Sept. 3, 2004
The Nova Notebook, by Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan, resumes its weekly format as September begins. This week we visit with Villanova head coach Jay Wright.
To Jay Wright, it all comes down to a choice.
"You can choose to look at what happened to Kyle (Lowry) or the other injuries we have had as a negative," states the man who will begin his fourth season as Wildcat head coach in November, "or you can take the positive from it.
"I choose to focus on the positive."
That there may be a positive from this most recent news would not seem to be visible upon first glance. Lowry, a 6-0 guard from Cardinal Dougherty High School in Philadelphia, was expected to have an immediate impact as a freshman in 2004-05. Wright and his coaching staff were already concocting ways to exploit Lowry's quickness and ability to disrupt the opposition on the perimeter.
But then came word late last week that Lowry had suffered a knee injury. After an examination Lowry was diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Villanova team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Rob Good plans to operate to repair the damage once swelling subsides in the coming weeks. A recovery plan will be determined following surgery. (Contrary to internet reports, no date for the surgery has been set nor has Lowry conclusively been ruled out for the entire 2004-05 campaign).
Of course, all involved acknowledge the reality that such injuries often are season ending matters. Derrick Snowden, a 2004 Villanova graduate, beat the odds and was back in game action a little over four months after suffering a similar injury in August of 2003. Yet Snowden is a rare exception to the rule.
Even if Lowry's college debut is postponed until 2005-06, Wright believes there may - eventually - be plusses to the situation. It's why he elects to frame this setback in less desultory tones than some do.
"Injuries are a part of athletics," he explains. "They happen and you have to adjust when they do. As a coaching staff, we have already met to talk about how this impacts us and what we will look to do strategically this season.
"For Kyle, I realize this will be very difficult. Right now, he's handling it extremely well and that's a credit to him. But I realize it will get tougher when we start playing games. Kyle is a true gym rat and he lives for the game. I'm sure there will be times when it's difficult for him. That's an area where we, as a basketball family, will do all we can to encourage him and let him know that we are behind him.
"I do believe, though, that there is a positive in this. The injury will allow Kyle to adjust academically and socially to college life. Not having basketball can help him grow in other areas, off the court. In the long run, that should help Kyle."
Of course, those potential long-term benefits won't make life any easier in the short range, specifically 2004-05. Without Lowry, Villanova has only three proven guards - Randy Foye, Allan Ray, and Mike Nardi - on its roster. That could create headaches for a club that often operated with a three guard offense in 2003-04.
"Obviously, this makes us thinner at the guard position," notes Wright. "We were counting on Kyle to make a contribution there. This places more responsibility on our other guards. They will have a little more pressure on them to play intelligently and avoid foul trouble.
"But this is also an opportunity for Randy, Allan and Mike. They have been through this kind of thing before and have grown from it. They have played together now and that will also help them."
Wright points out that the extra weight being carried extends to the frontcourt as well.
"The forwards take on some of that added responsibility too," he states. "This presents us with an opportunity to play a little bigger and perhaps use Curtis (Sumpter) more at guard."
Two who could see their roles expand are senior forward Marcus Austin and junior Chris Charles. Austin underwent a second surgery on his left foot in July after a screw inserted in the original procedure broke. He is presently rehabilitating that injury and hopes to be ready for practice on Oct. 15. If healthy, Austin is a 6-9 senior with experience who could fill a role, especially as an interior defender and rebounder.
Charles, a 7-0 native of Milwaukee, is in his fourth season in the program after arriving with a limited background in competitive basketball. He started eight games in 2003-04, but saw his role diminish when Jason Fraser returned to the lineup from a foot injury in January.
"Chris is really an old-school example of a developing player," Wright says. "He has made steady progress."
Another twist to Lowry's setback is that he is the sole scholarship freshman on Villanova's roster. If a decision to redshirt him is made, it will leave the Wildcats with only two scholarship athletes, Nardi and Will Sheridan, among its freshmen and sophomore classes.
"It's not a situation we would necessarily create," says Wright, "but it's the way it has worked out. It may put us into a position where we are a young team again at some point down the road. But we are always going to do what is best for our players, both academically and physically. We will adjust as we need to."
If others choose to see dark clouds, Wright understands. In the last two seasons, Villanova has endured substantial injuries to Gary Buchanan, Snowden, Fraser, Austin, and now Lowry (a total of 63 games lost to injury, not including Lowry). Four of the five have been starters as collegians and Lowry certainly figures to join that fraternity at some point in his Villanova career.
Yet no urgent calls have been placed to a hex specialist.
"Injuries are a part of coaching," says Wright. "They tend to go in cycles. We've had a tough period here but those things usually even out."
And Wright believes the newest hurdle doesn't obscure the bright horizons he still sees for this program.
"I always feel great about recruiting at Villanova," he states. "We play in the best conference in the country, have a beautiful campus, tradition and a passionate fan base. We have so much to offer.
"One of the things I try to tell people when they ask about recruiting is that there are a lot of different ways to get it done. Some years, you may receive early commitments and be done before you get to the early signing period. At other times, things may fall into place later. It's hard to put a timetable on the process. But I'm always upbeat about the kind of young men we can attract here."
The fact that one of those he recently attracted to the Main Line, Lowry, may not suit up this winter is a setback. Wright knows that and, more than anyone, will be confronted with the task of how to overcome it. Yet he is not cowed by the task nor is his team.
"Our guys have been together and have responded well to adversity in the past," he says. "I believe they have what it takes to do so again."
In Wright's eyes, it comes down to this: fret about what might go wrong or try to insure that it doesn't. He has chosen the latter.
"As a staff," he says, "we're choosing to make Kyle's injury a positive. We will do everything we can to help Kyle regain his health and this team achieve all it is capable of."
