Stokes shines as 'Cats cruise past Queen's

Villanova was never threatened today in its second exhibition game in Canada, and the Wildcats posted an easy 73-43 win against Queen's University today at Carleton's "Ravens' Nest" gymnasium.

Villanova jumped out to a 23-2 lead and never looked back. The 'Cats took a 44-16 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The game was the first of a crosstown doubleheader today. Villanova will take on the University of Ottawa on its campus tonight at 7 p.m.

Villanova's official site posts a lengthy game recap. No box score is yet available.

The freshman guard Corey Stokes led the Wildcats with 17 points in 38 minutes. Stokes also had 7 rebounds.

Today's game featured an unusual starting lineup of Stokes, freshman Malcolm Grant, sophomore Dwayne Anderson, and redshirt freshmen Antonio Pena and Andrew Ott.

After the game, Jay Wright said his goal was to get a look at his younger, inexperienced players:

We decided coming in that we wanted to get a great look at our young guys. With two games in one day, we looked at this as an opportunity to test our younger players. I thought they responded well, especially on defense.

Scottie Reynolds, Reggie Redding, Shane Clark, and Dante Cunningham did not see any action against Queen's University. All are expected to play significant minutes tonight against Ottawa, according to the recap on Villanova.com.

Stokes was not the only Wildcat to impress. Sophomore center Casiem Drummon posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Redshirt freshman Andrew Ott looked sharp with 7 points and 9 rebounds.

Freshman guard Malcolm Grant contributed 14 points and a team-high 4 assists, and swingman Dwayne Anderson had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Antonio Pena, the other redshirt freshman big man, put in 10 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in a strong performance.

After the game, Jay Wright called his team unselfish and said he is excited about the Villanova's prospects for the year.

The Wildcats next face the University of Ottawa tonight at 7 p.m.

'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.