When Nova last played Syracuse, they made a statement, beating the then #3 Orange on the road. They stood at 17-2, 2nd in the Big East and ranked #7 in the country. After tonight's meeting, they look like a team destined for another early NCAA exit. Since their first meeting, the Cats' have faltered down the stretch. They have suffered an embarrassing loss at Providence, a more embarrassing loss at Rutgers, barely escaped bottom-dwellers Seton Hall and dead-last DePaul and couldn't handle … [Read more...]

Remember that great win Villanova had against #3 Syracuse over the weekend? Well - this game tonight was the exact opposite of that in a flat out embarrassing 83-68 loss to previously 1-6 in the Big East Providence. Nova played sloppy, missed open shots, and generally looked disinterested. Corey Fisher for whatever reason was content to just stand around past the 3-pt line rather than penetrate and create. Corey Stokes (2 for 16, 1 for 9 from 3 at the time of this post) couldn't hit … [Read more...]

Villanova put together their best game of the season, beating #3 Syracuse convincingly on the road, 83-72. Nova got out in front early and fought back a couple Cuse rallies to hand Syracuse on their 2nd loss of the year. Some notes from the boxscore Nova only committed 10 fouls and only had 10 turnovers the entire game. They played mostly under control in a very hostile environment. A very good sign moving forward for this team. 11 for 24 from three-point range. And several of the … [Read more...]

Yes, Villanova was 14-1 on the season, and yes, they were 3-0 in the Big East and ranked #7 in the country. But given their schedule so far, going into this Louisville game all we have really been able to gather is that they are better than Temple (probably) and are able to beat the bottom dwellers of the Big East. After their win against Louisville, we know a little more and will continue to get a handle on what our post-season expectations should be for this team as the Cats enter a tough … [Read more...]

A Corey is breaking out this year for Villanova, just not the one everyone anticipated. Corey Stokes came to Villanova as a 5-star recruit, hyped for his shooting ability and all-around game. In the RivalsHoops final rankings, he was ranked just above current college and pro stars Cole Aldrich, E'Twaun Moore, Kalin Lucas, Evan Turner and DeJuan Blair, among many others. Personally, given his size and scouting reports, I thought that Stokes would be a 2-year player at Villanova, at the … [Read more...]

UCLA isn't a powerhouse or even a ranked opponent, but they are notches above Bucknell, Marist, Boston and Lafayette. Nova attacked them and handled the Bruins rather easily taking a 15 point lead into halftime and then didn't let them get any closer than 6 point in the second half. Watching the game at no point did I feel like UCLA had a real chance. I am going to break out my thoughts in two sections: What's good and what's concerning. 4 Things That Are Good for Nova Corey Fisher … [Read more...]

Much like the Phillies, expectations on the main line for Villanova basketball have been raised in recent years. From 1997-2003, Villanova made only one NCAA tournament appearance and lost in the first round. They averaged a 17-14 record during that 7-year span. But since Jay Wright's 2002 recruiting class (Foye, Ray, Sumpter, Fraser) reached their Junior seasons and Wright started creating the image of "Guard U" by adding Kyle Lowry to the mix, Villanova has made the tournament each of the … [Read more...]

Just before the start of the 2010-11 season, Jay Wright landed a big fish for the 2012-13 season in local PG Ryan Arcidiacono. Arcidiacono picked Villanova over Florida (and a host of other offers). He is ranked as the 31st best player in his class, and 4th best PG by ESPN, the 45th and 8th by Rivals, and the 39th and 3rd by Scout. He is a complete guard who can drive, shoot and pass, has good size (6'3'') and plays with intensity. Some scouting reports have his intensity in the same … [Read more...]