'Nova clinches double bye with Prov. win

Providence 80
Villanova 97
(box score)

Providence: 18-12 (8-10 BE)
#11 Villanova: 25-6 (13-5 BE)

Villanova flexed its offensive muscles on Thursday night as the Wildcats exploded for 97 points to defeat Providence in the year's final game at the Pavilion.

With the win, Villanova secured an all-important top-four finish in the Big East, and the two days of byes that go along with it. The Wildcats will now be seeded all the way into the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament on Thursday.

Villanova also maintains its position as a potential top-3 seed in the NCAA tournament, which is crucial if the Wildcats would like to play the first two rounds in their home-away-from-home at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.

It was an excellent offensive game for the Wildcats, who scored 57 points in the second half and shot well overall. Scottie Reynolds, Dwayne Anderson, and Corey Fisher all played outstanding games for Villanova, and the 'Cats looked unstoppable when all their weapons were blazing.

Providence finishes the regular season with an 18-12 record, which normally might not earn a team an at-large invitation to the NCAA tournament. The Friars, however, are 10-8 in the country's best conference, and boast a premium win over then-#1 Pittsburgh.

Conventional bracketology wisdom suggests that Providence would have been a lock with a win over Villanova, but will now need to win one at Madison Square Garden to have a good chance on Selection Sunday.

Congratulations to reader "bosshoghazzard" for most closely predicting the final score.

Villanova now has a full week off to prepare for its post-season. After a grueling Big East season, I am sure the rest will be welcome.

According to the official bracket (PDF), Villanova will next take the court on Thursday at 2 p.m. In practice, however, the game always starts later than that, closer to 2:30.

Villanova will face the winner of the #5 vs. #12/#13 game, which will most likely be Marquette.


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

• Scottie Reynolds (S, 36 min)

  Reynolds continued his scorching shooting ways tonight, shooting an excellent 9-13 from the field. He also put in an outstanding performance from the three, hitting 5-9, or the equivalent of shooting 83% from the two. He did miss both his free throw attempts, which is a bit troubling, since his free throw shooting seems to be dropping off a bit lately. Reynolds added 4 steals, 4 assists, and just 2 turnovers. Let's hope Scottie can continue his hot streak through the entire month of March.
  Grade: A




• Dante Cunningham (S, 36 min)

  Positives tonight were 19 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. The negatives, however, were substantial. Cunningham shot a dismal 8-17 to get those 19 points, including several missed jumpers that he probably should have passed on altogether. He missed 4 of his 7 free throw attempts, as well. Cunningham also led the team in turnovers, with 5, committing a whopping 71.4 percent of the team's turnovers despite playing 18 percent of the team's minutes. If you haven't surmised this already, I really hate turnovers, especially by forwards. Perhaps worst of all, however, was Cunningham's defense, which was uncharacteristically soft tonight. Cunningham allowed at least three uncontested lay-ups or dunks. All in all, the positives save this grade from the dreaded "F," but it was nonetheless one of the worst games for Cunningham of the season.
  Grade: D




• Reggie Redding (S, 31 min)

  Redding was Mr. Pass tonight, dishing out 11 of the Wildcats' 26 assists. Those assists definitely earned him 31 minutes, but Redding's normal reason for playing so much, defense, was lacking tonight. Redding was responsible much of the night for covering Weyinmi Efejuku, who lit up the Wildcats for 29 points. Redding was not fast enough to stay near Efejuku at all, which could bode ill for the Wildcats against teams with similar star players. Aside from his excellent passing night, Redding had little other statistical impact. He shot 1-3 to score 2 points, and added 0 turnovers, steals, or blocks. He grabbed 2 rebounds. Those 11 assists go a long way to make up for a terrible night defensively, but it still was not much better than average for Reggie.
  Grade: C+





• Corey Fisher (27 min)

  Twenty-seven minutes are more like it for Fisher, unquestionably the team's most potent sparkplug. I'd prefer his minutes get up to the mid-thirties, but I guess it's one step at a time for Wright. Fisher shot 3-9 from the field, including 1-3 from the three, to go with his excellent 6-6 performance from the foul line. He handled the ball perfectly, dishing out 6 assists while committing 0 turnovers. His defense was outstanding, and he grabbed 4 steals. He was quick enough to stay with anyone on the perimeter, as well. It was a nearly perfect game for Fisher aside from the slightly reduced scoring output of 13. Fisher showed tonight he could have an excellent impact on the game even while not making many baskets, and this should finally (hopefully?) earn Fisher some more minutes in the post-season.
  Grade: A-
  
  

• Corey Stokes (21 min)

  Stokes was a major force in this game. He continued his hot shooting from the three, hitting 3-5. He also used his good height and strength to grab 4 rebounds and 1 block. He played decent defense, and added 1 steal. I think 21 minutes tonight was a big under-utilization of Stokes. Imagine how hard it will be for Villanova's opponents to contain the Wildcats with all four of Stokes, Fisher, Reynolds, and Cunningham firing on all cylinders. In order for this to happen, Stokes has got to get the minutes to heat up and stay effective.
  Grade: B+
  
  

• Shane Clark (S, 20 min)

  Clark was not at all effective on offense (1-5 shooting, no foul attempts, no assists), but was a little better on the defensive end. Clark had 2 steals and 5 rebounds in his 20 minutes. I'd like to see 10 of his minutes go immediately to Stokes, but you have to admire Clark's hustle.
  Grade: C
  
  
  

• Dwayne Anderson (S, 17 min)

  Anderson, troubled by early fouls, still managed to score 19 points in 17 minutes, which is excellent. And he shot very well, 7-11, 3-5, and 2-2. Anderson, who had missed his 12 prior three-pointers before the game, is the ultimate streak shooter, and it's great to see him take those shots when he is hot. He also added 7 rebounds in just 17 minutes: compare that to Cunningham's 8 in 36. Anderson also added 3 assists, 1 block, and 4 steals in a phenomenal effort, playing half the game. If we extrapolate what his line would have looked like with 35 minutes, we get 39 points, 14 rebounds, 8 steals, 2 blocks, and 6 assists! Of course, it would have been difficult for him to maintain that pace, but what a game for Anderson despite the fouls.
  Grade: A





• Antonio Pena (9 min)

  Just 9 minutes, but a bit of a resurgence for Antonio Pena. He shot a good 2-4, showing intelligent awareness and spacing on the offensive end. He also was a perfect 2-2 from the foul line. He added 1 rebound, 2 blocks, and 1 steal in his very limited time.
  Grade: B





• Incomplete grades: Frank Tchuisi (1 min), Jason Colenda (1 min), Russell Wooten (1 min).



• Did not play: Maurice Sutton (RS).

Live blog for Providence tonight

#11 Villanova (24-6) vs. Providence (18-11)
7 p.m., 5 March 2009 at the Pavilion.

TV: ESPN2

Line: Villanova -10.5

Join Let's Go Nova tonight at 7 p.m. for a special regular-season finale LIVE BLOG.

Fire up your fake usernames and outlandish comments, Let's Go Nova nation, as it is time once again for a very special live weblog tonight. We begin at 7 p.m., so don't forget to get here early with your comments, questions, opinions, and pleas for me to permanently stop blogging, forever.

Villanova closes out its regular season with a Pavilion game against the Providence Friars.

Providence might be the quintessential NCAA tournament bubble team. It's got a decent resume, but it's probably not in the field of 65 yet. The Friars might need to do a bit more work to really feel comfortable on selection night, and they still have the Big East tournament after tonight to do it.

The Friars, thus, could lose tonight and still dance, so they might not be as desperate as the Wildcats' last opponent, Notre Dame. But many bracketologists think Providence could lock up a spot with a premium win at Villanova tonight.

The game is equally important for Villanova, which now controls its own destiny for the coveted double-bye in the Big East tournament. With a victory tonight, the Wildcats earn themselves an extra day off next week and an automatic seed into the conference quarterfinals in New York.

VIllanova also has more important NCAA seeding issues to consider. The Wildcats must stay on the #3 seed line in order to get a good chance at playing in Philadelphia on the first weekend. With a win tonight and a 1-1 performance in the conference tournament, Villanova should hold up on the #3-line.

One month ago, Villanova won a close decision at Providence, 94-91.

For tonight, KenPom predicts a 14-point Villanova margin, with an 87 percent chance of victory.

Take a look at the other five 'Nova blogs linked at right for their previews, and then come back into our comment section to predict the final score of the last regular season.

See you at 7.

Providence live blog

Providence live blog tonight

Join Let's Go Nova for a hastily planned live blog tonight for the Providence game.

The live blog will begin at 8 p.m.

The game will be televised on MSG+ (NY) and WPHL (Phila.). The line is Villanova -1.5.

Villanova rises in polls after Cincy win

Villanova used a furious second-half effort to soundly defeat Cincinnati on Sunday, and the Wildcats were rewarded with a boost in the national top-25 polls.

The new ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll rates Villanova at #16, and the updated AP poll ranks the 'Cats at #17.

Next up for Villanova is a road game with a hot Providence team on Wednesday.

'Cats top Friars to stay on bubble

Villanova 73
Providence 63
(box score)

Villanova: 19-11 (9-9 BE)
Providence: 15-15 (6-12 BE)

Next game: vs. Syracuse, 03/12 at Madison Square Garden (Big East Tournament first round).

Villanova salvaged a winning conference record and kept its NCAA-tournament hopes alive Saturday night with a win over the Providence Friars in Rhode Island. With the win, Villanova improved to 19-11 (9-9) to finish eighth in the 16-team superconference. The Wildcats remain squarely on the bubble for an at-large bid for the NCAA championship.

Thanks to Connecticut's brutal demolition of Cincinnati in Sunday night's rescheduled Big East finale, Villanova will face fellow bubble dweller Syracuse in what many bracketologists are calling a play-in game for the at-large invitation. Villanova and Syracuse have very similar NCAA resumes, and it is very likely that the winner of the game will receive one of the last NCAA invitations, while the game's loser will probably find itself relegated to the NIT.

The Providence game, which was absolutely essential for the Wildcats to maintain any at-large hopes at all, was no cakewalk. Before the game, Providence had not yet secured a spot in the Big East Tournament, and was only locked into the last seed Sunday with DePaul's loss to Pittsburgh.

The Friars put up a good fight, keeping it close much of the game, but in the end the Wildcats were too talented. Villanova won by getting to the line often, and the Wildcats enjoyed 16 more free-throw attempts than the host Friars.

Check out Villanova by the Numbers for a lengthy post-game analysis and thoughts on the game.

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

Next up for the Wildcats is by far the biggest game of the season, a date with Syracuse in the first round of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. The Wildcats and Orange will open the BET on Wednesday at noon in the tournament's very first game. As mentioned, the winner of the game will likely hear its name called one week from now on Selection Sunday, and the loser will probably read about its high NIT seed on the Internet shortly thereafter.


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

• Dwayne Anderson (S, 40- min)

  Anderson played nearly the entire game, and it's a good thing he did, because he was definitely the game's most outstanding player.. Dwayne led the team in points, with 17, and in rebounds, with 11. He was 4-10 from the field, but just 1-7 from the three. He was excellent from the foul line, shooting 8-10. Anderson also led the Wildcats in steals (4) and co-led the team with 4 assists. He committed just one turnover.
  Grade: A-




• Dante Cunningham (S, 36 min)

  Cunningham played for all but 4 minutes on Saturday. He struggled on offense, shooting just 2-8, and from the foul line where he made just 3 of 7 attempts. He did grab 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block, but turned the ball over 3 times as well.
  Grade: C




• Scottie Reynolds (S, 34 min)

  Reynolds also logged major minutes against Providence with 34. If the Wildcats have the good fortune to make a run in the Big East Tournament, can Reynolds run 35 minutes per game, playing every day? Jay Wright might be forced to (gasp!) play one of his two talented freshman point guards more than planned if Reynolds needs a breather. My opinion is that Reynolds can go as much as needed, but time will tell. Against Providence, Reynolds had a quiet game. He scored 10 points on reasonable 3-8 shooting, including 2-6 from the three-point line. He was a perfect 2-2 from the foul line. He committed 3 turnovers but passed for 3 assists, as well.
  Grade: B-




• Corey Stokes (21 min)

  After going 0-5 from the three against the Bulls, Stokes was slightly better at Providence, shooting 3-9. He shot 5-11 from the field overall to finish with 13 points, second on the team. He added 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers, and a steal.
  Grade: B-





• Reggie Redding (19 min)

  Redding saw the bulk of the relief minutes at the guard spot against the Friars. He was a perfect 1-1 from the field and 2-2 from the line to score 4 points. He had 1 assist but turned the ball over 2 times.
  Grade: C




• Shane Clark (18 min)

  Clark returned back to earth, as expected, after his dominating offensive performance against USF. Facing the 12th-best team in the conference instead of the 15th-best team, Clark did not do much from the field (1-3) or the three (0-2), but did turn in an excellent performance from the free-throw line, where he went 8-8. He had 4 rebounds and 2 blocks, but did turn the ball over 3 times.
  Grade: C+




• Corey Fisher (S, 15 min)

  Fisher only saw 15 minutes of action against the Friars. He shot 2-5 from the field to score 6, and finally seemed to have found his three-point stroke, as he was 2-3 from behind the arc. He rounded out his box score with 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Look for a big game from Fisher Wednesday as the 'Cats search for an answer to Jonny Flynn.
  Grade: B-




• Antonio Pena (S, 15 min)

  Pena played an efficient 15 minutes, shooting 2-3 from the field and 2-2 from the foul line to score 6. He grabbed 3 rebounds, and passed for 2 assists. He committed 1 turnover. Pena's scoring will be needed against Syracuse, so look for him to take a few more shots in the Garden on Wednesday.
  Grade: B-




• Malcolm Grant (2 min)

  Grant saw just 2 minutes of floort time at Providence. Hopefully Grant will be given more playing time in his hometown this week at Madison Square Garden. Wouldn't a Malcolm Grant explosion in the Garden be welcome as the 'Cats punch their dance card? Well, one can dream, anyway.
  Grade: Incomplete





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

Villanova dismisses Providence

Villanova 82
Providence 73
(box score)

Providence: 13-6 (3-3 BE)
Villanova: 13-5 (14-5, 3-3 BE, 3-0 B5)

Next game: at Notre Dame, 01/27 @ The Joyce Center.

The dreaded "letdown" after beating two ranked teams at home is always possible, especially when your team travels to the Dunkin' Donuts Center for a game against the tough Providence Friars. Thankfully, no such letdown occurred, and the 'Cats won their third straight game, four out of their last five.

Victory tonight came sloppily for the Wildcats, who committed 19 turnovers. Villanova did force the Friars into 22 turnovers of their own, however. The 'Cats shooting was fairly good at 53.3 percent from the field, but Providence shot an even-better 55.3 percent. Villanova won the battle of the boards by a 33-23 margin.

The win pulled Villanova to an even 3-3 in conference play. Next up for the Wildcats is a grudge match against Notre Dame in South Bend, on Saturday. If Villanova manages a win there, the team will certainly be ranked in the top 25 come Monday afternoon.

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

• Scottie Reynolds (S, 40 min)

  Reynolds has officially taken the team onto his shoulders. He is the floor leader of the Wildcats and the team's best scorer. He scored 20 -- leading the team -- on good shooting. Reynolds was 7-14 from the field, including 2-4 from the three. He shot 4-5 from the foul line. Reynolds also led the team in assists, with 6, and pulled in 3 rebounds. One eye-popping stat was his 9 turnovers, but a few of those were charging calls that were dubious at best. Reynolds played a great game aside from the turnovers, which plagued both teams tonight.
  Grade: B+




• Mike Nardi (S, 39 min)

  Nardi has really found his stroke. This was his best scoring game of the new year. Mike shot a blazing 7-10 from the field, including an excellent 5-6 from the three-point line, for 19 points total. He had 4 assists and 2 rebounds. He committed 3 turnovers, including a crucial misdirected inbounds pass during crunch time, but otherwise had a good game.
  Grade: B+




• Reggie Redding (30 min)

  Redding had his best game of the season tonight. He played tenacious defense in his career-high 30 minutes, leading the team in steals with 4. He also had 3 rebounds and an assist to go with his 5 points. What's more, he looked fantastic in breaking the Friars' press, and had zero turnovers even while facing Providence's cranked-up pressure defense. He still hasn't found his three-point shot (0-3), but watch out when he does.
  Grade: B+




• Shane Clark (S, 27 min)

  Clark had a solid all-around game tonight, doing a little bit of everything. He shot 5-10 from the field, scoring 11 points. He also co-led the team in rebounds with 6. He added a steal, an assist, and committed 2 turnovers in his 27 minutes. His 0-4 three-point shooting tonight leaves a lot to be desired, but Clark is getting it done where it counts, on the defensive end. One adjustment that could be made is to not channel the ball to Clark in the press-breaking defense, as his dribbling ability is a liability against a pressure defense.
  Grade: B-
  
  

• Will Sheridan (S, 23 min)

  Sheridan shared the team lead for rebounds, pulling in 6, but was very quiet from the offensive end. Will shot 2-7 for 4 points, and grabbed 2 steals while committing just 1 turnover. All in all a solid but quiet game for Sheridan.
  Grade: C+




• Dante Cunningham (S, 17 min)

  Cunningham's minutes tonight were severely limited by early foul trouble. Nonetheless, Dante was able to put up some decent numbers in his 17 minutes. He scored 13 points on efficient 5-7 shooting, and grabbed 5 rebounds. He continues to lead the team in steals for the season, adding 2 tonight. He also had a spectacular block. Dante is by far our best low-post player, and his skills should come in handy for the post-season run.
  Grade: B




• Curtis Sumpter (16 min)

  Sumpter returned to action tonight after sitting out the last game with a bruised leg. The injury does not seem to have fully healed, as Sumpter was limping up and down the court and was very limited in his lateral motion. His offensive game was sharp as he scored 7 points on 3-5 shooting, including a beautiful three pointer. His defensive prowess, however, suffered, no doubt due to the injured leg.
  Grade: C+




• Casiem Drummond (7 min)

  Casiem's efforts were fairly quiet in his 7 minutes of play. He scored 3 points on 1-1 shooting, and added a rebound, an assist, a steal, and a turnover. His defense looked good.
  Grade: C




• Incomplete grades:
  Bilal Benn (1 min).



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