Nova News agrees on Fisher PT

I have been receiving a lot of heat in the comments section for blasting Jay Wright's mismanagement of his lineup, especially regarding point guard Corey Fisher's playing time.

After every single game, you could find here the drumbeat of criticism, charging that Fisher was receiving far too little playing time. My argument is that as the clearly best player on the team, Fisher should be leading the team in minutes. But he isn't, and in fact, trails behind several far inferior Wildcats in playing time.

I've further argued that Fisher's increase in playing time should not come at the expense of Reynolds, because the team plays best when they are both in there together, and ballhandling requires at least one of the two point guards to be in at all times.

Tim, the Nova News blogger, weighed in on his site tonight in agreement.

In a nice, long piece called Something Smells Fishy, Tim questions Jay Wright's decision to keep Fisher in limited time despite the growing statistical evidence that he is among the most effective Wildcats on the court.

Tim admits that although winning eight of nine games is nice, Fisher still needs more playing time:

I don't necessarily believe that Fisher should get more time at the expense of Reynolds because frankly, they are the two best guards on the team. Neither do I believe it is imperative for Fisher to start because he is valuable as a sixth man. What I am simply saying is Fisher should be getting more playing time, period.

Tim wraps up his essay by saying "the bottom line is Corey Fisher is too good to be sitting on the bench for 12+ minutes a game."

Agreed. And Fisher certainly shouldn't be sitting for 16 minutes when the 'Cats struggle to defeat one of the worst teams in major-conference history by a measly two points.

Something smells fishy, indeed.

Of course, this isn't the first time that Wright has refused to play a talented point guard for seemingly no earthly reason, and we all know how that one turned out.

Here's hoping Wright can change his ways before it's too late.

'Nova annihilates Fordham

Fordham 68
Villanova 107
(box score)

#23 Villanova: 2-0 (0-0 BE, 0-0 B5)
Fordham: 0-2 (0-0 A10)

[Highlight reel at end of post]

Next game: vs. Niagara, 19 Nov. at the Pavilion.

The Wildcats cruised to an easy victory tonight against the winless Fordham Rams, putting up 107 points on Fordham's porous defenses.

Fordham had no answer to the inside prowess of Dante Cunningham, who notched a career-high 31 points. Villanova used its superior size and speed to find easy shots, converting 35 field goals on 60 attempts. Over 65 percent of Villanova's baskets resulted from assists, which is an excellent ratio. The Wildcats also took care of the ball and committed just 9 turnovers.

Villanova's defense seemed to improve in the second half, when the Wildcats held Fordham to 11-29 shooting and 30 points.

On the sour side, Villanova allowed Fordham an unacceptable 65 shots, and forced just 11 turnovers from the overmatched Rams. The Wildcats also revealed a potentially fatal flaw in their team depth -- with Fisher and Reynolds both off the floor, the team has no truly competent ballhandlers to break a press or even run an offense.

Reggie Redding is the emergency third point guard, but he looked awkward against the juvenile Fordham press. One does not have to wonder how the Wildcats will stand up to a full-blast press from Louisville or Marquette this year if Fisher or Reynolds become unavailable -- it would be a disaster.

And thus the folly of losing Bilal Benn and Malcolm Grant -- both good ballhandlers -- to transfer in consecutive years. Absent Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds, the Wildcats simply have no point guards left. Might Villanova be the only top-25 team with just two ballhandlers on the entire roster? I think so. And if one of those two guards gets hurt, the Wildcats won't be ranked for long.

On an injury note, forward Shane Clark was cleared to play and ran 16 minutes tonight, just 11 days after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. Center Casiem Drummond was out with foot pain, but Jay Wright said in his postgame remarks that Drummond would be ready for Wednesday's game.

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

Next up for Villanova is the return of former Wildcat Bilal Benn and his Niagara Purple Eagles in the Philly Hoop Group Classic opener, Wednesday night at the Pavilion.

On to the player grades. "READ MORE" below for player performance grades and analysis, plus a special embedded highlight reel from Youtube!

• Corey Stokes (S, 31 min)

  Stokes could barely miss tonight. The Rams were allowing him open looks, and he made the most of them. Stokes was 3-3 from behind the arc, 4-6 from the field, and 6-6 from the line to score 17 points. He grabbed 8 rebounds and added 2 assists, a steal, and 1 turnover. The only downside for Stokes tonight is it still looks like he is having trouble putting the ball on the floor. Stokes's shooting, however, finally appears to be living up to its billing, and he may well lead the Wildcats in scoring on the season.
  Grade: A-




• Corey Fisher (S, 30 min)

  Fisher's speed, handle, and passing have become essential to the Wildcats' attack. Splitting the point with Reynolds, Fisher tonight made good decisions with the ball and was effective on both ends of the court. He dished out 4 assists, and, more important, committed just 1 turnover. He shot better tonight from long range, draining 2-4 threes, and shot 4-10 from the field. Fisher was a good 7-8 from the foul line, impressive there in both his accuracy and his frequency getting to the stripe. Fisher added 2 steals to a solid defensive effort.
  Grade: B+
  
  

• Dante Cunningham (S, 29 min)

  Cunningham exploded for a career-high 31 points on 11-17 shooting from the field. Cunningham also reached the free-throw line 12 times, converting 9. Fordham could do nothing to stop Cunningham inside. Though he won't find conference play nearly as easy, Cunningham's performance tonight was an important step in establishing the Wildcats' inside game. Cunningham and Pena played well together on the blocks, forging an inside chemistry that has been lacking at Villanova for years. Cunningham also led the team in rebounds, with 11.
  Grade: A




• Antonio Pena (S, 24 min)

  Pena is quickly becoming one of my favorite players. He put in an efficient performance tonight, scoring 10 points on 4-5 shooting. He looked great moving up and down the post, and connected with Cunningham several times for easy looks. He grabbed 6 rebounds and passed for 3 assists. Pena also ran the floor well; it's become clear that fast breaks are a key component of his game. Pena's inside-out style suits the Wildcats' free-flowing system well. Though he has the tendency to disappear for stretches, Pena's development is a real bright spot for the 'Cats.
  Grade: B+
  
  

• Reggie Redding (23 min)

  Redding was pressed into point-guard duties tonight after Reynolds sat with early foul trouble. I suspect Jay Wright also sat Fisher during that stretch to see what the team could do without either of its point guards. Redding's handling of the point was passable but not pretty. But if it was passable against Fordham, it probably would be a nightmare against Rick Pitino. Still, you can't blame Redding for the Wildcats' lack of ballhandling depth. Redding played well overall tonight, shining as the undisputed leader late in the game with the Wildcat starters out. He shot 4-5 from the field and 1-2 from the three to score 9 points. He passed for 4 assists and committed just 1 turnover. He added 4 rebounds but did not get a steal. Pressure defense is something for Redding to work on as the season progresses. All in all it is a good thing the Wildcats have Redding to bail them out with ballhandling, but let's hope it doesn't come to that.
  Grade: B
  
  

• Scottie Reynolds (S, 22 min)

  Reynolds picked up a pair of questionable fouls early, and those fouls combined with the blowout limited him to an uncharacteristically low 22 minutes. Reynolds struggled a bit scoring-wise, shooting just 3-9 from the field and 1-4 from the three. I'm not particularly worried, however, as Reynolds has proven beyond all doubt he is an excellent scorer and shooter. Where Scottie really shined tonight was in distribution. Reynolds racked up 7 assists in basically half a game, while committing just 1 turnover. Perhaps his ratio will go down a bit against serious competition, but after two games it is clear that Scottie is taking great care of the ball and finding perfect spots to dish it off. Reynolds also added 2 steals in a fine defensive effort, ticky-tack fouls notwithstanding.
  Grade: A-
  
  

• Shane Clark (16 min)

  It was good to see Clark out there and injury-free just 11 days after knee surgery. Clark played well, shooting 3-5 from the field and 2-2 from the line to score 8. Clark has missed a lot of practice, so it was good for him to get extended playing time in the blowout. We'll see how his knee holds up during the rest of Villanova's brutal November schedule.
  Grade: C+
  
  

• Frank Tchuisi (14 min)

  Tchuisi played better tonight, converting on his two uncontested shots. His free-throw form looked awful, however, which is something to work on at practice. Tchuisi only managed to collect one rebound despite playing 14 minutes at center against an undersized Fordham team. He committed 2 fouls but did not turn the ball over.
  Grade: D
  
  

• Jason Colenda (6 min)

  Colenda, the walk-on guard, has to deal with deafening applause every time he touches the ball, as the student section apparently wishes for him to put it up any time he is across halfcourt. I watched Colenda closely tonight during his 6 minutes while he split the point with Redding, because it is plausible that due to a combination of fouls or injury, the Wildcats at some point this season may have to rely on Colenda to bring the ball up the court. My conclusion is that Colenda can indeed dribble and make passes, but he panics way too much in the face of defensive pressure. Though Colenda may be quicker and smaller than Redding, and thus less prone to having his pocket picked, it is a stark contrast to watch Redding coolly step back from an overzealous defender, while Colenda suddenly treats the ball as a hot potato in the same situation. The good news is that it's a problem that is easy to correct if Colenda simply keeps his dribble going and takes a deep breath.
  Grade: C-
  
  

• Russell Wooten (5 min)

  We didn't get to see much out of Wooten in his 5 minutes tonight. He did not attempt a shot, and looked very uncomfortable with the ball on the offensive side of the court. Like Colenda, he seems to have a tendency to panic with the ball when defended. Wooten runs the floor well enough and did not make too many major mistakes on defense.
  Grade: C-




• Did not play: Dwayne Anderson (foot), Casiem Drummond (foot), Maurice Sutton (CD - RS?)

Highlights from Youtube:

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.