Pitino puts on free coaching clinic for Jay Wright

Louisville 69
Villanova 55
(box score)

#5 Louisville: 27-5 (18-2 BE)
#10 Villanova: 26-7 (14-6 BE)


Sometimes, it's just nice to watch a master at work -- even if the master is carving up your favorite basketball team like a sushi chef working on some rapidly spoiling fish.

On Friday night, Rick Pitino was that master, and he made Jay Wright his unwilling apprentice. Once again, Pitino showed why he was one of the top coaches in basketball history, official Big East awards hardware be damned.

Trailing by eight at the half, Pitino calmly gave a brief halftime interview to ESPN, then went inside the locker room to make the crucial adjustments. Jay Wright is very good at the media-friendly first part; experience is showing he may have to work on the latter issue a bit.

For the second game in as many days, Villanova collapsed epically in the second half. Just when you thought that it could not get any worse after Villanova surrendered a 16-point lead in the final 20 minutes of the Marquette game, the Wildcats allowed a similar 15-point swing against Louisville -- in under five minutes.

Villanova went from up eight to down seven in the first five minutes of the second period. In a game sandwiched at Madison Square Garden between two Herculean efforts from the Syracuse Orange spanning four halves and seven overtimes, Villanova quickly accepted its fate and folded before even thirty minutes of playing time had elapsed.

As an eternal optimist when it comes to Villanova basketball, I usually save the "game over" comments and text messages for when the game is truly out of reach, a tipping point that had to be re-calibrated after the Wildcats made up 15 points in two minutes against LSU last year.

Not tonight. It was clear that as soon as Louisville made its run, and then prematurely extinguished the Wildcats' response, that Villanova was done. Game over.

Some other fans quickly attributed the team's failure to "exhaustion," an argument that usually smacks of absurdity, but seems especially ridiculous considering Syracuse played the equivalent of three basketball games in 26 hours on the same court -- and won, too.

No, the reason Villanova was beaten so soundly and so thoroughly tonight had less to do with exertion than with preparation. The Wildcats were not ready to take the floor. Whatever plan Wright and his staff cooked up was totally obsolete by the time the halftime clock expired.

Villanova played right into Louisville's hands. First, the 'Cats had no effective plan to deal with -- surprise! -- Rick Pitino's world-famous press. Indeed, Villanova was forced to burn a timeout on its very first possession when Shane Clark was unable to inbound the ball after the game's first basket. That, in a word, is embarrassing.

It's not like Louisville's press worked to perfection on that first play: several Wildcats just stood around on the inbound. Were they not expecting Rick Pitino to press? That's like being surprised to learn that bears shit in the woods.

Second, Villanova left home on the defensive perimeter, time and time again, allowing Louisville to rotate the ball for open shots.

Despite the early signs of poor preparation, Villanova managed to eke out an eight-point lead in the first 20 minutes, largely because the Cardinals could not connect on their perimeter looks.

In the second half, two things happened that quickly turned the game. One, Louisville finally started making its open looks. Two, Villanova completed its complete devolution into a team that cannot handle the ball under pressure -- under any circumstances.

Villanova turned the ball over 23 times, often when the ball was not even being defended. A few times just the threat of pressure caused this ill-prepared Villanova team to throw the ball away.

Even when Villanova didn't turn it over, the offense was often rushed and pathetic. The Wildcats offered up a few "air-ball turnovers," or shots that have so little chance to go in they should just be counted as official turnovers.

You'd think after suffering from the full-court pressure in Villanova's home loss to Louisville earlier this season, Wright and his staff would concoct a few tricks to ease the pressure.

Well, if they did, it did not show tonight. Villanova absolutely withered under the Cardinal pressure, and put up little resistance on the defensive end, too.

Note to Wright and co.: Pitino does not hold a monopoly on the press. It is fully legal, even advisable, to respond to pressure with pressure of your own -- at least if your team is conditioned well enough to perform it.

Another perhaps faulty assumption the astute observer might make is that after seeing how frustrated the Cards became on offense when they weren't able to get open perimeter looks off the second pass, the Villanova staff would emphasize staying at home on the perimeter in the second period.

Pitino himself even admitted it at the half and after the game. He said his team suffers when forced to go one-on-one, and thrives when it can make the extra pass on the outside for a better look.

So why did Villanova's wing players collapse nearly every time in the second half, allowing jumper after jumper to swish through the net, erasing any hopes for the first Villanova Big East championship of this millennium?

The fact is that Louisville was better coached, better conditioned, and better prepared than the Wildcats, and that let the Cardinals turn an 8-point deficit into a 14-point win rather easily in a single half.

After the game, Wright praised Pitino's style. "We knew this was going to be tough when you're playing the Big East champions," Wright said. "I love how they play. "

I love how they play, too, Jay. My only hope is that maybe you were taking notes.

Congratulations to reader "Pretty Toney" for most closely predicting the final score.

Villanova now awaits its seed and first-weekend location, to be determined on Sunday night by the all-powerful NCAA selection committee.

My guess is that Villanova will be a #3 seed slated to play at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, which would mean its next game will be on Thursday against a #14 seed automatic-bid winner from a small conference.

Hopefully, Villanova will use the intervening week to get its act together enough to make a nice tournament run.

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

• Scottie Reynolds (S, 38 min)

  Just an awful night for Reynolds. He could not find the bottom of the net (1-6) and missed all 3 of his three-point attempts. He committed a whopping 6 turnovers. The only things saving Reynolds from the dreaded "F" are his 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals. Reynolds was hounded on Friday by Louisville's pressure defense, but he will have to pick it up if the Wildcats want to play beyond next weekend.
  Grade: D-




• Reggie Redding (S, 32 min)

  Despite Thursday's clutch finish, I've noticed that Redding has the tendency to either choke or disappear in big moments. He did a little bit of both Friday night, emerging from second-half obscurity to miss two key free throws that would have brought the 'Cats within 5 and completed a 5-0 Villanova run. Redding was 1-3 from the field, and an inexcusable 1-4 from the foul line. At least he didn't have any turnovers. Redding added 6 rebounds but just 1 assist -- so much for Jay Wright's designation of Redding as the team's "best playmaker."
  Grade: D




• Dwayne Anderson (S, 29 min)

  Anderson shot relatively well while his teammates struggled. He often benefited from an off-balance Cardinals defense -- at least when the Wildcats managed to get the ball across halfcourt. Anderson was able to connect on some nice jumpers while shooting 5-8 overall, including 2-4 from the three. He added 5 rebounds and 2 assists. His decent shooting night was sullied, however, by his 4 turnovers.
  Grade: C+





• Corey Fisher (26 min)

  Fisher shot well on Friday but simply could not take care of the ball. Seven turnovers...ugh. Here is where I can't blame the loss entirely on the coaching. While it's true that Fisher had an uphill battle to break the Cardinal pressure without (seemingly) much help from the sidelines, there still is no excuse for him to throw the ball away so many times. Fisher shot 4-8 from the field, including a good 3-5 from the three. He was a perfect 3-3 from the line, as well. He dished out 3 assists, grabbed 2 rebounds, picked up 2 steals, and scored 14 points. Very decent numbers, except for the 7 turnovers.
  Grade: D+
  
  

• Dante Cunningham (S, 24 min)

  Cunningham had a very nice first half, but then disappeared in the second, mired by foul trouble. I don't know why he sat for so long in the second half -- what was the worst that could happen, Jay? We were already getting crushed; so what if Dante fouls out? In his 24 minutes, Cunningham played well. He shot 5-11 from the field, and was a perfect 4-4 from the foul line. He pulled in 9 boards and committed just 1 turnover. The foul trouble, however, was killer, because Cunningham was such a big part of the team's offense.
  Grade: B




• Corey Stokes (23 min)

  Stokes couldn't find the stroke from the three (1-5) or from the field in general (1-9) tonight. He did pull in 6 boards, but he committed 2 turnovers, and did not collect any steals, assists, or blocks.
  Grade: D
  
  

• Shane Clark (S, 21 min)

  Just a dreadful night for Clark. Airballs (plural.) Two big, memorable turnovers. Just 2 rebounds in 21 minutes. Clueless ball handling. Bad inbounding. Clark shot 0-6 from the field, but was a decent 5-6 from the foul line. Not enough to move the grade up from the floor, though.
  Grade: F
  
  

• Antonio Pena (6 min)

  Pena missed his only shot and collected just 1 rebound in 6 minutes. He didn't get much of an opportunity tonight, but he did very little in the brief time he was out there.
  Grade: D





• Incomplete grades: Russell Wooten (1 min).



• Did not play: Frank Tchuisi (CD), Jason Colenda (CD), Maurice Sutton (RS).

Villanova beats Marquette at buzzer

Villanova escaped Madison Square Garden on Wednesday with an unlikely one-point victory over Marquette, 76-75.

The Wildcats won the game on a dramatic Dwayne Anderson layup that beat the buzzer, but not before rolling around the rim for a few revolutions after time expired.

Villanova had led by 16 at the half before blowing that entire margin in the second period.

With the win, Villanova goes a long way in securing a top-3 seed in the NCAA tournament, and the increased likelihood of playing the first round in Philadelphia that goes with it. By stealing this game by one point, the Wildcats avoided being a part of the day's rampant carnage in the top-15 -- Clemson, Kansas, Oklahoma, Pitt, and UConn all lost. (Losing in six overtimes is still a loss, although it feels closer to a tie.)

Villanova now looks to have secured a 3-seed in the big dance, with a 2-seed within reach if the Wildcats keep winning.

No grades for this game, since I just got back from New York, and the Louisville game starts in 15 hours.

If you want to see what I thought of the game, check out the intermittent Tweeting sent in from my mobile phone during the game.

Congratulations to reader Mills for most closely predicting the final score.

Next up for the Wildcats is #1 conference seed Louisville in the first semifinal on Friday evening.

Villanova opens BET vs. Marquette

#10 Villanova (25-6) vs. #21 Marquette (24-8)
2:30 p.m., 12 March 2009 at Madison Square Garden

TV: ESPN

Line: Villanova - 2.5

Villanova will play its third game of the season against Marquette today when the two teams meet in the quarterfinals of the Big East championship tournament.

The Wildcats were seeded into the third round thanks to their top-four finish, while Marquette received just one bye. The Golden Eagles reached the quarterfinal round by demolishing St. John's on Wednesday.

The two teams split their season series, with Marquette winning in January and Villanova coming out on top in February. Both teams held serve at their respective home-courts.

Marquette is without its star point guard Dominic James, who had a history of burning the 'Cats these past four seasons.

Both teams are solidly in the NCAA tournament and are now playing for seeding. With a win, Villanova puts itself in prime position to earn a top-3 seed and a bus trip to Philadelphia for the first weekend of the NCAA tournament.

Take a look at the other five 'Nova blogs linked at right for their previews, and then come back into our comment section to predict the final score.

Villanova handles Notre Dame

Villanova 77
Notre Dame 60
(box score)

#11 Villanova: 24-6 (12-5 BE)
Notre Dame: 16-13 (7-10 BE)


Villanova broke away in the second half on Monday night to soundly put away a Notre Dame team fighting for its post-season life.

The Wildcats used an offense firing on all cylinders to scorch the Irish for 45 second-period points on the way to an easy win, despite a score knotted at 32 at the half.

I actually agreed with Jay Wright's rotation for much of the game. It was good to see Fisher and Reynolds out there together for good stretches, and I like how the team clicked offensively with two Coreys and Reynolds as threats. The only real problem I had tonight was Wright's continued under-utlization of Stokes, who could be a major weapon if he played more than one-third of the game.

All in all, though, it was a well coached game by Wright, who seems to have rebounded from his disaster against Georgetown last Saturday. Let's hope he can keep it up against tougher competition in the post-season.

With the win, Villanova keeps its chances of a double bye in the Big East tournament alive. The Wildcats now need to beat Providence and have Marquette lose to Pittsburgh to earn the #4 seed and the two days off that go with it.

More important, Villanova kept itself in a plausible position to receive a #3 seed in the NCAA tournament, which would likely place the Wildcats in Philadelphia for the first weekend, a tremendous advantage.

Looking at the current state of the top-15, it looks like Villanova will have to defeat Providence on Thursday and then win at least one game in Madison Square Garden to stay in the 3-seed conversation.

Notre Dame, on the other hand, all but sealed its fate in the NIT on Monday, barring a McNamarian run in the Big East Tournament.

The Irish find themselves behind 10 teams in the conference with better resumes: Connecticut, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Marquette, Villanova, West Virginia, Syracuse, Georgetown, Providence, and Cincinnati. All but the last three of these teams should be in the field at this point.

Although the argument could be made that all of remaining three serious Big East bubble teams deserve to get into the NCAA tournament, my guess is that just two will make it, and I give the advantage to Georgetown and Providence, pending each team's final few games.

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

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

• Scottie Reynolds (S, 39 min)

  Before the game, I was telling one of my friends that Scottie Reynolds should shoot more threes, because that is how he heats up on his epic scoring efforts. Looks like Reynolds got the memo on that one. Reynolds scorched the nets at the Joyce Center, scoring 23 pints on excellent 8-12 shooting, including a fantastic 6-7 from the three. And it's good to see him playing 39 of 40 minutes with no major signs of fatigue. It didn't hurt that Corey Fisher was around for 20 minutes to handle point duties for Reynolds, either. I would like to see Reynolds play the two-guard for 30+ minutes in Villanova's post-season. Reynolds finished the game with good numbers across the board: 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 turnover. It was one of the best overall performances by a Villanova guard I have ever seen. Complete, mistake-free, excellent all around.
  Grade: A




• Reggie Redding (S, 38 min)

  Redding played well against Notre Dame, but was it 38-minutes well? I guess it worked out. He was quietly efficient on the offense, shooting 3-5, including 1-1 for three, to score 7 points. Redding added 4 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 2 turnovers to his well-rounded effort. He looked good on the defensive end after giving up some key plays against Georgetown.
  Grade: B




• Dante Cunningham (S, 35 min)

  Cunningham shot 8-18 tonight, which is not a bad night for a shooting guard, but should be embarrassing for a power-forward. I don't know why the conventional wisdom seems to be that Cunningham's work in the offseason paid off in the form of a new, ultra-reliable jump-shot, because to me it looks like the same old shot. Except that this year, Cunningham takes a lot more of them. I lost count of how many jumpers he missed during the game: thankfully the play-by-play in the box score remembers. Cunningham was 6-16 on jump-shots. Let that number stew around in your head for a while, and remember you are considering a once-efficient power forward, and not John Starks in the NBA Finals. Cunningham was 8-18 overall, so that means he was 2-2 on non-jump shots. Now, the official box score has a very loose definition of a jumper, so it categorizes some paint shots as jump-shots, but I can assure you that Cunningham made more from the inside and missed more from the outside. Can you imagine how much better it would have been for Villanova if Cunningham didn't miss 10 jumpers? Having Cunningham shoot low-percentage shots from outside the key is a double whammy for the 'Cats: not only are they bad shots, but it leaves Cunningham, the team's best rebounder, out of place for any chance at a carom. Wouldn't you rather 10 more shots for Stokes from the outside, with Cunningham underneath for the rebound, instead? I would, too. Against the Irish, Cunningham finished with 8 rebounds. He added 1 turnover, and 0 blocks, assists, or steals.
  Grade: B-




• Dwayne Anderson (S, 24 min)

  Anderson just could not find his shot. As the ultimate streak shooter, he has got to recognize when he is on and when he is not. Against the Irish, he was most certainly off. The nadir of Anderson's night was a missed wide-open 2-pt jumper from the baseline that was a complete air-ball. Things were going so well for Villanova, though, that a few seconds later, after an offensive rebound, Anderson was dunking it in anyway. But shooting 2-9, including 0-4 from the three, could hurt the team, especially when most of those shots weren't even close. Anderson played well otherwise, notching 6 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, and 1 turnover. Playing 24 minutes seems about right for Anderson, too. Just stop missing so many shots!
  Grade: C+




• Corey Fisher (20 min)

  Sure, Fisher was 0-5 from the field, but the shots he took were good, high-percentage shots. A player can only be judged on his decisions, and not his results. Fisher also passed the ball very well, dishing 3 assists in half a game, and he would have had more had some of his pass-recipients finished easy looks. He also had 1 block, 1 steal, and zero turnovers. So what if he scored just 2 points? Fisher played well. He was plagued by foul trouble against Notre Dame, which is why he played just 20 minutes. I am convinced he would have seen another 10 minutes despite his cold shooting if fouls were not an issue.
  Grade: B-
  
  

• Shane Clark (S, 18 min)

  Clark turned it on in the second half, playing his trademark cleanup game of put-backs and efficient shots. And thank goodness. This is Clark's bread-and-butter, and let's hope he can keep it up. He sat in the first half with two quick fouls, and honestly, the offense looked pretty good without him. But there is no denying the value he brought in the second half with his hustle game, and there is always a place for that on the court. Clark shot a good 5-7 from the field, but only managed 1 rebound in 18 minutes. He had 0 assists, turnovers, steals, or blocks, and was 2-3 from the foul line. One thing Jay Wright needs to be careful of is leaving Clark, who misses nearly half his free throws, on the court at the end of close games where fouling becomes a factor.
  Grade: B
  
  

• Corey Stokes (13 min)

  Ugh, why only 13 minutes for Stokes, who is by far the team's best shooter. Did you know that Stokes is shooting 44 percent from the three? That's too high a percentage! That means he needs to take more threes! I really don't know why Stokes was only allotted 13 minutes tonight; it just seems Wright keeps him on a very short leash, often yanking him out of the game after a few possessions. What I do know is that to beat teams that will put up more resistance than a fading Notre Dame, Villanova will need another scoring thread to complement Reynolds, Fisher, and Cunningham. Stokes is definitely that guy. He was pretty quiet against the Irish, scoring just 3 points on one really nice shot. During a possession at the end of the first half, Stokes freed himself to rotate to the top of the key, caught the ball in stride, and drained a gorgeous shot. I wish he would launch a few more of those in increased minutes.
  Grade: B-
  
  

• Antonio Pena (13 min)

  During the game broadcast, announcer Jay Bilas echoed a joke from this space a few games ago about Pena on a milk carton. Well, it looks like Pena is back, albeit in a slightly diminished role. Pena shot a decent 2-4 from the field and 2-2 from the foul line for 6 total points. He had 3 boards, and no assists, turnovers, steals, or blocks.
  Grade: B-





• Incomplete grades: Frank Tchuisi (0+ min), Jason Colenda (0+ min).



• Did not play: Russell Wooten (CD), Maurice Sutton (RS).

Live blog for G'town today

If you're stuck at work or school for one of the biggest Villanova games in recent memory, or simply watching from home, join Let's Go Nova at 12 noon today for a live blog of the Villanova-Georgetown game in the Big East Tournament.

After a huge win over Syracuse in the first round of the BET, Villanova faces the top-seeded Georgetown Hoyas in Madison Square Garden in New York.

Though the Syracuse victory may have already earned Villanova an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, a win over the Hoyas would remove all doubt, and would vault the Wildcats off the 12-seed line into more hospitable territory.

The game will air live on ESPN nationwide at 12 noon. Check this post for the live blog shortly before tip time.

'Cats trounce 'Cuse to reach top-seed Hoyas

vs.

Villanova Wildcats (20-11, 10-9 BE) vs.
#9 Georgetown Hoyas (25-4, 15-3 BE)

Date: Thursday, March 13, 2008
Location: Madison Square Garden (New York)
Time: 12:00 p.m. EST
Television: ESPN

Georgetown coverage: Van Buren Boys || Hoya Saxa

Following Villanova’s exciting win against Syracuse, the Wildcats return to action Wednesday at noon to face regular-season conference champion Georgetown. The last time these two teams met, the outcome of the game was marred with one of the worst foul calls in recent memory, as Corey Stokes was called for knocking Jonathan Wallace out of bounds with one tenth of a second remaining.

While it is definitely helpful that the ‘Cats have beaten another bubble team in Syracuse, ‘Nova fans have been salivating for the opportunity to face the Hoyas again. If the selection committee can look favorably at Villanova’s misfortune against the Hoyas last meeting, combined with a solid performance (win or lose) on Thursday, I feel that Villanova will have its name called on Selection Sunday.

Georgetown is led by Roy Hibbert, fueled by the stoic and stable guards Jonathan Wallace and Jessie Sapp, and has considerable contributions from freshman Austin Freeman and sophomore forward DaJuan Summers. Through and through, Georgetown is bigger and more experienced at nearly every position.

Keys to the game

Contain Hibbert: The Hoyas use Roy Hibbert in the same way the San Antonio Spurs employ Tim Duncan: the offense runs through the center position. Hibbert essentially acts as a second point guard for the Hoyas, because nearly every offensive possession starts with Hibbert getting the ball down low and either kicking it out to his guards or creating his own offense. While Jay Wright's in-game planning has been under attack recently, there is no denying that he can stop Hibbert, as 'Nova has harassed Hibbert in several meetings throughout his career.

Limit GU offensive sets: Under Coach John Thompson III, the Hoyas run a very deliberate offense. In order to beat Georgetown, Villanova must limit the amount of time the Hoyas are in their offensive sets. While the 'Cats had their own trouble on offense last meeting, Villanova no doubt gave the Hoyas problems of their own, and only by a miraculous foul call was Georgetown able to come away victorious.

Protect the ball: If Villanova is able to limit the Hoyas' offense, the game then comes down to Villanova's offensive capabilities. Limiting turnovers and taking quality shots are just some of the things the 'Nova coaching staff must emphasize throughout the game. Hopefully the hot shooting of Anderson, Reynolds, and Stokes will continue for another day.

X-factors

Frontcourt: Hibbert and Patrick Ewing Jr. make up one of the most formidable forward combinations in all of the Big East, and Villanova's frontcourt will be hard-pressed to limit the damage. As the nation's premiere low post player, Hibbert has an assortment of pump fakes and back-to-the-basket moves. Pena and Cunningham must be careful to not get into foul trouble and play solid defense. Ewing Jr., an explosive player, is more athletic and physically imposing than Cunningham, and is a defensive force as a rebounder and shot blocker. Look for the 'Nova guards to take it to him looking for contact.

Foul shooting: Every point is important, so the 'Cats must shoot better on the line than they did against Syracuse.

Remember to predict the final score and offer your own keys to the game in the comments section below.

'Cuse game comment thread

Eighth-seeded Villanova takes on #9 Syracuse in the opening game of the Big East Tournament, Wednesday at noon in Madison Square Garden.

The game will air live nationwide on ESPN.

I will be traveling to New York for the game, so the site won't be updated until the next day, probably in the afternoon.

Feel free to use this thread to comment before, during, and after the game. My usual review with player grades should be up on Thursday.

Even with the very slight shrinking of the bubble earlier this week, I still feel that the winner of the Villanova-Syracuse game will be invited to the NCAA tournament.

If you agree or disagree, make your case in the comments.

PLAY-IN GAME Winner of 'Nova-'Cuse likely in NCAAs

[UPDATE] Naysayers, take note. No less an authority than Jay Wright believes we are in a play-in game:

Now we're in an 8-9 game at noon and it's an awesome game. I think it's a play-in game for the NCAA Tournament.

Villanova got what it wanted after a crippling 5-game losing streak one month ago: the chance to play itself into the NCAA tournament.

Now squarely on the bubble, Villanova faces a win-and-in scenario, barring a string of conference-tournament upsets or smoke-filled-room committee conspiracies.


With regular-season conference play complete, the Big East Tournament is now set, and Villanova is the #8 seed in the 12-team elimination bracket.

The Wildcats will face the #9 seed Syracuse to open the tournament. With seven teams from the Big East all but certain to be included in the NCAA tournament, Syracuse and Villanova will battle for the likely final spot on Wednesday.


A win in the 8/9 game should be enough for either team to receive an NCAA invitation, but it is not guaranteed. If you are more comfortable calling Wednesday's game an elimination game instead, feel free, because the loser of that game will almost certainly be headed to the NIT.

The Wildcats and the Orange have similar resumes for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. If the season ended today, Syracuse would probably get the nod due to its better RPI and strength-of-schedule numbers.

Villanova has a chance to make all that moot on Wednesday if the Wildcats can secure the victory. The winner of the game will most likely gain an at-large bid to the NCAAs, while the loser will probably have played itself into the NIT.

It's all on the line on Wednesday.

The game, scheduled for noon at Madison Square Garden, will air live nationwide on ESPN.

If Villanova is able to get past Syracuse on Wednesday, it will get a rematch with the #1 Georgetown Hoyas at noon on Thursday. Villanova lost its game at Georgetown last month on what was widely believed to be one of the worst referee calls in college basketball history.

The entire Big East Tournament schedule is reprinted below from the Big East Web site.

You may also predict Wednesday's final score in the comments section.

'Nova in free fall with 4th straight loss

Villanova dropped its fourth straight game today with an embarrassing 87-73 home loss to Syracuse at the Wachovia Center.

The defeat drops the Wildcats to 3-6 in conference play and into the bottom four of the Big East.

If the season ended today, the season might truly end. Villanova would miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004, and would be on the bubble for the NIT. The Wildcats would not even be invited to Madison Square Garden for the Big East Conference tournament.

Of course, the season is not over yet. If the Wildcats go on a tremendous run in the rest of conference play and another tremendous run in the BET (assuming they qualify), an NCAA Tournament appearance is possible.

At this point, however, the 'Cats have some work to do to get to the Garden and to the NIT, which now requires a much better resume for major-conference teams. A rule took effect in 2006 that gives an automatic bid to the NIT to any regular-season conference champion that missed the NCAA field of 65.

I'm out of town until late Sunday, so I won't be able to post the full recap and player grades for the Syracuse game until late Sunday night Monday afternoon, well after the Super Bowl.

Check back Monday morning if you're not into staying up all hours of the night to read a blogger's opinion as to why Villanova lost.

You can comment on the game in this post. All comments will be saved after this post is updated.

BET expands to all 16 teams next year

The Big East Conference announced today that its men's and women's conference championship tournaments will expand from 12 to all 16 teams, beginning next year for the 2008-2009 season.

The conference presidents met yesterday in Philadelphia to review the tournament format, said Big East Commissioner Michael Tranghese. “After extensive deliberation," he said, "it was decided that inviting all teams to participate would provide a special opportunity to every men’s and women’s basketball student-athlete.”

The expanded tournament requires a new seeding format. All 16 teams will be seeded, and teams 9-16 will play on the first day in Madison Square Garden: 9 v. 16, 10 v. 15, 11 v. 14, and 12. v. 13.

The winners of those games will advance to the second day, where they will meet seeds 5-8. The bracket will not be reseeded if there are upsets on day one, so the team seeded 8 will always get the 9/16 game winner. Seed 7 will get the 10/15 survivor, seed 6 will get the 11/14 winner, and seed 5 will play the winner of the 12/13 game.

The top four teams will be automatically seeded into the quarterfinals on day three. The #1 team will play either the 8, 9, or 16 seed in its first game. The #2 team will face either the 7, 10, or 15 seed. The #3 team gets the 6, 11, or 14 seed. The #4 team must play either the 5, 12, or 13 seed.

The expanded tournament will allow every Big East team the chance to make the NCAA tournament no matter what its regular-season record is, and should make for a more exciting conference tournament as well.

The larger bracket will also make it that much more imperative for teams to secure good seedings and lock up one or two byes:

• Seed 16: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 9 ⇒ 8 ⇒ 1 ⇒ 4, 5, 12, 13 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.


• Seed 15: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 10 ⇒ 7 ⇒ 2 ⇒ 3, 6, 11, 14 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 14: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 11 ⇒ 6 ⇒ 3 ⇒ 2, 7, 10, 15 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 13: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 12 ⇒ 5 ⇒ 4 ⇒ 1, 8, 9, 16 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.


• Seed 12: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 13 ⇒ 5 ⇒ 4 ⇒ 1, 8, 9, 16 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.


• Seed 11: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 14 ⇒ 6 ⇒ 3 ⇒ 2, 7, 10, 15 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 10: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 15 ⇒ 7 ⇒ 2 ⇒ 3, 6, 11, 14 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 9: No bye. Must win five games.
  Path: 16 ⇒ 8 ⇒ 1 ⇒ 4, 5, 12, 13 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.


• Seed 8: One bye. Must win four games.
  Path: bye ⇒ 9, 16 ⇒ 1 ⇒ 4, 5, 12, 13 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.


• Seed 7: One bye. Must win four games.
  Path: bye ⇒ 10, 15 ⇒ 2 ⇒ 3, 6, 11, 14 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 6: One bye. Must win four games.
  Path: bye ⇒ 11, 14 ⇒ 3 ⇒ 2, 7, 10, 15 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 5: One bye. Must win four games.
  Path: bye ⇒ 12, 13 ⇒ 4 ⇒ 1, 8, 9, 16 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.


• Seed 4: Two byes. Must win three games.
  Path: bye ⇒ bye ⇒ 8, 9, 16 ⇒ 4, 5, 12, 13 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.


• Seed 3: Two byes. Must win three games.
  Path: bye ⇒ bye ⇒ 6, 11, 14 ⇒ 2, 7, 10, 15 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 2: Two byes. Must win three games.
  Path: bye ⇒ bye ⇒ 7, 10, 15 ⇒ 3, 6, 11, 14 ⇒ 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16.


• Seed 1: Two byes. Must win three games.
  Path: bye ⇒ bye ⇒ 8, 9, 16 ⇒ 4, 5, 12, 13 ⇒ 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14, 15.

The Big East Tournament for 2007-2008 will remain the same as recent years, with the top four teams earning byes, and the bottom four teams not invited to the tournament.

Watch the G'town game live

Good day, Villanova fans.

For those of you stuck without a television, here is a backdoor link to ESPN360's online broadcast of the game live. This link works with any internet service provider.

Here is the stream.

Enjoy.

Injury update

Villanova guard Reggie Redding, who started in place of injured Mike Nardi in Wednesday's opening-round Big East game against DePaul, was himself injured in that game with a mildly sprained ankle. Redding should be able to play Thursday's noon game against the top-seeded Georgetown Hoyas.

Nardi was only able to go a few minutes in Wednesday's game on his strained left calf. He is expected to be limited but available for Thursday's contest. Nardi will likely see more time against the Hoyas than he did on Wednesday, according to Villanova coach Jay Wright.

Sixth man Shane Clark is also suffering from leg pain but will play Thursday.

The New York Times has further information regarding the Villanova injury situation in its college basketball blog.

Villanova beats DePaul to advance in BET

Villanova advanced to round two of the Big East Tournament with a 75-67 win today over the #8 seed DePaul Blue Demons at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Scottie Reynolds set a new Villanova Big East Tournament record for scoring with 29 points. Reynolds was one of just four Wildcats to attempt a field goal Wednesday. Reynolds also led all scorers in the eight-team, four-game opening round of the tournament Wednesday.

The 'Cats will face the top-seeded Georgetown Hoyas Thursday at noon in the rubber match of a hard-fought season split.

Full analysis and player grades for both games will be up Thursday night.

Nardi 'feeling better,' expects to play

According to an article published today in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Villanova senior started Mike Nardi expects to play in tomorrow afternoon's game against DePaul in the first round of New York's Big East Tournament.

Though he was unable to practice on Monday, Nardi told the Inquirer he was "feeling better" two days after straining his left calf muscle in Villanova's win against Syracuse at the Wachovia Center Saturday.

Big East Tournament bracket

The Big East Conference has posted the full bracket for the conference tournament starting Wednesday. You can view the bracket below (click for a larger picture), or download it in PDF form from the Big East Web site.

Big East standings set

With the St. John's Red Storm's win over Providence this afternoon, seedings for the Big East Tournament are now set.

Villanova earns the #9 seed and will play #8 DePaul on Wednesday at noon in Madison Square Garden.

Check out the final Big East standings.