Feb. 7, 2002

Click on the .pdf link below for a complete version of Saturday's game notes for Villanova's game against the nationally ranked UCLA Bruins. Villanova (12-8, 4-6 Big East) and No. 15 UCLA (16-6, 8-4 PAC 10) will tip off at 1:06 p.m. EST at the Pavilion.

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Villanova Wildcats
(12-8 overall, 4-6 Big East)
Vs.
UCLA Bruins
(16-6 overall, 9-4 PAC 10)
Saturday, Feb. 9, 2002
The Pavilion~1:06 p.m.
CBS Television
(Dick Enberg & Clark Kellogg)
Villanova Radio Network
(WZZD 990 AM)


The Miami Project
Based on its experience just 12 days earlier, Villanova knew well just what challenges the University of Miami would present. The No. 11 ranked club in the country brought five starters who average double figures in scoring and one of the top defensive teams in the Big East to the Pavilion. Yet the 'Cats, as they have throughout 2001-02, gave no quarter. The Wildcats were within one point of the Hurricanes with 4:01 to go and were within three for much of the next two minutes. But Villanova could not get its shots to fall and Miami gained a hard-fought 65-56 win before a raucous crowd of 6,500. Although there were encouraging signs, head coach Jay Wright wasn't looking for moral victories.

"I would have hoped by this point in the season that we were ready," said the first year coach. "We've been trying to grow. I've been saying that we're a work in progress. And we still are. But I was hoping that we'd be ready to beat some teams like this, especially at home. And obviously we're not."

A familiar villain in this Villanova season was in evidence again on Tuesday: turnovers. There were 16 committed by the 'Cats.

"There were less possessions in this game, so those 16 are like our normal 23," said Jay Wright. "It just kills us ... We're working very hard on it. I just think we have habits that are tough to be broken.

"I don't really have any great answers. When you're playing good teams like that, you just can't turn the ball over that many times."

Of course, some of the credit for that belongs to the Miami defense, as Wildcats guard Gary Buchanan pointed out.

"They're just long and wiry," said the junior from St. Louis. "Every single guy is in the passing lanes. They deny you. They're just a great defensive team."

G Whiz
He is Villanova's leading scorer and usually the focal point of opposition game plans. Yet Gary Buchanan has mostly prospered this season due in no small part to a more complete game than he has displayed in the past.

"We have really tried to have Gary become a more complete player - better at the defensive end, better at taking the ball to the basket," said Jay Wright. "Everyone knows that he is a great shooter but we need him to do all the little things and he has really responded to that challenge."

At times this winter, Buchanan has carried the 'Cats. And he has been at his best on national television: in three appearances on ESPN & ESPN2 Buchanan has averaged 25.7 ppg, including a career-high 34 in a 77-75 Villanova victory at Virginia Tech on Jan. 15. In those games Buchanan has shot .520 from the field and .548 (17-31) from 3-point territory. Buchanan also prospered on CBS in his only Pavilion appearance on the network as a freshman in 1999-2000. He scored a then career-high of 24 points on 8-of-12 (.667) shooting from the floor and 6-of-10 (.600) from 3-point land as the Wildcats defeated Georgia 78-75 before the customary sellout crowd at the Pavilion. Buchanan earned the Chevrolet Most Valuable Player honor from the network for his efforts on that day (Jan. 30, 2000). The junior guard averages 19.1 ppg on .463 shooting from the field. In addition he is 66-of-139 (.475) from beyond the 3-point arc.

Over the course of his three seasons on the Main Line Buchanan is 214-of-541 (.396) from beyond the 3-point arc. The Villanova record for 3-point field goals in a career belongs to Kerry Kittles, who made 278 from 1992-96. The Villanova career percentage record belongs to Mark Plansky, who ended his stint on the Main Line with a .451 figure, though he did so with far fewer attempts (144) than either Kittles or Buchanan. Buchanan has scored in double figures in nine consecutive games and 19 of the 20 Villanova has played in 2001-02. In 84 career games on the Main Line, this product of St. Thomas More has reached double figures in 62 of them. On Dec. 28 against Delaware State, Buchanan went past the 1,000-point mark for his career. (Fittingly, the points came on a 3-point field goal). The St. Louis native now has 1,209 points and is in 34th place on the all-time school list. Next up at 1,217 points is former 'Cat and current ESPN Regional analyst Mark Plansky.

One bit of less encouraging news on the Buchanan front came Tuesday at the free throw line, of all spots. Although he finished the night a more than respectable 7-of-9 from the stripe, Buchanan missed consecutive free throws for the first time in his college career. On the season he is 79-of-87 (.908), tops in the Big East Conference. Over his three years on the Main Line Buchanan is a remarkable 245-of-264 (.928) at the line. Last season he established an NCAA Division I record by making 73 in a row.

Rebounding And Other Team Stuff
The flip side to the turnover issue this year has been on the glass, where the Wildcats have generally done a solid job. On the year Villanova is outrebounding its opponents by an average of seven per game (37.8 - 30.5). Lately, though, the 'Cats haven't been quite as strong on the glass. Against Miami, the Wildcats collected a season-low 22 caroms to Miami's 33. It was the largest rebounding deficit Villanova has experienced all year long. The Wildcats have been outrebounded twice in the past three games after being beaten on the glass only once in the first 15 contests of the season. At the offensive end, assists have been hard to come by of late too. The 'Cats have only produced 17 in the past two games, both losses. Prior to that the Wildcats had delivered 46 in wins over Saint Joseph's and Virginia Tech. On the season Villanova averages 15.2 assists per game. Derrick Snowden leads the club with 4.0 per game.

Point Center
His numbers aren't the most imposing on the stat sheet but no Wildcat offered a more complete January worksheet than senior center Brooks Sales. The 6-10 Bloomfield, Conn., native ended January in style on against Virginia Tech with 14 points and nine rebounds. Sales averaged 11.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in January. It is not uncommon to see Sales bring the basketball up the floor and he is often stationed at the top of the key, where he can feed the post or make a 15 foot jumper.

"Brooks is our team's most valuable player," said Jay Wright. "He's great. I love them all, but Brooks just does everything. He can handle the ball under pressure. He dishes out assists, he rebounds, and he is our leader on the floor. The coaches can communicate to the players through him.

"He is a great Villanova senior. In my years as a Villanova assistant, the seniors always stepped up and made big plays. He does it all the time."

Sales also now has 877 career points. In addition, he has moved into 12th place on the Wildcats' all-time rebounding list with 742 caroms. Against Miami he passed Hank Siemiontkowski, who will be in attendance for the UCLA game, who collected 739 in three seasons. Next up is Hubie White in 11th place. White, whose retired jersey hangs in the Pavilion, closed his career in 1962 with 755 rebounds.

On Guard
When the trio of Buchanan, Snowden and Bryant reach double figures in scoring in 2001-02, Villanova is 5-0. When two reach that plateau, Villanova is 5-5. When only one contributes that many, the 'Cats are 2-3.

Snow Thaws
Sophomore guard Derrick Snowden's shooting kept the Wildcats in the game against Miami in the first half on Tuesday and he finished the night with 15 points, on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. He also had five assists but contributed six turnovers as well. After posting a 6-of-19 effort on field goal attempts at Miami on Jan. 24, Snowden has heated up over the past four games. He has shot better than 50 percent in each of those games and is 21-of-33 (.636) from the floor in that span. His overall field goal percentage, which was below 40 percent entering January, not stands at .457. Snowden is fourth on the Wildcats in scoring at 9.8 ppg. He was Villanova's top player on its summer tour of Italy in August, averaging 15.3 ppg as the team went 3-2 against professional and club teams.

Sully Has Silenced Some Good Ones
Andrew Sullivan is Villanova's most versatile defender and is often charged with the task of chasing the opponent's top offensive threat on the perimeter. No doubt Sullivan will see lots of Jason Kapono against the Bruins. Sullivan has played well lately. On Tuesday he helped hold Darius Rice in check (seven points) and chipped in with six points of his own. On Jan. 28 he was instrumental in holding Marvin O'Connor of Saint Joseph's to 10 points and only nine field goal attempts in a 102-73 Villanova win. The native of London, England is the only Wildcat to have started every game this season and averages 6.4 ppg, on .608 shooting.

The Matchup
Villanova vs. UCLA
All-Time Series: UCLA leads 2-0
Last meeting: UCLA 93, Villanova 65 (Jan. 13, 2001)
Wright vs. UCLA: 0-1

Notebook: The Bruins make their first-ever appearance on the Main Line ... UCLA played in the East Regional semifinal last March at the First Union Center ... Jay Wright's final game at Hofstra was a first round NCAA loss to UCLA in the spring of 2001 ... Villanova and UCLA met for the first time since the 1971 NCAA Final on Jan. 13, 2001 with the Bruins taking a 93-65 victory at Pauley Pavilion ... Michael Bradley led Villanova with 18 points while Jason Kapono scored 28 points to pace UCLA ... A halftime ceremony will be held to honor the 1971 'Cats, national runnersup to UCLA ... Among those scheduled to be in attendance include Howard Porter, Chris Ford, Tom Ingelsby, Clarence Smith, Hank Siemiontkowski and head coach Jack Kraft ... VU is 3-0 on national TV in 2001-02.