The Irish put up a good fight for 30 minutes, but the wheels came off near the end. A huge upset turned into a road drubbing very quickly.
A strong zone defense kept the Nova guards at bay throughout the first half but ultimately the small Wildcat lineup wore us down. Not only did Antonio Pena stay in the game and avoid foul trouble, but he outrebounded Luke Harangody and picked up his first double-double in 13 contests. Our All-American was unable to control the paint against the weakest interior team in the conference. This was a great opportunity for him to stamp himself as the player of year but just 5 points and 3 rebounds in the second half allowed Villanova to run away with things.
Tory Jackson had a so-so night, but he paled in comparison to the athleticism demonstrated by Nova's backcourt. All four of Villanova's starting guards outscored Tory, as did Maalik Wayns off the bench. He dished out 7 assists to just 3 turnovers, but couldn't take the ball to the basket and missed both of his free throw attempts.
Ben Hansbrough fouled out in just 19 minutes, as all of the Wildcat guards managed to get to the charity stripe. 7 points, 2 assists, and an uncharacteristic 3 turnovers. His foul trouble, a demonstration of his lack of comparative foot speed, just made him ineffective.
Tim Abromaitis had a really tough night shooting, but did the correct thing by getting to the foul line as often as possible. He shot 8-10 from there, managing 16 points on what otherwise would have been a very disappointing night. The ability to draw fouls and continue to contribute is a very veteran move. I was impressed by him on that account.
Ty Nash had 12 and 6. Not really a poor night statistically, but he was another culprit on defense with 4 fouls. Just 23 minutes on the floor for our power forward.
Luke Harangody kept the Irish close in the first half, but disappeared when the Wildcats took control. He displayed surprisingly poor foul shooting and turned the ball over four times. When you are outrebounded by such a perimeter-based program, much of the blame has to fall on our big guy for not having a bigger presence.
Off the bench, Peoples earned 25 minutes with all that foul trouble. He played pretty well, but the comparison between the kind of quickness demonstrated by Villanova and our backup point guard is quite comical. Carleton Scott played 11 minutes, but fouled 3 times and just pulled down a pair of boards. He made an effect on the ball with 3 blocks and a steal but was another reason why Villanova was able to win the rebounding battle. Joey Brooks earned 7 minutes. Though he is the most fundamentally sound defender I've seen on the team, he is at a bit of a disadvantage against such a small lineup. Jack Cooley got in for a few minutes, as well.
Tough loss, but not unexpected. We really have to bounce back and get at least four of the next five.
Showing posts with label Villanova. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Villanova. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Villanova Q&A
Thanks again to Villanova Viewpoint for providing the answers below:
1. Jay Wright and Mike Brey have been continuously compared since their days in the America East. While Brey had instant success in the Big East (three straight NCAA Tournament bids, one Sweet Sixteen), the Irish have been up and down since 2003. Villanova, however, has found a lot of success (especially in the NCAA Tournament) after Jay Wright's first three years wound up in the NIT. What has made Wright so successful over the last six years?
That's a complicated answer. Probably the most significant factor was that as time went on, Wright recruited players that fit into his system and philosophy, and as more Wright-recruited players assumed leading roles, the team improved.
However, he did not inherit a bad team from Steve Lappas, his predecessor, who had been here for nine years.. Lappas had gone to the NIT in his last two years (2000 and 2001), and he left some decent players to Wright, such as Gary Buchanan and Ricky Wright (ones that were good enough to get him into the NIT during his first two years, which were still dominated by Lappas recruits). It wasn't that he inherited bad players - not at all. It was that those players were recruited to fit into Lappas's motion offense, which Wright doesn't use.
Also, Wright did very well at developing his own recruits, once they got here. His second year (2002-03), there were really high expectations, because he had his core of Lappas-holdovers, plus Allan Ray, Randy Foye, Curtis Sumpter, and Jason Fraser - his first recruiting class filled with blue-chippers. But the team never found its way, and it only reached the NIT.
Finally, there was the fact that unfortunately, Fraser's career was wrecked by injuries. He had been the top post prospect in the country, and had he become a star, we probably would have made the NCAA tournament in both 2003 (Wright's 2nd year) and 2004 (Wright's 3rd year) - given that we almost made it anyhow. Instead, Fraser's injuries forced him into a supporting role, and we never had that dominant inside presence that Wright had hoped for.
So how did we get better?
One major reason, often overlooked, was that from the day Wright arrived here in the spring of 2001, Wright courted the Villanova students, and did so in a very genuine and sincere way. He knew that having intense student support was vital to success. (To the best of my knowledge, Lappas, although a genuinely nice guy, did not make any similar overtures to students.)
Wright would serve as MC at pep rallies. He decreed that during Pavilion home games, that the players should dramatically take the floor by descending through the main corridor of the student section (you won't see this tomorrow because it's at the Wachovia Center, which is where we usually play you.) At the end of every contest, win or lose, the players walk over to the student section, and acknowledge the intense support that the students had provided with their enthusiasm.
As a result of all of these practices, Wright was - instantaneously - a hugely popular figure on campus. And during those first three years when the team was struggling, the students - who were grateful for the attention and acknowledgments, that they hadn't received under Lappas - were always 100% behind Jay. The rabid student support helped Jay's teams enormously, even when the team was mediocre. They provided an environment that helped in the recruiting process. And the enormous home-court advantage that the students' enthusiasm has generated, has been a major factor, in ensuring that we've won 35 games in a row at the Pavilion.
Ironically, the only time we've played ND at the Pavilion - January 17, 2007 - was the first game of that current 35-game winning streak.
Thanks to Wright, Ray, Foye, and Sumpter developed into stars, and with more Wright recruits who fit into his style added, the team got better. He not only recruits well, but the players show marked improvement from one year to the next. His first NCAA year was 2005, and as the team has continued success on the court, the easier it becomes to recruit.
Another aspect was (this is a Philadelphia-centric answer) that Wright launched a major charm offensive, with the very sophisticated, talent-rich, and influential Philadelphia basketball community. And not just coaches and players, but the media, and the large metro Philadelphia fan base. We have six Division I teams in the region (ourselves, St. Joseph's, Temple, La Salle, Penn, and Drexel), and Villanova had been viewed suspiciously for a while, for a host of reasons too complex to go into here.
As a result, Villanova is now once more viewed as one of the family, and the city and region is really behind the team now. Which in turn leads to more fan interest and support, which leads to more success, and it has snowballed ever since 2005.
(Note: We generally play you at the Wachovia Center, because you're Notre Dame! And ND sells tickets. Due to the recent success, filling the Wachovia Center generally hasn't been difficult. But under Lappas, and during Wright's early struggles, Notre Dame was generally played in Philadelphia, because you guys really help fill up the building! And so it was more money for the program.)
2. Scott Reynolds has been one of the better players in the conference since his freshman campaign. How has his game changed over the course of his career?
He's just remarkably talented. He's from suburban Maryland, and he was all set to head to Oklahoma, but Kelvin Sampson left, and we were able to snap him up. He's been a star player since the day he got here. Reynolds started 32 of the 33 games during his freshman year (2006-07), and he averaged 14.4 points/game as a freshman.
One factor is that he happened to arrive, the year after the 2006 season (the one where we ended up with a #1 seed and reached the Elite Eight), since we lost our two star guards, Ray and Foye, to graduation after that season. So he had a chance to play a lot, right from the get-go.
I have never seen a player better at driving into the lane (especially at his size), and who can just float up layups that nobody else can make, and they always seem to drop in.
Of course, he is already a legend in Villanova history, thanks to The Shot (the drive against Pittsburgh in the Elite Eight at the buzzer last season... he's on track to score his 2,000th point soon...
3. Besides Reynolds, who are the impact players on Villanova's offense?
We're fortunate, in that we have a lot of Wildcats who can score. Here's a capsule on each one:
The Two Coreys - Fisher and Stokes (both juniors)
Fisher is a combo guard, like Reynolds, that can play either the "one" or "two". He averages 13.1 pts, which is really good when we consider that he only averages 26.9 minutes last year. Last year, we had an eight-man rotation, with Fisher as the sixth man - a role he played so well he was named Big East Sixth Man of the Year. He can take someone off the dribble, and can also shoot from beyond the arc.
Stokes is a forward, known as the Bayonne Bomber, due to his New Jersey hometown. His role is to take three-point shots, which he does a lot of, and he's also a 90% foul shooter. He averages 8.9 pts/game, and was the seventh player in last year's rotation.
Antonio Pena, a redshirt junior, is the most improved player on the team. He was the eighth man in the rotation, who would come in to spell Dante Cunningham or if he were in foul trouble. While he's always been a good rebounder and defender, he's turned into a potent threat underneath, averaging 10.7 pts/game. He can finish with authority, and he's also become adept at passing the ball to the guards in transition for easy baskets.
Taylor King, our current sixth man, averages 9.7 pts/game. He spent his freshman year at Duke and transferred, sitting out last season. But the year of practicing with the team really has paid off, as he's the glue of the team. He's a great three-point shooter, and because he's a "four", a lot of opponents' fours aren't fast enough to cover him out on the perimeter. He also just has a nose for the ball, and dives on the floor for loose balls all the time.
Finally, Reggie Redding is a senior "two" guard, whose role, historically, was as a defender and rebounder. He was suspended for the first semester this year, but since he's come back, he's starting to score more than he used to. He's averaging 9.3 pts/game, the highest of his career.
4. How will 'Nova counter Luke Harangody in the post? Can Pena be called upon to stay in the game and, if not, will the Wildcats have to go to a zone or double-team on the Irish star?
Although we of course miss Dante Cunningham, now with Portland, we could really use him tonight against Harangody. Given that even with Dante, Harangody scored 18 points with 7 boards against us last year.
Pena averages 3.1 PFs a game, and if he gets into foul trouble early, we're going to have major problems with Harangody. Our only other post options are Mouphtaou Yarou (everyone calls him Mouph, rhymes with "roof"), a freshman and a true five, who has good size and is a decent defender. But he's not as good as Pena, and in particular, he is much less polished than Pena on offense.
Mouph also is recovering from hepatitis, which he contracted right before the Puerto Rico Shootout at Thanksgiving, and he missed 11 games due to it. Since he's come back, he's still not 100%, and he's a 15-minute player right now, not more than that.
We also have our 11th man, Maurice Sutton, a redshirt freshman who needs to get bigger. Sutton's role is to block shots and come in when Pena is in foul trouble, to absorb the five fouls that we can't afford Pena to get. But that's all we can ask out of him. If Sutton has to play a lot tonight, we're in serious trouble with Harangody.
Jay likes to play man-to-man defense, but he'll adjust if necessary, and order a zone. Also, I could totally see using King in particular to help double-team Harangody from the four spot, especially if your gunners aren't dropping in threes in the beginning. There's also the possibility of using both Pena and Mouph at the same time, given Harangody's skills.
5. What is the ceiling for this Villanova team? Are they a legitimate national title contender?
This is a tough question, because of course, I'd like to think that we are a legitimate national title contender. This team is arguably better than the one that went to the Final Four last year, despite the loss of three starters, including an NBA player in Cunningham. That having been said, nobody (certainly, myself included) expected that we'd start the year 18-1 (it's the best start since 1950-51) and 7-0 in Big East play (the best ever in school history.
The big factor, of course, was that we ended up getting Reynolds back for another year, since the NBA mock drafts indicated he wouldn't be drafted.
Also, the rest of the players (Pena especially) have really improved, and Wright added the newly eligible King as the sixth man. Finally, Wright brought in another class, about which recruiting analysts raved.
Last year, we used seven guys plus Pena (and Pena wasn't anywhere near as good as he is now). We now can go 10, 11 if we count Sutton. The freshmen Wright brought in (Mouph, point guard Maalik Wayns, wings Dominic Cheek and Isaiah Armwood) have all made significant contributions to the team. Wayns is a true point who's really, really fast. Armwood's a superb defender, and Cheek just scored 17 points in a blowout win over Rutgers last week.
The big weakness is in the low post. You guys are going to give us trouble with Harangody. If we happen to draw teams in the NCAA tournament with dominant post players, that's a big matchup problem for us. But if we draw smaller, quicker teams, we have a real chance at another deep NCAA run.
1. Jay Wright and Mike Brey have been continuously compared since their days in the America East. While Brey had instant success in the Big East (three straight NCAA Tournament bids, one Sweet Sixteen), the Irish have been up and down since 2003. Villanova, however, has found a lot of success (especially in the NCAA Tournament) after Jay Wright's first three years wound up in the NIT. What has made Wright so successful over the last six years?
That's a complicated answer. Probably the most significant factor was that as time went on, Wright recruited players that fit into his system and philosophy, and as more Wright-recruited players assumed leading roles, the team improved.
However, he did not inherit a bad team from Steve Lappas, his predecessor, who had been here for nine years.. Lappas had gone to the NIT in his last two years (2000 and 2001), and he left some decent players to Wright, such as Gary Buchanan and Ricky Wright (ones that were good enough to get him into the NIT during his first two years, which were still dominated by Lappas recruits). It wasn't that he inherited bad players - not at all. It was that those players were recruited to fit into Lappas's motion offense, which Wright doesn't use.
Also, Wright did very well at developing his own recruits, once they got here. His second year (2002-03), there were really high expectations, because he had his core of Lappas-holdovers, plus Allan Ray, Randy Foye, Curtis Sumpter, and Jason Fraser - his first recruiting class filled with blue-chippers. But the team never found its way, and it only reached the NIT.
Finally, there was the fact that unfortunately, Fraser's career was wrecked by injuries. He had been the top post prospect in the country, and had he become a star, we probably would have made the NCAA tournament in both 2003 (Wright's 2nd year) and 2004 (Wright's 3rd year) - given that we almost made it anyhow. Instead, Fraser's injuries forced him into a supporting role, and we never had that dominant inside presence that Wright had hoped for.
So how did we get better?
One major reason, often overlooked, was that from the day Wright arrived here in the spring of 2001, Wright courted the Villanova students, and did so in a very genuine and sincere way. He knew that having intense student support was vital to success. (To the best of my knowledge, Lappas, although a genuinely nice guy, did not make any similar overtures to students.)
Wright would serve as MC at pep rallies. He decreed that during Pavilion home games, that the players should dramatically take the floor by descending through the main corridor of the student section (you won't see this tomorrow because it's at the Wachovia Center, which is where we usually play you.) At the end of every contest, win or lose, the players walk over to the student section, and acknowledge the intense support that the students had provided with their enthusiasm.
As a result of all of these practices, Wright was - instantaneously - a hugely popular figure on campus. And during those first three years when the team was struggling, the students - who were grateful for the attention and acknowledgments, that they hadn't received under Lappas - were always 100% behind Jay. The rabid student support helped Jay's teams enormously, even when the team was mediocre. They provided an environment that helped in the recruiting process. And the enormous home-court advantage that the students' enthusiasm has generated, has been a major factor, in ensuring that we've won 35 games in a row at the Pavilion.
Ironically, the only time we've played ND at the Pavilion - January 17, 2007 - was the first game of that current 35-game winning streak.
Thanks to Wright, Ray, Foye, and Sumpter developed into stars, and with more Wright recruits who fit into his style added, the team got better. He not only recruits well, but the players show marked improvement from one year to the next. His first NCAA year was 2005, and as the team has continued success on the court, the easier it becomes to recruit.
Another aspect was (this is a Philadelphia-centric answer) that Wright launched a major charm offensive, with the very sophisticated, talent-rich, and influential Philadelphia basketball community. And not just coaches and players, but the media, and the large metro Philadelphia fan base. We have six Division I teams in the region (ourselves, St. Joseph's, Temple, La Salle, Penn, and Drexel), and Villanova had been viewed suspiciously for a while, for a host of reasons too complex to go into here.
As a result, Villanova is now once more viewed as one of the family, and the city and region is really behind the team now. Which in turn leads to more fan interest and support, which leads to more success, and it has snowballed ever since 2005.
(Note: We generally play you at the Wachovia Center, because you're Notre Dame! And ND sells tickets. Due to the recent success, filling the Wachovia Center generally hasn't been difficult. But under Lappas, and during Wright's early struggles, Notre Dame was generally played in Philadelphia, because you guys really help fill up the building! And so it was more money for the program.)
2. Scott Reynolds has been one of the better players in the conference since his freshman campaign. How has his game changed over the course of his career?
He's just remarkably talented. He's from suburban Maryland, and he was all set to head to Oklahoma, but Kelvin Sampson left, and we were able to snap him up. He's been a star player since the day he got here. Reynolds started 32 of the 33 games during his freshman year (2006-07), and he averaged 14.4 points/game as a freshman.
One factor is that he happened to arrive, the year after the 2006 season (the one where we ended up with a #1 seed and reached the Elite Eight), since we lost our two star guards, Ray and Foye, to graduation after that season. So he had a chance to play a lot, right from the get-go.
I have never seen a player better at driving into the lane (especially at his size), and who can just float up layups that nobody else can make, and they always seem to drop in.
Of course, he is already a legend in Villanova history, thanks to The Shot (the drive against Pittsburgh in the Elite Eight at the buzzer last season... he's on track to score his 2,000th point soon...
3. Besides Reynolds, who are the impact players on Villanova's offense?
We're fortunate, in that we have a lot of Wildcats who can score. Here's a capsule on each one:
The Two Coreys - Fisher and Stokes (both juniors)
Fisher is a combo guard, like Reynolds, that can play either the "one" or "two". He averages 13.1 pts, which is really good when we consider that he only averages 26.9 minutes last year. Last year, we had an eight-man rotation, with Fisher as the sixth man - a role he played so well he was named Big East Sixth Man of the Year. He can take someone off the dribble, and can also shoot from beyond the arc.
Stokes is a forward, known as the Bayonne Bomber, due to his New Jersey hometown. His role is to take three-point shots, which he does a lot of, and he's also a 90% foul shooter. He averages 8.9 pts/game, and was the seventh player in last year's rotation.
Antonio Pena, a redshirt junior, is the most improved player on the team. He was the eighth man in the rotation, who would come in to spell Dante Cunningham or if he were in foul trouble. While he's always been a good rebounder and defender, he's turned into a potent threat underneath, averaging 10.7 pts/game. He can finish with authority, and he's also become adept at passing the ball to the guards in transition for easy baskets.
Taylor King, our current sixth man, averages 9.7 pts/game. He spent his freshman year at Duke and transferred, sitting out last season. But the year of practicing with the team really has paid off, as he's the glue of the team. He's a great three-point shooter, and because he's a "four", a lot of opponents' fours aren't fast enough to cover him out on the perimeter. He also just has a nose for the ball, and dives on the floor for loose balls all the time.
Finally, Reggie Redding is a senior "two" guard, whose role, historically, was as a defender and rebounder. He was suspended for the first semester this year, but since he's come back, he's starting to score more than he used to. He's averaging 9.3 pts/game, the highest of his career.
4. How will 'Nova counter Luke Harangody in the post? Can Pena be called upon to stay in the game and, if not, will the Wildcats have to go to a zone or double-team on the Irish star?
Although we of course miss Dante Cunningham, now with Portland, we could really use him tonight against Harangody. Given that even with Dante, Harangody scored 18 points with 7 boards against us last year.
Pena averages 3.1 PFs a game, and if he gets into foul trouble early, we're going to have major problems with Harangody. Our only other post options are Mouphtaou Yarou (everyone calls him Mouph, rhymes with "roof"), a freshman and a true five, who has good size and is a decent defender. But he's not as good as Pena, and in particular, he is much less polished than Pena on offense.
Mouph also is recovering from hepatitis, which he contracted right before the Puerto Rico Shootout at Thanksgiving, and he missed 11 games due to it. Since he's come back, he's still not 100%, and he's a 15-minute player right now, not more than that.
We also have our 11th man, Maurice Sutton, a redshirt freshman who needs to get bigger. Sutton's role is to block shots and come in when Pena is in foul trouble, to absorb the five fouls that we can't afford Pena to get. But that's all we can ask out of him. If Sutton has to play a lot tonight, we're in serious trouble with Harangody.
Jay likes to play man-to-man defense, but he'll adjust if necessary, and order a zone. Also, I could totally see using King in particular to help double-team Harangody from the four spot, especially if your gunners aren't dropping in threes in the beginning. There's also the possibility of using both Pena and Mouph at the same time, given Harangody's skills.
5. What is the ceiling for this Villanova team? Are they a legitimate national title contender?
This is a tough question, because of course, I'd like to think that we are a legitimate national title contender. This team is arguably better than the one that went to the Final Four last year, despite the loss of three starters, including an NBA player in Cunningham. That having been said, nobody (certainly, myself included) expected that we'd start the year 18-1 (it's the best start since 1950-51) and 7-0 in Big East play (the best ever in school history.
The big factor, of course, was that we ended up getting Reynolds back for another year, since the NBA mock drafts indicated he wouldn't be drafted.
Also, the rest of the players (Pena especially) have really improved, and Wright added the newly eligible King as the sixth man. Finally, Wright brought in another class, about which recruiting analysts raved.
Last year, we used seven guys plus Pena (and Pena wasn't anywhere near as good as he is now). We now can go 10, 11 if we count Sutton. The freshmen Wright brought in (Mouph, point guard Maalik Wayns, wings Dominic Cheek and Isaiah Armwood) have all made significant contributions to the team. Wayns is a true point who's really, really fast. Armwood's a superb defender, and Cheek just scored 17 points in a blowout win over Rutgers last week.
The big weakness is in the low post. You guys are going to give us trouble with Harangody. If we happen to draw teams in the NCAA tournament with dominant post players, that's a big matchup problem for us. But if we draw smaller, quicker teams, we have a real chance at another deep NCAA run.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Villanova Preview
Eagerly anticipating a Q&A with Villanova Viewpoint, so I'll post that tomorrow and put the normal preview here.
Villanova-
Pomeroy Ranking- 15th
Record- 18-1 (7-0)
Best Win- Maryland (11th)
Worst Loss- Temple (30th)
Pomeroy Prediction- Nova 97-80
Key Players-
#1 Scottie Reynolds- 18.7 PPG, 3.4 APG, 42.4% 3PA- The star of the team since his freshman year, Reynolds has greatly improved his shooting this year. Field goal percentage is up almost 9% from last year.
#10 Corey Fisher- 13.1 PPG, 4.2 APG, 35.0% 3PA- Fisher has turned into more of the point guard with Reynolds shooting the ball so effectively this season. Has a positive A/T ratio in only one of his past four games.
#0 Antonio Pena- 10.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG- Has become a non-factor in the Big East after a string of very good nonconference performances. Double digits scoring in just one of his last eight games. His last double double has on December 2nd.
Scouting Report-
Great offense (3rd), above average D (69th)
No real weakness with the ball. They shoot a high percentage, get the the foul line, and rebound really well.
Biggest issue is fouling. Pena has fouled out in three of his last four games and had four fouls in the other. That's 19 in 4 games.
Villanova-
Pomeroy Ranking- 15th
Record- 18-1 (7-0)
Best Win- Maryland (11th)
Worst Loss- Temple (30th)
Pomeroy Prediction- Nova 97-80
Key Players-
#1 Scottie Reynolds- 18.7 PPG, 3.4 APG, 42.4% 3PA- The star of the team since his freshman year, Reynolds has greatly improved his shooting this year. Field goal percentage is up almost 9% from last year.
#10 Corey Fisher- 13.1 PPG, 4.2 APG, 35.0% 3PA- Fisher has turned into more of the point guard with Reynolds shooting the ball so effectively this season. Has a positive A/T ratio in only one of his past four games.
#0 Antonio Pena- 10.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG- Has become a non-factor in the Big East after a string of very good nonconference performances. Double digits scoring in just one of his last eight games. His last double double has on December 2nd.
Scouting Report-
Great offense (3rd), above average D (69th)
No real weakness with the ball. They shoot a high percentage, get the the foul line, and rebound really well.
Biggest issue is fouling. Pena has fouled out in three of his last four games and had four fouls in the other. That's 19 in 4 games.
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
New Link
Villanova Viewpoint is now linked at the right. I think they were there previously, not sure why I deleted the link.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Villanova 77, Notre Dame 60
Embarrassing. The Irish killed any reasonable chance of an NCAA berth with a lackluster effort in the second half tonight. Need at least three (most likely four after this performance) wins in the Big East Tournament to even be considered for an at-large bid. Good luck with that.
15 turnovers, most of them just stupid telegraphed passes, and awful free throw shooting killed any possible offensive flow. The defense was horrendous as well in the second half, allowing easy Villanova three pointers to disrupt any chance of an Irish run before our offense completely collapsed.
Tory Jackson was awful. 4 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, not a terrible primary stat line. However he killed the Irish with 5 really dumb turnovers. Allowed Scottie Reynolds to score 23 points on 6 wide open three pointers. Add in a 1-8 shooting night for a dismal performance all the way around.
Kyle McAlarney was just as bad. 5 points, 3 assists, and 3 turnovers. 2-7 shooting, not a factor from downtown (1-3). He got beat a few times on defense, but was not the primary problem.
Ryan Ayers was the lone bright spot. 25 points, 7-10 from beyond the arc. 4 assists, 4 rebounds, just 1 turnover. His lights-out shooting kept the Irish in it for a while, but not long enough.
Ty Nash was solid in his first start. 4 points and 11 rebounds in a career-high 25 minutes. At the very least he was not Zach Hillesland. He finished as the high rebounder in the game (and the only one in double figures) and used some hustle and muscle not seen in the ND high post all year. Needs to improve interior defense (Dante Cunningham backed him down all game) and free throw shooting (he is dreadful from the line), but should be a starter the rest of the year.
Luke Harangody was absent in the most important game of the Irish season. I doubt he will be re-elected as Big East Player of the Year and until the last couple of games I thought that was a shame. However, he has finished without a double double in three of the last four games and been a limited factor offensively. The Player of the Year must rise to the challenge when his team's season is on the line. Luke did last year. Unfortunately, he just has not seemed the same guy over the last few games. 18 and 7 tonight, but managed only as many defensive boards (3) as Kyle McAlarney. You gotta be better than that.
Peoples was the only factor off the bench with 25 minutes. Villanova plays three or four guards all game, so no real surprise there. He was solid on the boards and handling the ball, but terrible shooting it. Zeller played just 7 minutes, a nice show of confidence in Ty Nash. You knew the game was over when Carleton Scott came in for the final 2 minutes.
This is probably the final death knell of what has been a very disappointing season. I'll wait until after everything is well and truly done to write the obituary, however.
Speaking of which (wow, what a dreadful segue), condolences to the family of Forrest "Woody" Miller. Miller covered Irish basketball for a long time for the South Bend Tribune, but I will always know him as the cantankerous old man who sat next to me in the press box of the South Bend Silver Hawks. All kidding aside, Woody, you will be missed. You were a big part of the job that made my last two summers pretty damn fun.
Beat St. John's and then show some fight in the BET. The nice thing about conference tourneys is that you always control your own destiny. Let's actually show some heart over the next week and a half.
15 turnovers, most of them just stupid telegraphed passes, and awful free throw shooting killed any possible offensive flow. The defense was horrendous as well in the second half, allowing easy Villanova three pointers to disrupt any chance of an Irish run before our offense completely collapsed.
Tory Jackson was awful. 4 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, not a terrible primary stat line. However he killed the Irish with 5 really dumb turnovers. Allowed Scottie Reynolds to score 23 points on 6 wide open three pointers. Add in a 1-8 shooting night for a dismal performance all the way around.
Kyle McAlarney was just as bad. 5 points, 3 assists, and 3 turnovers. 2-7 shooting, not a factor from downtown (1-3). He got beat a few times on defense, but was not the primary problem.
Ryan Ayers was the lone bright spot. 25 points, 7-10 from beyond the arc. 4 assists, 4 rebounds, just 1 turnover. His lights-out shooting kept the Irish in it for a while, but not long enough.
Ty Nash was solid in his first start. 4 points and 11 rebounds in a career-high 25 minutes. At the very least he was not Zach Hillesland. He finished as the high rebounder in the game (and the only one in double figures) and used some hustle and muscle not seen in the ND high post all year. Needs to improve interior defense (Dante Cunningham backed him down all game) and free throw shooting (he is dreadful from the line), but should be a starter the rest of the year.
Luke Harangody was absent in the most important game of the Irish season. I doubt he will be re-elected as Big East Player of the Year and until the last couple of games I thought that was a shame. However, he has finished without a double double in three of the last four games and been a limited factor offensively. The Player of the Year must rise to the challenge when his team's season is on the line. Luke did last year. Unfortunately, he just has not seemed the same guy over the last few games. 18 and 7 tonight, but managed only as many defensive boards (3) as Kyle McAlarney. You gotta be better than that.
Peoples was the only factor off the bench with 25 minutes. Villanova plays three or four guards all game, so no real surprise there. He was solid on the boards and handling the ball, but terrible shooting it. Zeller played just 7 minutes, a nice show of confidence in Ty Nash. You knew the game was over when Carleton Scott came in for the final 2 minutes.
This is probably the final death knell of what has been a very disappointing season. I'll wait until after everything is well and truly done to write the obituary, however.
Speaking of which (wow, what a dreadful segue), condolences to the family of Forrest "Woody" Miller. Miller covered Irish basketball for a long time for the South Bend Tribune, but I will always know him as the cantankerous old man who sat next to me in the press box of the South Bend Silver Hawks. All kidding aside, Woody, you will be missed. You were a big part of the job that made my last two summers pretty damn fun.
Beat St. John's and then show some fight in the BET. The nice thing about conference tourneys is that you always control your own destiny. Let's actually show some heart over the next week and a half.
Villanova Preview
Must win tonight. If this starts a 4 (or 5) game winning streak, we should be in. A loss tonight all but eliminates us for Tournament contention.
Villanova-
Pomeroy Ranking- 22nd
Record- 23-6 (11-5)
Quality Wins- Pitt, Marquette, @ Syracuse
Bad Losses- None
Pomeroy Prediction- ND 77-76
Key Players-
#33 Dante Cunningham- 6'8", 230 lbs.- 16.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG
#1 Scottie Reynolds- 6'2", 195 lbs.- 15.2 PPG, 3.6 APG, 34.6% 3PA
#10 Corey Fisher- 6'1", 185 lbs.- 11.1 PPG, 2.7 APG, 34.8% 3PA
Scouting Report-
All eight guys in their rotation have started at least nine games, with Cuningham and Reynolds being the only permanent starters.
Pretty balanced, not spectacular at any one category, but do enough things well to be 28th in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Get to the line a decent amount (21st) and allow a lot of free throws (190th).
Villanova-
Pomeroy Ranking- 22nd
Record- 23-6 (11-5)
Quality Wins- Pitt, Marquette, @ Syracuse
Bad Losses- None
Pomeroy Prediction- ND 77-76
Key Players-
#33 Dante Cunningham- 6'8", 230 lbs.- 16.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG
#1 Scottie Reynolds- 6'2", 195 lbs.- 15.2 PPG, 3.6 APG, 34.6% 3PA
#10 Corey Fisher- 6'1", 185 lbs.- 11.1 PPG, 2.7 APG, 34.8% 3PA
Scouting Report-
All eight guys in their rotation have started at least nine games, with Cuningham and Reynolds being the only permanent starters.
Pretty balanced, not spectacular at any one category, but do enough things well to be 28th in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Get to the line a decent amount (21st) and allow a lot of free throws (190th).
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Villanova-DePaul
The Wildcats beat an 0-15 Blue Demon team by two tonight. You can't predict anything in the Big East...
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Brey to IU?; UCONN Falls
"A lot of names are going to be thrown out there. I'll throw one out. I think Mike Brey of Notre Dame will be a candidate."
Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated talking to Greg Gumbel on CBS at halftime of the Kentucky/Arkansas game. Talking, of course, about the Indiana coaching vacancy.
Brey and native son Steve Alford were the only two names Davis mentioned. Interesting... Of course, ESPN's Pat Forde came out with a list including the most obvious names and Brey was nowhere to be seen.
Villanova upset Connecticut at the Wachovia Center 67-65, snapping the Huskies' 10 game winning streak. The loss cuts the virtual tie at the top to three teams: Louisville, Georgetown, and ND. Both the Cardinals and Hoyas have more wins that Notre Dame, but each team has three losses.
Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated talking to Greg Gumbel on CBS at halftime of the Kentucky/Arkansas game. Talking, of course, about the Indiana coaching vacancy.
Brey and native son Steve Alford were the only two names Davis mentioned. Interesting... Of course, ESPN's Pat Forde came out with a list including the most obvious names and Brey was nowhere to be seen.
Villanova upset Connecticut at the Wachovia Center 67-65, snapping the Huskies' 10 game winning streak. The loss cuts the virtual tie at the top to three teams: Louisville, Georgetown, and ND. Both the Cardinals and Hoyas have more wins that Notre Dame, but each team has three losses.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Notre Dame 90, Villanova 80
Huge win for the Irish!
After two weeks of hearing nothing but how this team can't win on the road, Mike Brey somehow forgot how to coach in a year, and wondering if Notre Dame could ever compete on the national level, winning a game like this feels great. Seriously, folks! Hopefully today's win over a ranked opponent on the road will keep some of biggest naysayers quiet.
But that's enough about the last two weeks of negatives. Time to get to what happened today.
I've been one of the more vocal critics of Ryan Ayers this season. Some of the criticism has been valid, while others may have been a little overstated. Nonetheless, I have always believed that Zach Hillesland was the right guy for the starting lineup (ok, enough chest-thumping on my part). Kudos to Coach Brey for making the lineup change and getting the extra energy on the floor to begin the game.
I've said it once and will say it the rest of the year, as Kyle McAlarney goes so do the Irish. Forget Luke Harangody's All-American performances every night. K-Mac is the catalyst that drives this offense. 30 points on 10-15 shooting for the man from Staten Island. 2 assists and 4 turnovers are not a great combination, but he needs to be gold from beyond the arc for us to win games like this. He sure came through today.
Tory Jackson had a nice solid game running the offense today. Don't have the exact assist/turnover numbers just yet, but he certainly looked better than what we have seen over the last few weeks. Got to the line a lot but only hit just over half of those shots. Came away with 9 points. Add in 2 steals and three rebounds for a very good performance.
Zach Hillesland, come on down. In his first performance starting for Ryan Ayers, Zach didn't exactly light up the scoresheet. However, he gave us six rebounds and three assists doing what Ryan doesn't: hustling and spreading the defense with his movement. Ryan had a very good game, however, and we'll get to that in a moment.
Luke Harangody is a rock. No disrespect mean earlier when I said that K-Mac drives this offense. Clearly we need the big guy in the middle. 25 points, 10 rebounds. Just dominated the undersized Villanova middle. We were actually outrebounded by the 'Cats, but Luke's great performance made the overall rebounding war moot. 8-14 shooting and was effective from the stripe (though he missed a couple key ones down the stretch). When McAlarney shoots well from outside, it really opens up the paint for Bamm-Bamm, and vice versa. Great to have such a strong two-headed attack.
Rob Kurz finished with 12 and 4. Couldn't really get going with the outside shot (2-7), but provided a solid game overall today. Never does anything flashy and was far short of the double-double he seems to end up with just about every night, but effective nonetheless.
Off the bench, Ryan Ayers gave us 10 points and 5 rebounds. 2-3 from beyond the arc. Still, I think he is a much better weapon off the bench. Just does not give the team the same energy from the tip like Hillesland. When he knocks down the open looks like he did today, he can still be a very effective role player. Here's to more double-digit outings off the bench for Ryan.
Jonathan Peoples and Luke Zeller were pretty quiet. Peoples hit a basket and grabbed two rebounds. Zeller barely even shows up on the stat sheet.
The team jumped off to a solid start and built a ten-point lead by halftime (I credit the black jerseys... Kurz was definitely wrong about them). The second half lead stretched to about 16, but never got into a complete blowout. Villvanova closed the gap a little late to keep us honest, but this one never got too close.
Obviously, great shooting helped the Irish win today. 51% will help you any day of the week. The Wildcats out rebounded Notre Dame, 38-31, surprising considering how undersized Villanova can play. Seeing top rebounder Dante Cunningham on the bench with five fouls certainly helped spirits as ND tried to close this out. Still, Antonio Pena's performance leading Villanova was quite surprising.
Notre Dame got to the line a lot. 27-38 from the charity stripe, providing the Irish with 18 more points than 'Nova's 9-12. McAlarney's big day helped the Irish in the three point category, as they shot 43% as a team. Villanova was 35% with a similar number of attempts.
Huge win to get the season back on track for the season. Win to establish road identity? Check. Win over top 25 opponent to break a solid home streak? Check. Bounce back from two ugly road losses to reassert team's ability to win in the conference? Check.
Back to business now as the team looks to extend the home winning streak. Providence on Thursday and DePaul next Saturday. Two big home games we should win to put the Marquette and Georgetown losses deep into the rearview mirror. 'til next time...
After two weeks of hearing nothing but how this team can't win on the road, Mike Brey somehow forgot how to coach in a year, and wondering if Notre Dame could ever compete on the national level, winning a game like this feels great. Seriously, folks! Hopefully today's win over a ranked opponent on the road will keep some of biggest naysayers quiet.
But that's enough about the last two weeks of negatives. Time to get to what happened today.
I've been one of the more vocal critics of Ryan Ayers this season. Some of the criticism has been valid, while others may have been a little overstated. Nonetheless, I have always believed that Zach Hillesland was the right guy for the starting lineup (ok, enough chest-thumping on my part). Kudos to Coach Brey for making the lineup change and getting the extra energy on the floor to begin the game.
I've said it once and will say it the rest of the year, as Kyle McAlarney goes so do the Irish. Forget Luke Harangody's All-American performances every night. K-Mac is the catalyst that drives this offense. 30 points on 10-15 shooting for the man from Staten Island. 2 assists and 4 turnovers are not a great combination, but he needs to be gold from beyond the arc for us to win games like this. He sure came through today.
Tory Jackson had a nice solid game running the offense today. Don't have the exact assist/turnover numbers just yet, but he certainly looked better than what we have seen over the last few weeks. Got to the line a lot but only hit just over half of those shots. Came away with 9 points. Add in 2 steals and three rebounds for a very good performance.
Zach Hillesland, come on down. In his first performance starting for Ryan Ayers, Zach didn't exactly light up the scoresheet. However, he gave us six rebounds and three assists doing what Ryan doesn't: hustling and spreading the defense with his movement. Ryan had a very good game, however, and we'll get to that in a moment.
Luke Harangody is a rock. No disrespect mean earlier when I said that K-Mac drives this offense. Clearly we need the big guy in the middle. 25 points, 10 rebounds. Just dominated the undersized Villanova middle. We were actually outrebounded by the 'Cats, but Luke's great performance made the overall rebounding war moot. 8-14 shooting and was effective from the stripe (though he missed a couple key ones down the stretch). When McAlarney shoots well from outside, it really opens up the paint for Bamm-Bamm, and vice versa. Great to have such a strong two-headed attack.
Rob Kurz finished with 12 and 4. Couldn't really get going with the outside shot (2-7), but provided a solid game overall today. Never does anything flashy and was far short of the double-double he seems to end up with just about every night, but effective nonetheless.
Off the bench, Ryan Ayers gave us 10 points and 5 rebounds. 2-3 from beyond the arc. Still, I think he is a much better weapon off the bench. Just does not give the team the same energy from the tip like Hillesland. When he knocks down the open looks like he did today, he can still be a very effective role player. Here's to more double-digit outings off the bench for Ryan.
Jonathan Peoples and Luke Zeller were pretty quiet. Peoples hit a basket and grabbed two rebounds. Zeller barely even shows up on the stat sheet.
The team jumped off to a solid start and built a ten-point lead by halftime (I credit the black jerseys... Kurz was definitely wrong about them). The second half lead stretched to about 16, but never got into a complete blowout. Villvanova closed the gap a little late to keep us honest, but this one never got too close.
Obviously, great shooting helped the Irish win today. 51% will help you any day of the week. The Wildcats out rebounded Notre Dame, 38-31, surprising considering how undersized Villanova can play. Seeing top rebounder Dante Cunningham on the bench with five fouls certainly helped spirits as ND tried to close this out. Still, Antonio Pena's performance leading Villanova was quite surprising.
Notre Dame got to the line a lot. 27-38 from the charity stripe, providing the Irish with 18 more points than 'Nova's 9-12. McAlarney's big day helped the Irish in the three point category, as they shot 43% as a team. Villanova was 35% with a similar number of attempts.
Huge win to get the season back on track for the season. Win to establish road identity? Check. Win over top 25 opponent to break a solid home streak? Check. Bounce back from two ugly road losses to reassert team's ability to win in the conference? Check.
Back to business now as the team looks to extend the home winning streak. Providence on Thursday and DePaul next Saturday. Two big home games we should win to put the Marquette and Georgetown losses deep into the rearview mirror. 'til next time...
Friday, January 25, 2008
Villanova Preview
To the big game tomorrow. Villanova has not lost at home this year, but have played only one quality opponent in Pittsburgh. In road/neutral games, they are 4-4 with losses to NC State, DePaul, Cincy, and Rutgers. Certainly the weakest of our first three road opponents.
The scorers to watch are Scottie Reynolds, Shane Clark, and Malcolm Grant off the bench. The rest of the minute-eating players are pretty inefficient as a whole, scoring less than 110 points per 100 possessions. Contrast that with Notre Dame, who only has two players (Hillesland and Tory) under 110. Reynolds and freshman Corey Fisher are big-time possession users, averaging 25% a piece.
As a team Villanova has a similar pace, 70.3 possessions per game (Notre Dame- 70.5), but is much less efficient on both ends of the floor, 110.5 points per 100 possessions on offense (Notre Dame- 112.4) and 99.5 on defense (Notre Dame- 92.2). Their effective FG% (weighted for 3-point shots) is 50.8% (Notre Dame- 51.9%) and the Wildcats allow 52.4% of effective points (Notre Dame- 45.2%). So far, Notre Dame is up in all statistics.
Go to rebounding, where Villanova is very effective at grabbing offensive boards, snatching 38.2% (Notre Dame- 39.2%). The Wildcats are less effective at preventing offensive rebounds, so look for the Irish to take advantage on the offensive glass, Villanova- 31.2% (Notre Dame- 28.1%).
They do allow opponents to the line a lot and are 315th in defensive free throw rate. The Irish are only slightly above average on this statistic on offense (103rd), but have the 5th fewest free throw rate in the country on defense. Teams don't get to the line a lot against the Irish. Even when they do, our opponents shoot a low percentage from the stripe.
To the more conventional stats (check out kenpom.com for any more information about the stuff in earlier paragraphs). Reynolds is the main scorer, at 17 points a game. He can also pass the ball, averaging 4.1 assists per contest. Fisher and Dante Cunningham are the only other two averaging more than 10 points a game. Cunningham is the rebounder, at 7.3 per, while Clark will help him out under the basket.
Overall, this is a game we should win. It is our first true away contest against an overmatched opponent. Pomeroy gives the Irish a 66% chance to win. If we can pull out this victory and set a standard for the rest of the year on the road, things are certainly looking up. Even a close loss would be forgivable and a step in the right direction. Let's hope we don't even have to discuss the consequences of a third straight road defeat of 19 points or more.
The scorers to watch are Scottie Reynolds, Shane Clark, and Malcolm Grant off the bench. The rest of the minute-eating players are pretty inefficient as a whole, scoring less than 110 points per 100 possessions. Contrast that with Notre Dame, who only has two players (Hillesland and Tory) under 110. Reynolds and freshman Corey Fisher are big-time possession users, averaging 25% a piece.
As a team Villanova has a similar pace, 70.3 possessions per game (Notre Dame- 70.5), but is much less efficient on both ends of the floor, 110.5 points per 100 possessions on offense (Notre Dame- 112.4) and 99.5 on defense (Notre Dame- 92.2). Their effective FG% (weighted for 3-point shots) is 50.8% (Notre Dame- 51.9%) and the Wildcats allow 52.4% of effective points (Notre Dame- 45.2%). So far, Notre Dame is up in all statistics.
Go to rebounding, where Villanova is very effective at grabbing offensive boards, snatching 38.2% (Notre Dame- 39.2%). The Wildcats are less effective at preventing offensive rebounds, so look for the Irish to take advantage on the offensive glass, Villanova- 31.2% (Notre Dame- 28.1%).
They do allow opponents to the line a lot and are 315th in defensive free throw rate. The Irish are only slightly above average on this statistic on offense (103rd), but have the 5th fewest free throw rate in the country on defense. Teams don't get to the line a lot against the Irish. Even when they do, our opponents shoot a low percentage from the stripe.
To the more conventional stats (check out kenpom.com for any more information about the stuff in earlier paragraphs). Reynolds is the main scorer, at 17 points a game. He can also pass the ball, averaging 4.1 assists per contest. Fisher and Dante Cunningham are the only other two averaging more than 10 points a game. Cunningham is the rebounder, at 7.3 per, while Clark will help him out under the basket.
Overall, this is a game we should win. It is our first true away contest against an overmatched opponent. Pomeroy gives the Irish a 66% chance to win. If we can pull out this victory and set a standard for the rest of the year on the road, things are certainly looking up. Even a close loss would be forgivable and a step in the right direction. Let's hope we don't even have to discuss the consequences of a third straight road defeat of 19 points or more.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Big East/SEC
Not a lot to talk about after a nice solid win like yesterday. It wasn't a dominating offensive performance, indeed one the worst shooting nights we'll have all year, but winning like that against a decent team sure builds confidence.
A couple matchups in the Big East/SEC "Showdown". Georgetown is having some trouble with Alabama at the half. The Tide have shown very little so far this year, losing to a very good Texas A&M team and a very bad Belmont squad. West Virginia and Auburn to follow tonight.
Tomorrow pits Providence and South Carolina followed by Villanova vs. LSU. Not extremely promising, but they are still opportunities to see our conference foes on national TV.
Other than that, it's a pretty bland day. Enjoy the snow if you're a northerner. As we all know, it just might be gone by Christmas.
A couple matchups in the Big East/SEC "Showdown". Georgetown is having some trouble with Alabama at the half. The Tide have shown very little so far this year, losing to a very good Texas A&M team and a very bad Belmont squad. West Virginia and Auburn to follow tonight.
Tomorrow pits Providence and South Carolina followed by Villanova vs. LSU. Not extremely promising, but they are still opportunities to see our conference foes on national TV.
Other than that, it's a pretty bland day. Enjoy the snow if you're a northerner. As we all know, it just might be gone by Christmas.
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