Fisher lifts 'Nova past Temple

Temple 45
Villanova 62
(box score)

Temple: 5-6 (0-0 A10, 0-1 B5)
#15 Villanova: 12-1 (0-0 BE, 4-0 B5)

Next game: at Marquette, 1 Jan. at the Bradley Center.

Villanova, back in the top 15 this week thanks to losses ahead of the Wildcats, opened flat and lifeless in the Pavilion tonight against Big 5 rival Temple.

The Wildcats were stagnant and ineffective on offense for most of the game, scoring just 24 points in the first 25 minutes. At the 14:34 mark in the second half, Temple was up by 8, a lead that represented fully 33 percent of the Wildcats' offensive output to that point. The game, while not yet over, looked like it was getting there fast.

Villanova was able to turn the game around quickly, however, once "reserve" point guard Corey Fisher began calling his own number. After a Scottie Reynolds three that pushed the 'Cats to within 5, Fisher accounted for the next 11 Villanova points, scoring 8.

Fisher wound up dropping 19 points in the game's final 14 minutes to tie his career high of 23 points in the game. Fisher's performance energized what had been a listless Villanova team, and proved that the prolific high-school scorer could put up points in college, too.

Fisher's performance aside, there is no question that Villanova got a tad lucky with this win. Villanova was totally confused on offense in the game's first 26 minutes, and likely would have remained that way had Fisher not heated up. The Wildcats got few open shots, and most of Fisher's 7 field goals were contested.

Meanwhile, Temple cooled off tremendously. Villanova should be commended for keeping Dionte Christmas, the Owls' leading scorer, off his game in the second half, but Temple was missing both open and guarded shots.

Temple went on an offensive drought for over 11 minutes in the second half, while Corey Fisher scored at will, and that was the game.

It was another ugly win for the Wildcats, who saw their leading scorers Dante Cunningham and Scottie Reynolds held in check. Nevertheless, Fisher's explosion should finally earn him a spot back in the starting five, as this Web site has been calling for all season.

It seems that no matter how well a player performs in practice (Jay Wright admitted in the post-game press conference that Fisher was excelling at practices), he will not crack Wright's starting lineup until he lights up a game from off the bench. Fisher's benching for most of this year was absurd, and now we see why.

Give Fisher the confidence that he won't be benched or yanked for taking some shots, and you get the scorer who lit up OJ Mayo's team for 37 points two years ago.

Two weeks ago, this is what I wrote about Fisher, his playing time, and Jay Wright's propensity to sit him prematurely:

To me, Fisher is the key player for the Wildcats' fate this year. After losing Malcolm Grant, Villanova knew it would only have two ballhandling guards for the season. [...] Fisher needs to be out there, period. If he can't put in 30+ minutes against the Explorers, how can he be relied upon for Marquette and Louisville? My guess is that Fisher can be relied on. He was a major talent in high school, and shows flashes of brilliance at Villanova. In my opinion, Jay has Fisher on too short a leash. If Fisher cannot shoot, dish, and handle with the confidence that he won't be yanked at this first mistake, he will be tentative, and the worst thing a point guard can be is tentative. [...] Fisher was a huge shooter in high school, so there is no reason he cannot find that touch again. (Emphasis added.)

It's good to see Fisher getting the green light. After the game, Wright claimed that has always been the case:

I tell him [to take shots] all the time. I didn't tell him this time but I always tell him. He has had some good practices. He's a great kid and very coachable. I may be a little biased with that but he has had some great practices and what he did tonight is what we need him to do. We need him to be aggressive offensively. Sometimes he defers too much to the older guys and has too much respect. That's not a bad thing. We really needed him tonight.

In addition to his contradictory statements and circular talk, Wright's claim that Fisher already had the green light might be a bit hard to swallow for any Villanova fan who has witnessed Wright quickly yank Fisher out of the game after taking a single "bad shot." It has happened time and again, and most of those times I've winced in disagreement over the substitution.

It's nice to see Wright finally giving Fisher the vote of confidence, but where has it been for one-and-a-half years?

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

The Wildcats open league play at Marquette on January 1 at 2:30 p.m. Villanova time.

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

• Dante Cunningham (S, 34 min)

  Cunningham insists that he is now a long-range shooter, firing up perimeter shots left and right. While some of these go in, this is not the offense a team of jumpshooters needs from its only big option. Today, Cunningham was 6-15 from the field. He opened up with some nice jumpers, but predictably cooled off as the game went on, until he was a non-factor in the second half. Cunningham can't settle for jumpers or take off a half on offense if the 'Cats want to compete against the likes of Georgetown this year in league play. Cunningham finished with 12 points, 4 rebounds, a turnover, a block, and 2 steals. His line in the box score would have been excellent for a shooting guard, but Villanova needs its only true post player to actually make a difference in the post.
  Grade: C-




• Scottie Reynolds (S, 31 min)

  Reynolds was cold tonight (2-9 from the field), but did find a way to hit two very big three-pointers to finish with 8 points. He only turned the ball over once, and dished out 3 assists while adding 1 steal. Reynolds looked improved in the second half when he was free to play the two guard while Fisher was handling the ball. Perhaps if Fisher hadn't carried the scoring load in the second half, Reynolds would have shouldered some. Overall, it was not Scottie's best effort, but it wasn't a disaster, either. Big East teams will have their hands full if and when Reynolds and Fisher can get their scoring games going simultaneously.
  Grade: C+




• Corey Fisher (28 min)

  As detailed above in the game recap, Fisher exploded tonight for 23 points on a phenomenal 7-8 shooting performance. Fisher was a perfect 4-4 from the three, and shot 5-7 from the foul line. He penetrated to the hoop at will, and ran circles around the Owls on the break. He was an excellent defender on the perimeter, disrupting the Temple offense and coming up with two steals. He co-led the team in assists, with 3. Fisher, barely six feet tall, grabbed as many rebounds (4) in 28 minutes as the 6-8 Dante Cunningham did in 34. This is the Corey Fisher we were excited about when he committed to Villanova as one of the top point guards in the country. Hopefully, Jay Wright will look to build on this coming-out party and give Fisher the starting point guard spot for the rest of the season.
  Grade: A
  
  

• Corey Stokes (S, 26 min)

  Stokes simply could not get it going tonight. He struggled greatly from the field, shooting 1-7, and missed all 3 of his three-point attempts. His shot selection was questionable. The 3 three-point attempts were fine, but there were several ill-advised mid-range shots Stokes attempted after trying and failing to create separation with the dribble. The 'Cats need Stokes to be a scorer, so he shouldn't stop shooting. What he should do, however, is work extra hard coming around screens, getting in position to receive an extra pass, so he can take an open jumper in rhythm. Stokes finished with 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 turnover, and 1 steal.
  Grade: D





• Reggie Redding (28 min)

  Redding took 5 shots, missing 4, in an effort to jumpstart the Wildcats' flailing offense. It doesn't seem like Redding is able yet to create his own shot even at the A-10 level, so he should stick to his much more effective complementary roles. That said, he shouldn't be afraid to drill an open shot, especially from the three, where is not that bad a shooter. Redding, typically, did the little things well tonight, grabbing 6 rebounds and passing for 2 assists while committing 0 turnovers. He also did his part in limiting Christmas in the second period.
  Grade: B-
  
  

• Antonio Pena (S, 20 min)

  Pena has been quiet lately on the offensive end, but that hasn't stopped him from contributing. He crashed the boards tonight, leading the team in rebounds with 9. Unfortunately, Pena also led the team in turnovers, with 4, and attempted just one shot from the field. He finished with 4 points on 1-1 shooting, but he needs to get more involved in the offense. As the Wildcats' only option in the paint aside from Cunningham, Pena should do whatever he can to score in the post. If that means being a follow-up specialist, or getting the ball facing the basket (where he seems to be more comfortable), so be it.
  Grade: C+
  
  

• Shane Clark (20 min)

  Clark was perfect from the foul line (4-4), but otherwise did little, in my opinion, to earn so much playing time. Clark is a nice option on the perimeter to bring in for perhaps 10 minutes a game, but 20 might be overdoing it. Clark shot 1-3 from the field, making his only theee-point attempt, to score 7. He came up with only 2 rebounds, and notched 1 assist, 1 turnover, and 1 steal. Clark has the tools to be a solid role player for a few minutes of relief at the small forward, but lacks the strength to bang on the inside and the ballhandling to play the swingman on the perimeter against Big East teams.
  Grade: C-
  
  

• Dwayne Anderson (S, 13 min)

  Anderson is the kind of player that brings am offensive spark from the bench, a breath of fresh air, and a jolt of energy. Unfortunately, Wright insists on starting the senior, which neutralizes all of that. Anderson is a solid athlete with a good basketball IQ, and I think he should be seeing more than 13 minutes per game. But he is unquestionably better off the bench. Against Temple, Anderson was ineffective. He scored 3 points (1-2 from the field and the foul line). He had 1 turnover and uncharacteristically no other impact on the box score.
  Grade: D
  
  

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

'Nova faces Temple in Big 5 finale

#15 Villanova (11-1) vs. Temple (5-5)
7 p.m., 29 December at the Pavilion.

TV: ESPNU or free online. [Fullscreen here].

Line: Villanova -9

Villanova looks to wrap up an undefeated Philadelphia Big 5 season and city series championship tonight with a home game against the Temple Owls.

Temple has been struggling a bit, and brings a 5-5 record to the Pavilion. Villanova is favored by 9, but the Owls are a dangerous team capable of beating tough opponents.

Temple has a 16-point win over Tennessee under its belt already, and played undefeated Clemson to a 4-point margin in South Carolina.

The Owls also feature one of the best players in the county, the scoring guard Dionte Christmas, who should keep his Wildcat defenders very busy.

All that said, this is a game Villanova should be able to win if the Wildcats execute well.

As always, take a look at the game previews from VBTN, IBBW, VUhoops, and Nova News.

Predict tonight's final score in the comment section below.

Villanova bests La Salle

Villanova 70
La Salle 59
(box score)

#18 Villanova: 10-1 (0-0 BE, 0-0 B5)
La Salle: 4-4 (0-0 A10)

Next game: vs. Navy, 22 Dec. at the Pavilion.

Villanova moved to 2-1 on the week and 3-0 in the Philadelphia Big 5 with a win at La Salle. The Wildcats looked decent but not overpowering in the win, and it seems like the 3-spot drop in the latest AP rankings places Villanova correctly in the lower end of the top 20 at #18.

The Wildcats relied on hot outside shooting from its guards to neutralize the disadvantage of Dante Cunningham's foul trouble, which left Villanova's best big man on the bench for much of the contest.

Villanova jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first half, but played the Explorers to a virtual draw in the second period to win by just 11. A hall mark of a good top-15 team would have been to put away La Salle decisively, but that did not happen, and it perhaps means that Villanova has some work to do if it wants to rise in the rankings again.

See the player grades below (Starting with Scottie Reynolds) for special comments on the Villanova backcourt players.

Next up for the 'Cats is a Pavilion date with Navy, traditionally a cupcake game. Though Navy is at 8-2 on the season, KenPom rates the Wildcats' chances of victory at 97 percent.

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

• Antonio Pena (S, 34 min)

  Pena received a huge number of minutes due to post-mate Dante Cunningham's foul issues. He shot poorly, scoring 5 on 1-6 shooting, but did dish out 6 assists. He pulled in 6 rebounds and had 1 block. He admirably did not turn the ball over once in his 36 minutes. Pena has a good basketball IQ and his shooting will come around soon enough.
  Grade: B-
  
  

• Scottie Reynolds (S, 30 min)

  Reynolds has been struggling on offense lately, but seemed to find a bit of a scoring groove on Sunday night. Scottie shot 5-12 from the field and 3-5 from behind the arc to score 13. His assist total was down, at 2, but he only committed 2 turnovers. Reynolds was 0-2 from the foul line, which is unacceptable both for the misses and for the low number of attempts. I disagree wholeheartedly with Coach Wright's decision to move Reynolds to the point in the starting lineup. After two and half seasons, it's clear (to me at least) that Reynolds is much more effective when he is able to work off the ball, and when he has another small guard to help him with presses and traps up and down the court. The point is not that Reynolds shouldn't play the point; in fact he is a good distributor. The real idea here is that Reynolds will have to shoulder much of the Wildcat scoring load and play lots of minutes per game, so why further exhaust him by making him the only ballhandler on offense? In addition, with Scottie starting at the 1 and Stokes at the 2, Stokes plays more like a 2.5 or a 3, leaving Reynolds forced to guard the opponents' quickest guard. The result is that Reynolds has to run ragged on defense and then is continually harassed on offense with press and trap breaking, running the offense, and getting himself looks. This is too much for even a good player like Scottie. With another one-guard in there (Fisher), it leaves Reynolds free to initiate the offense off the pass in the half-court. This allows him to immediately take a good shot or find a good pass, rather than making the first pass he can as he would if he were the point. In my opinion, Fisher needs to be out there with Reynolds most of the time, mistakes or not.
  Grade: B-
  
  

• Corey Stokes (S, 29 min)

  Stokes led the Wildcats in scoring with 18 points on excellent 6-10 shooting, including 4-7 from the three. In my opinion, Stokes should be seeing many more minutes. Why he was benched for the second half of the St. Joe's game for the thoroughly ineffective Shane Clark is a mystery to me. Against the Explorers, Stokes put up excellent numbers with few mistakes. In addition to scoring 18, Stokes added 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assist, and 0 turnovers. Playing Stokes for 29 minutes is a start, but 29 should be near the minimum for Stokes. The coaching staff needs to develop Stokes in two ways: 1. Get him more time! He is a scoring machine, and the Wildcats aren't exactly a high-powered offensive team without him. 2. Improve his ballhandling ability. Stokes simply cannot put it on the floor. The good news is that this is a teachable skill. Dribble drills, 1-on-2 ballhandling in practice, and an emphasis on the dribble-drive are all ways that the staff could develop the McDonald's All-American.
  Grade: A




• Corey Fisher (26 min)

  To me, Fisher is the key player for the Wildcats' fate this year. After losing Malcolm Grant, Villanova knew it would only have two ballhandling guards for the season. If Fisher cannot play effectively, the Wildcats are doomed against any team with a pressure defense, or any team that likes to run. God help the 'Cats against Rick Pitino if they only have one option at the one-guard. That said, Fisher needs to be out there, period. If he can't put in 30+ minutes against the Explorers, how can he be relied upon for Marquette and Louisville? My guess is that Fisher can be relied on. He was a major talent in high school, and shows flashes of brilliance at Villanova. In my opinion, Jay has Fisher on too short a leash. If Fisher cannot shoot, dish, and handle with the confidence that he won't be yanked at this first mistake, he will be tentative, and the worst thing a point guard can be is tentative. Against La Salle, Fisher scored 8 on 4-9 shooting, but missed his only three-point attempt. Fisher was a huge shooter in high school, so there is no reason he cannot find that touch again, In fact, to effectively run the "take-em" offense Wright employs, Fisher needs to be respected at the perimeter. Kyle Lowry got away with taking very few three-point shots, but Kyle Lowry was Kyle Lowry. Lowry also was the team's best three-point shooter in terms of percentage in the few times he did shoot the three. Fisher is not blessed with Lowry's world-class speed and ridiculous athleticism, but he is fast and should be able to score on the perimeter and on penetration. Fisher passed for 6 assists against La Salle, and had only 1 turnover. He needs to get to the line more (0-0 Sunday), and try to make more plays off steals.
  Grade: B
  
  

• Dante Cunningham (S, 24 min)

  Cunningham's foul trouble severely cramped his effectiveness, but he wasn't having the best of games before that, either. Cunningham shot 4-8 from the field to score 9 points. He made only 1 of his 4 free-throw attempts, however. He excelled on defense, notching 4 steals and 4 blocks against the overmatched Explorers. He added 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 turnovers.
  Grade: B-




• Dwayne Anderson (S, 21 min)

  Anderson is back in the starting lineup, which I disagree with. Dwayne is the ultimate energy-boosting sixth man, so why not use him in that capacity? I am not advocating a reduction in Anderson's minutes; I just want to free Scottie Reynolds from handling the ball in the starting lineup. Anderson plays smart basketball but struggled a bit against La Salle. He shot 1-4 -- 0-2 from the three-- to score 2 points.
  Grade: C-
  
  
  

• Reggie Redding (17 min)

  Redding played an efficient game, shooting 3-4 from the field and 1-1 from behind the arc. He added 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 turnover. Redding is at his best when he is playing smart basketball, in a supportive role, taking his open looks and making good decisions. He was able to do that tonight. The trouble for the 'Cats begins when Villanova has to rely on Redding to create his own offense.
  Grade: B+
  
  
  

• Shane Clark (17 min)

  Clark played fairly well on Sunday. He led the team in rebounds, with 7, and shot 3-4 from the field. Best of all, he did not attempt any contested three-pointers, and committed no turnovers.
  Grade: B
  
  
  

• Incomplete grades: Frank Tchuisi (1 min).
  
  
  
• Did not play: Jason Colenda (CD), Maurice Sutton (CD - RS?), Russell Wooten (CD).

Live blog of St. Joe's 2nd half

Well, I didn't expect this one to be a game, but St. Joe's is up at the half. This is pretty much a must-win for 'Nova, because with a loss here the Wildcats' OOC record will be atrocious come Tourney time.

If anyone's around I will be live bloggin'.

Villanova hosts St. Joe's tonight

#15 Villanova (8-1) vs. St. Joseph's (4-4)
8 p.m. at the Pavilion
TV: ESPN2
Line: Villanova -11

For the first time in several years, Villanova will face former "Rivalry Week" foe St. Joseph's before the new year. Villanova is fresh off its first loss of the season, coming up short in a physical battle against #6 Texas in the Garden two days ago.

St. Joe's moved to 4-4 with a blowout win at Towson on Tuesday.

The Hawks annihilated Villanova last year by 22 points in one of the worst Villanova losses in recent memory. St. Joe's last year was a bubble team, but the Hawks have not looked tournament-worthy so far this year.

VUhoops has a preview for the game up. Villanova by the Numbers has not published its preview yet; you may want to check back later tonight. IBBW also has a preview up.

You may try to predict the game's final score in the comments section below.

Live blog for Penn tonight

Join Let's Go Nova for our first live blog of the new season tonight at 8 p.m. as Villanova opens the Big 5 season against Penn.

Follow the action with us as you watch it on the CN8 network, or just keep track of the updates here. As always, your commentary is welcome, and the best comments will be published.

See you at 8 p.m.

Villanova opens Big 5 at Penn

#17 Villanova (6-0) at Pennsylvania (1-4)
8 p.m., Tuesday, 2 December, at the Palestra
TV: CN8 or online
Line: Penn +13.5

Just one day after losing junior center Casiem Drummond to transfer, Villanova travels back to the Palestra to face UPenn in the Wildcats' Philadelphia Big 5 opener.

Penn's record is a deceptive 1-4. True, the Quakers have lost four of five games, but they did put in a respectable performance at #1 North Carolina, and dropped an away game to Drexel by just two points.

Villanova is the solid favorite, but Penn at the Palestra is never a cupcake, and this year will not be an exception.

The Wildcats come into the Palestra undefeated after winning a pair of games there to take the Philly Hoop Group Classic title last week.

Villanova looks to have just seven players available for its main rotation. Senior swingman Dwayne Anderson (foot) will dress but will likely not see the court tonight.

Many Villanova fans, this Web site included, have been calling for Jay Wright to take the red shirt off 6' 11'' freshman center Maurice Sutton, given the Wildcats' instantaneous lack of depth in the front court.

Though consensus top big man Mouph Yarou is coming in next year, Villanova can't afford to wait for the cavalry when the 'Cats have a perfectly good, albeit unpolished, 6' 11'' body on the bench right now.

With frontcourt anchor Dante Cunningham graduating this year, why wouldn't it make sense to get a year of experience for Sutton now, before three of the four Wildcat big men are freshmen next year?

Look for Sutton to possibly make an appearance tonight if Jay Wright agrees with the peanut gallery on this one.

Villanova by the Numbers runs its usually thorough preview, as does I Bleed Blue and White.

Nova News warns of the importance of stopping Quaker guard Tyler Bernardini.

Take your shot at predicting tonight's final score in the comment section below. The closest guess will win a mention in tomorrow's recap.

IMPLOSION Wheels come off as Wildcats suffer 5th straight blow-out

St. Joseph's 77
Villanova 55
(box score)

St. Joseph's: 15-5 (6-1 A10, 3-0 B5)
Villanova: 13-8 (3-6 BE, 3-1 B5)

Next game: vs. Seton Hall, 02/09 at the Pavilion.

Something is rotten in the 'Nova Nation.

St. Joseph's handed Villanova its fifth consecutive loss tonight in a 22-point rout that was not even that close. The St. Joseph lead was actually a whopping 31 before coach Phil Martelli called off the dogs late in the second period.

Tonight's performance, however, was worse than just a blow-out loss. It was a signal that something is horribly amiss in the world of Villanova basketball, and most fans are at a loss themselves to figure out what it could be.

Villanova played laughable defense, allowing the Hawks to score 45 points in the first half. The Wildcat offense was tremendously bad, shooting just 21-51 -- and several of those field goals were meaningless garbage-time paddings.

Perhaps most troubling of all, however, were Jay Wright's baffling lineup and substitution decisions:

• Only 1 minute for Malcolm Grant in a game where the 'Cats were held to 26 and 29 points in the first and second halves, respectively?


• 24 minutes for Shane Clark, who has been and remains thoroughly ineffective on both ends of the court?


• 31 minutes for Reggie Redding, who scored tonight at the blistering pace of 1 point per 11 minutes of playing time? Is Redding's presence as a "defensive stopper" warranted when St. Joe's lit up the 'Cats from the field at a 55 percent clip in the first half?

Jay Wright's personnel decisions have been a major reason, in my opinion, that this team is playing well below its talent level.

What is going on with Malcolm Grant? Why has Wright not addressed this issue? Many fans are wondering, and many fans are angry. Why is he not seeing the floor?

There were rumors circulating online since Saturday of a locker-room altercation between two Villanova players. Since the rumors have not been confirmed by the team, I won't mention which players were supposedly involved -- but Grant was not listed as one of them. Why, then, does Grant seemed glued to the bench?

Villanova is losing to an Atlantic-10 team by 31 points and it's still not time to give Grant a try? One has to wonder whether this perceived injustice doesn't have the talented Grant weighing his options for the rest of his college career.

Jay Wright's offensive schemes -- or, shall I say, the lack thereof -- do not lend themselves to helping out a team that is struggling to score. Instead of creating the occasional easy bucket, Wright's "take-'em" philosophy worsens bad streaks. The take-'em offense certainly doesn't work as well without two starting-caliber NBA guards, either.

I don't even want to talk about the defensive woes. Wright played Shane Clark for 24 minutes in a man-to-man scheme in which Hawks ran over, under, around, and through him to the basket.

If "defense" is the reason keeping Grant on the bench -- hey, it's not working. The Wildcats are getting torched on defense; why not put another scorer out there? Besides, there is very little evidence, in my opinion, that Grant is any worse a defender than the other two point guards.

Perhaps the strongest criticism I have of Jay Wright's lineup calls is the large amount of time that only one of Grant, Fisher, and Reynolds is on the court. There should always be at least two of those three players out there at all times. Villanova has three good guards, so why would you ever want a situation where only one of them were on the court?

In my opinion, this is what the rotation should look like:

• At least 2, and sometimes 3 of Pena, Drummond, and Cunningham simultaneously.


• At least 2, and sometimes 3 of Grant, Reynolds, and Fisher simultaneously.


• Sometimes 1, sometimes none, but never more than 1 of Redding, Stokes, Clark, and Anderson simultaneously.


• Once a player starts or subs in, no taking him out in under five minutes unless there are extenuating circumstances (injuries, fouls, gross insubordination, the Rapture, etc.).

This mix would allow the Wildcats to always have quality shooters, scorers, ball handlers, defenders, and rebounders on the floor at once. It would also allow rhythm players like Fisher and Grant to get into a groove without being yanked out at Wright's inexplicable whim.

I think the core six players could handle the increased minutes in the above scenario. Note how any of the four swingmen could be substituted at will for any tired guard of forward for any length of time, if needed.

Follow that lineup mix, and I guarantee the team wouldn't get blown out by the likes of Rutgers and St. Joe's.

A little over a week ago, this team was ranked #18 in the nation. Obviously that ranking was artificially high, but the fact remains that the Wildcats are underachieving for their talent level.

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

Next up for Villanova are the visiting Seton Hall Pirates at the Pavilion on Saturday.

A lot of fans are wondering, hyperbolically, if the Wildcats will even win another game this year. I think they will. The roster is just too talented to sustain this poor play.

Villanova is still capable of knocking off pretty much anyone left on the schedule... O.K., maybe not Georgetown at the MCI Center.

In any event, the season is truly on the brink of destruction. Villanova must fight its way into the Big East Tournament and will likely have to claw into the NIT, as well.

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

• Scottie Reynolds (S, 33 min)

  With Grant on the bench and Fisher playing less than half the game, Reynolds was tasked with most of the scoring burden for the Villanova backcourt. He gave it an admirable shot, but came up short tonight. He scored 12 points on 3-12 shooting. His only field goals came from behind the three-point arc, where he shot 3-7. He was also 3-4 from the foul line. He handled the ball poorly, passing for no assists and committing 3 turnovers. Reynolds did manage to lead the team in steals, with 2. Scottie is a good player and has not regressed all that much as many fans are suggesting, but he can't handle 200 minutes' worth of scoring burden by himself every night.
  Grade: C-
  Syracuse grade:B-
  
  

• Reggie Redding (S, 31 min)

  Redding is a great "glue" guy who does a little bit of everything, but come on, 31 minutes? His defense wasn't that good, and he was not a factor on the offense. Redding shot 1-4 to score 3 points and missed 2 of his 3 foul shots. He grabbed 4 boards. He handled the ball well, turning the ball over just once and passing for 4 assists, four times more than anyone else on the team. His defense was nothing to write home about. I think Redding should be a major part of the rotation, but 31 minutes is a bit much for someone whose offense is not a threat.
  Grade: C+
  Syracuse grade: B
  
  
  

• Dante Cunningham (S, 26 min)

  Cunningham scored 12 points tonight, tied for Reynolds for most on the team. He shot well from the field, 6-8, and pulled in 6 rebounds. He had 2 turnovers, no assists, no steals, and no blocks.
  Grade: C+
  Syracuse grade: C-
  
  

• Dwayne Anderson (25 min)

  Anderson played fairly well in the Wildcats' worst game of the year. He shot 4-5 to score 8 points. He grabbed 4 rebounds and had 2 turnovers. He lead the team in blocks, with 2, and notched 1 steal. He also seemed to hustle on the court, especially on a play where he futilely dived for a loose ball. Anderson is another great glue and energy player, but his offensive game is limited. Redding and Anderson should split time with Stokes at the swingman, in my opinion. In that scenario, Stokes, Redding, and Anderson each play about 12 minutes per game, but never alongside one another.
  Grade: C+
  Syracuse grade: D+
  
  

• Shane Clark (24 min)

  After not playing at all against 'Cuse, Clark was given 24 minutes tonight. He did not do all that much with them, in my opinion. Clark shot 2-5 from the field to score 8 points, which was the highlight of his performance, as his defense was very poor, in my opinion.
  Grade: D
  Syracuse grade: DNP
  
  

• Casiem Drummond (S, 20 min)

  Drummond returned to the starting lineup and logged some major minutes tonight, playing half the game. He shot 2-5 from the field and grabbed 4 boards in a less-than-dominating performance. He was also 2-4 from the line. He looked significantly better against Syracuse, but Drummond continues to improve after his serious ankle injury.
  Grade: D+
  Syracuse grade: B-
  
  
  

• Corey Fisher (S, 19 min)

  Fisher played fast and loose with the ball tonight, putting up some unlikely shots and committing a ridiculous 5 turnovers in just 19 minutes. Fisher shot 2-7 from the field, including 0-3 from the three-point line, to score just 4 points. He had 1 assist and 1 steal in perhaps his worst game so far this year. Fisher is a tremendous talent and should be allowed to play through poor stretches like this. You saw what he did against Syracuse.
  Grade: D
  Syracuse grade: A-
  
  

• Antonio Pena (13 min)

  Pena has seen his minutes plummet as of late, and despite a decline in production, I don't think Pena should be riding the bench as much as he is. Against St. Joe's, Pena shot 1-3, scoring 2, and did not grab any rebounds. He had 1 assist and 2 turnovers. Sure, it was a terrible game, but Pena is still emerging. I am not faulting Wright for not playing Pena during a bad performance, but hopefully Antonio sees a return to major minutes and major production soon.
  Grade: D-
  Syracuse grade: C
  
  
  

• Corey Stokes (8 min)

  Sometimes I have to remind myself that I have seen Corey Stokes hit 8 straight three pointers in warmups with my own eyes. In actual games, Stokes can't seem to hit a wide-open three at all. He was 0-2 from the field tonight, 2 missed open threes. Stokes grabbed 1 rebound and had 1 turnover. Where is the sharpshooter we heard so much about in high school?
  Grade: D-
  Syracuse grade: D
  
  
  
  

• Malcolm Grant (1 min)

  Jay Wright saw fit to play without Malcolm Grant for 39 minutes tonight, even as the Wildcats were getting blown away. I have no idea why.
  Grade: Incomplete
  Syracuse grade: C+
  
  

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

Reeling 'Cats head to Palestra for Hawks

Villanova will try to end its worst losing streak in four years tonight at the Palestra to play St. Joseph's University in the annual "holy war" grudge match.

The game will air on the CBS-owned CSTV network, which is available on the sports packages of DirecTV and Dish Network. Those of you without satellite dishes might want to head to a sports bar tonight.

Villanova, losers of four straight games for the first time since 2004, will look to improve to 4-0 this year in the Big Five Philadelphia city series. St. Joseph's will be playing for a quality out-of-conference win for its NCAA Tournament resume.

Villanova can clinch its third straight Big Five championship and a record 15th straight series win streak with a victory tonight.

For the first time in recent memory, and perhaps for the first time since its 2004 meeting with the #1 ranked Hawks, Villanova is an underdog in a Big 5 game. The host Hawks are a 4.5-point favorite over the slumping Wildcats.

Ken Pomeroy's statistical model predicts a 6-point loss for Villanova.

As rumors swirl around the Internet about a locker-room altercation between teammates and internal strife for the struggling Wildcats, a solid victory tonight would go a long way in easing team tensions.

Check out Villanova.com's official game preview and media notes (PDF) for tonight's match-up.

You may also predict the final score in the comments section below.

Two site-related notes: NovaFan09, the usual author of these gameday posts, will be back next game with his signature previews. The Syracuse game grades will be posted alongside the St. Joeseph's game grades after the game later tonight. (Didn't make much sense to post them as focus shifted to the Holy War.)

Correction: This post was updated to correct an error as to the game's location. The game was played at the Palestra, not on Hawk Hill. Let's Go Nova regrets the error.

'Nova beats La Salle to stay perfect in Big 5

Villanova 71
La Salle 58
(box score)

La Salle: 4-7 (0-0 A10, 0-1 B5)
#16 Villanova: 10-1 (0-0 BE, 3-0 B5)

Next game: at DePaul, 01/03 at Allstate Arena.

Villanova managed to outclass the La Salle Explorers to improve to 10-1 on the year and remain perfect in the Philadelphia Big 5 city series. It was the 14th consecutive Big 5 win for the Wildcats, who extended the all-time record for successive victories.

The 'Cats used the firepower of their starting backcourt to outgun the Explorers. Guards Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher combined for 37 of Villanova's 71 total points.

Villanova played good pressure defense to force 22 turnovers, but the Wildcats were sloppy with the ball themselves, committing 17 turnovers.

Villanova again went nine deep in the rotation, with all nine players who saw the court receiving double-digits in minutes. Dwayne Anderson, hero of the Hartford game, logged 18 minutes. Once again it looked like his play might earn him time during conference play.

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

Next up for Villanova is the the start of conference play and a date with DePaul on Jan. 3 in Rosemont, Ill.

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

• Scottie Reynolds (S, 35 min)

  Reynolds struggled a bit to get his shot going, going just 5-14 from the field and 1-4 from the three. He did, however, manage to put up a game-high 19 points, mostly by getting to the rim and getting to the line. Reynolds was 8-8 from the foul line, and was a decent 4-10 inside the arc. He grabbed 2 steals, jump-starting a few fast-breaks, and served up 3 assists. Reynolds committed 3 turnovers but otherwise handled the ball well. He managed to grab 4 rebounds, good for third-highest on the team.
  Grade: A-
  
  

• Shane Clark (S, 33 min)

  Clark was much quieter on the offensive end than usual, taking just 4 shots. He made 3 of them to score 6 points, but was 0-2 from the foul line, and did not take a 3-pointer. He grabbed 6 rebounds and led the team in steals, with 3. He had an assist and a block and committed no turnovers in his 33 minutes. Aside from the lack of scoring, it was a fairly solid game from Shane Clark. With center Casiem Drummond now out indefinitely with a stress fracture, the Wildcats will rely on Clark a tad more to fill those vacated frontcourt minutes.
  Grade: B-




• Dante Cunningham (S, 28 min)

  Cunningham looked sharp against the Explorers, especially in the first half. He started off the game shooting 5-7 from the field before cooling off to shoot 6-11 overall. Cunningham dominated the glass against the Explorers, grabbing 12 rebounds, double the total of anyone else in the game. He was a little out of control at times, fouling out and committing 3 turnovers from the forward position. He looked solid creating space for himself down low and running in transition.
  Grade: B




• Corey Fisher (S, 27 min)

  Fisher is definitely the best ballhandler on the team, and he showed it again against La Salle. Fisher led the team in assists, with 5, and turned the ball over only 2 times while handling point duties for much of the game. He carried a heavy load offensively, scoring 18 on 6-15 shooting, including 2-5 from the three. He was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line. Fisher is now consistently one of the team's best players, and will be a force in conference play.
  Grade: A-




• Reggie Redding (S, 24 min)

  Redding continues to be a valuable role player in the backcourt. While he may never take over a game offensively, he does seem to do the little things to help the team win. That said, Redding played a quiet game against the Explorers, even by his standards. He took just 1 shot, though he did make it, and was 1-2 from the line to score 3 points. His defense was decent, but he did not notch a single assist or steal. On the plus side, he did not turn the ball over, either. Look for Redding to take a step forward with his offensive confidence as he enters his second Big East season.
  Grade: C-
  
  
  

• Dwayne Anderson (18 min)

  I guess the secret is out on Dwayne Anderson. Long relegated to a role as the sixth guard on the team, Anderson has been making his impact felt as a basketball player first. He played another good game against La Salle. Anderson scored 4 points on 2-4 shooting. He added 3 rebounds, 2 assists, a block and 2 steals in his useful 18 minutes. As a longtime fan of Dwayne Anderson, I would like to see him remain in the rotation during conference play. If recent results are any indication, it looks like he will.
  Grade: B





• Antonio Pena (15 min)

  Pena continues to develop and still has not fully tapped his tremendous talent and athleticism. Against La Salle, Pena scored 6 points on 2-6 shooting. He grabbed just 2 rebounds, and did not notch any other positive statistics. He committed 2 turnovers. Pena has better performances in him, and has the potential to explode into a powerful inside-outside scorer.
  Grade: C-




• Malcolm Grant (10 min)

  Grant seems to alternate between Herculean efforts and smaller contributions. The La Salle game was in the latter category. Grant took just 3 shots, and sank a 3-pointer to score his only 3 points. He did handle the ball reasonably well in carrying out his point duties, dishing 2 assists and committing 2 turnovers. Overall, it was a quiet night from Grant, who nonetheless reserves the right to explode offensively at any given moment.
  Grade: C





• Corey Stokes (10 min)

  At this point, it is time to accept that Corey Stokes will be a longer-term project than many people expected. Wildcat fans saw the McDonald's All-American logo next to Stokes's name, and were perhaps spoiled by the nearly instantaneous development of last year's All-American freshman, Scottie Reynolds, into an all-conference caliber player. It looks as if that will not be the path for Corey Stokes. While Stokes shows flashes of good instincts on the basketball court, it is his shooting that has been his Achilles' Heel. Ironically, the word on Stokes before the season was that no matter how long it took him to adapt to the Wildcat system, his shooting would be on from day one. Stokes certainly looks to be a streak shooter, but he has not had any positive streaks so far this season. Against the Explorers, Stokes was 0-2 from the field and did not score. He notched 1 assist and 1 turnover in his 10 minutes. On the positive side, Stokes's defense seems to be very slowly improving; Jay Wright would not give the All-American double-digit minutes if that were not the case.
  Grade: D




• Incomplete grades: None



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

Villanova looks to extend Big 5 streak

On Saturday night, the 9-1 Wildcats hope to continue their streak of 13 consecutive Big Five wins and an undefeated Big Five record this season when they host La Salle at the Pavilion for a 7pm tipoff. The game will air live on ESPNU. This is the third Big Five game Villanova will play this season, with the others coming in wins against Penn (87-61) and against Temple (101-93) earlier this month. Interestingly, La Salle (4-6), is playing their first Big Five game of the season.

Last year, Villanova defeated the Explorers by a score of 64-51, adding to the all time record of 30-26 versus La Salle. While a 13 point win is not indicative of a struggling offense, Villanova failed to capitalize on the weak Explorer defense and missed many uncontested three-pointers. Defensively, Villanova allowed too many second chance points by La Salle, who offensively rebounded with ease, allowing them to stay uncomfortably close throughout the game.

I believe that the outcome of this game will be decided with the Cats' ability to rebound and defend the three. Last year, Casiem Drummond, Dante Cunningham, and Shane Clark combined for only 12 rebounds while playing significant minutes. The Explorers are led in rebounding by ex-Corey Fisher high school teammate Yves Mekongo Mbala, Paul Johnson, and Jerrell Williams, who all average over six rebounds per game. Throughout exam week, defensive improvement and rebounding was a top priority during team practices. The Wildcats demonstrated progress when they limited Colombia to 56 points. Recently, Cunningham has grabbed double digit rebounds in three of his last four games, after averaging 4.8 in his previous six contests, a trend I believe will continue to happen.

Most of La Salle's offense comes from its starting guards, senior Darnell Harris and sophomore Rodney Green. Harris, who averages 16.3 points and has converted 41 of 82 three-point shots, is a legitimate threat to the Wildcats. He nearly catapulted the Explorers, down 16 points to an underrated Big East team in DePaul, to an early season upset on December 22. Days earlier, the Explorers rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit and took the lead in the second half before losing to SEC contender Mississippi (10-0), 84-77.

Despite their 4-6 record, La Salle is not afraid to run with power conference opponents. Villanova must protect its lead and defend the three much better or else this game will turn out to be as tight as La Salle's past few contests. I expect Reggie Redding to defend Harris much the same way he shut down Bucknell's John Griffin during the second half of Nova's 70-64 sqeaker earlier this year so that La Salle will have to rely on their other scoring options.

Offense should not be a problem for the Cats, as they have been scoring in bunches recently. After early season trouble from the charity line, Nova has shot 80.3 percent (53-for-66) in their last three games. If Villanova can keep the pace of the game to their liking and allow their scramble defense to defend the three-pointer, Villanova should come out of this game with a 10-1 record, looking pretty strong for Big East Play.

Take part in the ongoing LetsGoNova.com prediction contest by taking a shot at forecasting the final score of the game in the comments section below. Winners will receive their names in bold text on this very Web site! Go Cats!

Villanova downs Temple to set Big 5 record

Villanova 101
Temple 93
(box score)

Temple: 4-5 (0-0 A10, 0-1 B5)
#21 Villanova: 7-1 (0-0 BE, 2-0 B5)

Next game: vs. Hartford, 12/14 at the Pavilion.

Villanova set the all-time record for consecutive Big 5 wins Sunday night with a victory over the Temple Owls at the Liacouras Center, giving the Wildcats 13 straight wins in the Philadelphia city series.

The Wildcat offense exploded for 101 points just one game after it suffered from extreme sluggishness in the Wachovia Center.



Scottie Reynolds played his best game of the season, and led the Wildcats in points, rebounds, assists, and steals in a truly dominating performance. The rest of the Villanova backcourt also played well, and we even saw freshman Corey Stokes hit a pair of three pointers to shoot 100 percent from the field.

The win was fairly convincing, but there was a stretch late in the game when Villanova allowed Temple to come partially back from a much wider margin. The Wildcats were able to hold off the comeback and close out the game.

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

Next up for Villanova is the non-conference "cupcake" game against Hartford at the Pavilion on Friday night.

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

• Scottie Reynolds (S, 37 min)

  You could call this a break-out game for Reynolds if he hadn't excelled so consistently last year and throughout this season. Still, this was a particularly dominating performance. Reynolds led all scorers with 27 points on outstanding 8-12 shooting. He was also 4-7 from the three. Reynolds led the Wildcats in rebounds, with 6, and in assists, with 9. Several beautiful passes that he made were not finished for buckets, or the assist total would have been even higher. Reynolds also led the team in steals, with 3. Scottie did make some misguided passes and dribble moves, resulting in 3 turnovers, but he made up for it with his hustle and defensive effort. Most important, Reynolds was able to rebound from his free-throw woes last week with a 7-7 performance from the line Sunday.
  Grade: A
  
  

• Shane Clark (S, 36 min)

  Clark has demonstrated that he can make and create the mid-range jumper, and that he can also drain the three ball when set up along the perimeter by a teammate. Clark played a good game against Temple, scoring 17 points on 5-10 shooting, including 1-1 from three and 6-7 from the foul line. He added 4 rebounds, an assist, and 2 turnovers.
  Grade: B




• Dante Cunningham (S, 28 min)

  Cunningham played a quiet but altogether serviceable game Sunday. He shot 3-5 from the field to score 7 points, but it was often Antonio Pena finishing inside instead of Cunningham. As long as the ball is going in the hoop, though, it hardly matters.
  Grade: C




• Corey Fisher (S, 27 min)

  Fisher started the game on fire, scoring 10 points in the early minutes. He cooled off a bit thereafter, but ran the offense well from the point. He scored 16 points on 5-12 shooting, and shot 2-5 from the three. He also was a perfect 4-4 from the foul line. He handled the ball well, dishing out 5 assists and committing just 2 turnovers. Fisher defended well, and came up with 2 steals. One disappointing play occurred when Corey grabbed a steal and had a breakaway with no defenders in front of him, but could not finish the layup. Luckily, trailer Reggie Redding put the tip in. Hopefully that missed layup was a fluke, because Fisher finished several such run-outs successfully in high school.
  Grade: B+




• Reggie Redding (S, 21 min)

  Redding really struggled on the offensive end against the Owls, shooting 1-6 from the field. He was 0-2 from the three and 0-1 at the free throw line. Aside from his offensive woes, Redding played a decent game. He had 3 rebounds, an assist, a steal, and 2 turnovers. He handled the ball adequately, and generally played good defense, except for a few times when he failed to get back out to the perimeter to defend against a threeball in progress.
  Grade: C-
  
  

• Corey Stokes (17 min)

  Stokes played a mistake-free game on offense, and looks like he is growing much more comfortable on both side of the ball with t he Wildcats. He hit both shots he took, a pair of three pointers, and was a perfect 2-2 from the line to score 8 points. He grabbed 4 rebounds and added 2 assists and a steal. He handled the ball well, making no turnovers. His defense left a little to be desired, as he looked a step behind on the perimeter; hopefully that lack of quickness can be made up for by better anticipation in future efforts.
  Grade: B




• Antonio Pena (16 min)

  Pena was the beneficiary of some beautiful Reynolds and Fisher feeds down low, and he enjoyed several open dunks. Pena played a brilliant game, scoring 17 points on 7-8 shooting, including 1-1 from the three. He also sank both his free throws. Pena added 4 rebounds, a block, and a steal, and played well overall both in the paint and on the wing. Expect some major minutes from Pena in conference play, if he hasn't already cracked the starting lineup by then.
  Grade: B+




• Malcolm Grant (12 min)

  Grant, fresh off his late-game heroics vs. LSU, was thankfully not needed to perform any miracles Sunday. He played good defense in his 12 minutes, but was a little quiet on the offensive side of the ball. Grant shot 1-4, including 1-2 from the three to score 5 points. He added an assist and a rebound. Personally, I would like to see more minutes for Malcolm Grant, because good things seem to happen when he is on the floor.
  Grade: B-




• Casiem Drummond (6 min)

  Drummond struggled with a minor foot injury and foul trouble, so his minutes were severely limited. He looked decent in his short stretch of playing time, scoring 2 on 1-3 shooting. He still needs to improve his free throw stroke (0-2 Sunday), but his presence down low is a positive.
  Grade: C-




• Incomplete grades: none.



• Did not play:
  Andrew Ott, Dwayne Anderson, Jason Colenda, Frank Tchuisi.

Villanova faces Temple in Big 5 matchup

Villanova travels to Philadelphia tonight to play the Temple Owls in the Wildcats' second Big 5 game this season.

The game will air at 7 p.m. on ESPN U, which is available on certain cable and satellite packages. A sports bar would be a good bet if you cannot receive the channel.

Villanova by the Numbers runs its usual preview.

You can predict the final score of the game in the comments below for our ongoing prognostication contest.

'Nova overwhelms Penn to tie Big Five record

Villanova 87
Penn 61
(box score)

Penn: 2-6 (0-0 Ivy, 0-1 B5)
#21 Villanova: 5-1 (0-0 BE, 1-0 B5)

Next game: vs. Louisiana State, 12/6 at the Wachovia Center.

Villanova cruised past the University of Pennsylvania Quakers Saturday night at the Pavilion to extend its Big-Five win streak to 12, tying the city series record.

If you love Villanova basketball, do yourself a favor and log in to ESPN360 and watch the first half of the Penn game again.

A week after the supremely disappointing loss to N.C. State in the Old Spice championship, Villanova asserted itself as a college basketball power, though admittedly against an inferior Penn team.

The first half, when Villanova was still playing its best players and running a stifling press, is a joy to watch. The 'Cats forced a staggering 20 turnovers in the first period, and scored 28 points from them.

Villanova also ran the Quakers ragged in the opening period, scoring 10 points in transition, and jump-starting 11 possessions with steals.

Villanova took a whopping 53-22 lead into the locker room, and after that, Jay Wright mostly called off the dogs.

The team still executed well in the second half, but discarded the press to concentrate on half-court defense. Jay Wright also used the second half to give his bench players extended runs, building valuable depth for conference play and beyond.

I'll get to my player analysis in the grades section below, but I want to use this space above the fold to point out how ridiculous a backcourt of Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds is going to be this year.

With forward Shane Clark nursing an injury, Fisher got his chance in the starting lineup, and he did not disappoint. I do not see any way that Fisher does not start, even once Shane returns. Whether it be Redding, Clark, or Drummond coming off the bench, Corey Fisher has earned a spot in the starting lineup, in my opinion.

Against Penn, Fisher showed why many consider basketball an art form, using no-look passes and devastating crossover dribbles to confuse defenders and delight fans. One of his crossovers even merited another GIF-posterization.

Scottie Reynolds is, well, Scottie Reynolds. Reynolds is one of the most gifted all-around offensive college players I have ever seen. He does it all: shooting, getting to the rim, distributing, and breaking the press. He is a weapon that could well lead Villanova deep into the tournament this year.

Throw in the smooth and efficient Reggie Redding, the sparkplug named Malcolm Grant, the potential scoring of Corey Stokes, and the hard work and leadership of Dwayne Anderson, and you have what is arguably the deepest and best backcourt in America.

While Kansas, Marquette, WSU, UNC, UCLA, and Texas have starters that get more ink, and Tennessee and Memphis have excellent depth, there is not a backcourt in the country I would trade straight up for Villanova's, especially considering that all the Wildcat guards in the rotation are sophomores or freshmen.

I hope uber-recruit Tyreke Evans was watching the first half of the Penn game, as well, to see a showcase of what Villanova guards can do when given the freedom to press, to run, to create, isolate, take it to the rim, and to shoot.

Given Evans's supreme talent (he dropped 50 points in his last game), playing time would not seem to be a problem, either, whether Reynolds and Fisher stay or go pro.

Congratulations to reader Matt Parente for most closely predicting tonight's final score.

Next up for Villanova is Big East/SEC challenge against LSU at the Wachovia Center on Thursday night.

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

• Corey Fisher (S, 27 min)

  I thought of a lot of ways to describe Fisher's performance against Penn, but I can't improve on this: Corey Fisher made the Quakers look downright silly. Fisher handled the ball like a yo-yo, dizzying Penn defenders and embarrassing them. The only consolation that the Penn players might have is that the game was not nationally televised, because Corey Fisher made them look like they were standing still on the court. Fisher used his dazzling handle, speed, and confidence to put on a show at the Pavilion, and fans were not disappointed. Fisher scored 13 points on 4-9 shooting, including an outstanding 3-4 from the three, not counting a half-court heave as time expired in the first period. He seems to have cured his free-throw woes for now, going 2-2 from the line. He led the team in steals, with 4, and added 4 assists. Fisher ran the break expertly, forcing turnovers and helping finish run-outs. He did commit 4 turnovers himself to co-lead the team in that category, but his performance was nonetheless outstanding.
  Grade: A




• Scottie Reynolds (S, 25 min)

  Reynolds is one of the best scorers in the country. He also is one of the best passers. Against the Quakers, Reynolds scored 21 on 6-12 shooting, including 3-6 from three and 6-8 from the line. He led the 'Cats in assists, with 5, including several excellent passes to ignite and complete fast breaks. He had 2 steals and 3 turnovers. Corey Fisher may be the new and exciting Wildcat, but Scottie Reynolds is still Villanova's best player.
  Grade: A
  
  
  

• Corey Stokes (26 min)

  Has anyone seen Corey Stokes's shot? You know, the one that earned him McDonald's All-American honors and that lit up the Wachovia Center in the exhibition against Bloomsburg? Obviously, now is not the time to worry about Stokes. After missing several practices for a family emergency, Stokes is still getting in the swing of the Wildcat offense. He is also learning to play the wing in the college game, which is a drastically different assignment than he had in high school. Stokes is a streak shooter, and will eventually find his stroke. It is just a matter of when. The Penn game definitely was not it, however. Stokes shot 1-8 from the field, including 0-4 from the three, to score 4 points. He did play fairly well otherwise, grabbing 5 boards and making 2 steals. He also committed 3 turnovers. Stokes's game is hardly one-dimensional; look for all aspects of his game to improve once he finds his shot.
  Grade: D+




• Casiem Drummond (S, 21 min)

  Drummond is now a solid contributor in the post on both ends of the court. After a blistering performance against the Wolfpack, Drummond did cool off on the offensive end against Penn. Drummond shot 2-7 from the floor and 1-4 from the stripe to score 5 points. He really needs to work on his free-throw shooting, but he did unveil a new foul-shot routine this game, which hopefully is a sign of increased practice. Drummond grabbed 6 rebounds, and handled the ball well for a big man, with 2 steals and 2 assists.
  Grade: B




• Antonio Pena (21 min)

  Pena had somewhat of a breakout game tonight. When all is said and done this year, Pena could be piece of the puzzle that takes the 'Cats as far as they'll go. If Villanova can get 21 frontcourt minutes out of Pena during conference play, the season is going to be a very successful one indeed. Pena shot an excellent 3-4 from the field and 5-6 from the line to score 12 points. He also led the team in rebounds, with 8. His defense was good, and he added a block and a steal to go with his 2 assists.
  Grade: A-




• Malcolm Grant (19 min)

  Grant played 19 minutes, but for a 5-minute (or so) stretch, he totally took over the offense. He is lightning-quick, and blew by Penn defenders with baskets and sharp passes. Grant scored 9 points on 4-7 shooting, and dished out 3 assists. He was a little sloppy handling the ball, with 4 turnovers, but did bring his brand of hustle, instant offense, and intensity from the bench.
  Grade: B+




• Reggie Redding (S, 19 min)

  Redding is growing more comfortable taking shots in the offense, which is an excellent development. He shot 3-8 against the Quakers to score 7 points. He also hit the boards, taking in 5 rebounds. He had a good all-around game, as usual, with 1 each of assists, turnovers, and blocks, and he had 2 steals.
  Grade: B
  
  

• Dante Cunningham (S, 18 min)

  Cunningham did what he does best tonight, which is score and defend in the paint. Thankfully gone were the much-maligned (in this space, and elsewhere) 17-foot jump shots, and as a result, Dante shot a perfect 5-5 from the field. Shockingly, Cunningham did not have any rebounds, but his minutes were restricted by foul trouble. Cunningham also played 7 of his minutes in the first half, where the opportunity for boards was slim, with Villanova making most of its shots, and Penn not getting many off due to turnovers. Cunningham also added 2 blocks and 1 steal.
  Grade: B




• Andrew Ott (9 min)

  There is no denying that Ott, even after redshirting last year, is a major project and has a long, long way to go. He did show brief flashes of potential, but they were tempered by long stretches of unskilled play. Hopefully Ott will improve and be able to contribute to the Wildcats' frontcourt depth.
  Grade: D-




• Dwayne Anderson (8 min)

  Anderson handled the ball well in his 8 minutes at the end of the game. He did shoot 1-4 from the line, but thankfully the game was out of reach. Anderson is a solid end-of-game option, and is athletic.
  Grade: C




• Frank Tchuisi (5 min)

  Tchuisi did not look half bad out there. His highlight came on the receiving end of a ridiculous Malcolm Grant pass, setting Tchuisi up for the jam. He missed 2 free throws, but did not look lost on offense or defense. Has some potential to develop into a relief player in the post.
  Grade: C-




• Incomplete grades:
Jason Colenda (2 min)


• Did not play:
  Shane Clark (leg)

How to watch the Penn game

On Saturday, Villanova takes on the University of Pennsylvania Quakers at 7 p.m. in the Pavilion. The game marks the opening of the Philadelphia Big Five city series for the Wildcats.

The last time Villanova lost in a Big-Five round-robin game was nearly three years ago, in a one-point defeat versus Temple in the Palestra on Dec. 4, 2004.

Satruday's game will be broadcast on the Web "network" ESPN360.

Only a select few Internet service providers subscribe to ESPN360, so if your ISP is not on the list, you will need to use a backdoor link to get in and see the broadcast. ESPN360 backdoor links are easily found on the Google.

The backdoor above works as of today on both Mac and PC.

As for the game itself, Villanova by the Numbers runs an especially lengthy preview.

You may also predict the final score of the Penn game in the comments section below for the ongoing LetsGoNova.com prognostication contest.

Rivals ranks 'Nova preseason #34

Rivals.com, the Yahoo-owned high-school and college sports site, has slotted Villanova #34 in its preseason men's basketball power rankings.

The article features an in-depth preview of the Wildcats' frontcourt, backcourt, offense, defense, and more.

Rivals predicts a Villanova starting lineup of Corey Fisher, Scottie Reynolds, Corey Stokes, Dante Cunningham, and Shane Clark for the 2007-2008 season.

While that may well be the starting lineup at the end of the season, I think that Reggie Redding will start at least through calendar-year 2007.

At #34, Rivals placed the 'Cats between UAB (#35) and Cal (#33).

The site is counting down to its number one team, which will evidently be revealed in about one month. #33 Cal is the highest-ranked completed review.

Rivals ranks Villanova's fellow Big East member Notre Dame at #36.

St. Joseph's, a member of the Philadelphia Big 5 along with Villanova, is ranked #51.

Drexel, the unofficial "sixth member" of the Big 5, is ranked #64.

'Nova takes Big 5 with win over SJU Hawks

Villanova 56
St. Joseph's 39
(box score)

St. Joseph's: 12-10 (13-10, 5-4 A10, 2-1 B5)
Villanova: 15-7 (16-7, 4-5 BE, 4-0 B5)

Next game: at Seton Hall, 02/10 @ Continental Airlines Arena.

Villanova won the Philadelphia Big 5 city series tonight after beating St. Joseph's by a score of 56-39 in an ugly game at the Pavilion. This marks the third consecutive year the Wildcats have earned either the lone or partial share of the Big 5 championship.

Though it was a good win against a solid St. Joseph team, it was an exceedingly unattractive basketball game. The two teams could not combine for triple digits, and neither team had much success shooting the ball.

What's more, the teams combined for a ridiculous 39 turnovers tonight. There were also 34 total fouls called.

Whenever your team shoots 35 percent from the field and commits 18 turnovers, and manages to actually win that game by double digits, you should probably just take the victory and move on. Let's not even mention that the team shot 3-22 (13.6 percent) from the three. Oh wait, we just did.

The Wildcats do seem to have a lot of issues to work on before they resume conference play Saturday in East Rutherford, N.J, but winning the Big 5 is no small accomplishment on its own.

Onto the player grades. As always, click "READ MORE" below for player performance grades and analysis.

• Mike Nardi (S, 37 min)

  Nardi led the team by far in minutes tonight. We needed him every second out there. He played a solid game of basketball, but he is still struggling to find his shot. Nardi went 3-12 from the floor, including 2-8 from the three. He did shoot perfectly from the charity stripe, 3-3, to finish with 11 total points. He was excellent distributing the ball, dishing 7 assists. That number is even more remarkable considering the team only had 21 field goals, so Mike Nardi either made an assist or make the basket on 10 of the 21 field goals, just under 48 percent. Nardi did have 3 turnovers, and no steals. Hopefully he will shoot better on Saturday, but he carried the team tonight.
  Grade: B




• Curtis Sumpter (S, 30 min)

  Sumpter led the team in scoring, with 14 points. He shot well from the field, 6-11, and from the line at 2-2. He also grabbed 7 rebounds, had 2 assists, 3 blocks, and 2 turnovers. His defense looked much better tonight than against Louisville. All in all it was a very good game by Curtis.
  Grade: B+




• Shane Clark (S, 28 min)

  Clark couldn't really get his shot going tonight but was flying all over the court doing other things. He scored 9 points on 3-8 shooting, including 1-5 from the three. We need him to shoot better from behind the arc. Clark did lead the team in rebounds with 8, and had 2 swats, a steal, and a turnover. Clark has come up pretty big the past few games when called on to play crucial minutes for injured or ill starters.
  Grade: B
  
  

• Reggie Redding (25 min)

  Redding is a smart basketball player, and smart players know to keep shooting when open even amidst a slump. Redding was 2-11 from the field, and 0-6 from the three, but none of those shots were ill-advised or forced, in my opinion. That makes his shooting perfomance much easier to swallow tonight. Redding is a freshman and just recently began to earn major minutes. He was an excellent jump-shooter in high school, so eventually the shot will start to fall. Reggie found other ways to contribute tonight, pulling in 5 rebounds, getting an assist, and making 2 steals. He only had 1 turnover, which is a major step up from the Louisville game. Word has it that Redding was working on his jumpshot at the Pavilion tonight after the game until the wee hours of the morning. It is obvious Redding is dedicated to improving as a player, and that dedication is sure to pay dividends.
  Grade: C-




• Dante Cunningham (23 min)

  Dante is suffering from the flu. He took the floor tonight with a 101-degree fever after receiving intravenous fluids in the locker room. I know we only grade players here, but I am giving the team doctor an F for not getting these guys influenza vaccinations this fall. Cunningham makes the fifth Villanova starter to be stricken with the flu this season. Get them some flu shots next November!
  
  Cunningham did not start tonight due to his illness. He did, however, see 23 minutes of floor time tonight, fifth-most on the team. He looked like he was ill out there, shooting 1-4 from the floor and 0-1 from the line for 2 points. He only was able to grab 3 rebounds. Cunningham did manage to grab a team-high 4 steals, which was huge. He gets a pass tonight for being ill, but we need the old Dante back pronto.
  Grade: B-




• Scottie Reynolds (S, 19 min)

  As if having one starter out with an illness weren't enough, the team found out at half-time that Reynolds was also severely ill. Thus the freshman star was limited to 19 minutes on the game, and just 6 minutes in the second period. He also was plagued by foul trouble for much of the game. His line was a bit wobbly. He shot 1-6 from the field but was a perfect 4-4 from the foul line to total 6 points. He grabbed 4 rebounds, which is fantastic in his limited run, but also committed 4 turnovers. He added 2 assists. We need Scottie to get healthy and start scoring again as soon as possible.
  Grade: C+




• Bilal Benn (19 min)

  Benn played major minutes in his second straight game. Bilal really bailed out the 'Cats tonight with his energy and defensive intensity. He also even scored a little bit, getting 6 points on 3-4 shooting. He pulled in 4 rebounds, including 2 on the offensive glass. Benn also had 3 steals along with 3 turnovers. Kudos to Bilal for filling in so competently for Reynolds tonight.
  Grade: B-




• Will Sheridan (S, 13 min)

  Sheridan did much more in his 13 minutes tonight than in his 17 against Lousiville. He still looks uncomfortable on the offensive end, but did manage to score 4 points on 2-3 shooting, including one dunk in a run-out, which is impressive. He only got 3 rebounds, but his minutes were limited. He only played 4 minutes in the first half after two quick fouls, even though he started. Sheridan had 2 blocks and 2 steals and 1 turnover. It was a decent performance for the minutes played, but it's becoming clear that Will's minutes are being reduced.
  Grade: C




• Incomplete grades:
  Dwayne Anderson (2 min), Casiem Drummond (2 min), Frank Tchuisi (1 min), Ross Condon (1 min).



• Did not play:
  Andrew Ott (RS), Antonio Pena (RS).