Villanova survives Rutgers scare

Rutgers 72
Villanova 82
(box score)

#13 Villanova: 21-5 (9-4 BE)
Rutgers: 10-16 (1-12 BE)


Villanova avoided what could have been a soul-crushing defeat on Thursday by barely closing out the hapless Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a game that was much closer than many predicted.

Corey Fisher helped save the Wildcats with excellent bursts of play from off the bench, where he inexplicably spent most of his time during the game.

Maybe the Jay-Wright-apologists among our readers here can explain why Wright would -- for the majority of the game -- bench a player who had 14 points on 4-5 shooting, 3 assists, 0 turnovers in his limited and non-contiguous court time. Especially coming off a game in West Virginia where he was just about the only Wildcat to show up. I certainly have no idea.

To me, it seems like the opposite of what a coach would want to do.

Maybe if Wright spent less time worrying about whether his assistants' suits are tailored, and more time studying the game of basketball, Villanova wouldn't have been taken to the brink by a Rutgers team that lost by the same 10 points to a team called "Binghamton." At home, no less.

We'll have to hope GreyCat of Villanova by the Numbers generates some plus-minus data for this game, but I'd wager the numbers were heavily positive when Fisher was on the floor.

To me, giving Reggie Redding 28 minutes, and Shane Clark 23, while the best player on the team was glued to the bench is an insult not only to Fisher, but to Villanova fans watching the game.

The backlash against Wright's decisions is not only coming from my keyboard. Many posts on Rivals' Villanova message board also criticized Wright's playing-time allocations, some far more harshly than in the views expressed here.

Wright's stubborn and illogical coaching didn't cost Villanova the win -- this time. But when the Wildcats can't put away a truly awful Rutgers team in the Pavilion while Wright keeps his hottest player on bench, you know the team in its current incarnation is not ready for the Big East and NCAA tournaments.

Villanova is enjoying an excellent position right now, as the Wildcats are all but a lock for the NCAA tournament and are jockeying for a high seed. I just don't want to see it become all for nothing in March because the Wildcats' best talent is sitting on the bench.

When and how Wright's poor coaching will ultimately end Villanova's season is not yet known -- but trust me, unless something changes radically between now and next month, it surely will.

Congratulations to reader "Mills" 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, 33 min)

  Reynolds led the team in scoring again, and along with Fisher and Stokes, totally bailed Villanova out of what could have been a disaster. He shot 5-11 from the field to score 21 points. He was a cold 1-4 from the three, but an outstanding 10-11 from the foul line. Being asked to handle the point for most of the game, he had 6 assists, but also committed 4 turnovers. He added 2 steals. I think Reynolds would be much better off playing the 2, but it's clear he is one of the best players in the Big East regardless.
  Grade: A-




• Dante Cunningham (S, 31 min)

  Seventeen shots is too many for Cunningham, even if he is trying to do his best Curtis Sumpter impression. Dante's game is efficient offense, power rebounding, menacing defense, and running the floor well. If he does play professional basketball, it will be for those reasons. It will not be because he has "developed" an unreliable jump-shot from 17 feet. Cunningham made 5 of the 17 shots, and rounded out his box score with 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 1 steal, and 1 block.
  Grade: C-




• Dwayne Anderson (S, 31 min)

  I am a big fan of Anderson's hustle game, but no way should he ever be shooting 3-11 from the field -- including a disastrous 0-4 from the three. The six rebounds were nice, but he should have been looking to pass a bit more often. In a perfect world, Villanova would start Cunningham, Anderson, Redding, Reynolds, and Fisher, and let opponents try to deal with the Wildcats' speed and scoring.
  Grade: C-




• Reggie Redding (28 min)

  Not Redding's best game. He shot 1-1 from the field, which was nice, but didn't do much of anything on offense. Is Redding's defense that much better than Fisher's, to sacrifice 28 minutes of offense? I don't think so. He added 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, and 2 steals. The 2 steals were nice, and I still think Redding should be starting. I just don't understand the rotation the way Wright has implemented it.
  Grade: C-




• Shane Clark (S, 23 min)

  Clark was not too much of a liability on the offensive end. He shot 3-5 to score 6 points and was generally quiet and ineffective. He only managed to get 2 rebounds in 23 minutes, or 1 more than Corey Fisher had in 19. He was bad on defense, a step slow and repeatedly in the wrong spot. I just don't see what he did to earn 3 minutes against RU, much less 23. But maybe we shouldn't question Wright's genius: after all, we did win the game.
  Grade: D+
  
  

• Corey Stokes (22 min)

  Stokes was scorching from the field, shooting 6-9 and 5-7 from the three to score 17 points. Why did he only get 22 minutes, when fellow swingmen Shane Clark and Reggie Redding both got more? Another Villanova playing time mystery! The only negative about Stokes's offensive game on Thursday was that he did not reach the foul line. But, man, what a shooting night he had. Stokes also had 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 turnover, and 2 steals. Villanova's future success looks very much tied to the Corey and Corey show -- if only they could get off the bench. It's telling that the two players who received "A" grades here managed to combine for just 41 minutes, when it should be more like 70.
  Grade: A





• Corey Fisher (19 min)

  See the main post above. Fisher was dominating in his brief appearance in the Rutgers game. He was unguardable, and the fastest player on the court by a significant margin. He brought explosiveness and unlimited upside to the offense. He handled the ball flawlessly. He was not -- unlike Clark and Redding -- a liability on defense. Fourteen points, 4-5 shooting, 4-4 from the line, 3 assists, 1 rebound, and ZERO turnovers -- what does this add up to? For Wright, it's 19 on-and-off minutes and a well-worn spot on the bench.
  Grade: A
  
  

• Antonio Pena (9 min)

  When I opened my fridge this morning, I saw Pena's face on a milk carton. The headline was "Missing: Have You Seen This Forward?"
  Grade: D+




• Frank Tchuisi (S, 2 min)

  Frank got the start on senior night, which was a nice gesture. I am sure he has worked very diligently in practice during his four years on the team, but it is a shame that Jay Wright could not teach Tchuisi enough not to be a complete disaster on the court after all these years. Tchuisi has size and appears reasonably athletic, so his total basketball incompetence speaks volumes about Wright's teaching skills, or lack thereof. Against Rutgers, Tchuisi committed two fouls in two minutes, and was promptly sent to the bench. Forget incomplete, I've seen enough for a grade.
  Grade: F





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



• Did not play: Maurice Sutton (RS).

Villanova faces Rutgers tonight

#12 Villanova (20-5) vs. Rutgers (10-15)
9:00 p.m., 19 February 2009 at the Pavilion

TV: ESPN2

Line: Villanova -18

Villanova returns to the Pavilion tonight to face a struggling Rutgers team in another Big East game. Though Rutgers blew out the Wildcats last year at the RAC, Villanova is strongly favored to win this one easily.

It's senior night on campus, so expect a starting lineup of Dante Cunningham, Frank Tchuisi, Dwayne Anderson, Shane Clark, and probably Scottie Reynolds. Though no game in the Big East should be easy, the Rutgers game is the perfect night to tolerate a little ceremony, given Villanova's huge edge to get the win.

Rutgers is 1-11 in conference play, with the Scarlet Knights' sole victory coming over 0-13 DePaul. Their best win on the entire year is a 4-point victory over Robert Morris at the RAC three months ago.

Villanova by the Numbers runs its usual quantitative preview. I Bleed Blue and White outlines the keys to the game. Ed from 1977 fills in at vacationing VUHoops for a preview column. Nova News is back with its usually thorough preview. Villanova Viewpoint pens an open letter to "the Wildcat faithful."

KenPom predicts an 18-point Villanova win at home, with a 95 percent chance of victory. The betting line is also sitting at 18.

You can try to guess the game's final score in the comment thread, below. The closest guess wins a mention in the next article. If you'd like to win something tangible, like an actual Villanova folder from last year's tournament run, enter Let's Go Nova's tournament contest.

MELTDOWN 'Nova embarrassed by winless Rutgers in blowout Big East loss

Rutgers 80
Villanova 68
(box score)
(ESPN video highlights)

Rutgers: 9-11 (1-6 BE)
#18 Villanova: 13-4 (3-3 BE, 3-0 B5)

Next game: vs. Notre Dame, 01/26 at the Wachovia Center.

The wheels came off for Villanova tonight.

The Wildcats suffered easily their worst loss of the Jay Wright era, getting blown out by a Rutgers team that was previously winless in conference play, and widely regarded as one of the worst teams in Division 1 basketball.

When all is said and done this year, the loss may rank as the one of the worst in school history.

It's difficult to describe just how bad this loss is. The defeat will no doubt have huge implications for Villanova's NCAA Tournament hopes. The Wildcats can also kiss their #18 ranking in both major polls goodbye, as the team is sure to drop out of the top 25 regardless of what happens against Notre Dame on Saturday.

Granted, Villanova is a young team still trying to come together, and bad losses can be expected to emerge from inexperience. This loss doesn't end the season, and the 'Cats may yet achieve great things in 2008 and beyond. I don't know if anyone, however, thought this team could lose to Rutgers.

Rutgers entered the game on a 6-game losing streak and with an RPI well in the 200s. Previously in the season, Rutgers had lost to teams like St. Peter's, Nebraska, and Rider, with that last loss coming at home. Before giving DePaul a scare in Chicago last weekend, Rutgers failed to score more than 50 points in four of its last five games.

The NJ Institute of Technology, with its 0-20 record and RPI of 335, held Rutgers to just 65 points and a 10-point victory last month. Villanova allowed Rutgers 80 points and lost by 12. NJIT doesn't even have a conference to call home in Division 1 and still outperformed VIllanova against the common opponent.

Villanova started off the game flat, as usual, and fell behind by 14 after five minutes, with the scoreboard showing the ridiculous number of 16-2 at the 15:08 mark.

While Villanova wound up trailing by eight at the half, many Wildcat fans might have expected a come-from-behind victory similar to those against LSU, DePaul, Syracuse, and Bucknell.

The Wildcats, however, had other plans. Villanova showed no signs of life whatsoever until the 5:11 mark of the second half, when Jay Wright mercifully and magnanimously deemed it finally suitable to substitute in Malcolm Grant, with the team trailing by a whopping 18 points.

Grant, who had been benched much of the second half for reasons only known to Wright, proceeded to score 17 consecutive points in just over a two-minute stretch for the Wildcats. Unfortunately, even Malcolm Grant's late-game heroics were too little, too late (this time) to overcome the inexplicable playing-time decisions meted out by his coach.

Villanova went through a scoring drought that lasted 9:45, fifteen seconds short of a full quarter of a game. Can you imagine a team in high school or the NBA getting shut out for an entire quarter? The Wildcats were stuck on the laughable total of 39 points from the 16:12 mark all the way until 6:27 in the second half.

Despite Villanova's complete inability to score during that nearly 10-minute long stretch, Jay Wright thought it prudent to sit Malcolm Grant for all but three minutes of the Wildcat scoring drought.

I must say that while I believe Jay Wright is a good coach who generally has the program going in the right direction, I completely disagree with the way Wright managed his players' court time tonight.

Grant, easily one of Villanova's best scorers, was given just 18 minutes in the game, including a mere seven minutes in the second half. The under-use of Malcolm Grant has become a major theme for this season, and has been chronicled in this space time and time again.

It almost seems as if Jay Wright won't unleash Grant until it's too late for him to make a difference. Grant overcame those odds against LSU and DePaul, but why on earth would Wright sit Grant for 13 minutes in the crucial second half?

Wright even yanked Malcolm off the court after seven minutes in the first half, despite the fact that Malcolm was 1-1 from the field and had accounted for fully one-third of the team's total points.

Wright played Grant just 18 minutes while giving the thoroughly ineffective Shane Clark 24 minutes tonight. Wright also decided to give Corey Stokes, at this point a major project, 26 minutes and Grant's starting spot to open the second half.

Reggie Redding got just three minutes less than Grant despite scoring 23 fewer points and shooting a combined 1-6 from the field and foul line.

If you look at the box score, you might note that Malcolm Grant fouled out, and think that perhaps that was the reason he only saw 18 minutes. Think again. Four of Grant's fouls came with under four minutes to play in the game, and three of his fouls were committed under the two-minute mark, as the Wildcats were forced to try to get back the ball.

All in all, it was a terrible loss for the Wildcats and a poor performance by Jay Wright, who was in my opinion outfoxed tonight by his former assistant, Fred Hill. The 'Cats looked ill-prepared for the game, and did not seem to exhibit any hustle whatsoever on the defensive end.

Villanova's perimeter defense was poor, its offense was anemic, and its heart nowhere to be found outside of Malcolm Grant. The team really only played the last five minutes of the game, but by then, it was too late.

I would say it is time to move on and focus on Notre Dame for Saturday, but this is the type of loss that cannot be forgotten, even with a good victory later in the week.

A win over the Irish would be a good start to get the Wildcats back on track, but make no mistake about it, this loss sets the team and perhaps even the program back immeasurably.

"Congratulations" to reader Tony for most closely predicting the game's final score. Tony's guess was a total of 20 points off the final score, and still was the closest prediction for the game.

Next up for Villanova is Notre Dame, Saturday at noon at the Wachovia Center.

Let's move on to the player grades, which tonight are not for the faint of heart. "READ MORE" below for player performance grades and analysis.

• Scottie Reynolds (S, 37 min)

  Reynolds struggled mightily from the field tonight, shooting a comical 5-19, including 1-9 from the three. Can you really blame him, however, for taking all those shots when the rest of the team was equally inept on offense, and the one player who might have bailed him out was languishing needlessly on the bench for most of the game? It was a below-average effort for Scottie, though, without a doubt. Reynolds seemed unable to break free of a Rutgers defensive scheme that keyed on the sophomore guard. Scottie finished with 16 points, second best on the team. A bright spot for Reynolds tonight was his free-throw shooting, where he went 5-6. Another positive were his 3 steals, tied for tops on the team. Reynolds grabbed 2 rebounds and committed 2 turnovers. He gets a C- for carrying most of the scoring load while Grant was on the bench, but that might even be a tad generous.
  Grade: C-
  
  

• Dante Cunningham (S, 32 min)

  Cunningham was mostly ineffective tonight despite shooting a decent 4-8 from the field to score 9 points. Cunningham was denied on the boards, picking up just 4 rebounds, including only two offensive caroms in a game where the Wildcats shot a dismal 36.7 percent. Cunningham rounded out the box score with 2 turnovers, 2 blocks, and 3 steals. His grade would no doubt be higher with those same stats had the 'Cats not lost to probably the worst team in the all of the BCS conferences tonight.
  Grade: D+
  
  

• Corey Stokes (26 min)

  Stokes actually played one of his best games of the season, which regrettably is not saying much. Still, the freshman managed to shoot relatively well from the field (3-7), including 3-4 from the three to score 9 points. He also grabbed 7 rebounds, but committed 2 turnovers. On the downside, Stokes looked a step slow on defense, and still cannot handle the ball very well out on the perimeter. Stokes also shot one of the worst looking balls I have ever seen, air-balling a layup from point-blank range that missed the rim by perhaps five feet. Nonetheless, this has to be considered a positive game for the freshman project. It's too bad that Stokes's best game to date had to come in one of the worst losses in school history, but perhaps Stokes can build upon this performance going forward.
  Grade: C
  
  

• Shane Clark (S, 24 min)

  Clark put forth a dismal performance tonight, one of the worst by a Wildcat in recent memory. Clark shot 0-4 from the floor, including a miss on a crucial, wide-open three as Malcolm Grant attempted to rally the team very late in the game. Despite playing for 24 minutes for what can only presumably be his size, Clark grabbed just 2 rebounds. As bad as his offensive night was, his defense was far, far worse. Clark was slow getting up the court and slow getting back down. He gave his assignment on the perimeter all day to shoot the ball, and the Rutgers backcourt lit up the 'Cats for 46 points. I can see no justification as to why Clark played 4 minutes tonight, much less 24. Clark is a junior, a captain, and a leader on the team, but sometimes being a leader means taking a reduced role for the greater good. Here is that hoping Jay Wright realizes this before it's too late. In this writer's opinion, it is time for a drastic reduction in Clark's minutes.
  Grade: F
  
  

• Antonio Pena (S, 22 min)

  Pena rebounded well tonight, grabbing 8 for the most on the team, but that's about it. He was blanked from the field, shooting 0-6 for 0 points. He also committed a ridiculous 6 turnovers. Pena has shown flashes of brilliance, especially on the offensive end, but did not play well tonight.
  Grade: D-
  
  

• Reggie Redding (15 min)

  Redding could not get anything going tonight, and it shows in the box score. He shot 0-3 from the field and just 1-3 from the line to score a single point. He had just 1 rebound, and he had a steal. Redding played 15 ineffective minutes tonight, but I do feel like the 15-to 18 -minute range is appropriate for Redding going forward, as he generally is a much better contributor than he was in the RAC.
  Grade: F
  
  

• Corey Fisher (15 min)

  Fisher struggled offensively tonight despite shooting 3-4 from the field. In a game where the Wildcats desperately needed scoring from any source, Fisher was uncharacteristically quiet. Fisher scored just 6 points. He added 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers, just 1 assist, and no steals. I do think that he probably should have seen more than 15 minutes of playing time tonight, however.
  Grade: D+
  
  

• Malcolm Grant (S, 18 min)

  Grant has already been the comeback hero of the two games this season, and he came achingly close to pulling off what would have been his biggest miracle to date. Grant scored a ridiculous 17 straight points in a 2:15 stretch late in the second half. To put that in perspective, at that impossible pace Grant would have scored 302 points in 40 minutes. Much of the above of tonight's post has been dedicated to asking why Grant didn't see more court time, so let's just focus on what he did do in his 18 minutes. Grant shot 6-10 from the field, including 6-7 from the three to score 23 points. Grant made his first 5 attempted threes, and completed another 4-point play in the midst of his one-man rally. A few of Grant's late-game threes were heavily contested NBA-length shots, as well. Grant was 5-6 from the foul line. He had 1 rebound and 3 turnovers, and did not have any assists. To be fair, to whom was he supposed to pass the ball? No one else could find the rim tonight with a pair of binoculars and a GPS. It seems strange to give a player an A in one of the worst losses a team will ever experience, but there it is. Malcolm Grant should get at minimum 30 minutes per game going forward, and if he does not, expect a growing outcry from Villanova fans.
  Grade: A
  
  
  

• Dwayne Anderson (11 min)

  Anderson wasn't altogether terrible tonight but did not accomplish much, either. He was 1-1 from the field to score 2 points, and added 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 turnover. I do think Anderson has earned the right to play 8-10 minutes per game, but he couldn't really get the job done tonight in this awful loss.
  Grade: D+
  
  

• Incomplete grades: None.



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

'Cats head to RAC for Rutgers

@

#18 Villanova Wildcats (13-3, 3-2 BE) at
Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-11, 0-6 BE)

Date: Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Location: Rutgers University (Piscataway, NJ)
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Television: ESPNU

VBTN preview: Villanova at Rutgers
Rutgers coverage: The Star Ledger || Official site

Villanova travels to New Jersey on Wednesday night in hopes of continuing its winning streak at the expense of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, who own a sorry record of 0-6 in the Big East.

Statistically speaking, the Knights defend quite well, allowing under 67 points per game. The main reason Rutgers has struggled to an 8-11 start however, lies in its offense. Averaging a paltry 62.2 points per game, Rutgers has been held at or under 50 points a staggering four times in conference play. Additionally, the only game in which the Knights scored over 60 points came against DePaul, which has defensive issues of its own. Not one Scarlet Knight averages over 2.2 assists per game. This should be especially troublesome against the Wildcats' inconsistent but ever-improving trap defense, which should cause problems for Rutgers' ball handlers all game.

From a personnel standpoint, Rutgers is led by JR Inman (14.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and Anthony Farmer (11.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg). Highly touted freshman Corey Chandler is averaging 11.4 points in 23 minutes of action per game, but has folded offensively, shooting 29% in conference play. The Scarlet Knights also fail to capitalize on their missed shots, as they don't rebound well as a team. I fully expect 'Nova to outrun, out-hustle, out-rebound, and ultimately outscore Rutgers on its home court.

"READ MORE" below for the keys to the game and x-factors. If you'd like to predict the final score in our ongoing contest, or offer any insight on Villanova basketball, please do so in the comments section.

Keys to the game

First half play: The RAC is regarded as one of the loudest basketball venues in all of the Big East, and the students should be fired up to see the Knights take on a regionally prominent program in Villanova. 'Nova has relied on second-half comebacks far too often in conference play, and it would be nice if the 'Cats avoided stumbling out of the gate for two reasons:

• Crowd Factor -- If the visiting team can silence the home crowd, it goes a long way in helping the visiting team win. After 'Nova went up for good against Syracuse, the Carrier Dome crowd silenced, as did the Orange.

• Added confidence for Rutgers -- The longer the Scarlet Knights stay in the game, the more belief they will have that they actually can win the game. Rutgers is still looking for its first conference win, so denying the Knights any extra motivational factors is key

Contain Inman: JR has been Rutgers' main offensive threat much of the season, but he has struggled in Big East play. The one game in which he did produce, with 22 points on 9/13 shooting against DePaul, the Knights played their most competitive and balanced game of the season. Simply put: stop Inman and the rest of the anemic Rutgers offense will follow.

Get Shane on track: Offensively, Clark is experiencing shooting woes like never before, and one has to wonder if he is having confidence issues or if this is just another bad streak. His familiarity with tough conference games will do nothing but help the underclassmen when he is on the floor. Additionally, Reynolds has averaged 26 points over his last three games and Cunningham has put up 4 double-doubles this season. Going forward, Villanova would benefit if Clark can shoulder some of the offensive and rebounding burdens.


X-factors

Bench players: This may be a game that Coach Wright can afford to give big minutes to Grant, Redding, Stokes, and Anderson, given the strength of the Wildcats' opponent. As we have seen in games such as the 'Cuse-G'town grinder on Tuesday, experience plays a huge role in conference games, so it is important these 'Cats get on the court and log some solid minutes.

Casiem Drummond: No word yet on how soon Casiem will be back in the lineup. Villanova.com lists his injury as day-to-day after Drummond tested it out in limited action versus DePaul. According to the same press release, his DNP in the Syracuse game is not an indication of a re-aggravation, but instead of continued monitoring with a side of caution.

Villanova cruises vs. Rutgers

Villanova 74
Rutgers 51

• box score

Rutgers: 9-18 (10-18, 3-12 BE)
Villanova: 18-9 (19-9, 7-7 BE, 4-0 B5)

Next game: at Connecticut , 02/28 @Gampel Pavilion.

It was senior night at the Pavilion, but a freshman stole the show in Villanova's easy win over Big East bottom-dweller Rutgers on Saturday. Villanova rookie Scottie Reynolds put on an absolute clinic in the first half, scoring a point per minute and pouring in five threes. Reynolds looked like he was playing at a different speed than everyone else, although that is now becoming a familiar sight. It was all but over by half-time, when the 'Cats took a 45-18 lead into the locker room. The Scarlet Knights were horrendous at the start of the game. It took Rutgers 8 minutes just to get its first field goal.

Rutgers played much better in the second half, actually outscoring the 'Cats by 4. The game's outcome, however, was never in question, and Villanova cruised to the win.

The win over Rutgers does not really improve the Wildcats' NCAA Tournament resume. A loss, however, would have been disastrous. Villanova still needs at least one more win in its final two games at UConn and vs. Syracuse to be on the safe side of the bubble, depending on what happens in the Big East Tournament. Winning out those two games would move the 'Cats to the absolute lock category. If the Wildcats lose the next two (not as unlikely as it seems), they will either have to make a run in New York City, or place their fates in the hands of the committee, or both. If the season ended today, however, Villanova would be solidly in, and it would take a tremendous collapse at this point for the 'Cats to go 0-3 and play themselves out of the NCAAs.

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

• Mike Nardi (S, 36 min)

  It seems like it's been forever since Nardi made his Pavilion debut at "Hoops Mania" three-and-a-half years ago, and yet it feels like it's too soon to say that he has played his last minutes on Villanova's campus. Barring an unlikely collapse to the NIT, however, Nardi and the three other Villanova seniors indeed have played their last games at the Pavilion.
  
  Nardi went out on a high note. Rebounding from his sub-par performance in Milwaukee, Mike played well and seemed to have fun out there, too. He dished out a team-high 7 assists, scored 11 points on 3-7 shooting, and was a perfect 4-4 from the foul line. Nardi even managed to drain a three, the last of his many Pavilion longballs.
  
  It's interesting, also, to note that Jay Wright moved Nardi back on the ball Saturday. Was the decision to give the point back to Nardi based on the competition, or the fact that it was senior night? Or was it a legitimate strategy shift that will carry forward for the rest of the season? I'm not sure either way. Nardi handled the ball well, turning it over only once. And Reynolds sure was spectacular playing off the ball. But will Jay stick with Nardi handling the ball against more athletic defenses? My guess is no, but it is an option.
  Grade: B




• Scottie Reynolds (34 min)

  Jay Wright moved Reynolds off the ball Saturday, and the dividends were measured in swishes. Reynolds scored 25 points, including 20 in the first half before Jay called off the dogs. He was simply unstoppable. You read it here first: Scottie's performance Saturday just locked up his Big East Freshman of the Year award. Reynolds shot well from the field, 8-14, and perfect from the foul line at 3-3. Reynolds is now 36 for his last 39 free throws. I know who I want at the stripe with the season on the line this March. Scottie added 3 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. He committed 2 turnovers, and had a block. Reynolds is going to be the 'Cats' primary weapon in any NCAA Tournament run that is in the cards.
  Grade: A




• Curtis Sumpter (S, 28 min)

  Sumpter also said goodbye to the Pavilion, his basketball home for the past five years. He put in a balanced performance Saturday. Sumpter scored 13 points on 5-11 shooting. He was 1-3 from the three and 2-2 from the free throw line. He led the team in rebounds, with 8, and blocks with 2. He had 1 steal and committed 2 turnovers. Sumpter is a much better player when he does not have to be the primary offensive focus, and the team's results this year reflect that. It was a very good game for Curtis's last in the "ski lodge."
  Grade: B




• Will Sheridan (S, 24 min)

  Bump went out with a bang Saturday, putting in an efficient, mistake-free effort. Sheridan was 2-3 from the field for 4 points. He grabbed 3 rebounds in 24 minutes, and did not commit any turnovers. He also added 1 steal. Not eye-popping numbers by any means, but much better than some recent performances. His defense in the interior was fairly strong, but he did not have any blocks.
  Grade: B-




• Dante Cunningham (24 min)

  Dante looked solid out there Saturday. He scored 12 points on 3-10 shooting, which is half his season field goal percentage. He was, however, a fantastic 6-6 from the foul line. Cunningham added 5 rebounds off the bench, and co-led the team in steals with 2. He did commit 2 turnovers, but his aggressive defense made up for it.
  Grade: B-




• Shane Clark (S, 20 min)

  Clark continues to start, and no one really knows why. He did play fairly well Saturday, however. Shane notched 7 points on 2-6 shooting, including 1 three pointer. He was 2-4 from the foul line. Clark pulled in 6 boards, and added an assists and a steal to go with his 2 turnovers.
  Grade: C+
  
  

• Reggie Redding (11 min)

  Redding did not do much offensively in his 11 minutes on the floor, but he did play solid defense. Reggie had 2 rebounds and a block. I'd really like to see him get his shot going before the post-season, so he can become another weapon on the perimeter.
  Grade: C




• Bilal Benn (8 min)

  Benn had an assist, a turnover, and a steal in his 8 minutes. He played solid defense.
  Grade: C+




• Ross Condon (S, 6 min)

  Condon started Saturday as part of the senior night festivities. A walk-on, Condon has been a valuable member of the team for four years, especially on the practice floor, where he helped hone the talents of NBA guards Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry, Allan Ray. He was a bit unlucky during the actual game tonight, going 0-4 from the field after finally getting the green light to take some shots. Ross faced the real possibility of being shut out on his senior night until Rutgers coach and former Villanova assistant Fred Hill instructed his team to foul Condon with 24 seconds left. It was a classy move on Hill's part to get Condon to the line, and Ross sank both free throws to get on the board in his last game at the Pavilion. The second made free throw also allowed Coach Wright to sub out Condon on the dead ball to a boisterous standing ovation. Condon was active all over the floor in his 6 minutes. He grabbed two rebounds and co-led the team with 2 steals.
  Grade: B




• Incomplete grades:
  Casiem Drummond (4 min), Dwayne Anderson (3 min), Frank Tchuisi (2 min).



• Did not play:
  Andrew Ott (RS), Antonio Pena (RS).