Malcolm Grant: the Let's Go Nova interview

Malcolm Grant remains a popular player in Nova Nation even after his decision to transfer to Miami this spring.

After Grant's heroics on the basketball court last winter, questions about his benching and transfer have lingered to this day in the Villanova fan community.

Grant agreed to answer a series of questions for Let's Go Nova about his decision to attend Villanova, his season on the basketball court, his playing-time issues, and his transfer to Miami.

Grant's answers in this interview are overwhelmingly positive. There are clearly no hard feelings, and he remains a part of the Villanova basketball family. It's great to see Grant remain positive as he switches gears in his basketball career.

One of the biggest revelations below is Grant's confirmation that his benching had nothing to do with injuries, academics, or disciplinary reasons. Instead, says Grant, it was purely a basketball decision by Jay Wright.

Based on this offensive efficiency analysis by GreyCat showing Grant was by far the best offensive player of the four freshmen, I can only conclude that Wright's decision was flat-out wrong.

But that's water under the bridge. Villanova eventually found success, and Malcolm has found a welcoming new home at Miami and the ACC.

"Read more" below for the full interview. Thanks to Malcolm taking the time to participate and for his thoughtful answers

LGN: You prepped for a year to attend Villanova. What was it about the program and school that led you to wait a year to enroll rather than to play somewhere else immediately?

MG: I went to prep school because I was excited about the year 'Nova just had with Randy and those guys, so when I saw what I was becoming a part of, it was worth the wait.

LGN: Your performance in the 21-point comeback against LSU cemented your status as a Villanova fan favorite. When you checked into the game before the 8-minute timeout, what was on your mind? Trailing by 15 with under three minutes to play, did you still believe the team could come back? And was that last-second shot really a pass to Dante Cunningham to win the game, as others have speculated?

MG: Actually, when I checked in I said to myself we have nothing to lose, I'm going all out, and thanks to God I was able to have a spectacular performance. And no, the last shot wasn't a pass to Dante, actually I was fouled (smiling) but all joking aside, it was a great followup by Dante.

LGN: Did your mid-season benching have anything to do with injuries, academics, disciplinary reasons, or was it just a decision made by Jay Wright?

MG: My mid-season benching had nothing to do with injuries, academics. Nothing of that nature. It was a decision that Coach Wright made and he felt it was best for the team.

LGN: What was the catalyst that turned the team around, from its mid-winter struggles to its place on the NCAA bubble in March?

MG: I think it was when we had a meeting and everybody admitted their frustrations, and we were asked to sacrifice for the better of the team until the end of the season.

LGN: On Selection Sunday, how sure were you and your teammates that Villanova would make the field of 65? Was it a shock to be selected, or were you confident?

MG: I was confident, as well as others. I think some of the older guys were nervous that we weren't going to make it, but we proved we belonged once we started playing.

LGN: How did it feel to go to the Sweet Sixteen as a freshman? Were you thrilled just to be there, or were you a little disappointed you were not allowed to contribute more on the court, especially considering that without your performance in the LSU game, Villanova would have been in the NIT?

MG: It was a great experience to advance to the Sweet Sixteen as a freshman. I will never forget it. Just seeing that crowd and that arena and the media was crazy. [laughs].

LGN: After the season, you decided to transfer to Miami. Was playing time the only reason you left, or were there other disagreements? Did the coaching staff try to convince you to stay, or was it mutually agreed?

MG: The only reason I transferred was because of playing time, nothing else. I still love Villanova and the team and the coaching staff.

LGN: How do you like Miami so far? Do you think the ACC will be more suited to your run-and-gun style? How do you plan to keep focused as you wait another year to gain eligibility?

MG: I love Miami. It's beautiful down here -- really, really hot, and I have to get used to it, but other than that it's beautiful. I love it. I think the ACC will be a great fit for me. I can't wait to play again and show the world that I'm more than just a scorer. I'm going to work extremely hard, as I'm doing right now, so I'm really excited to get back out there.

LGN: Are you still in touch with any of the players or staff at Villanova? Will you follow the Wildcats' season?

MG: Yes, I still talk to almost everyone, except for a few. But I speak with Antonio a lot. Dwayne a.k.a. Weezy F [laughs], Reggie a.k.a. Double R, Shane, and some others. I still speak with the staff. Congrats to my man BG! [Ed. note: Villanova assistant coach Brett Gunning took a job with the Rockets.] Coach West e-mails me to check on me, and I saw Coach Chambers at an AAU tournament. So yeah, I stay in touch.

LGN: What are you goals for your career at Miami and beyond?

MG: My goals for Miami is to transform this school into a consistent elite team. I want to hopefully win a national championship and God willing, play in the NBA one day.

I just want to say thanks for the interview. I still love 'Nova to death. I will be rooting for you guys. All my friends, I love you guys. All the alumni and my teachers, I love y'all too. Peace!

LGN: Thank you, Malcolm.

Full Villanova-LSU game available to download

A Villanova fan by the handle of "Ray Foye Combo" has uploaded the entire Villanova-LSU game as an 800 MB Xvid file.

The quality on the video is decent. I would describe it as a few notches below VHS, but it is certainly watchable. If you are having trouble opening the video, download and install the VLC media player.

The December 6 game was one of the greatest comebacks in the history of college basketball, with Villanova overcoming a 21-point deficit with 8 minutes to play to win by one points. Villanova trailed by as many as 15 points with under 3 minutes on the clock in this incredible game.

The game is best remembered, however, for Malcolm Grant's unbelievable effort to bring the Wildcats back. Grant singlehandedly took over the game and willed Villanova to the win.

Unfortunately for Villanova fans, the university announced last week that it would release Grant to explore a transfer. Despite his heroics in the LSU, Rutgers, and Pittsburgh games, Grant found himself glued to the bench for the rest of the season by coach Jay Wright.

Grant's effort in the LSU game prevented Villanova from what would have been a horrendous semi-home loss, which would have certainly kept the 'Cats out of the NCAA tournament and the Sweet 16.

I was at the Wachovia Center for the game, and it was one of most memorable sports experiences of my life.

Malcolm grants 'Nova's comeback wish

Villanova 68
Louisiana State 67
(box score)

LSU: 5-3 (0-0 SEC)
#21 Villanova: 6-1 (0-0 BE, 1-0 B5)

Next game: at Temple, 12/9 at the Liacouras Center.

Did that just happen?

That was the prevailing sentiment tonight at the Wachovia Center as the clock neared midnight, and Villanova fans stood awestruck after the Wildcats completed one of the greatest comebacks in the history of college basketball.

Trailing by 21 with 8:50 to play, Villanova looked dead in the water against the athletic LSU Tigers in the inaugural Big East/SEC invitational. When LSU's Terry Martin hit a three to give the Tigers their largest lead of the night at that 8:50 mark, many 'Nova fans headed for the exits.

You can hardly blame them. It looked bad for the Wildcats. Scottie Reynolds struggled. Corey Fisher couldn't do much. Reggie Redding was having his shots blocked left and right.

Enter Malcolm Grant.

Grant, the freshman point guard, was perhaps the least heralded member of the recruiting class of 2007. Checking in at the absolute low-point for the 'Cats during a timeout at 8:48, however, Grant went to work.

Grant sparked the 'Cats to life, dishing an assist and then a hitting a three at the 6:05 mark, the first Villanova trifecta of the game. Grant's triple brought the 'Cats to within 15 at the 6-minute mark, and gave some hope to the few remaining fans.

The Tigers fought back, however, and when Marcus Thornton tipped in an offensive board to make it 64-49 with three minutes to play, it looked like the Wildcats' effort would be too little, too late.

Trailing by 15 with 2:59 on the clock, Grant launched a three that found the bottom of the net, and was fouled. He hit the free throw to bring Villanova to within 11. A turnover by LSU gave Grant the opportunity to sink yet another three, and suddenly the 'Cats trailed by 8, and the Villanova faithful started to believe.

Just after hitting his third three of the game, Grant stole the inbounds pass and dished to a wide-open Reggie Redding, who laid it in, cutting the lead to 6 with 2:19 to play in the erupting Wachovia Center.

Grant would go on to hit seven consecutive free throws, bringing the 'Cats to within a single point. Down one with the ball and 10 seconds remaining, Grant drove to the lane and got off a layup that missed, long. Dante Cunningham tipped the miss in with 5.9 seconds remaining in the game to give Villanova its first lead.

LSU missed its desperation three-point heave, and the Wildcats escaped with the most improbable of victories.

Make no mistake, this was a gutsy win for Villanova. Sparked by Grant's offensive firepower and hustle, and by the fouling out of shot-blocker Anthony Randoph with four minutes the play, the 'Cats willed out a victory.

LSU, for its part, collapsed -- epically. No matter how much guts a team has, it cannot come back from a 15-point deficit in three minutes without the leading team making some major errors. LSU left the door open, and Malcolm Grant and his teammates came charging through.

If you haven't already, check out the box score. It's incredible. After scoring just 33 points in the first 32 minutes of the game, Villanova exploded for 35 points in the final 8 minutes.

In the game, Villanova was tied for 36 seconds, trailed for an astonishing 39 minutes and 18.1 seconds, and led for just 5.9 seconds. The largest lead for LSU was 21; for Villanova, it was just 1, and for less than 6 seconds, at that.

Take a look at ESPN's "game flow" chart below. It's almost as unbelievable as the game itself.



If you want to see the amazing comeback again (and again), you can watch it on ESPN360 for at least the next few days.

Even though Villanova did get the win, there were some troubling aspects of the game. LSU dominated for much of the game, and the Wildcat offense sputtered and nearly died. Villanova was only able to attempt 2 three-pointers in the first half, and finished the game a pitiful 3-9 from behind the arc. No Wildcat not named Malcolm Grant was able to put one in from long range.

LSU's defense was brilliant, and the 'Cats could not counter. LSU used its long, athletic wingmen to over-defend the perimeter, denying the Wildcats open looks for jumpshots. Villanova responded by driving into the lane, but more often than not, its shots there were blocked or hugely influenced by LSU's pair of 6-11 forwards.

Villanova's advantage in the backcourt was completely nullified. Leading scorer Scottie Reynolds was held to 1-8 from the field, and the freshman sensation Corey Fisher managed the same numbers. Reggie Redding was an even-worse 3-13. Amazingly, many of the Wildcat points came from big men in the post, an area where they were supposedly out-matched. Only Grant, Dante Cunningham, and Casiem Drummond scored in double figures, and those three accounted for 65 percent of Villanova's total points.

Another troubling area from the game was free-throw shooting. After leading the entire NCAA in foul-shooting last season, Villanova hit absolute rock bottom tonight, missing 9 of its first 12 free throws. Though the Wildcats did heat up from the line later in the game, foul-shooting is something the team needs to improve upon as soon as possible if its NCAA Tournament hopes are to remain viable.

Congratulations to readers Bits and Steve for most closely predicting tonight's final score.

Next up for Villanova is Big Five rival Temple at the Liacouras Center on Sunday.

There's not much I can do for player grades tonight. The box score speaks for itself. For the first 32 minutes, Villanova played some of the ugliest basketball I've seen in the Jay-Wright era. But the team managed to gut out the win and complete one of the greatest comebacks anyone has ever seen.

Malcolm Grant gets a solid A, and everyone else gets an A for effort.

Trust me, though, those first 32 minutes were not pretty; let's hope we do not see a stretch like that again this year.

Wildcats to face Tigers in battle of predatory felines Thursday

#21 Villanova returns to the Wachovia Center Thursday to face Louisiana State as part of the first annual Big East/SEC invitational. (Unless otherwise noted, this site always uses the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' poll.)

The game will air live nationwide on ESPN Thursday night at 9:30 p.m.

LSU of the SEC is the second BCS-conference team the 'Cats face so far this year, after a disappointing and controversial loss to ACC-member N.C. State 11 days ago.

LSU is 5-2 and has some decent athletes on its team. Villanova, though, will be favored, and should win this game, especially considering the Wildcats' overwhelming superiority in the backcourt.

Greycat runs a preview of the game at Villanova by the Numbers.

If you'd like to take part in the season-long prognostication contest here at LetsGoNova.com, enter your prediction for the game's final score in the comments section below.