'Nova falls to Kansas

This is old news by now, but Villanova lost by 15 to Kansas in the Sweet 16.

This brings to an end what has to be considered a successful season for the Wildcats, especially considering their mid-season struggles. I think any Villanova fan would have taken a Sweet 16 run at the start of this season, and if you told me in early February the 'Cats would make the second weekend, I'd have been thrilled.

This site will continue to post news and opinions on Villanova basketball through the offseason and into next year.

Questions from a Kansas fan

Cory over at Rock Chalk Talk e-mailed me this week with a list of questions about this year's Villanova team and my take on the game.

(Also see NovaFan09's keys to the Villanova-Kansas game.)

Below is a transcript of the questions and answers, with Cory's questions in the blockquotes and my responses in normal text. I sent Cory a list of questions about Kansas, which I hope to also publish before the game.

1. Going into Selection Sunday, you guys were certainly on the bubble. In fact, I actually had you guys as my last team out, putting in Arizona State instead. So, on Selection Sunday did you expect to get into the Dance, or were you on the edge of your seat all day long waiting for the news?

We actually held a week-long bubble vigil on the site. After several important games went our way, I was fairly certain that with a split in the two Sunday title games (SEC and B10), Villanova would be in. We got the split and got one of the last spots in. It certainly was a little close for comfort, but personally I was fairly confident going into the selection show, if only because I spent most of the week prior analyzing the bubble to a degree far beyond even the traditional sports media

2. Scottie Reynolds is clearly the star of the Villanova Wildcats, but who else should Jayhawk fans watch out for?

Freshman guards Corey Fisher (#10) and Corey Stokes (#24) could each go off. Fisher is a penetrating point guard who loves to get to the rim, while Stokes is a jump shooter. I would also suggest junior Dante Cunningham (#33), Villanova's best interior player, but Kansas's dominating front line should keep him in check. If Villanova gets down big time, you might watch out for freshman guard Malcolm Grant (#3). Grant single-handedly won Villanova the LSU game in December, which was one of the biggest comebacks in college basketball history.

3. What is the Wildcats' biggest strength as a team? In other words, if the Wildcats pull off the upset Friday night and beat KU, it will be because of...what?

Guard play and defense are by far the team's best attributes. The only way Villanova beats the Jayhawks is if at least two guards explode and the Wildcats play good shut-down defense. Villanova cannot compete with Kansas's big men, but I like the Wildcats' chances if the game is a shootout between the guards.

4. On the same thread as #3; What is the Wildcats' biggest weakness?

The two biggest weaknesses for Villanova are interior offense and scoring droughts. When the guards are not hitting their jumpshots or dribble drives, the team can go long stretches without scoring, as there is little to no interior offense to speak of. Lately, fouls have also been troublesome for the Wildcats.

5. Entering the season, and for much of the non-conference portion of the schedule, you guys were ranked and were fully expected to make the tournament. However, after your five-game losing streak, most expected you to be left out on Selection Sunday, and even if you snuck in to bow out in the first round. Given the high expectations entering the season, as well as the mid-year struggle, would you consider this season a success now that you are in the Sweet 16? Or did you expect to get this far all season long?

Looking at teams like Duke, Clemson, USC, and Vanderbilt, it's pretty clear to me that any time you make it to the Sweet 16, it is a success. To take it a step further, most fans considered the season successful when we made the NCAA Tournament, especially considering the mid-season struggles. Villanova has no seniors, so everyone should be coming back next year. Four straight NCAA trips and three Sweet 16s in the past four years sets the stage nicely for further postseason contention down the line. I can understand that for a team ranked all year in the top 5, like Kansas this year and Villanova in 2006, a Sweet 16 exit would be a bit troublesome, but this year for the Wildcats, we are happy to just be there.

6. How does the loss of Casiem Drummond, who broke his right ankle on Sunday and will be out for the season, affect Villanova?

The only real effect Drummond's injury has will be the front-court depth in terms of fouls to give. Drummond looked great early in the year before sustaining a stress fracture in December. With Drummond gone for the Kansas game, Villanova will have 5 fewer fouls to give in the frontcourt, but he was not a part of our recent rotation.

7. One last question: What do you see happening on Friday night?

The most likely outcome is a Kansas win, of course. If both teams play to their talent level, Kansas should win. But Villanova is one of the strongest 12-seeds in tournament history, and has the talent to run with anyone in the country. If 'Nova's guards get hot and the threes are falling, an upset would not be out of the question.

'Nova-Kansas inspires strange cartoon

Not sure what to make of this, but here you go. I saw this unusual animation on YouTube tonight. I think it predicts a Villanova victory.

Also, Villanova's mascot appears to be some kind of bear, and I am pretty sure the sign should read "Elite 8," not "Sweet 16."

For a more substantive look at tonight's game, be sure to check out NovaFan09's Villanova-Kansas preview, and predict the final score in the comments section.

Jay Wright talks with Mike and Mad Dog

Villanova coach Jay Wright appeared today on the popular WFAN (New York) drive-time sports radio show hosted by Mike Francesa and the "Mad Dog," Chris Russo.

Wright discussed Villanova's first two games in the NCAA Tournament, including the Wildcats' comeback vs. Clemson and Wright's late-game technical foul.

Wright also talked about the healing injuries of Dwayne Anderson and Reggie Redding, and discusses Villanova's prospects in tomorrow night's game against Kansas.

Wright said his team's key to the game tomorrow was to respond to the runs that Kansas will inevitably make. Wright also cited the importance of freshmen Corey Stokes and Corey Fisher to score when the Jayhawks focus on Villanova star Scottie Reynolds.

You can download an MP3 of the 12-minute interview directly from WFAN.

TV coverage map for Villanova-Kansas

A coverage map for CBS's broadcast of tomorrow night's Villanova-Kansas Sweet 16 game is now available.

Villanova-Kansas will be the preferred game for most of the nation, including all of the Northeast. The game will be given "constant" status in southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey, Delaware, Kansas, and Missouri.

If you live in New York City, you should see the game unless CBS decides the Memphis-MSU game is more compelling.

The game can also be viewed online for free via March Madness On Demand.

See below for the coverage map. You may click on the map to enlarge it.

'Nova hopes to upset top-seed Kansas in Sweet 16

vs.

12-seed Villanova Wildcats (22-12) vs.

1-seed Kansas Jayhawks (33-3)

Date: Friday, March 28, 2008
Location: Detroit, Michigan (Ford Field)
Time: Approx. 9:40 p.m. EDT
Television: CBS

Kansas coverage: PhogBlog | Rock Chalk Talk

In mid-January, who would have thought that the Villanova Wildcats would have a chance to upset a 1-seed in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament? That will exactly be the case on Friday, when the Wildcats square off with the Kansas Jayhawks at 9:40 p.m. in the Midwest Regional semifinals.

Kansas started the season by winning 20 straight games and cruised to another Big 12 Conference title by going 13-3 in its division. The Jayhawks' three losses on the year came in February, when the Kansas fell to Kansas State, Texas, and Oklahoma State by a combined 13 points. One could conceivably make the argument that Kansas flirted with going undefeated more so than Memphis, as the Jayhawks faced stiffer competition all season.

Make no mistake about it, head coach Bill Self has built a loaded roster, with talented former McDonald’s All-Americans top to bottom.The Jayhawks led the nation in regular-season scoring margin, at more than 21 points per game. Additionally, Kansas led the Big 12 in offense and several key defensive categories, including blocks, steals, and defensive field percentage. Simply put, the Jayhawks don't just beat you, they blow you out.

Kansas essentially wears down opponents by exercising its athleticism and depth to the fullest by regularly rotating nine or ten men each game. In the first two NCAA Tournament games, Kansas pummeled Portland State and UNLV by 24 and 19 points, respectively.

Touting nearly five double-digit scorers, Kansas is led by sophomore forward Darrell Arthur (13.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg). Joining him in the frontcourt are senior Darnell Jackson (11.5, 6.7) and senior Sasha Kaun. In the backcourt, junior Brandon Rush, who tested the NBA draft last spring before tearing his ACL, averages 13.0 ppg. Mario Chalmers, who shoots nearly 48 percent from downtown, chips in 12.6 points and 4.5 assists per game. Not to be overlooked, sophomore Sherron Collins puts in just under 10 points per game and is an electric spark off Bill Self’s bench. Any one of these players, who all average under 30 minutes per game, can be the star, and it will be important that all players are accounted for and not forgotten, as all are lethal in their offense.

Keys to the game

Containing Jayhawk frontcourt: ‘Nova is severely undersized in the frontcourt, both in height and athleticism. While ‘Nova has contained the likes of Georgetown, UConn, and Clemson down low, the Jayhawks’ big men as a group are much deeper and talented. Villanova will try to seal off the passing lanes and make Kansas’ guards make shots from the outside, much in the same way ‘Nova contained Clemson in the second half.

Contest three-pointers: To be honest, Villanova has definitely benefited from its tournament opponents missing open three-point shots. Chalmers and Brandon rush both shoot over 44 percent from beyond the arc, so even though Villanova will be denying the post, the guards must contest shots on the wings from these two Jayhawks.

Ball control: Kansas pressures the ball the full length of the court. Scottie Reynolds is still Villanova’s best ball handler, but Fisher has more than proved his worth the past two games. Mario Chalmers and Russell Robinson both average more than two steals per game, so limiting turnovers will be a big part of competing in this game.

‘Nova supporting cast: We know Reynolds can get the job done, but who else will provide the added punch to knock the Jayhawks out? Stokes needs to light it up and Pena and Cunningham must add some points and offensive rebounds inside.

X-factors

Shane Clark: I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Clark’s intangibles (leadership, seniority) and some timely rebounding will help ‘Nova immensely. Either that, or his poor dribbling and blown defensive rotations will cause Kansas to have a field day. With Self using basically his entire roster, there is no way the ‘Cats can keep pace without doing the same, especially with Drummond out for good. It is this reason why Clark and the rest of Jay Wright’s bench will be so important come Friday.

Coaching: Will another one of Bill Self’s teams self-destruct in the tournament? Will Jay Wright finally have his young team believing in themselves? We will all find out by midnight on Saturday.

Ford Field: ‘Nova teams traditionally have trouble shooting the three in football and baseball stadiums that have been converted to basketball arenas for NCAA games. Because this team relies so much on its outside game, let us hope this game does not turn into 2006’s version of the Minneapolis Metrodome (Florida defeat).

Drummond to have surgery on broken ankle

Casiem Drummond will undergo surgery on Tuesday for a fractured right ankle, Villanova University announced in a press release.

Drummond fractured his right ankle in Villanova's win against Siena in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday. According to Villanova, the new injury is not related to the stress fracture in the same ankle that Drummond was diagnosed with in December.

Drummond started at center for the Wildcats for several games this season until the stress fracture caused him to miss more than ten games.

Drummond will miss Friday's game against top-seeded Kansas, and any further action this season as he recovers from his latest injury.