Nov. 20, 2003
VILLANOVA WILDCATS (0-0)
vs.
TEMPLE OWLS (0-0)
Friday, Nov. 21, 2003
12:01 a.m.
Liacouras Center - Philadelphia, Pa.
The Villanova men's basketball team will open the 2003-04 season against Big Five rival Temple at the Liacouras Center. Click on the PDF link below for a complete version of Wildcat game notes.
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New Start
The Wildcats open the season with a flurry of five games in six days, played in three separate time zones.
"I've never experienced a preseason quite like this one," stated head coach Jay Wright.
The situation stems from the telephone access code incident which came to light on March 8, 2003. At that time it was revealed that student-athletes at Villanova, including multiple members of the men's basketball team, made improper use of a university telephone access code. Villanova, in consultation with the NCAA, temporarily suspended 12 student-athletes pending review of the records. The Wildcats dressed only seven players over the final three games of 2002-03 (vs. Pittsburgh, vs. Georgetown in the Big East Tournament, and at Siena in the National Invitation Tournament).
Following a thorough review of the records it was announced in August that a total of five players faced suspension time in 2003-04. They include: Andreas Bloch (8 game suspension, three already served); Marcus Austin (8 game suspension yet to be served); Chris Charles (three game suspension to be served); Derrick Snowden (three game suspension to be served); and Curtis Sumpter (three game suspension to be served).
Sophomore forward/center Jason Fraser completed a three game suspension last March. Sophomores Allan Ray, Randy Foye and Michael Claxton faced no suspension time nor did redshirt freshman Baker Dunleavy.
Newcomers Mike Nardi and Will Sheridan were not impacted by the review.
Villanova works with the NCAA to determine what its roster should be over the course of the remaining suspension period. The issue has been especially tricky given injuries that have sidelined Fraser and Snowden along with a possible Rhodes Scholar candidacy of senior guard Tom Grace. The NCAA requires that at least seven players be available for each game.
Exhibition Excerpts
In its only work before a live audience yet this season, Villanova defeated the Hoop Group 88-81 in an exhibition contest on Nov. 12 at the Pavilion.
"We saw some good things and we also some things that remind you that we are a young team," noted Wright.
The Wildcats jumped out to an 11-0 advantage before the contest was five minutes old. They expanded the lead to 26-6 with 9:41 to go in the first half.
"I thought the guys had a lot of energy early and were really ready to go," noted Wright. At halftime, Villanova held a 40-27 advantage.
In the second half, the Hoop Group made several runs at the Wildcats. The closest it got was an 82-78 Villanova lead with 1:14 to go. But a dunk by sophomore Chris Charles off a nice feed from freshman Mike Nardi gave the 'Cats an 84-78 edge with 1:04 left on the clock and Villanova held on for the win.
Sophomore forward Curtis Sumpter led the 'Cats with 26 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the field. He also contributed 14 rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots in 33 minutes of action.
Fellow sophomore Allan Ray also was impressive. Ray contributed 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to the cause before fouling out in the final minutes.
A third sophomore, Randy Foye, added 16 points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes despite spending much of the second half in foul trouble.
Nardi delivered 11 assists in his Pavilion debut to go along with eight points in 38 minutes of activity.
Amazing Grace
Over the course of his two seasons in a Villanova uniform senior guard Tom Grace has seen only limited action. The native of Catonsville, Md., enters 2003-04 with a 0.1 scoring average (six points scored on a pair of three point field goals) in 21 career games.
Yet his role off the court is quite different.
With fellow Maryland native Derrick Snowden sidelined by a knee injury, Grace has taken on an important leadership role on a squad with only three available upperclassmen on the roster (Austin and Bloch are the others).
What's more, Grace continues to thrive in the classroom. As a member of the Honors program, he has emerged as a candidate to become a Rhodes Scholar.
"We're all very proud of Tom," stated Wright. "He's developed into a great leader for our young players. He is a 4.0 student with one of the best work ethics on our team.
"He exemplifies the pure student-athlete."
Grace spent much of Tuesday and Wednesday this week in Washington, D.C. to interview along with other candidates for this elite honor. His status for the Temple and Redlands game is in doubt because he may need to stay in Washington as the process moves further along.
Glass Work
A key in the early stages of the season figures to be rebounding. The Wildcats' leading returning rebounder, Fraser, continues his recovery from a stress fracture in his heel and is officially listed as doubtful for the first week.
The 'Cats also figure to be without Sumpter and Charles, who together combined for 24 boards in the exhibition victory over the Hoop Group.
"Coach teaches that we have to rebound as a team and that's something we always focus on," states Ray.
Of course, the 'Cats may have only Sheridan among their regular frontcourt players available in the first three games. With only seven players available due to the suspensions it is likely that no more than two will be forwards.
Wright must hope Villanova can hold its own against the taller Owls.
There were two encouraging signs in the victory over the Hoop Group. The first is that the 'Cats out-rebounded their opponent 49-30. The second is that a pair of guards, Foye and Ray, each chipped in with seven rebounds.
It is also noteworthy that in the three games following announcement of the suspensions last March, Villanova more than held its own on the boards. Its opponents collected 82 rebounds in those three games to the 'Cats 81.
Randy's Role
As a rookie in 2002-03, guard Randy Foye frequently directed the Villanova offense. With the arrival of freshman point guard Mike Nardi, Foye's role will be somewhat altered in his second season on the Main Line yet no less vital.
Foye will be a backcourt fixture again, this time concentrating on replacing some of the scoring firepower on the perimeter lost when Gary Buchanan graduated. As a frosh, Foye averaged 10.3 ppg and is the club's leading returning scorer.
In the exhibition win over the Hoop Group on Nov. 12, the 2002 New Jersey Prep Player of the Year provided 16 points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes.
"With the arrival of Mike, I think Randy has a chance to show people more of his offensive game and continue the defensive improvement we saw last season," said Wright.
No Snow in the Forecast
Senior guard Derrick Snowden continues to rehabilitate his left knee after undergoing surgery on Aug. 27 at Bryn Mawr Hospital.
There is no timetable for a return.
"We are going to evaluate this as we go along," said Wright at Villanova's media day earlier this month. "Snow has made remarkable progress and there is a chance we could get him back this season."
Villanova's most experienced player, the product of Baltimore's Archbishop Spalding High School led the Wildcats in minutes played in each of the past two seasons. He also topped the club in assists (3.5 apg) and 3-point shooting percentage (.432). His scoring average was 8.6 ppg.
Snowden has been a Villanova team captain for each of the past three seasons.
Ray Will Play
Another member of Villanova's sophomore class who will play a major role in 2003-04 is guard Allan Ray.
Ray scored 22 points and added seven assists and seven rebounds in the exhibition victory over the Hoop Group.
Ray averaged 9.9 ppg as a freshman, often spelling Buchanan. This season he figures to log heavy minutes as part of Wright's three guard offense.
"Allan's ability to get to the rim or make jumpers is a great asset for us," notes Wright.
One area Ray has worked to strengthen is his accuracy from beyond the 3-point arc. Despite a strong start from deep, Ray tailed off in the season's second half and ended the campaign with a long-range accuracy figure of .299.
Long Range Planning
An area where the Wildcats hope to bolster their performance in 2003-04 is in policing the area beyond the 3-point arc.
Last season, Villanova finished ninth in the Big East in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.432). It surrendered 727 field goals from beyond the arc.
The exhibition game indicated the 'Cats may still have some room for improvement in this area. The Hoop Group connected on 16-of-37 from beyond the arc (.410), including 15-of-31 (.484) in the second half.
New Man at the Wheel
For the second straight year, Villanova welcomes the New Jersey Prep Player of the Year. And for the second season in a row, the 'Cats will hand the newcomer a large dose of responsibility for directing the offensive attack.
"Mike has some great leadership qualities and I think guys are drawn to that," said Wright.
As a senior, Nardi led St. Patrick's (N.J.) High School to the New Jersey Tournament of Champions title.
In his Pavilion debut Nardi demonstrated the skill that brought him to the attention of the coaching staff in the first place.
Nardi paced the Wildcats with 11 assists, a number that is better than any single game assist total posted by a Villanova player in 2002-03. He also scored eight points for the 'Cats and wowed the fans in attendance with several impressive feeds to set up teammates.
Of course, as is often the case with rookies, there were some shaky moments too.
Nardi also was charged with a team-high seven turnovers in his 38 minutes.
Fraser's Still Down
When the time comes to flip the calendar page to 2004, few may be more eager to do so than sophomore forward Jason Fraser.
Adversity has been an underlying current in the basketball life of this Parade All-American from Amityville, N.Y. throughout 2003.
The troubles began even as the Wildcats rolled through the early portion of their Big East schedule in January. Fraser was a significant factor as Villanova reached the end of the month with a 12-6 record, 5-1 in the Big East.
Yet even as he lent a helping hand, Fraser was battling tendonitis in both knees. By the time February dawned, the 6-10 forward/center rarely practiced because of the condition. His minutes steadily began to shrink as the pain increased.
A nadir was reached when Fraser started against Providence on Feb. 22 but lasted only two minutes before the pain became too much. He was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his left foot and was sidelined for two weeks.
Fraser was later cleared to play in the first week of March. However, he did not return to action thanks to his role in the telephone access code incident. (He served a three game suspension).
On April 9, Fraser underwent surgery at Bryn Mawr Hospital on both knees to help relieve the tendonitis. He did not resume basketball action until late September and then participated in the first 10 days of official practice before encountering a problem with his left heel.
In early November, Fraser was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left heel. He was placed in a walking boot and was re-evaluated this week. It was determined that the injury is slowly healing. He will be sidelined an additional three weeks at which time his status will be re-evaluated.
