Jan. 10, 2006
The Nova Notebook, by Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan, appears each week beginning in the fall and continues through the basketball regular season. This week we spend some time with Wildcat senior guard Allan Ray.
On most days of his first three seasons at Villanova, Allan Ray's time following practice was his own. From time to time, there would be a television or newspaper reporter present to speak to him or one of his teammates but it was seldom a large group.
In 2005-06, Ray and his Wildcat teammates find themselves in new territory. Fueled by a top five national ranking, Villanova is now a regular stop on the itineraries of local and national media alike. Four national publications have spent time with the Wildcats in the last four weeks and following each game the `Cats are generally greeted by a press room full of media.
"It's definitely different," says Ray. "We've received a lot of attention this year and we do appreciate it. It comes from the media, friends, fans, everyone. People are very interested in Villanova Basketball. It's great for the fans and Villanova, but we have to understand the most important thing is this team and staying focused on what we need to do to have success.
"As a younger player you sit back and watch a Duke or (North) Carolina and you think `I can't wait until we have what they have.' When you do get here, though, you realize that this comes with a lot of responsibility. People are very interested in what we are doing."
Another element in the equation thus far in 2005-06 is that by virtue of its ranking, Villanova looms as a large game on the schedule of its opponents. It was true for Louisville and West Virginia in the first week of January and will remain so this week as the Wildcats travel to Rutgers and Texas.
"We know what it's like to be on the other side of it," Ray says. "Last year we looked at Kansas as a huge game. They were ranked No. 2 in the country and we were really fired up to prove ourselves against them. When you are able to get a win like that, it can really give you a lift. We know that teams now look at us like that."
Of course, no one in the program, Ray included, yearns for the days when Villanova was outside the top 25. It is understood that starts like the one the `Cats have enjoyed - 10-1 entering play on Jan. 11 at Rutgers - are to be savored. The exposure is welcome and media relations officials work with the coaching staff on a daily basis to insure that requests are streamlined so as not to become a burden to the athletes. Media teleconferences for head coach Jay Wright are now scheduled on a regular basis in an effort to strike a balance between servicing the public's thirst for information and not overtaxing the staff or players.
On Sunday, Villanova coped with its first loss. Following the game, Wright underscored that the 91-87 defeat was less about what the Wildcats did wrong than it was about what the Mountaineers did right.
"I can't give enough credit to West Virginia," he said in a packed Pavilion Press Room. "They executed their offense in a very intelligent manner."
Like most of his teammates, Ray was unhappy with the outcome. But he also understands the season is long and Rutgers presents a formidable challenge at the noisy Rutgers Athletic Center on Wednesday evening. After that, a nationally ranked University of Texas squad awaits in Austin on Saturday.
"We know we have to bounce back quickly from West Virginia," Ray states. "That is very well coached team and they played a great game. You have to give them that credit. But we can't dwell on that.
"We're ready to move ahead. Rutgers is always a dangerous team and we know that they have been playing very well. It's a Big East game and that means you are in for a battle."
As a team captain, Ray is generally one of those with the best sense of the mood in the Villanova locker room. He and Randy Foye are two leaders whom Wright often bounces ideas off of. Beyond all that fans have seen on the court thus far, Ray likes this team for another reason.
"I would definitely say that the one thing that people may not appreciate about us is the love we have for one another," Ray says. "Some people might think that's an exaggeration but we are very close with one another. I talk to a lot of players on other teams and they tell me it isn't always like that. They tell me about issues one guy might have with another or little groups within the team.
"We don't have that here and I think it's one of the reasons we have had some success in the early part of the season."
NOTES: The next edition of "Talking Villanova Basketball with Jay Wright" airs on Monday, Jan. 16 at 6:00 p.m. The show takes place at Kelly's Restaurant and Tap Room in Bryn Mawr and can be heard locally on WNTP (990 AM) and through the Nova Nation All-Access Pass at villanova.com ... Wright's weekly teleconferences are now archived and available through villanova.com as well.
