Jan. 3, 2003
Villanova men's basketball game notes for Sunday's CBS nationally televised game between the Villanova Wildcats (7-4) and the Memphis Tigers (8-2). The two teams will square off at The Pyramid in Memphis with tipoff scheduled for 4:36 p.m. Click on the pdf link below for a complete version of the game notes.
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GAME 12 Villanova Wildcats (7-4 overall, 0-0 Big East)
vs.
Memphis Tigers (8-2 overall, 0-0 C-USA)
Sunday, Jan. 5, 2003~4:36 p.m
The Pyramid
CBS Television
WZZD Radio (990 AM)/ESPN Radio (920 AM)
The Top Stories
Second Half Surges: Since the implementation of a dose of full-court defensive pressure on Dec. 22 at Dayton, Villanova has prospered in the second half. In its last three games, the Wildcats have outscored the opposition 133-96 after intermission.
Ricky's Got That Number: When senior forward Ricky Wright scored his first basket at the 7:16 mark of the first half against Temple, he became the 45th player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. The product of East Chicago, Ind., enters today's game with 1,003 career points.
Echoes of 1985: For the second straight road trip, Villanova faces a foe it vanquished en route to the 1985 NCAA title. After a visit to Dayton prior to Christmas, Villanova meets the Tigers for the first time since that magical spring of '85.
Big East Awaits:On Wednesday, the 'Cats kick off conference play against Virginia Tech.
VILLANOVA NEWS & NOTES
A Late Rally Lifts Villanova
As has been its pattern of late, Villanova found itself down in the second half on Tuesday. Temple moved out in front of the Wildcats 48-43 with 10:16 left in the second half.
Yet the Wildcats soon seized control on the strength of their defense. Villanova outscored Temple 27-14 the rest of the way to post a 70-62 victory over their Philadelphia Big Five rival.
"It's a great win for us," said Villanova head coach Jay Wright, "because they're a very good team. I know John Chaney probably doesn't care what I think, but they're a good team."
The contest, played in front of a New Year's Eve sellout audience of 6,500, was close until the final minutes. A shot by Randy Foye with ten seconds left in the first half allowed the Wildcats to take a 31-30 edge into the locker room.
In the second half, Villanova turned to an old friend: defense. The 'Cats limited the Owls to .371 shooting from the floor in the second half. What's more, Temple connected on only 2-of-13 (.154) from beyond the 3-point arc after halftime.
"We didn't do anything fancy," senior forward Andrew Sullivan stated. "We just went out there and played our normal defense. We just knew we had to get after them right from the start."
The win gives the Wildcats a 2-1 record in the Philadelphia Big Five City Series while Temple fell to 0-2. Villanova will play its final city series game of the 2002-03 campaign on Feb. 3 at the Palestra against Saint Joseph's.
Sully's Been Strong
After starting the first 40 games of the Jay Wright era, Andrew Sullivan was moved out of the starting five at Dayton on Dec. 22. He has come off the bench in the three games since then.
The senior from London has struggled at the free throw line, converting exactly 50 percent of his attempts from the stripe (16-of-32). A year ago, Sullivan was a respectable 68 percent shooter from the line.
Six other Wildcats have a better scoring average than Sullivan.
So how is it that Wright and company view Sullivan as one of the most essential ingredients in any Villanova success?
"As a coaching staff, we value a lot of the little things that help you win but may not show up on the boxscore," explains Wright. "Things like deflections, setting screens that lead to baskets, and charges are important to us.
"Andrew does those things very well."
After each game, the coaching staff names a winner in its "Attitude Club". Points are awarded in categories such as those mentioned above. Sullivan earned the Attitude Club honors in a win over Binghamton on Dec. 27 and was also strong in that area in the victory over Temple.
"Andrew," said Wright, "does a lot of the same things for us that Brooks Sales did last year."
Sullivan averages 24.2 minutes, 6.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per outing for the Wildcats. His field goal percentage is .472 and he is tied for second on the team in offensive rebounds with Rikcy Wright (31 - Jason Fraser leads with 45).
Yet numbers don't really capture Sullivan's efforts.
He is Villanova's most versatile and accomplished defender. Last season, he helped slow the likes of Jason Kapono (UCLA), Marvin O'Connor (Saint Joseph's) and Troy Bell (Boston College). At 6-7, he can guard on the perimeter or near the basket.
This season, Sullivan has spent more time in the interior than he did last winter. He spells Ricky Wright at the four and also sees action at the three spot. His long, lean frame makes him an integral component of Villanova's full-court pressure.
In the win over Temple, Sullivan rose to the occasion. With Ricky Wright saddled with foul trouble, Sullivan helped shut down Temple's interior scoring. The Owls frontcourt, which included the dangerous Alex Wesby, was held to seven points.
Sullivan's stat line on Tuesday included seven points, five rebounds and two steals.
But those around the program know well his impact was much greater than those modest statistics might indicate.
A Ray of Light
Of the four ballyhooed newcomers to arrive at Villanova this fall, Allan Ray arrived with the smallest amount of advance notice.
As a prep senior, he had been limited to four games due to a broken bone in his foot.
The explosive quickness and leaping ability that had made him one of the top players in New York City for St. Raymond's High School in 2000-01 seemed to have been lost in the hype over classmates Jason Fraser, Curtis Sumpter and Randy Foye.
Yet it is Ray who has been the most consistent of Villanova's touted New Crew.
Ray's skills were on display again for all to see on New Year's Eve at the Pavilion. With Gary Buchanan struggling with his long-distance radar - the senior finished just 2-of-12 from beyond the arc - Ray picked up the slack. In 25 strong minutes, Ray was 6-of-12 from the field and 2-of-4 from deep en route to a team leading 16 points. He also added four rebounds.
Through 11 games, Ray is third in scoring behind seniors Buchanan and Ricky Wright. He averages 11.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per outing. He is the team's top 3-point field goal percentage shooter at .391 per game.
"Allan is off to a nice start," said Jay Wright.
The Matchups
Villanova vs. MemphisAll-time series: Villanova leads 8-2Last meeting: VU 52, Memphis 45 (March 30, 1985)Last Memphis win: Memphis 58, VU 40 (Dec. 21, 1966)Wright vs. Memphis: First Meeting
Notebook: Villanova and Memphis collide for the first time since the 1985 Final Four ... The 'Cats took that meeting 52-45 at Lexington, Kentucky, setting up the historic match with Georgetown in the Finals ... The all-time series is 8-2 in favor of the Wildcats ... The first meeting between the two schools came in 1961 at the Palestra ... The Tigers took that duel 78-74 ... Villanova has a three game winning streak in the series ... This marks Villanova's first visit here to play the Tigers since 1966 ... The two most recent meetings in this series came in the NCAA Tournament ... The Wildcats are 0-1 against Conference USA this season, having lost to Marquette 73-61 in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 15.
A New Toy in the Stocking
In the past three contests, Jay Wright has placed a new tool in his work chest: full-court defensive pressure.
At Dayton, the pressure helped the Wildcats rally from a 15-point second half deficit to tie the game. The 'Cats then lost when Brooks Hall hit a running jumper at the buzzer.
On Dec. 27 against Binghamton, the press helped spark some turnovers that led directly to baskets for the Wildcats in the second half. Ray came up with four steals and Villanova forced Binghamton into 25 turnovers for the game.
The pressure looked even better in the win over Temple. Villanova forced the usually sure-handed Owls into a season-high 18 turnovers. In contrast, Temple committed only 10 turnovers in two games against the 'Cats last season.
"They outworked us on every pass," said Owls coach John Chaney. "When you cannot pass the ball, that's like in a war. If you destroy the transportation system, you win the war. That's exactly what happened with us."
The pressure used in recent games has not been of the 40-minutes-of-hell variety popularized by former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson in the early 1990s. Rather it is used in spots to change tempo and force a faster pace that seems to suit the Wildcats.
"As a staff we try to look at our team and see what it does well," said Jay Wright. "We wanted to use the press last year but we didn't have the depth to it. For this group, though, it seems to work well."
One advantage for Villanova if it chooses to employ the trap is its roster depth. Seven different Wildcats have started games this season and average between 24 and 28.5 minutes per outing. Two other Wildcats, Curtis Sumpter (12.2 mpg) and Marcus Austin (8.6 mpg) are included in the regular playing rotation.
Binghamton's 25 turnovers were the most by a Wildcat opponent since Notre Dame surrendered the ball 26 times against Villanova on Feb. 2, 2000 at the First Union Center.
In the three games since turning to the pressure, Villanova has 31 steals. In the eight games before that, it had a total of 34.
Fraser Fits In
After averaging a double-double through his first five college games, Jason Fraser seemed to be in terrific groove. Yet transitions from high school to college are seldom that smooth and it turned out Fraser's wasn't either.
Over the next five games, Fraser appeared much more tentative than he had early on. Against Dayton, Fraser played only 14 minutes and was not in foul trouble.
Lately, though, Fraser appears to have regained his early form. In the win over Temple he contributed eight points and eight rebounds in 30 strong minutes.
In his past two contests, against Binghamton and Temple, Fraser has averaged 10 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
"Jason's coming along," said Jay Wright. "He is such a bright young man and is trying so hard to do everything we ask that sometimes he gets away from just playing. But he's made great strides lately."
Fraser, a 2002 McDonald's All-American, averages 9.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
Gary's Gains
Tuesday was the kind of afternoon Gary Buchanan has seldom experienced in front of a Pavilion crowd. In a building where he has prospered as a long distance shooter, the product of St. Thomas More (Conn.) could not find the range. He was 3-of-14 (.214) on the day and 2-of-12 (.167) from 3-point range.
In fact, it was the second worst shooting performance Buchanan has ever endured at the Pavilion. The only time he struggled more from the field on the Main Line in his four year career came last season when he was 3-of-17 (.176) against Miami.
Yet Buchanan made a strong contribution on Tuesday that went beyond his ten points.
"We challenge Gary to take pride in the other parts of his game and not to feel like he can't help us if he's not making shots," said Jay Wright. "Tonight, he got a rebound and threw a length-of-the-court pass and we got a 3-point play. That's the kind of stuff he can do. He needs to do those things, and tonight he did. I was really proud of him."
Buchanan chased Wesby for most of the day and held him to 1-of-5 shooting from the field. In his previous outing in a 71-64 win over No. 11 Indiana, Wesby had scored 26 points.
"His man just outworked him, that's all," said Chaney of Wesby's play.
Buchanan did convert a pair of free throws in the second half. He is now 291-of-315 (.9238) for his career as he pursues Andy Enfield (.925) of Johns Hopkins for the NCAA all-time free throw shooting percentage title.
Carom Count
While turnovers have vexed Villanova at times this season, its work on the glass has kept the Wildcats heads' above water.
Villanova has captured the battle of the boards in nine of 11 meetings this season. The only exceptions came against Michigan State in the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout and in a win over UMBC on Dec. 13 here at the Pavilion.
Against the Owls, Villanova collected 43 rebounds to Temple's 36. Six different Wildcats had four or more rebounds, including Randy Foye's career high nine and Fraser's eight.
On the year Villanova is outrebounding its opponents by a margin of 41.5 - 30.8 per game.
A Sumpter Breeze
Freshman forward Curtis Sumpter has begun to make his presence felt of late. In the win over Temple he contributed ten points in 13 minutes and was a key part of the defensive pressure that ignited the Wildcats' second half rally.
"I'm just focusing on defense more than anything else," said the freshman from Bishop Loughlin (N.Y.) High School. "I see that if we play defense hard, it opens up our offensive game."
The Road Less Traveled
An 80-78 loss at Dayton on Dec. 22 was the 'Cats first away from home in 2002-03 but it extends a losing streak that dates to last season to eight in a row.
The road was a difficult place for Villanova in 2001-02 as the 'Cats were 2-8 away from the Pavilion and First Union Center. After winning exciting Big East road games at Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, Villanova dropped its next seven road decisions.
The longest road losing streak in Villanova history is ten games. In 1927-28, the Wildcats lost every one of their ten road contests.
That skid was matched between the years 1944-46. In that wartime span the Wildcats also lost 10 straight away from what is now known as the Jake Nevin Field House.
Pavilion Power
Villanova has become quite comfortable in its unique on-campus Pavilion home since it opened on Feb. 1, 1986.
Lifetime Villanova is 147-45 (.766) 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 87-13 (.870) 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: Pennsylvania (a 72-58 loss on Dec. 10); Feb. 11 vs. St. John's; Feb. 15 vs. Connecticut; and Mar. 9 vs. Pittsburgh.
Tickets for the remaining First Union Center games are available through the Villanova Ticket Office at 610-519-4100.
A Number Change
Villanova freshman guard Mike Claxton changed uniform numbers prior to the Dec. 27 contest against Binghamton. Claxton, who began the campaign wearing No. 25, will now utilize No. 35. Please make a note of it.
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 National 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."
On Deck
vs. Virginia TechWednesday, Jan. 8, 2003The Pavilion~7:35 p.m.WFIL (560 AM) and ESPN (920 AM) Radio
Notes: This will mark Villanova's Big East opener ... The Wildcats have won all four meetings between the two schools since Virginia Tech joined the Big East Conference, including an 84-77 triumph at the Pavilion on Jan. 30 ... Gary Buchanan has scored 97 points (24.3) in four career games against the Hokies.
vs. ProvidenceSaturday, Jan. 11, 2003The Pavilion~4:05 p.m.ESPN Regional TelevisionWZZD (990 AM) and ESPN (920 AM) Radio
Notes: The Friars and Wildcats split a pair of contests in 2001-02, both teams winning on their home floor ... Villanova holds an all-time series advantage of 42-31 ... Providence has claimed six of the last nine meetings between the two members of the Big East's East Division ... Ricky Wright posted double-doubles in both encounters, averaging 21.5 points and 14.0 rebounds in the process.
