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10 February 2009


'Nova wins big, Anderson hurt

posted by Pete @ LetsGoNova.com
2/10/2009 10:19:00 PM
[Click here for the full recap and player grades]

Villanova soundly beat an excellent Marquette team tonight, 102-84. The Wildcats were on fire on offense, especially in a scorching, 52-point second half.

Starting senior forward Dwayne Anderson left the game at the start of the second after sustaining what appeared to be a knee injury. There are rumors of a knee hyper-extension, but no official word yet. Will update the site with Dwayne Anderson details and the Marquette player grades for tomorrow.

Update: Reports are now saying it was a knee sprain. No word on severity.

Second Update: It was only a hyperextension. Good news.

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34 Comments:

At 10:45 PM, February 10, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Coach said in the postgame conference he is "optimistic" for a hyper-extension. If it were more serious, I doubt they'd have him go back to the bench.

 
At 10:54 PM, February 10, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

ALL SHALL NOW BOW BEFORE THE BEAUTY THAT IS THE COREY STOKES DRIBBLE DRIVE!!!!!!!!

 
At 11:01 PM, February 10, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

pete=draconian

 
At 11:36 PM, February 10, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I find it more surprising that you typed "fuck pete" yourself... That kind of defeats the purpose of censoring....

 
At 11:44 PM, February 10, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

wow pete, your site keeps gettin crapped on...why do it anymore, no one seems to appreciate your fine work.

 
At 11:53 PM, February 10, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

its annoying to bash pete the way many of you do. if you are going to disagree or voice your dissatisfaction with his opinions, at least do it in the same manner that you wish pete may have used in his arguments and opinions.

otherwise what is the point? you are juvenile and you are really the ones giving nova a bad name.

oh and shane clark is no longer allowed to be called bambi. he is also allowed to shoot 5 awful 3s after going 3 for 3 tonight. shane clark for BE POY!

 
At 12:40 AM, February 11, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Is this classy enough for you...good call on the score prediction Pete. You are a great fan. Very positive. Predicting your team would lose by 6 at home when ranked #12 playing #11 (Nova RPI 11 to MU at 25), coming off winning by 20 at home against a top 20 team, winning 5 in a row including beating #4 (#1 RPI) and only losing to #1 (#4 RPI) away in the last 7 games. Good call. Great fan. I'm sure your rationale was sound.

No need to respond. "You are retarded...Nova allowed them to score 80+...Villanova Sucks!!!". Shut it Pete.

I always say you (Pete) spew 95% nonsense and 5% truth (everyone gets lucky right?) but your obsession with Scottie/Fish playing together was great tonight. Its nice to see our true point guard out there with Scottie running free to score at will along with Dante. Awesome...no two ways about it, Fish has been playing great as of late. However, I would agree with Jay in the fact that Fish was struggling in this situation early this year. Fish is just becoming more and more comfortable out there. It used to be detrimental as they didn't know there roles but after good coaching and a couple months they have become great counterparts. Fish is also fighting for the ball on the floor, playing great D, and generally controlling the flow better. Awesome shit.

 
At 12:42 AM, February 11, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I can't say enough about the team or the way Jay Bones has brought them along again this year. Its unbelievable. Pete called this team to not make the ncaa's 1 month ago and now they are playing for a 3 seed in the NCAA's (playing this way the remainder of the schedule). Getting way ahead of myself but they have just looked unbelievable for the last 3 weeks. USF aside, everyone has slow games away, which they won...

 
At 12:52 AM, February 11, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

how ironic that mcneal for marquette breaks their schools' scoring record by a tally of 1776 points, in "philly"....no history buffs got a hard on off that one?!?!

 
At 1:17 AM, February 11, 2009, Blogger pete said...

I never said we wouldnt make the NCAAs. I said our resume was NIT worthy before the Pitt game -- and it was. We were out in all the bracketologies before the win streak.

 
At 1:38 AM, February 11, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

No...you said point blank "They won't make the NCAA's". Its late and I don't feel like searching your archives so that quote is paraphrased but it is more or less completely accurate. Maybe tomorrow I'll search. But really why bother...you will say something fucktarded again very soon which I can make fun of...wait a minute...from just a couple of hours ago during your blog?

9:02 [Comment From wave cam 1080i]
would you trade Jay for any big east coach ?
9:02 Yes, for almost all of them
9:02 I am not a Jay Wright fan
9:02 Think he is a moron when it comes to basketball

Explain further please. Use numbers or something tangible please. Your inane babble has not been accurate or provided an effective argument for anything you have said in a very long time.

 
At 1:58 AM, February 11, 2009, Blogger pete said...

Um, excuse me -- the reader was asking for my OPINION. How is that "inane babble"? Would I trade Jay for most BE coaches -- YES. That is my opinion, and it does not need justification. Just because you don't agree with it does not make it "fucktarded."

I think Jay Wright is a below-average basketball coach. Why do I feel that way? Because he has poor game-management skills, poor player-development skills, poor clock-management skills, poor preparation, poor set plays, poor substitutions, and poor handling of transfers. Note these are all my OPINIONS.

And let me also say that I did not bring this up during the liveblog; this was a direct question asked of me. And I didn't bring it up now, either -- you did. I was focused on the great win.

I think it would be a great thing if Jay and the 'Cats can succeed this season despite Jay's shortcomings as a coach. No one is perfect. But would I take Pitino, Boeheim, Calhoun, Dixon, or most other BE coaches over Jay? -- of course I would.

Was I even talking about this, before the original reader and you brought it up? No, I was focusing on the win. This is a great win for the team, and puts 'Nova in the driver's seat for NCAA and BET seeding.

Why do you want to talk about my opinion of the coach now, after a great win? Do you think that the team's success somehow makes my opinions incorrect? Who is to say we wouldn't be 24-0 right now with a better coach?

It's pretty clear there is a segment of readers on here who wish to derail all discussion into a hate-fest over my "negativity" because I am not 100 percent behind Jay Wright. If you want blind devotion, go to a different site. I am going to tell you how I feel.

As for this game, I had very few criticisms. It was a love-fest during the game. I made a few comments about Wright's offense-defense substitutions, which I hated. Other than that, it was a great game.

So why are you talking about my negativity? Does it anger you, to know that unlike yourself, there are Villanova fans who don't like the coach? I know, we exist. And not just me. Who cares right now? Jay is here to stay, and I am not calling for him to leave.

And you had better check the "archives," because I never once said flat out this team wouldn't make the NCAAs. I said, before the Pitt game and the SIX GAME WINNING STREAK, the following:

1. Villanova hadn't beaten anyone going to the NCAAs (true)
2. Villanova's resume was that of an NIT team (true -- and not just me saying this.)
3. It would be an uphill battle to get into the NCAAs --

Don't you think winning SIX IN A ROW over THREE RANKED TEAMS qualifies as overcoming an uphill battle? I do, too.

 
At 2:03 AM, February 11, 2009, Blogger pete said...

Also, one metaphor:

Complaining about me not liking Villanova's coach after this six-game winning streak is like complaining that you didn't like the pearl onions after the best Thanksgiving meal of your life. If you liked the turkey, the stuffing, the cranberries, the yams, and everything else, who cares about the onions? I am greatly enjoying this season and the success we are having.

 
At 9:17 AM, February 11, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

ESPN's Bracketology always had Villanova in it and we were an 8 seed from the 1st bracketolgy released. Also, Dante has developed well under Wright and I think if you watch or listen to any sports media they always reference the development of Dante. I am confused at how Wright does not develop players. I remember Ray and Foye were not stud until their Jr. & Sr. years and I guess that also show no development by Wright. Your comments are less than accurate on most topics on Villanova Basketball and you seem to be more of a Villanova hater than fan. I am beginning to think you attended St. Joes or Temple.

 
At 9:33 AM, February 11, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well stated Pete. I've criticzed you in the past, but truth be told, we all enjoy this cite, otherwise we wouldn't read it. I'm sure it's a ton of work and despite our bitching, thanks for writing it.

I also agree(d) with you on the Jay Wright kick. The guy can recruit and he's great for the program. He has, however, in the past, demonstrated an inability to make in game adjustments. Recently though, he's made some great moves. Defensive adjustments in the Cinci game. Committing to the 3/4's trap in the Pitt game, finally going straight man to man last night against Marquette and then realizing that he needed to play offense over defense to win the game. Keep in mind, Jay Wright is much younger and has less experience than the coaches you mentioned above. Like Fisher and Stoles, Wright may also be developing this season. If that's the case (decent size if), given his committment to the program and excellent recruiting abilities, I wouldn't trade him for any coach in the country.

As for player development, I think you're half right on that. Jay Wright can clearly develop talent. Why fans become annoyed, however, is that he prefers preaching defese and harnessing talent as opposed to just unleashing it during their freshmen years. I do expect big things from next years recruiting class, but given the past patterns with Foye, Ray and Cunningham, and even Fisher and Stokes to some extent, we have to be a little patient. In the long run though, as evidenced by 06 and 09, this slow development keeps the players in school and pays bigger divedends in the long run.

 
At 9:44 AM, February 11, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I like reading about VU hoops and I have criticized Pete before as well....but could we discuss these things without using terms like "fucktarded" and all the personal attacks? It's like 14 year olds are on this thing. Pete, I mostly disagree with you but thanks for the work.

 
At 10:00 AM, February 11, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

passed jason colenda on campus today
says theyre not sure if 22 can play friday, but they said he'll definitely be back by next thursday

 
At 10:04 AM, February 11, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Pete,

I do think that you have, conciously or not, made a successful effort lately to focus less on your ... opinions .. about Wright, and more on the team's positives, and thus I, for one, have cut way back on the criticism, and even offer you some praise. It's true as you say that your Jay bashing recently has mostly been in the context of answering reader questions. That said, let me comment on this:

"Do you think that the team's success somehow makes my opinions incorrect?"

Well, yes, to be blunt. It doesn't "prove" your opinions wrong, but it provides strong evidence that your opinions are wrong. Not just the success this year, but sustained success over a period of years. That level of sustained success is IMO incompatible with lousy coaching.

If Wright is really THAT bad in so many ways, what explains that sustained success? Dumb luck? Unlikely. Recruiting? Yes, recruiting is a big part of it, but (a) good recruiting is rarely enough to overcome lousy coaching, at least not to the extent of 3 sweet sixteens in 4 years, an elite eight, and 20-4 and counting in year 5, and (b) their recruiting, while good, hasn't been THAT good - that is, their success has been greater than one would expect, given the recruiting.

"Who is to say we wouldn't be 24-0 right now with a better coach?"

Well, I guess anything is POSSIBLE, but is that likely? Look, I love the players we have, but is this really the talent level of a 24-0 team? Not hardly. This team has overachieved (certainly in terms of expectations of the "experts" at the start of the season), and that is generally, and correctly, regarded as evidence of good coaching.

Regarding the whole "NIT profile" thing, it is silly even to talk about the CURRENT profile of a team at that stage of the season. Obviously if the team went the whole season without a good win, they would have been an NIT team. But most of us knew that that wasn't going to happen (even if we didn't expect quite THIS level of success). You apparently felt differently, and you were .. wrong. (And were the various bracket predictions at that point leaving Villanova on the outside? My recollection is no, though I'm too busy right now to check.)

 
At 11:07 AM, February 11, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hate Pete.

 
At 11:40 AM, February 11, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

yo, sweet new nova blog just started novafacts.blogspot.com check it out

 
At 12:11 PM, February 11, 2009, Blogger pete said...

6 nova blogs are not enough? We need 7 -- haha

 
At 12:40 PM, February 11, 2009, Blogger Fact said...

my new blog is aiming to cover more sports than basketball. As i feel that we don't have enogh fan interest in the other sports, especially football because we have more players in the NFL than we do in the NBA.. and i think that's somewhat substantial

 
At 12:45 PM, February 11, 2009, Blogger pete said...

That sounds great ... we definitely need more coverage of the other sports.

 
At 2:56 PM, February 11, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Did you really, as someone that runs a blog about Villanova basketball, post that you would prefer 8 or more coaches in this league over Jay wright??

You must be kidding right?

 
At 3:05 PM, February 11, 2009, Blogger pete said...

Yes -- it is possible to love Villanova basketball and think the coach is a hack.

I guarantee I like Nova basketball more than you, even!

I am a fan of the team, not the coach.

 
At 4:04 PM, February 11, 2009, Blogger Villanova Viewpoint Publisher said...

Hello, Pete-

Nice job with your article. I have your post linked on my site, with the other Villanova links from last night's game. My full recap is on my site, if you'd like to take a look. (BTW _ I'll look forward to seeing your individual grades, obviously, I think they're going to be fairly high - what a win!)

Go Wildcats!

 
At 4:19 PM, February 11, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Pete,

You are bringing me back around. I shat upon you a few weeks ago for being so negative, but I've noticed your improvement. Carry on.

 
At 4:23 PM, February 11, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You might like Nova hoops more than me but to call Jay Wright a "hack" would indicate you certianly don't know college basketball

At the college level there is more to running a program than X's and O's if you are one of those types...also our efficiency numbers this year on O and D are excellent indicating the guy on the sidelines may know a thing or 2 about the game

 
At 4:39 PM, February 11, 2009, Blogger Pete @ LetsGoNova.com said...

Publisher --

Thanks. Am updating the site this evening with my grades and a link to your site.

NYCNova --

Well, fine. And I think Jay does a very good job of recruiting, PR, and such. I think he would be great as director of PR for Nova, or head of recruiting as an assistant coach, or even as AD. I just think he lacks for Xs and Os.

As for the efficiency numbers -- you give me the Knicks' roster and let me coach that team in college basketball, I guarantee we are #1 in the nation in both O and D. Talent trumps coaching.

 
At 4:50 PM, February 11, 2009, Anonymous Anonymous said...

So are you implying that we have the most talented roster in the country and we are underachieving this year? I love guys like you... play well its the players, play poorly its the coach. Win 6 in a row, 3 versus top 25, you ask why do we have 4 L's

You do know at the college level RECRUITING and PR are part of the Coaches job. You don't do those well and you can be Phil Jakson, D'ANtoni, Wooden and K on the sidelines and it does not matter.

So under your guidelines Jay Wright is a completely over-matched coach that has somehow lucked his way into a sustained run of success at Villanova, a school with rich hoops tradition but certainly not one of the tobacco road or UK, UCLA level elite programs.

Guy must be the luckiest man on earth.

 
At 5:23 PM, February 11, 2009, Blogger pete said...

And he's handsome too!

 
At 5:31 PM, February 11, 2009, Blogger Villanova Viewpoint Publisher said...

Hello, Pete-

Great - thanks for the link... Looking forward to the grades.

 
At 6:46 PM, February 11, 2009, Blogger Foye's Boy said...

Dwayne has a hyper-extended knee and bone bruise, and is questionable but unlikely for Friday's game.

 
At 8:32 PM, February 11, 2009, Blogger Pete @ LetsGoNova.com said...

Thanks, Foye's Boy. Updated in the new post.

 

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