Dec. 7, 2002
Each week during the school year, VU director of media relations Mike Sheridan takes you inside the Villanova Men's Basketball program with notes, quotes and anecdotes from the Wildcats.
PHILADELPHIA - The dinner had been long discussed. But with six high profile basketball coaches, arranging a date was always problematic.
Finally, last spring, the six head basketball coaches in the Philadelphia Big Five came up with a date. Each head coach and his wife would meet for dinner at Overbrook Country Club.
"We all agreed," St. Joseph's head coach Phil Martelli told a luncheon on Friday, "to meet there at seven."
Alas, only five of the six couples were there at the appointed time.
"Coach (John) Chaney walked in at 8:50," noted Martelli with a laugh. "He said he had a tough time finding a parking place. When we walked out after the dinner, his car was within 500 yards of the door."
When Chaney did arrive, his presence was felt immediately.
"Coach Chaney talked," quipped Drexel coach Bruiser Flint, "and we listened." "It was," said Villanova head coach Jay Wright, "an amazing night. Every one of our wives was hanging on Coach Chaney's words."
That dinner was a focal point of conversation on Dec. 6 as the six coaches involved in the Philadelphia Big Five Classic gathered at the Hyatt Regency Hotel for a luncheon to celebrate the event. Part of the agreement is that the head coach of the Philadelphia Big Five champions picks up the tab for the meal.
"That's great for me," noted Flint, "because we're not in the Big Five so I can never win it."
Each coach talked about the link that bonds these five schools.
"You look at other cities with great college basketball," said Dunphy, "and wonder why they don't have something like this."
As Wright pointed out, however, arranging an event like the Big Five Classic and round-robin competition is not a simple matter.
"You have to give credit to all the athletic directors," Wright said. "Putting something like this together is difficult. There are a lot of considerations with regards to conferences and television that you have to take into account. It's a tribute to everyone involved that this takes place."
Saturday's tripleheader at the Palestra marks the second year of the Classic. Last year's event played to rave reviews locally and nationally. While there are no ironclad guarantees about what the future holds, the will to continue seems strong.
"This," said Dunphy, "is special. I'm just envious of all the people in this room who will get to watch all three games. Because of the NCAA rules, I can only be a part of one game. But I'll be watching the others on TV."
(Note: NCAA rules prohibit college coaches from attending games of school's they are scheduled to face later that season.)
Wright, who grew up in Bucks County as a Villanova and Philadelphia Big Five fan, is excited about the approaching Big Five portion of the schedule.
"As a Villanova Basketball player you have the unique opportunity to enjoy every kind of basketball experience," he notes. "You get to play in a great on-campus facility at the Pavilion. You get to play in a first-class professional environment at the First Union Center. And, you have a chance to play in a historic building like the Palestra.
"This week some of our new players will get their first taste of the Big Five and the Palestra. We've talked to them about it and I think they have an appreciation for it. But I think they'll have a whole new appreciation for it after they go through it."
Senior guard Gary Buchanan remembers his introduction to the Big Five.
"I had heard about how competitive the Big Five was from guys like Malik Allen and Brian Lynch," he said. "I thought I knew what it would be like. But then you get out there and see how into the fans are and what it means to the players and you know this is something unique."...
Among his accomplishments as a Villanova basketball player in the productive era of 1963-66, former Wildcat Bernie Schaffer has another unique distinction in the program's history: radio pioneer.
"A friend of mine and I were broadcasting high school games in the 1970s," recalled Schaffer during an appearance on Talking Villanova Basketball with Jay Wright this week. "At the time no Villanova games were on the radio. So we asked, why couldn't we do some Villanova games?"
So in 1976, the first Villanova radio network took shape.
Schaffer, who helped the Wildcats to a 65-20 record during his three seasons of varsity basketball, was involved in every facet of the production.
"We went out and convinced the radio station to put us on the air," Schaffer stated. "We sold advertising. We lined up the equipment."
His most visible duty was as the color analyst.
"I was Whitey Rigsby when Whitey Rigsby still playing," Schaffer quipped.
The arrangement lasted until 1979. It covered only a handful of contests each season.
"I had to make a living and we couldn't follow the team everywhere it went," noted Schaffer.
Today, the Villanova radio network is anchored by a pair of stations, WZZD (990 AM) and ESPN 920 (920 AM), and reaches across the nation via the internet. Every regular season game is broadcast along with all postseason action. Plus, there are 10 "Talking Villanova Basketball with Jay Wright" shows (including another on Dec. 12 at 7:00 p.m.).
"It's quite different now than it was when we started," says Schaffer. "But we enjoyed doing it."...
The room is a small one that's primary purpose comes on game night, when it is used by the Villanova Media Relations staff for copying statistics. But during the preseason the room became something else.
Call it the Buchanan Rehabilitation Center.
During the recovery from his troika of injuries, this room with a view became Buchanan's second home. During many Wildcat practices in October and early November, Buchanan spent much of his time perched on a stationary bicycle or Stairmaster alongside trainer Jeff Pierce inside that room. With the doors opened, he could watch practice and retain his conditioning at the same time.
Following his 29-point explosion that helped Villanova defeat No. 9 Michigan State in the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout, Buchanan was asked if he missed his temporary rehab center.
"Not at all," he said with a laugh...
The first "Inside Villanova Basketball with Jay Wright" television show was pushed back from its original premier date of Dec. 6 on Comcast Sports Net. A new date will be announced later this week...
The next "Talking Villanova Basketball with Jay Wright" radio program is set for Thursday evening, Dec. 12, at 7:00 p.m. Fans in the area are invited to come out to Gullifty's restaurant to join in the fun or tune in on WZZR Radio (990 AM) or at villanova.com.
