Reynolds nets 33 as 'Cats beat Carleton alumni

In what has become a familiar theme these past 10 months, Scottie Reynolds put his team on his back and carried Villanova to a win last night.

Reynolds, the sophomore guard from Herdon, Va., scored 33 points, and the Wildcats dismissed a motley assortment of Carleton basketball alumni in the Ravens' Nest, 77-62.

Most of the all-star opponents have played professionally in Europe or Australia, and the game was arguably the Wildcats' toughest of the weekend. The win improved Villanova to a perfect 4-0 on the Canadian exhibition tour, and the Wildcats returned to campus after the game.

Reynolds started the game scorchingly hot, as usual, from behind the three-point line, sinking 5 of his first 6 attempts. Despite the fast start from downtown, Reynolds's scoring was consistent throughout the game, with 17 points in the first half and 16 in the second.

The freshman guard Corey Stokes scored 12 points in 25 minutes to round out an excellent debut weekend. Fellow freshman Corey Fisher added 7 points and a team-high 5 assists, which is an excellent sign for the upcoming season.

Dante Cunningham, the junior forward, scored 10 points before fouling out.

The starting lineup for the game was Cunningham, Shane Clark, Andrew Ott, Reggie Redding, and Reynolds.

After the game, Jay Wright praised Reynolds's ability to score outside of handling point guard duties:

Scottie did a great job. I knew he was good off the ball but I thought he was terrific working with Corey Fisher and Malcolm Grant today.

'Nova rains threes in Ottawa in romp over "Gee Gees"

Villanova exploded for triple digits tonight to remain undefeated on its Canadian exhibition tour with a 103-72 win over the host University of Ottawa Gee Gees.

A fourth and final game for the trip is scheduled tomorrow at noon back at Carleton University against an all-star team of Ottawa and Carleton basketball alumni.

The 'Cats connected on a scorching 14 of 19 three-point attempts to blow the Gee Gees out of their own gym. Ottawa had actually led, 23-20, as late as the 12:41-mark in the first half before a pair of threes by Scottie Reynolds put the Wildcats ahead for good.

Reynolds led Villanova in scoring with 19 points, and shot a ridiculous 5-5 from behind the arc. He also dished out a team-high 6 assists in his 26 minutes of floor-time.

Corey Stokes also shot well from the three, converting 4 of 6 attempts for 12 points, in 26 minutes of playing time.

Rounding out the Wildcats' prolific-scoring backcourt were Corey Fisher with 11 points, Reggie Redding with 12 points, and Malcolm Grant with 13 points off the bench. Redding, in particular, was impressive with his 5-6 shooting effort, including a perfect 2-2 from behind the three-point line.

The frontcourt upperclassman Dante Cunningham dominated the paint with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 swats in a team-high 28 minutes.

The starting lineup tonight featured Cunningham and Shane Clark up front, and Redding, Reynolds, and Fisher in the backcourt.

The offensive firepower comes as no surprise for a Wildcats team with a plethora of new scoring options. Though Big East defenses will be significantly more stingy than those the 'Cats faced north-of-the-border, Villanova's explosive backcourt may prove too much for anyone to contain once it gets going from outside.

Villanova's improving frontcourt is now also loaded with young depth, and foul trouble may be less of a concern for the 2007-2008 season.

So what have we learned through three games this weekend? For one, All-American Corey Stokes, as advertised, will immediately be one of the best shooters in the Big East. Scottie Reynolds picked up where he left off last spring as one of the best guards in the college game, period. Corey Fisher is a solid ballhandler and will be a player.

Malcolm Grant may have been most impressive of all; often overlooked in the shadows of his higher-touted classmates this offseason, Grant looks like he will prove to be a dangerous fifth guard in the Wildcats' attack, one who could probably start for 75 percent of the Big East from day one.

Next up for Villanova is a team of alumni all-stars from Carleton and the University of Ottawa. I honestly do not know what to expect from the alumni; suffice it to say I doubt the group will give Villanova much trouble.

One final note: Carleton, Villanova's first opponent this weekend, beat the Alabama Crimson Tide tonight in Ottawa by a score of 83-72.

'Cats open season tonight in Canadian tour

Villanova basketball officially kicks off tonight in Ottawa, of all places, at Carleton University.

The Wildcats will take on the host Carleton Ravens tonight at 7 p.m. in an exhibition game.

Yes, I had to look up Carleton's mascot on Wikipedia.

Tonight's game is the first of four exhibitions scheduled this weekend for Villanova. The 'Cats will face Queen's University (Ontario) tomorrow at noon in Carleton's gym, before heading across town that same day to play the University of Ottawa on its home court at 7 p.m Sunday.

The Canadian tour concludes Monday at noon back at Carleton, where Villanova will be matched up with a ragtag all-star team of the best players alumni from Carleton and the University of Ottawa.

The Canadian exhibitions also mark the debuts of Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes, and Malcolm Grant, the three highly touted freshman guards.

The Philadelphia Daily News runs a nice feature on the two Coreys, and Villanova released a press piece about Malcolm Grant.

Tonight's game will also be the first look at redshirt freshman forward Antonio Pena.

Far be it from me to make predictions, but Villanova should win all four games without breaking a sweat. There is simply no way any collegiate team north of the border will be able to handle Villanova's backcourt, which should be one of the best in the United States this season.

One of the things to look for in the four exhibitions is the backcourt interaction between the three freshmen and returning sophomore Scottie Reynolds, who is unquestionably the team's best scorer. Reynolds should move over to the two guard this year after handling point duties last season.

A video feed for the games is not available, which is a shame for a school with as large a basketball following as Villanova. It does not look like there will be audio for the games, either.

Box scores should be posted on the Villanova Web site at some point after the games. As always, check back here for more information as it becomes available.