REDEMPTION? 'Nova upsets Pitt in big win

Pittsburgh 57
Villanova 67
(box score)

#3 Pittsburgh: 18-2 (6-2 BE)
#21 Villanova: 16-4 (4-3 BE)

Eighteen-thousand people braved pouring rain, gusty winds, mountains of dirty slush, and a jam-packed parking lot to witness the final college basketball game at the Philadelphia Spectrum. The building was loud and hot and full of fans hoping for an upset.

They weren't disappointed.

Villanova defeated cross-state rival #3 Pittsburgh, beating its highest ranked opponent since Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry, and Allan Ray took down #1 UConn across the street three years ago.

But in many ways, it was bigger than that for these Wildcats. Without a "quality win" in twenty games, Villanova needed this victory less as an exclamation point than as a main entry on its resume. With one month remaining in the regular season, this win will go a long way in bolstering the Wildcats' NCAA tournament chances.

Villanova improves to 1-4 against ranked teams on the year, with plenty more opportunities against top-25 opponents remaining in the Big East season.

After Jay Wright's trademark sloppy start to the game, the Wildcats trailed by 10 points early and faced an uphill battle against a Pittsburgh team built to sit on a lead and yield nothing. Wright, however, made the proper adjustments, and Villanova outscored the Panthers by 20 from that point forward. I have to commend Wright, especially, for sticking with his pressure defense that forced the 17 Panther turnovers that were the keys to the victory.

As a come-from-behind win against the third-ranked team in the nation, this game answered some lingering questions about the Wildcats. Could they finish out a game? Could they overcome the adversity of a slow start against a legitimate team? Could this team possibly survive past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament?

Yes, yes, and yes.

The win was not perfect, and there were some concerns from the game. Villanova missed far too many free throws, including front-ends of crucial single-bonus attempts. How Wright hasn't been able to maintain Villanova's previous success with free-throw shooting is beyond me, especially since there are no new players in the rotation this year.

Villanova also committed two ill-advised fouls under the three-minute mark when the Panthers were trying to claw their way back into the game. The fouls didn't come back to haunt the Wildcats this time, but they have to be more careful in future close games.

Finally, Jay Wright seems steadfastly opposed to playing Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds at the same time, which is a real shame, since they are the two best players on the team. The benefits of playing Fisher and Reynolds together have been chronicled ad nauseam in this space, but I cannot emphasize it enough: this team will win more games if Wright allows the two ball-handling guards to work together.

Troubling bits aside, this was a huge win for the Wildcats, who are now in the driver's seat for an NCAA bid.

Next up for Villanova is a home date with Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon. The Bearcats are fresh off their own gigantic win over Georgetown.

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

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

• Dwayne Anderson (S, 35 min)

  Anderson led the team in minutes and generally played well. He was active all over the court, but only managed to make 2 shots on 7 attempts. The good news is that both of those shots were huge threes. Anderson had 2 steals, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, and 4 rebounds, doing a little bit of everything. I would prefer to see Anderson come off the bench, but he has earned his way into the first six regardless.
  Grade: B-




• Dante Cunningham (S, 34 min)

  Cunningham got back to his bread-and-butter of efficient scoring and energetic defense, and the result was the toppling of the #3 team in the nation. Cunningham shot a good 6-10, and did not take many unwise outside jumpers. Cunningham played largely mistake-free, committing zero fouls and zero turnovers. He finished with 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 steal. Aside from the bad performance from the foul line (3-6), it was one of the best games of the season for Dante Cunningham.
  Grade: A-




• Reggie Redding (S, 34 min)

  Redding exploded tonight, unveiling an offensive game long held in potential. What's more, he did it in the judicious fashion that has made Redding a mainstay in the rotation. Redding led the 'Cats in scoring with 18 points on excellent 4-6 shooting, and he was a perfect 10-10 from the foul line. Redding also managed to co-lead the teams in rebounds, with 7, and steals, with 2. He finished with 2 turnovers, 1 block, and 2 assists. Redding's smart brand of basketball and good perimeter defense justifies his spot in the starting lineup.
  Grade: A
  
  
  

• Scottie Reynolds (S, 24 min)

  Reynolds played just 24 minutes tonight, but he did have 4 fouls. Looking at his line in the box score (3-11 shooting, 10 points), it would be easy to miss the impact each of those three field goals made. Reynolds buried two absolutely momentous three-pointers, shifting the flow of the game. He also led the team in assists, with 3, and added 2 steals, a block, and 2 turnovers. Reynolds needs to see more minutes, regardless of fouls, and it is imperative that Wright allows him to play the two-guard alongside Fisher more often.
  Grade: B




• Corey Stokes (24 min)

  Stokes played a quiet 24 minutes. I had to double-check the box score to see if 24 minutes were indeed correct. Stokes is still trying to find his way in the offense. He shot 2-3 to score 6 points, but once against proved he cannot create off the dribble. As I have said again and again, Stokes needs to work on moving without the ball to get himself open threes, where he is pretty much automatic.
  Grade: C+




• Corey Fisher (18 min)

  It is a travesty that Corey Fisher is not seeing more minutes. Fisher needs to start in the backcourt alongside Reynolds, and he needs to play the majority of his minutes with Reynolds instead of spelling him. Fisher's line in the box score is deceptively mediocre. He was 3-5 from the field and 2-4 from the foul line, scoring 9. He led the team with 4 turnovers, and added 1 steal and 1 assist. But that really wasn't the story. The team, and the offense in particular, just plays better with Fisher in there. His excellent ballhandling ability allows the offense to get into rhythm in the half-court much more quickly than normal. Fisher also seems to have a habit of making the first pass that leads to an assist or an easy bucket. Finally, he plays with the kind of energy, creativity, and abandon that is missing from these Wildcats when he is on the bench. In the past two seasons, Jay Wright seems terrified to leave two 6-footers out there simultaneously, which is richly ironic considering Wright achieved his greatest success and coach of the year honors with a 4-guard lineup. Wright's Villanova may no longer be Guard U (Wright seems now to prefer Swingman U), but that doesn't exempt the coach from his responsibility to field the best possible lineup. Clearly, that lineup includes Fisher.
  Grade: B-
  
  

• Shane Clark (17 min)

  Clark got extended time tonight thanks to his excellent crashing of the boards, particularly on the offensive end. Clark finished with 7 rebounds, 4 on offense. The problem, though, was that once he got those rebounds, he often had little idea of what to do with the ball, which killed a few possessions. Clark did not score, missing his only shot from the field and both of his free-throw attempts. Clark played with a lot of tenacity tonight, but I would still like to see his minutes restricted to the single digits, as his liability to the offense is too great.
  Grade: C
  
  

• Antonio Pena (S, 14 min)

  Pena started the game but wound up with just 14 minutes. I can't say I disagree with that decision much. Instead of playing Pena for 14 and Clark for 17, I would have played Pena for about 20 and Clark for 10. But Villanova won the game anyway, so it's moot. Pena shot 1-3 from the field and managed to grab just 1 rebound. Pena is a rare character in that he is a streaky big man. Unlike most forwards whose offensive games are largely plug-and-play, Pena seems to need to get into a rhythm to really get going. Pena added 2 assists, 1 turnover, and zero blocks or steals. Pena is a versatile, athletic player, not a stiff, and should improve.
  Grade: C-





• Incomplete grades: None.
  
  
  
• Did not play: Frank Tchuisi (CD), Jason Colenda (CD), Maurice Sutton (CD - RS?), Russell Wooten (CD).