Oct. 29, 2004
The Nova Notebook, by Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan, appears each week beginning in the fall and continues through the basketball season.
It was only one broken play in a season full of ups and downs. Yet for an athlete who so effectively accomplishes the little things, it stands out in our memories for it was so unlike anything else the Nova Nation saw from Will Sheridan in his freshman campaign.
On Jan. 31, Villanova hosted West Virginia in the Pavilion. Sheridan, a 6-8 forward from Bear, Del., held the ball near the top of the key, beyond the 3-point arc. He spied Curtis Sumpter headed for the basket and fired off what he hoped would result in an alley oop dunk for the `Cats electric forward. However, the pass went awry - badly.
To the surprise of the 6,500 people in the building and Sheridan himself, the ball caromed off the backboard and dropped into the net. Sheridan had his first and only 3-pointer of his college career to this point and the video clip aired all over the country that evening.
When the ball went through the net, Sheridan looked in the direction of the Villanova bench and shrugged his shoulders.
Every once in a while, someone will mention that play to Sheridan, now a Villanova sophomore. And he hasn't lost his sense of humor about it either.
"All I know," says Sheridan with a smile, "is that I'm still a 1.000 percent shooter from outside the 3-point line."
If that single play stands out to many it is mostly because most of Sheridan's contributions to the Wildcats are quiet. He does not have the explosive athleticism of a Curtis Sumpter, the power of Randy Foye or the shooting eye of Allan Ray. Yet Sheridan logged a ton of important minutes as a rookie in 2003-04 and figures to see that role increase as he begins his second season as a `Cat in 2004-05 on Nov. 23 at the Pavilion against UMBC.
Neither Sheridan nor Mike Nardi enjoyed the luxury of a slow transition to college basketball. With Villanova still dealing with suspensions left over from the telephone access code incident at the dawn of 2003-04, both became instant starters and 40 minute players. Sheridan, in particular, carried a heavy burden as one of the few true interior athletes available through the first seven games of the campaign. Yet he handled it efficiently.
"It was definitely one of those situations that build character," Sheridan says. "It showed me that I could compete at this level and I felt like I was needed. After those first five games, I felt like I was a veteran for the rest of the season."
In many ways, Sheridan played like a veteran. Once the suspensions were settled and Jason Fraser returned to the lineup from injury, Sheridan settled into a reserve role as the first big man off the bench. Surrounded by ample firepower, Sheridan did not focus on offense, choosing instead to contribute in some of the more subtle areas of the game.
"I feel like we have a lot of players who, if they have the ball in their hands, will produce," Sheridan states. "My goal was to go out and help them by doing whatever I had to help us win. Whether that was with dribble hand-offs, rebounding, guarding other big men, it didn't matter.
"I felt like they needed me to produce but not necessarily by scoring a lot of points."
Offensively, Sheridan kept matters simple. He passed, screened and went to the glass. In 35 games, he attempted only 99 field goals. Most of those came off rebounds or feeds from his teammates near the baskets. Sheridan converted .586 of those attempts and averaged 4.5 ppg.
More evidence of Sheridan's economical offensive contributions could be found in the turnover column. He committed only 20 turnovers all season while averaging just over 21 minutes per game.
As the campaign wore on, it was not uncommon to find Sheridan on the floor at crunch time. With Ray plagued by foul trouble in the first two games of the Big East Tournament, Sheridan was on the floor often in the upset wins over Seton Hall and Providence (he pulled down seven rebounds against the Friars). In the National Invitation Tournament he scored 11 points against Drexel and then helped key the win over Virginia when Fraser was in foul difficulty, finishing with four blocked shots.
Once the season ended, Sheridan returned to the basketball laboratory. He joined Fraser and Chris Charles at the Pete Newell Big Man camp and took every opportunity he could to absorb the lessons he received there and working on his own.
"I've had a lot of personal growth as a player," Sheridan says. "I've worked hard on some things offensively. I am still going to work hard to defend and rebound. The fans should definitely see a more mature player."
The added experience should help as should some muscle added in the weight room during the off-season.
"The year of experience will definitely be a plus," he states. "My toughest opponents are the teammates I go up against in practice every day. We make each other better every day."
Not only did Sheridan adjust smoothly on the court, he did so off it. A good student, he mingled easily among faculty, students and other members of the campus community.
"The high school I went to (Sanford) has a lot in common with Villanova," he says. "I think that helped me adjust pretty quickly."
Sheridan knows that the Wildcats have absorbed some injuries of late and understands that some may not be convinced that the momentum of March 2004 will carry over into the new season. Yet his enthusiasm and belief in his teammates remains strong.
"We have a great group of guys and we have some weapons," he says. "I think we're a more mature team now than we were last year and have learned from some of the ups and downs we've had. I can't wait to get started."
As for basketball goals, Sheridan is single-minded.
"All I think about," he says, "is getting to the NCAA Tournament."
Sheridan may not be the man with the gaudiest statistics or awe-inspiring highlight clips. But he's an integral ingredient of the 2004-05 Wildcats as they take aim at their dreams.
