Men's Basketball Game Notes for this weekend's game featuring the Villanova Wildcats (3-2) traveling to the Palestra in Philadelphia to meet the La Salle Explorers (3-1) in a Big Five battle on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 3:30 p.m. Click on the pdf link below for a complete version of Villanova's game notes.
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GAME 6 Villanova Wildcats (3-2 overall, 0-0 Big Five)
vs.
La Salle Explorers (3-1 overal, 0-0 Big Five)
Dec. 7, 2002
Philadelphia Big Five Classic~The Palestra
CN8 TV
WZZD Radio (990 AM)/ESPN Radio (920 AM)
THE TOP STORIES
Back in Philly: After reaching the championship game of the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout over Thanksgiving weekend, Villanova returns to more familiar turf at the Palestra. This is the first of two contests the Wildcats will play in 2002-03 at the storied building on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.
Wright On: Senior forward Ricky Wright was the model of consistency in Alaska, scoring 54 points in three games played in Anchorage (18 ppg). The native of East Chicago, Ind., connected on 17 of 24 field goal attempts up north (.708) and is shooting .588 from the floor on the season.
More Big Five Action On Tap: This represents the first of Villanova's four games within the Philadelphia Big Five. On Tuesday night, the 'Cats host another City Series rival when Pennsylvania comes to the First Union Center.
VILLANOVA NEWS & NOTES
A Look Back At Anchorage
In assessing his team's experience in the Great Alaska Shootout, Villanova head coach Jay Wright is upbeat.
"We have a much better team now than before we came up here," Wright said following his team's 71-69 loss to the College of Charleston in the tournament final last Saturday evening at Sullivan Arena.
Villanova opened the tournament with an 87-71 victory over Loyola Marymount on Thanksgiving. It then upset No. 10 Michigan State the next day, 81-73. That marked the Wildcats first victory over a squad rated in the top 10 since Feb. 27, 1999, when Villanova downed St. John's 66-60 at the Pavilion.
However, in its third game in three nights, Villanova came up short against the College of Charleston on Saturday, falling when guard A.J. Harris made a driving layup with 11 seconds to go.
A major dilemma on Saturday was a painfully slow start. The Wildcats scored just three points - on a long distance triple by Gary Buchanan in the game's first 10:21. At that stage of the game, Villanova had more turnovers than it did points.
College of Charleston built a 22-9 advantage and, though the Wildcats rallied to tie the game in the second half, they never did manage to overcome the bad beginning.
"We talk a lot about the idea that every possession counts," said Wright. "This was a great illustration of that. Those plays we didn't make in the first ten minutes are just as important as the one we couldn't execute when we were down two in the last ten seconds."
Villanova had two attempts in the waning seconds to win. But triple attempts by Snowden and Buchanan bounced off the iron.
"Charleston deserves a lot of credit," Wright stated. "I think at this point they are just more of a team than we are. You saw that in the last possession. You can't settle for a jump shot at the end, but that's all Snow had. On their last possession, they got what they wanted, and we couldn't stop them. On our last possession, we didn't get what we wanted. They stopped us."
Yet the loss didn't erase the good achieved on the trip.
"In terms of our program," said Jay Wright, "spending time away together was good. We shared experiences together, and that was great. It's a journey. I know people don't want to hear about that. But you know you're going to have to go through tough times. It's all how you handle it."
The loss to College of Charleston snapped Villanova's five game winning streak in Alaska. VU is 9-3 lifetime in Alaska.
Board Scores
Entering the 2002-03 campaign there was a measure of concern among Villanova types about rebounding. With the graduation of Brooks Sales, who stands eighth on the all-time Villanova rebounding list, a serious void loomed under the glass.
In the early going, though, Villanova hasn't missed a step.
In fact, the 'Cats have been quite productive on the glass. Villanova has outrebounded its opponents in four of its five outings this year and owns an overall rebound margin of 13 per game (42.8-29.8) over its opponents. Against the College of Charleston, Villanova collected 46 caroms while the Cougars came up with 25.
Four Wildcats are averaging at least four rebounds per outing: Gary Buchanan (4.0 rpg); Jason Fraser (10.6 rpg); Andrew Sullivan (6.0 rpg); and Ricky Wright (7.6 rpg).
In addition, Villanova already has 85 offensive rebounds in five games, an average of 17 per outing.
So far, all seems well on the glass for the 'Cats.
Wright Moves
After a slow start in which he attempted only 12 field goals in his first two outings, Ricky Wright rounded into form in Alaska. His 54 points in three games earned the senior from East Chicago, Ind., a place on the all-Great Alaska Shootout team.
"Ricky made huge shots in all three games," noted Jay Wright.
In the opener Wright delivered 19 points and eight rebounds in an 87-71 win over Loyola Marymount. He converted seven of his ten field goal attempts and five of six at the free throw line.
He was even better against Michigan State.
When two free throws from the Spartans' Chris Hill had reduced Villanova's advantage to one point with 3:06, Ricky Wright stepped forward for the 'Cats. On the next possession he was fouled by Adam Ballinger and made both free throws. Next, he scored a basket off a feed from Derrick Snowden to give the 'Cats a 75-70 lead with 2:26 left on the clock.
After a 3-point field goal by Hill, it was Ricky Wright to the rescue again. He took another feed from Snowden and scored again with 1:05 left to make it a 78-73 Villanova lead. Michigan State never scored again as the Wildcats chalked up an 81-73 win.
Following a sluggish start against the College of Charleston, Ricky Wright responded with 15 second half points in the 71-69 loss to the Cougars in the Final.
"Ricky," said Jay Wright, "did a terrific job for us here."
The Matchups
Villanova vs. La SalleAll-time series: La Salle leads 26-25Last meeting: La Salle 61, Villanova 58 (Nov. 27, 2001)Last VU win: VU 79-72 (Dec. 14, 2000)Wright vs. La Salle: 0-1
Notebook: The Explorers handed Jay Wright his first Villanova loss in overtime last season at the Pavilion ... Ricky Wright (18) and Gary Buchanan (20) combined for 38 of Villanova's 58 points ... Rasual Butler's 20 points paced the Explorers ... These teams met here at the Palestra in 2000, when the Wildcats, who trailed most of the night, rallied behind Michael Bradley to upend La Salle ... In five games against Philadelphia Big Five competition in 2001-02 (four regular season matchups and a second encounter with Temple in the National Invtation Tournament) Ricky Wright was 36-of-56 from the field (.643) and averaged 17.6 ppg and 7.6 rpg ... In five career games at the Palestra, Gary Buchanan is 17-of-47 (.361) from the field, though he was 12-of-22 here in 2001-02.
Buchanan Rides Again
After a month of virtual inactivity due to a series of injuries, senior guard Gary Buchanan returned to the floor at Sullivan Arena. He did so in grand style.
In his season debut, Buchanan scored 13 points in just 19 minutes of action against Loyola Marymount. One night later, he scored 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting to lead the Wildcats past Michigan State. In the finals on Saturday, Buchanan's first half triple was the only thing that erased the zero on the Villanova side of ledger until nearly 11 minutes of the first half had been played. He ended the night with 12 points and a spot on the all-tournament tee.
"I really am amazed at how quickly Gary has come back to us," said Jay Wright. "Our team doctor, Rob Good, and trainer, Jeff Pierce, deserve a lot of credit for his recovery. And so does Gary. He worked extremely hard in the offseason and I think that work allowed him to return much closer to his usual form than he would have otherwise."
"The first night I felt a little tentative," said Buchanan. "But after that I just focused on playing Villanova basketball."
The saga began in October. On Villanova's third day of practice (Oct. 14), Buchanan suffered a slight fracture of his left (non-shooting) thumb. That sent him to the sidelines until Oct. 24. One day later, Buchanan went down to the floor clutching his knee during a drill in practice. He was subsequently diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.
Buchanan did not play in either exhibition game. He resumed practice on Nov. 13 and then hyperextended his left knee. At that point, a piece of cartilage detached from his femur and required arthoscopic surgery. The surgery was performed by Villanova team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Rob Good on Nov. 17 at Bryn Mawr Hospital.
"When Gary landed awkwardly on his left knee last week a piece of articular cartilage, about the size of a dime, broke loose from his femur," said Good. "We looked in there with the 'scope, removed the loose piece of cartilage, and smoothed down the area from where it had detached. In a case like this, the typical recovery period is 2-3 weeks."
In addition to all-tournament honors, Buchanan's work in Alaska re-ignited his move up the all-time Villanova records charts. With his 29 point outburst against Mhe moved past three prominent former Wildcats on the all-time scoring list: Alvin Williams, Wali Jones and Chris Ford. Buchanan now has 1,453 points and is in 21st place on the chart. He is within striking distance of No. 20 Lance Miller at 1,468 points.
Buchanan converted all seven free throws he attempted in Alaska. That moves his career free throw shooting percentage to .928 and he remains in position to challenge the all-time NCAA record for career free throw percentage held by Andy Enfield of Johns Hopkins University (.925).
Turnover Trouble
The Wildcats have demonstrated progress in the statistical line that has often tormented them in recent seasons: turnovers. But the progress has occasionally been interrupted.
A case in point was against College of Charleston.
Villanova committed a season-high 20 turnovers against the full-court pressure favored by the Cougars. The first half was particularly troublesome as VU coughed it up 12 times before intermission.
In contrast, Charleston turned it over only eight times all night.
Although Villanova's 79 turnovers are 13 more than its opponents, there is cause for optimism. Through five games in 2001-02, Villanova had committed 94 turnovers. It is also worth noting that the Wildcats had yet to face a nationally ranked team through the first five games last year and has already encountered two of those this season.
How far the 'Cats have come could play a major role in determining who prevails at the Palestra. La Salle applies the same kind of pressure Charleston did and has forced 82 turnovers in four games.
Snow Tracker
Junior guard Derrick Snowden's solid effort in Alaska had much to do with Villanova's success in the 49th state.
"Snow was steady and played some great defense, especially against Chris Hill (Michigan State)," noted Jay Wright.
Snowden played a season-high 37 minutes against the College of Charleston on Saturday. His 3-point field goal with 37 seconds left tied the contest at 69.
Snowden contributed 14 assists in the final two games in Alaska and has 27 (5.4 per game) on the season. In addition, he leads the Wildcats with 149 minutes played (29.8 mpg).
If there is one area where the Baltimore native needs to step up it is at the free throw line. He has missed his first four attempts this season, including two in the second half against Charleston.
Shining Under the Bright Lights
Villanova prospered in its national television appearances during the 2001-02 campaign. The 'Cats were 6-2 on national television (.750) last winter.
To date Villanova has made three appearances on national television and is 1-2. Here are the results and remaining matchups for the 2002-03 campaign:
Nov. 15: Marquette 73, Villanova 61Nov. 29: Villanova 81, Michigan State 73 (ESPN)Nov. 30: College of Charleston 71, Villanova 69 (ESPN)Jan. 5: at Memphis (CBS)Feb. 11: St. John's (ESPN2)Feb. 15: Connecticut (ESPN)Mar. 3: at Boston College (ESPN)Mar. 9: Pittsburgh (CBS)
Pavilion Power
Villanova has become quite comfortable in its unique on-campus Pavilion home since it opened on Feb. 1, 1986.
Lifetime Villanova is 144-45 (.762) in the 6,500-seat structure.
The 'Cats have been especially productive in the building in the recent past. Since the start of the 1994-95 campaign the Wildcats are 84-13 (.866) in front of the Pavilion audience. In Big East play over that span Villanova is 40-10 (.800).
Villanova hosts four games this year at the First Union Center, where it was 2-1 in 2001-02. All four feature matchups with 2002 NCAA Tournament squads: Dec. 10 vs. Pennsylvania; Feb. 11 vs. St. John's; Feb. 15 vs. Connecticut; and Mar. 9 vs. Pittsburgh.
Four game ticket packages are available through the Villanova Ticket Office at 610-519-4100.
Signing In
Coach Jay Wright announced the signing of two high school seniors to national letters of intent on Nov. 19. Guard Mike Nardi, 6-1, of St. Patrick's (N.J.) Elizabeth High School and forward Will Sheridan, 6-9, of Sanford (Del.) School both will enroll at Villanova in the fall of 2003.
Nardi sat out the 2001-02 season at St. Pat's with a broken foot. He returned to action in July 2002 to lead St. Pat's to the championship of the Natonal High School Basketball Tournament at Philadelphia's Palestra.
"Mike Nardi is going to inject our program with basketball intelligence, fire and passion," said Wright. "He has been well-coached in high school by Kevin Boyle and comes from a great family. He will be a tremendous addition to the foundation we are building at Villanova."
Sheridan averaged 20 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots a game as a junior at the Sanford School in Hockessin, Del. Sanford captured the Delaware state championship last season.
"Will is coming off a great summer of basketball," said Wright. "He is very skilled and a talented forward. His mother and father have instilled great character in Will. Coming from Sanford Prep, he will be prepared for the rigors of Big East basketball and Villanova's academics."
Sully Stuff
Senior Andrew Sullivan does much of the dirty work for the Wildcats. Villanova's best defender, Sullivan contributes in a variety of small ways to the Wildcats cause.
Sullivan chipped in with seven points and five rebounds in 31 minutes against Drexel. He averages 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and holds the distinction of being the only Wildcat to start all 37 games of the Jay Wright era.
"Andrew really helps us set a tone at the defensive end," said head coach Jay Wright. "He has done a good job of going to the glass and has also worked hard to improve his outside shot. We need our seniors to play well and Andrew is a large part of that."
Philadelphia Big Five
Today's Classic marks the opening of round-robin competition in the historic Philadelphia Big Five.
The dates and matchups:
Dec. 7: at La Salle (Big Five Classic at the Palestra)Dec. 10: Pennsylvania (First Union Center)Dec. 31: Temple (Pavilion)Feb. 3: ar Saint Joseph's (Palestra)
Last season, the Wildcats finished 2-2 in the Big Five. The Wildcats lost to La Salle and Penn while defeating Temple and Saint Joseph's.
Villanova will face all of the Division I teams in the Philadelphia region this season. The 'Cats downed Drexel 64-41 on Nov. 22 at the Pavilion.
Jason's Journey
After being utilized off the bench in the first two games of his college career, McDonald's All-American Jason Fraser moved into the starting lineup in Alaska. He looked quite comfortable there.
In his starting debut, Fraser produced 24 points and 15 rebounds in the 87-71 win over Loyola Marymount. After missing his first two official free throw attempts, Fraser converted the next 14 in a row against the Lions.
In five college, games Fraser already has three double-doubles. In fact, he is averaging a double-double (11.6 points, 10.6 rebounds) through the early portion of the slate.
"Jason is coming along," said Jay Wright. "He is a very intelligent young man and he's beginning to understand what it takes to compete on a daily basis at the Division I level."
Fraser also leads the Wildcats with 10 blocked shots (2.0 bpg).
Closing in
Ricky Wright is approaching a career milestone. Through five games he has scored 932 points. With 68 more points he will become the 45th player in school history to join the 1,000-point club at Villanova.
In addtion, Ricky Wright has 551 career caroms and that places him 30th on the school's all-time list. Next up is Keith Herron at 556 followed closely thereafter by Reggie Robinson at 559.
On Deck
vs. PennsylvaniaTuesday, Dec. 10, 2002First Union Center~7:35 p.m.CN8 TVWZZD (990 AM) and ESPN (920 AM) Radio
Notes: The second of three City Series games in the month of December pits the Wildcats against the defending Ivy League champions ... This will be only the second City Series game played at the First Union Center ... The first came in 2001, when these two teams met on Feb. 6 ... Villanova defeated Penn 80-51 in a game made memorable by a pair of Gary Buchanan free throws late in the second half ... Those free throws gave Buchanan the Division I consecutive made free throw streak that ended six days later at 73 straight ... Penn snapped a five game Villanova winning streak with a thrilling 75-74 overtime victory at the Palestra last season ... Andy Toole was one of five Quakers in double figures with 21 points while Ricky Wright and Buchanan combined for 45 points for the Wildcats.
vs. UMBCFriday, Dec. 13, 2002The Pavilion~7:35 p.m.WZZD (990 AM) and ESPN (920 AM) Radio
Notes: This will be the first meeting between the Retrievers of coach Tom Sullivan and the Wildcats ... It will mark Villanova's second Pavilion appearance of the campaign and its first in 21 days.
