence, 03/08 at the Dunkin Donuts Center.

Villanova kept its hopes alive for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament tonight with an ugly win over Big-East basement dweller South Florida.

The Wildcats basically outclassed USF, who nonetheless put on a game effort to keep it close in the second half. The game was not pretty to watch for Wildcat fans, who saw Villanova play sloppy basketball that certainly would not have cut it against a decent opponent.

A loss to the Bulls would have almost certainly eliminated the 'Cats from the at-large bubble. With the win, Villanova gets a chance to finish at the all-important .500 mark in conference play with a victory over the slumping Providence Friars on Saturday in the season finale.

Jay Wright continued his confusing substitution patterns, valuing size over scoring and speed. After two losses where the rotation played a huge factor, I have given up trying to explain or even understand Wright's personnel decisions.

The game nearly got away from the Wildcats in the second half, with the Bulls cutting Villanova's lead to single digits midway through the period. Villanova heated up and finally put away the scrappy South Florida team.

Congratulations to reader Sean Don for most closely predicting the game's final score.

Next up for the Wildcats is the regular-season finale against Providence in Rhode Island this weekend. It's a must-win game for Villanova to remain in at-large consideration.

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

• Dwayne Anderson (S, 31 min)

  Anderson played a solid 31 minutes tonight. He shot well from the field, 3-5, including 1-2 from beyond the arc to score 7 points. He grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the team. He had 1 assist, and did not turn the ball over. Anderson's emergence has been a huge help to the team this year.
  Grade: B+




• Scottie Reynolds (S, 28 min)

  Reynolds followed up a poor offensive game against the Cardinals with a quietly effective performance tonight against the Bulls. He shot 2-6 from the field, but reached the hoop efficiently, and shot 5-7 from the foul line to finish with 9 points. He grabbed 2 rebounds and dished out 1 assist. His 4 turnovers were largely offset by his team-high 4 steals.
  Grade: B




• Corey Fisher (S, 23 min)

  Fisher returned to the court today after Jay Wright sat him for most of the Lousiville game for disciplinary reasons. I hope Wright proved his point to Fisher, who reportedly was late to the pre-game shoot-around at Freedom Hall, because Wright's decision likely cost the Wildcats the game. Fisher looked a little sloppy tonight, turning the ball over 4 times. He scored 6 points on 2-6 shooting, and dished out 3 assists. Fisher needs to turn it on, especially on the offensive end, if the 'Cats are going to make a run in Madison Square Garden next week.
  Grade: C-




• Shane Clark (22 min)

  Well, Clark has proven one thing beyond all doubt: he can score against sub-par competition. Clark looks like a superstar against non-conference cupcakes and programs like USF, which was invited to the Big East for football. Clark seems to struggle against actual basketball teams, however. Tonight, Clark played well. He shot 7-11 from the field to score a team-high 15 points. He also grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out an assist. We hope Clark can continue his good play through Providence and the BET, but given past results this year, it seems unlikely.
  Grade: B+




• Corey Stokes (22 min)

  Stokes seems to have cooled off after a few weeks of excellent shooting. Tonight the McDonald's All-American shot just 2-9 from the floor, including an atrocious 0-5 from the three-point line. He did sink 3-3 free throws to finish with 7 points. Stokes can be one of the Wildcats' biggest weapons if his shot is working.
  Grade: D




• Dante Cunningham (S, 19 min)

  Cunningham shot a perfect 4-4 from the field, and threw down a few monster dunks. He generally looked strong in the post, so it's surprising to see that he finished with just 3 rebounds. He missed both his free throws, which thankfully were not crucial to the game's outcome.
  Grade: B-




• Antonio Pena (S, 18 min)

  Pena played well on the offensive end, scoring 10 points on 3-8 shooting from the field and 4-5 shooting from the line. He handled the ball poorly, however, committing 4 turnovers. Pena grabbed 4 rebounds and added 1 block.
  Grade: B-




• Reggie Redding (16 min)

  Redding played solid basketball, handling the ball well and committing no turnovers. He made the only shot he took, and sank 1-2 free throws to score 3 points. He grabbed 3 rebounds and had 3 assists. He added 2 blocks and 2 steals on defense.
  Grade: B




• Casiem Drummond (12 min)

  Drummond returned to action tonight after missing several crucial games with a foot injury. Casiem looked fairly good against South Florida, who admittedly is not the toughest competition. Drummond shot just 1-4 from the field, but shot well from the foul line to go 4-6. He also grabbed 7 rebounds in his limited action. Drummond did get into foul trouble and spent most of the game on the bench, but it was good to see him back on the court for the Wildcats.
  Grade: C+




• Malcolm Grant (6 min)

  It's almost insulting the way Jay Wright is using Malcolm Grant this season. Wildcat fans should be glad that Grant has the patience to tolerate Wright's bumbling substitution patterns, but perhaps patience is one of Grant's virtues. Grant did, after all, prep for a year just for the opportunity to sit on the bench and watch lesser players be subbed in ahead of him all game. Grant saw mainly garbage-time action tonight, despite playing very well against Louisville. Maybe people disagree with me on this issue, but watching Villanova basketball games this year has become a whole lot less enjoyable knowing a talent like Grant is languishing on the bench. I am sure Villanova will get down by a sufficient number of points in one of its Big East Tournament games that we will see Grant again this year.
  Grade: Incomplete




• Frank Tchuisi (3 min)

  It was good to see Frank get some playing time, but he remains the rawest of projects. Tchuisi is valuable as a practice player, but his basketball skills have yet to develop.
  Grade: Incomplete




• Did not play: Jason Colenda (CD)