Villanova handles Notre Dame

Villanova 77
Notre Dame 60
(box score)

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Scottie Reynolds (S, 39 min)

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




• Reggie Redding (S, 38 min)

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




• Dante Cunningham (S, 35 min)

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




• Dwayne Anderson (S, 24 min)

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




• Corey Fisher (20 min)

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

• Shane Clark (S, 18 min)

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

• Corey Stokes (13 min)

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

• Antonio Pena (13 min)

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





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



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

Villanova visits desperate Notre Dame

#11 Villanova (23-6) at Notre Dame (16-12)
7:00 p.m., 2 March 2009 at the Joyce Center.

TV: ESPN

Line: Notre Dame -3.5


The Wildcats travel to South Bend, Indiana today to play a very desperate Notre Dame team whose NCAA tournament chances are teetering on the brink of the abyss.

Villanova, once among the hottest teams in the nation, opens the week in a bit of a slump, after losing two of its last five games and surviving close calls with cellar-dwellers DePaul and Rutgers.

Notre Dame will be fired up, and the Irish will come ready to play. Hopefully, Villanova will also feel the urgency after losing at home to Georgetown on Saturday.

The Irish, who lost to Connecticut on Saturday, have good wins over Texas, Louisville, Providence, and Georgetown. Conventional wisdom says Notre Dame must win its final two regular season games, against Villanova and St. John's, to finish 9-9 in conference and have a decent chance at an at-large NCAA bid.

Needless to say, this is the biggest game of the season for Notre Dame, because if the Irish are able to beat Villanova, it not only enables them to finish .500 in the Big East, it also puts one more premium win under their belt for consideration in a very tight NCAA bubble.

KenPom predicts a two-point Irish win, with a 43 percent chance of victory for Villanova.

Check out the previews on the other 'Nova blogs (linked in the right sidebar), and then predict the game's final score in the comments below.

'Nova extends slide with home loss to Irish

Notre Dame 90
Villanova 80
(box score)
(ESPN video highlights)

Notre Dame: 14-4 (4-2 BE)
#18 Villanova: 13-5 (3-4 BE, 3-0 B5)

Next game: at Pittsburgh, 01/30 at the Petersen Events Center.

Villanova was beaten badly by Notre Dame at the Wachovia Center Saturday afternoon.

In a game where the Wildcats had hoped to rebound after a devastating loss to Rutgers, Villanova came out soft and listless, and never really competed with the Irish.

Sure, Villanova unleashed its now-traditional desperate comeback attempt at the end of the game, but it fell far short against the experienced Notre Dame team.

It almost seems like this is becoming Jay Wright's preferred gameday strategy: start out weak, fall behind due to poor defense, trail at the half, fall further behind in the first 10 minutes of the second period, then finally, with the 'Cats down 15 or so, put in Malcolm Grant and mount a furious comeback attempt.

O.K., obviously that is not Wright's ideal script for a basketball game. But it has played out just like this in more than a few Wildcat games this year, and the increasing frequency of the pattern has left many Villanova fans confused.

Why is Malcolm Grant riding the pine? The issue spilled from the halls of Villanova and the tubes of the Internet out into the open of the Wachovia Center on Saturday. Students and alumni alike repeatedly called for Grant in the face of Jay Wright's inexplicable refusal to play him.

Maybe I am forgetting past incidents, but in seven years of watching Jay Wright's Wildcats, I have never heard the student section so explicitly question Wright's substitution patterns with chants and screams during the game -- aside from calling for walk-on players to be inserted into the last minute of blow-out victories.

After serenading the team and Wright with actual booing in the second half, the fans and student section erupted with a chant of "we want Malcolm" until Wright finally called Grant's number in the middle of the second period. The Wildcats, of course, were down 16.

Grant, who scored 17 points in two minutes at the end of the Rutgers game, did not even see the Wachovia Center floor until the 5:44 mark of the first half. Wright yanked Grant from the game just two and a half minutes later, and he did not see the court again until 12:29 in the second half.

Grant also inexplicably lost his spot in the starting lineup Saturday afternoon, which was a real slap in the face to several 'Nova fans who blamed the Rutgers loss on Grant's absence from the court. Meanwhile, Shane Clark continues to start, though Wright did sub him out after three and a half minutes after Clark gave up two easy baskets with almost no defensive effort.

There are lots of theories floating around regarding Grant's lack of playing time, ranging from an emphasis on height or defense to an unknown team discipline issue.

To me, the height and defense arguments make little sense: what good is height when the team is trailing and can't score? It's also not as if the Wildcats' defense has been solid without Grant; in the past two games with Grant on the bench, Villanova's defense has been atrocious. Grant even looks to be the best defender of the three scoring point guards on the team, superior to Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher.

As for other reasons Grant might not be seeing the floor, this site does not deal in speculation. We do not have access to the inside of the huddle, so who knows why Jay Wright has decided to sit Malcolm until the team falls irrecoverably behind.

It's almost as if Let's Go Nova has become Let's Go Malcolm, with the amount of time and text we spend on the subject. But the issue is valid. It is a mistake for Grant to be sitting during these crucial stretches, and it appears that Wright hardly realizes it.

With the loss to Notre Dame, Villanova drops to 3-4 in the Big East and is squarely on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament.

Officially, (and now, humorously) the Wildcats are still ranked #18 until Monday afternoon when both polls come out.

Not only will Villanova plummet into the unranked abyss on Monday; if the Wildcats receive even a single vote for the top 25 this week, it will be because the voter hasn't been paying attention to the past week of basketball.

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

Next up for Villanova is a trip to Pittsburgh on Wednesday for a rematch with the Panthers as the 'Cats attempt to stave off a three-game losing streak.

The last time Villanova lost three games in a row was nearly four years ago, on Feb. 28, 2004, when the 'Cats dropped a heartbreaker by one point in overtime to UConn. The 2003-2004 Villanova team did not make the NCAA tournament and was beaten in the NIT by -- you guessed it -- Rutgers.

The Panthers are fresh off an upset loss themselves at home against Rutgers. The Panthers' loss was detrimental for Villanova; the Wildcats' (2008) loss to Rutgers now looks slightly more palatable, but the Jan. 6 win over Pittsburgh becomes much less impressive.

Comcast customers should stake out a chair at a sports bar, because the game is once again airing on that channel no one actually gets, ESPNU.

Let's move on to the player grades. "READ MORE" below for player performance grades and analysis.

• Corey Fisher (S, 33 min)

  Fisher did not shoot the ball very well, but did score 13 points on 5-15 shooting. He was good from the three, going 2-3. The rest of Fisher's line in the box score was solid. He grabbed 4 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, and had 3 steals. He committed just 2 turnovers in 33 minutes, and generally handled the ball well. This was a huge bump in playing time for Fisher, who saw just 15 minutes in the loss for Rutgers. Fisher is one of the Wildcats' best players and should be seeing 25-30 minutes per game.
  Grade: B-
  
  

• Scottie Reynolds (S, 32 min)

  Reynolds played very well inside the three-point line, shooting 5-8 on 2-point field goals, and going 3-4 from the foul line. Unfortunately, Reynolds was 0-5 from beyond the three-point arc. He finished with 13 points on a reasonable 5-13 from the field. He had 2 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal, and committed only 1 turnover. This was definitely an off-game for Reynolds from outside, as he just couldn't find twine from long-range. Obviously, Reynolds will not shoot 0-5 from the three in every game, so I don't think any adjustment is needed on the offensive end.
  Grade: B-
  
  

• Dante Cunningham (S, 29 min)

  Cunningham played a below-average game, by his standards. He shot 3-8 to score 7 points, and he grabbed just 5 rebounds. He rounded out his line with 3 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 block, and 1 steal. Look for Dante to reassert himself in the paint if the 'Cats are to break out of this losing streak.
  Grade: C-
  
  

• Antonio Pena (S, 26 min)

  If there was one unqualified positive aspect of Saturday's debacle, it was Antonio Pena. Pena put forth a dominating inside performance, scoring a team-high 17 points on ultra-efficient 8-9 shooting. He just missed his double-double, collecting 9 rebounds, again tops on the team. He passed for 3 assists, committed 3 turnovers, and notched 1 block and 1 steal. If Pena can sustain this level of play while Cunningham and the guards find their marks, Villanova is going to be a dangerous team to defend.
  Grade: A-
  
  

• Reggie Redding (25 min)

  Redding got huge chunks of playing time after a less-than-stellar performance at the RAC. He did better against the Irish on Saturday, but I am not sure if he deserved 250 percent of Malcolm Grant's minutes. Redding shot 3-6 from the field to score 7 points. Redding grabbed 6 rebounds, had 3 assists, and picked up 2 steals. He committed only 1 turnover. His defense was what ostensibly earned him his playing time, and I have no complaints on that end, as his minutes presumably came at the expense of Shane Clark, whose defense was much worse. But the problem is that Redding is not much of a threat on the offensive side. Redding is a decent defender and a good "glue" guy, grabbing loose balls and not committing many turnovers. On the offensive end of the court, however, Redding does not have to be guarded all that closely, and teams are free to roam away and harass Villanova's scoring threats, mainly Scottie Reynolds. I know Redding works diligently on his jump shot, and if that shot can ever go in reliably, there will be much less of an offense-defense trade-off with Redding.
  Grade: C+
  
  

• Corey Stokes (22 min)

  Wright continues to stick with Stokes as he has all season, and it appears to be paying a few dividends now. Stokes played another decent -- albeit imperfect -- game. He scored 11 points on 4-8 shooting, and he finally may have found his stroke from the three, where he went 3-6. He grabbed 4 rebounds and had 2 assists. He did struggle, however, with handling the ball, committing 2 turnovers and several "near misses." His defense was what I would classify as below average, which could be due to his ongoing learning of the system. Stokes also seems to lack a "clutch factor": he had a wide-open look at a three with 1:00 to go that would have put the surging 'Cats within 5, and I don't think I was the only one in the building who just "knew" it wasn't going to find the bottom of the rim. That said, Stokes is clearly improving, and I think he is now at the point to justify 20-plus minutes per game. Stokes's offense, when everything starts clicking, could be the missing piece the 'Cats needs to take some burden off the three scoring point-guard, especially when opponents key their defense against them.
  Grade: C+
  
  

• Shane Clark (S, 14 min)

  It's quite painful to chronicle Clark's descent into mediocrity, especially as a huge fan of Clark's athletic ability. Clark is, nonetheless, mired in a funk, and nothing changed Saturday. Clark was flat-out bad against the Irish, especially in the first half. Clark's first-period box score was as follows: 0-2 shooting, 0-1 from the three, 2 rebounds, and 2 turnovers. That doesn't even tell the story of his porous defense, either. Clark allowed the first two Irish baskets on plays where he was exceedingly slow on getting to his man. Clark did not do much better in the second half, either. He finished with 2 points on 1-4 shooting. He did have 5 rebounds, which was something of a plus, but it does not make up for his total breakdown on the defensive end and his complete ineffectiveness on offense. Playing just 14 minutes is a vast reduction in time for the starter Clark, but his minutes should probably be reduced even further, at least until he emerges from his shooting cold streak and repairs his frequent defensive lapses.
  Grade: F
  
  

• Malcolm Grant (10 min)

  Most of what I have to say about Grant has been said above and in previous posts. In my opinion, Grant is one of 'Nova's two best players, and playing him for just 10 minutes against the Irish is complete and utter folly. Grant managed to score 8 points on 2-7 shooting, despite playing only 10 minutes and despite being unceremoniously yanked from the game after playing just 2 minutes in the first half. Grant did not exactly replicate his usual heroics, scoring "only" 0.8 of a point per minute of playing time on Saturday, compared to 1.28 PPM against Rutgers and 1.13 vs. LSU. What do these numbers mean? I'll leave that up to the reader, but allow me to make a relevant connection with the ever-popular world of poker. As the "mad genius" Mike Caro says, if you're averaging a huge profit every time you call, you're not calling enough. Absurd point-per-minute totals like Grant has been putting up lately would not translate if he were given increased minutes, but that is exactly the idea. When you have a weapon like Grant, let him play in the minutes that matter, instead of just relying on him to overcome a hopeless situation at the end of the game. Again, I am not privy to any "inside knowledge" that might explain Wright's baffling benching of Grant, so to me it just appears to be an out-and-out coaching error.
  Grade: B
  
  

• Dwayne Anderson (9 min)

  Anderson played 9 minutes? I guess that I didn't notice at least means he wasn't burned on defense too many times. On the offensive end, Anderson was quiet. He shot 1-2 from the field to score 2 points. He had 3 rebounds, and no other impact on the box score. I am a fan of Anderson and believe he should be getting 5-10 minutes per game, but against Notre Dame he didn't do much of anything.
  Grade: D+
  
  

• Incomplete grades: None.



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

'Cats look for some luck of the Irish

vs.


#18 Villanova Wildcats (13-4, 3-3 BE) vs.
Notre Dame Fightin' Irish (13-4, 3-2 BE)

Date: Saturday, January 26, 2008
Location: Wachovia Center (Philadelphia, PA)
Time: 12:00 p.m. EST
Television: WPHL (Philadelphia), MSG (New York), and more regional channels

Notre Dame coverage: Black and Green || BE Basketball Report

Villanova looks to get back on track in a Saturday matinée at the Wachovia Center against Notre Dame, one of the Big East's toughest teams.

If anything, Coach Wright and fans alike are looking for consistency from the Wildcats, a team that no doubt has frustrated everyone following them this year at one point or another. Filled with talent and potential from top to bottom, 'Nova has shown flashes of brilliance, but only to time and time again fall to lesser opponents that managed to capitalize on the weaknesses and shortcomings of these young 'Cats.

I question how much the fans will be into the game tomorrow at the Wachovia Center. On one hand, I hope that having a marquee opponent come into the Wach will be enough to get the Sea of V amped up. As a student, however, I know that getting ready for a noon tip-off, combined with the memories of a thoroughly crushing loss against Rutgers, will make it hard for Villanova's "sixth man" to bring the energy.

I intended to make this game preview more about the state of 'Nova Nation than the game itself. It goes without saying that this Notre Dame team is a force to be reckoned with. With forwards Luke Harangody and Rob Kurz averaging a combined 32.3 points and 17.6 rebounds per game, this frontcourt is as strong as any the 'Cats have faced to date. Similarly, Kyle McAlarney and Tory Jackson shore up the backcourt, bringing with them leadership and superior ball control. This game will be a test for 'Nova's guards as much as for their big men.

Keys to the game

Defense: It is my assessment that the Wildcat guards are over-aggressive in their trap defense. If the ballhandler breaks a press or a trap by the 'Cats, more often than not, they are able to find an open man on the wing just salivating for his opportunity to sink a 3-pointer. I would like for the 'Cats to revert to a man-to-man defense at some point this season, but unfortunately the size of the Irish prevents Wright from making that switch. The guards must do their job and not try to do too much by themselves on defense, a defense which has an emphasis on team. If this happens, many more shots will be contested, and the defense will be better as a whole.

Rebounding: After a solid stretch of games, Antonio Pena's production has dropped off some. This game, it is imperative that one of Villanova's forwards get position in the paint to rebound. Harangody has been immovable inside thus far. Look for Cunningham to get on his man and stick with him while the guards try to strip the ball from Kurz when he brings it down low.

Crowd factor: As detailed above, the bandwagon nature of Villanova fans can be disastrous to a young team looking to build on and learn from their failures. 'Nova Nation must bring the noise and show this team it is behind the Wildcats, win or lose.

X-factor

Bounce-back effect: Count me among the believers that the younger a team is, the better chance the players have to bounce back and perform after a bad loss. I get the impression that the personalities of Villanova's stars won't allow the players to harp on their own mistakes. I think this team, more than any in years past, has the ability to forget about all the negative press and just go out and play basketball. That, more than anything, will guide the 'Cats to victory Saturday.

This is an important conference game for Villanova in more ways than one, and it will be exciting to see how the game plays out. If you're attending the game as a Villanova partisan, wear your 'Nova Nation shirts, and start the cheers early and often.

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

#22 Notre Dame edges 'Nova

Villanova 63
#22 Notre Dame 66
(box score)

#22 Notre Dame: 17-4 (5-3 BE)
Villanova: 13-6 (14-6, 3-4 BE, 3-0 B5)

Next game: vs. #9 Pittsburgh, 01/29 @ The Wachovia Center.

Villanova dropped an eminently winnable game tonight against the 22nd-ranked Fighting Irish in South Bend. The Wildcats indeed looked like the better team for much of the game, but simply could not close the deal at the end.

Villanova led by as much as 7 as late as 6:50 to play in the game, but then allowed a 9-0 Notre Dame run. During that stretch, which took up only 2 minutes and 16 seconds on the game clock, Villanova managed to commit 3 fouls and miss 3 layups. The momentum shifted to Notre Dame.

But it's not as if Notre Dame didn't try to give Villanova every opportunity to win the game -- it did. In an ending befitting a sloppy, poorly executed game overall, the Irish allowed Villanova three distinct chances to tie the game with a three. Though all three attempts missed, Notre Dame could have locked up the game without the drama. After all, the Irish did lead by 6 with 37 seconds remaining.

Villanova could not take advantage, however, and thus fell to 3-4 in-conference, with #9 Pittsburgh coming to town on Monday.

It was an ugly, low-scoring, foul-ridden, rotten game. Poetry in motion, it was not. The halftime score was 25-21 in favor of Villanova, which led by 4 at the break despite putting up half the points it scored in its first game against Notre Dame, 10 days ago.

So what went wrong for Villanova? A few things. First, poor shooting. The 'Cats shot the ball at a horrendous 33.3 percent clip, 20-60 from the field. That said, it wasn't much worse than Notre Dame's hardly-scorching 16-46 shooting effort, 34.8 percent. That's just how ugly this game was.

That's right, Villanova actually made 4 more field goals than the Irish. Notre Dame more than made up for it, though, at the foul line, sinking 29 free throws in a ridiculous 37 attempts. Villanova can not make a habit of giving conference opponents the chance for 37 free points.

Correspondingly, the 'Cats spent much of the game in foul trouble. Nardi and Clark fouled out, while Cunningham and Sheridan played with 4 fouls.

Despite all that, Villanova was in the game and actually was leading down the stretch. It was the team's inability to execute in the clutch that did in the 'Cats tonight. Jay's rotation may have been partially to blame.

Scottie Reynolds played 35 turnover-free minutes before losing the ball twice in his last 3 minutes. Reynolds was visibly exhausted at the end of the game. Nardi also looked tired before fouling out in his 35th minute.

Perhaps these two could have been given breathers while Dwayne Anderson and Bilal Benn filled in. Anderson did not see the floor and Benn played only 5.9 seconds. Jay Wright knows his team's stamina better than anyone, but it seems to me that if our best player is too tired to carry the team in the clutch, he should get some rest before the game goes down to the wire.

Similarly, our big men ran the floor in the growing shadow of foul trouble. With Dante, Clark, and Sheridan all in danger of fouling out, why not sub in Casiem Drummond (did not play) for a spell?

Hopefully these substitution issues can be overcome before the biggest game of the season so far Monday at the Wachovia Center versus the top-ten-ranked Panthers. An upset over Pittsburgh may serve as Big-Dance insurance if Villanova finds itself on the bubble in March.

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

• Scottie Reynolds (S, 38 min)

  Reynolds continues to carry the team offensively. Scottie has led the team in scoring the past 4 games, and 6 out of the last 7. He is one of the best rookies in the country and one of the best guards in the conference. Reynolds struggled from the field in the first half, missing all 6 of his shots. He turned it on in the second half, though, shooting 5-8 from the floor to finish with 19 points. Scottie continued his excellent free-throw performance, netting 8-9 tonight. Despite handling the ball the entire game, he committed only 2 turnovers, though both were key mistakes in crunch time. He was clearly tired at game's end; Jay needs to find a way to rest him a little if he is going to be needed in the closing moments of close games. Scottie also led the team in assists, with 8, and steals, with 3. He quite literally left it all on the table tonight, trying to will his team to victory, but came up just short. You can't ask for anything more.
  Grade: A-




• Mike Nardi (S, 38 min)

  Nardi played a good game on the offensive end tonight. He scored 11 on decent shooting, 4-11 from the field and 3-7 from the three. He added 3 assists, 2 steals, and had just 1 turnover. Where his game lacked was on defense. Notre Dame's two starting guards lit up the 'Cats for 37 combined points, and many of those were due to defensive lapses by Nardi. Mike also committed 2 terrible fouls on 3-point shooters well after the ball's release. (One of those shots was later ruled a two-point attempt.) Nardi eventually fouled out of the game.
  Grade: C+




• Will Sheridan (S, 31 min)

  Sheridan got a lot of run tonight, 31 minutes, despite facing foul trouble. The team seems to function best, however, with Will getting 20-25 minutes of playing time. In the last two wins against Texas and Providence, Sheridan had 24 and 23 minutes, respectively. I do not see what Jay Wright sees to justify so many minutes. Sheridan shot 1-4 from the field, and did not reach the foul line. He had just 4 rebounds despite receiving more playing time than any other Villanova post player. By contrast, point guard Reynolds managed 3 rebounds, and reserve guard Reggie Redding had 4. Sheridan had 1 turnover and no steals, assists, or blocks. His defense was marginally better, but it was itself not without mistakes, and it certainly did not make up for the non-existant offensive effort. Why not give Casiem Drummond some minutes in the post, especially against Notre Dame's big, slow, lumbering front line? Will's best role is as a defender against quick, slashing, high-scoring post players, and Notre Dame doesn't have any.
  Grade: D-





• Dante Cunningham (S, 28 min)

  Cunningham's emergence as an excellent player on the low block has been key to the team's recent improvement. He continued his good offensive play tonight, scoring 11 on an (as always) efficient 4-7 from the field. He did take a step backwards at the foul line, shooting 50 percent tonight, including two absolutely huge misses with the game on the line. Though he performed well on the glass with 7 rebounds, including 5 on the offensive end, he somehow managed to commit 5 turnovers. Though he entered the game leading the 'Cats in steals on the season, he did not get any picks tonight. He added a block and an assist, but also committed 5 fouls and was disqualified. In short, it was Dante's usually efficient offensive game plus a lot of mistakes and bad fouls. Hopefully the foul and foul-shooting issues can be soon resolved.
  Grade: C+





• Shane Clark (S, 19 min)

  Clark played an inconsistent, unspectacular game tonight; those two adjectives could also describe his body of work for the year, unfortunately. Shane scored only 5 points, shooting 2-6 from the field. He did not reach the stripe. He pulled in 4 rebounds and 1 steal, but committed 2 turnovers and 5 fouls. Those numbers just don't cut it for a starter. Clark usually excels defensively, but that was not the case tonight, as he was a step slow on the perimeter and ineffective in the post.
  Grade: D+
  
  

• Curtis Sumpter (26 min)

  Curtis was still hurt tonight and maybe should not have played at all. Not only was he limping around on a bruised shin, he was possibly risking further injury by overcompensating for his hurt leg. He shot a dismal 3-13 from the field, missing several easy layups. He was 0-4 from the three-point line. One bright spot was his 5-6 performance from the foul line. He also led the team in rebounds with 10, and had 2 steals and a block. Sumpter had a great look at a three-pointer to tie the game at the end, but could not sink the shot. In short, Sumpter was bad on offense but surprisingly effective on the defensive end. Hopefully the leg heals quickly because we will absolutely need his offense againt Pitt.
  Grade: C-




• Reggie Redding (22 min)

  Redding has played his way into the 7-man rotation and has been inking major minutes of late. The best word to describe Reggie's game is "smooth," with "cool" a close second. He makes few mistakes and glides up and down the floor. His defense has also been improving, and I am now ready to say he ranks with Benn as the team's best lock-down defender. Though Reggie did hit his first 3-pointer in conference play tonight, he has yet to find his offensive stroke. Redding was 1-5 from the field and a surprising 1-3 from the free throw line. He needed to hit all 3 of those free throws, as they came with under 35 seconds to play. Redding added 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist while committing only 1 turnover. When he gets his shooting on track, watch out.
  Grade: B-




• Incomplete grades:
  Bilal Benn (1 min).



• Did not play:
  Dwayne Anderson (CD), Casiem Drummond (CD), Frank Tchuisi (CD), Ross Condon (CD), Andrew Ott (RS), Antonio Pena (RS)

'Cats run over #20 Notre Dame

       Villanova     102
#20 Notre Dame    87
          (box score)

#20 Notre Dame: 15-3 (3-2 BE)
           Villanova:  11-5 (12-5, 2-3 BE, 3-0 B5)

Next game: vs. #21 Texas, 01/20 @ The Wachovia Center.

Night and day. That is the difference between tonight's win over #20 Notre Dame and the loss last weekend at the Carrier Dome. Tonight's game wasn't just a win, it was a coming-out party.

It wasn't so much that the 'Cats won, though beating a ranked team is always an achievement. After all, Villanova was favored by 3 points before the opening tip. What mattered most was how decisively Villanova won tonight's game. The 'Cats were in the driver's seat the entire way, dominating a good Irish team. How did they do it? Like I said, it was a coming out party.

It was a coming out party for freshman Scottie Reynolds. Though he had breakout games against DePaul and Georgetown, scoring 25 and 16 respectively in those contents, Reynolds dominated the game tonight like he had never before. This was Scottie's game. His career-high 27 points were impressive; still more impressive was how he scored them. At times I forgot I was watching Reynolds and thought I had stumbled in a time warp to last year, so much did his drive and float tactics resemble Randy Foye's. And there were times when Reynolds' #1 jersey could have been filled by its previous caretaker, Kyle Lowry, and his defense-be-damned determination to get to the rim.

It was also a coming out party for sophomore Dante Cunningham. All season, Dante showed flashes of brilliance, efficiently defending, rebounding, and scoring in the paint, but his efforts were always limited. Why can't they involve Dante more in the offense, I opined in this space. Well involve him tonight they did; Dante scored a career-high 19 in his usual efficient manner. What's more, Cunningham was the focal point of the offense. The team worked hard to get the ball down low to Dante in position, and it paid off, as many of us suspected it would.

Most of all, though, this was a coming out party for Jay Wright. All season long, critics had wondered whether Jay could adapt his guard-loving "take 'em" offense to his current stable of talent. Those questions have now been answered. The offense ran sublimely tonight. The offensive sets were executed crisply and with purpose; feeding the ball inside opened up the quality long-range shot opportunities the 'Cats had been sorely lacking.

The defense also looked fantastic tonight. It held the Irish to a very respectable 39.4 percent shooting, and made excellent adjustments whenever it seemed Notre Dame had cracked the 'Cats' code. Notre Dame's 15-34 (44 percent) performance from the three is partially misleading. Although some of those looks were open as the result of a defensive breakdown, several of the successful shots were closely guarded. Russell Carter alone made three or so three pointers that no defense could have stopped.

Wright also made good use of his bench talent, and the rotation finally seemed to coalesce. Wright's substitutions tonight kept his players running hard, his team's chemistry intact, and the starters' stamina maintained.

After Texas's epic three-overtime loss at Oklahoma State last night (one of the best games I have ever seen), I was resigned to the fact that the Longhorns would probably gore Villanova at the Wachovia Center on Saturday. Durant and Augustin looked unstoppable. After tonight, though, I can say in all honesty that if the Wildcats play on Saturday the way they played against Notre Dame, Texas will be the second ranked team in a row they send packing.

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

• Curtis Sumpter (S, 29 min)

  What a night for Sumpter. The fire in the paint is back. Curtis scored 21, which is routine. What isn't routine is how efficiently he did it. Sumpter shot an excellent 7-12 from the field, and an even-better 3-4 from the three. Curtis took good three pointers, not jacking longshots, and it paid off tonight. Sumpter also totaled 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 steals. Even the defense looked better, though not perfect. Sumpter did everything tonight, and he did it well.
  Grade: A-




• Dante Cunningham (S, 30 min)

  Dante was an absolute monster tonight on the way to his career-high 19. His offensive efficiency did not suffer as he became the primary scoring option. If anything, it improved. Dante was 7-11 in shooting from the field. He notched 9 rebounds and 3 steals, leading the team. Also of note was a bone-jarring drunk that brought the house down. It's hard to imagine a better night for Cunningham. Let's hope there are many more to come. He gets a perfect grade tonight.
  Grade: A




• Scottie Reynolds (S, 37 min)

  I said everything you need to know about Scottie tonight in the opening comments. I only wish there were a higher grade than A to give him. We know he scored 27 points, but how many shots did he take? Try 12. 27 points on 8-12 shooting from the field. Reynolds was also 9-10 from the free throw line, and 2-3 from the three. Scottie Reynolds is now Villanova's best player, bar none. We will go as far as he takes us this year.
  Grade: A




• Will Sheridan (S, 32 min)

  Sheridan must feel good tonight. After a string of poor performances, Will shut up many of his critics with a solid game. He shot 3-6 from the field, scoring 6, on mostly good shots. The step away jumpshot just inside the arc is back. Sheridan also co-led the team in boards with 9. He did get burned on defense a few times, but tonight was a huge step in the right direction for Sheridan.
  Grade: B




• Mike Nardi (S, 36 min)

  Michael Nardi is back. He really found his role tonight: distributor first, spot shooter second, hustle all around. Nardi led the team in assists with 7. He also found his stroke again, scoring 18 on 6-13 shooting. He shot 4-10 from the three, double the percentage of his last four games. He put in a good defensive effort, and stayed with Notre Dame's perimeter threats after allowing a few open looks early.
  Grade: B+




• Shane Clark (23 min)

  Clark played his sixth-man role well tonight. He played good defense, shot a decent 3-5 from the field to score 9 points, and pulled in 6 rebounds. He was also a perfect 4-4 from the line. The best part of Clark's 23 minutes, though, was an out-of-nowhere power jam to finish a play on which pretty much everyone in the arena thought he would shoot a lay up. He is a spectacular athlete. If he ever improves his handle and shot, the NBA had better watch out.
  Grade: B
  
  

• Reggie Redding (8 min)

  After not playing at all at Syracuse, Reggie was the seventh man in the seven-player rotation tonight. He looked good. The box score says he had 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 3 turnovers in 8 minutes. What the box score won't tell you is that he played good defense, handled the ball well, and had great court awareness. Two of those turnovers, by the way, were traveling violations called after he had been pushed by a double-team in the backcourt. Had the refs properly called those fouls, he would have had only one turnover. I would like to see more of Reggie, especially in the three-guard set so beloved by Jay Wright.
  Grade: B




• Incomplete grades:
  Casiem Drummond (3 min), Bilal Benn (1 min), Dwayne Anderson (1 min).



• Did not play:
  Ross Condon (CD), Frank Tchuisi (CD), Andrew Ott (RS), Antonio Pena (RS)