Oct. 20, 2006
The Nova Notebook, by Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan, appears each Friday from September through February and monthly from April through in August. This week we catch up with senior guard and tri-captain, Mike Nardi.
It was a group born of circumstance that carved a niche for itself in Villanova lore. A season ago, Wildcat coach Jay Wright inserted Kyle Lowry into his starting lineup in November after a second major knee injury sent forward Curtis Sumpter to the sidelines.
Twenty-eight wins and an Elite Eight appearance later, the foursome of Lowry, Randy Foye, Allan Ray and Mike Nardi had left an indelible mark on Villanova basketball. The quartet of backcourt standouts - none taller than 6-4 - helped the `Cats become known far and wide for their collection of guards.
Now, three of those four are in the National Basketball Association. Only Nardi returns and this time it's with a squad that appears quite unlike the 2005-06 version that enjoyed such success.
"It's definitely different," says the 6-2 senior from Linden, N.J., who averaged 10.4 ppg as a junior last season. "We don't have as many guards who can take you off the dribble as we did last year. But I think we have the kind of size and athleticism to get on the glass and be strong defensively.
"I'm excited."
The bond Nardi experienced with his backcourt partners was unique. He shared a close friendship and apartment with Foye and Ray and his skills meshed well with Lowry's. Together they became part of something truly unique in the highest reaches of college basketball.
"The two things I look back on from last year are the talent and toughness those guys had," Nardi says of his partners. "To do what they were able to do against teams that were bigger than us every time out is pretty amazing. There were so many times we looked to Randy and he came through or Al and he got it done. Or Kyle would be coming down the lane to make a big play. Now, it's on me, Curt and Bump (Will Sheridan) to do those kinds of things.
"On a personal level, you do miss those guys. It was great to be around them every day. But we've got a great group of people here now and it's up to the seniors to set the proper tone every time we go out there."
Nardi, Sheridan and Sumpter take their roles quite seriously and have done so since the earliest days of summer. They have offered pointers on matters on and off the court to their younger mates. Their words carry meaning and the underclassmen have readily accepted any advice offered.
"One of the things I've noticed is how open these guys are to learning, whether there are things that Bump, Curt and I are telling them or things the coaches say," he says. "They listen and pick it up quickly. Every one of them is trying to play as hard as Coach wants and that's not always an easy adjustment, especially for the freshmen. They come in and want to get better and that's been great to see."
Nardi's willingness to work has never been in question. Whenever the opportunity arises he is looking to "get some shots up" as he puts it. Yet even he concedes that the transition from standout at St. Patrick's High School - where he was the Newark Star Ledger's New Jersey player of the year - wasn't a total snap.
"I played in a great high school and AAU program," he says, "but this is a different level."
Of course, Nardi's learning curve was steeper than most. In his first week as a college player, the Wildcats played five games in six days from Philadelphia to Maui. With a depleted roster owed to the telephone access code incident of the previous spring, Nardi never left the floor that week.
He survived and by season's end, had been recognized on the BIG EAST all-freshman team.
"It helped me that I played where I did in high school and AAU ball," he states. "I was used to travel and I got a chance to play right away. That probably helped me in the long run."
By the time the mid-point of his sophomore season arrived, Nardi was a fixture in the Villanova lineup. At that point Wright was using a three-guard attack featuring Foye, Ray and Nardi with Lowry coming off the bench. The four guard set was actually born Jan. 19, 2005, when Sumpter was in second half foul trouble at No. 8 Boston College. The unit more than held its own, though Villanova ultimately lost 67-66 when the Eagles scored the game's final seven points in the last 1:48.
Three days, later, Villanova upset No. 2 Kansas and it returned to the national rankings for the first time since 1997 two days later. The `Cats finished 24-8 and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Then came last season's run.
Nardi, Sheridan and Sumpter have made significant contributions to the club that is 52-13 over the past two seasons. Most of their younger teammates are still looking forward to their chance to do so.
The toil and effort are an essential part of the price they all must pay, says Nardi.
"As seniors, we have to set the example," he says. "It doesn't matter if you are a little sore or tired or there's a big paper you have due. You can't take a day off. We saw what can happen when you bring that attitude every day last year. I think as captains we've done a good job of letting our team know how much it means."
Having been through three college seasons already, Nardi understands how rapid the pace can be. One week of practice is already in the books and the season opener on Nov. 11 (at Northwood University) is approaching quickly. For his part, he hopes to absorb every nuance of his final tour as a Wildcat.
"It goes by so quickly," he says. "We've already been through a week of practice and we'll be playing games in no time. I can't wait for that but I also know it's my last time around so I'm trying to take it all in, to appreciate the whole experience because it will be over when the season ends."
Of course, the areas of adjustment aren't strictly the domain of the team's 10 freshmen and sophomores. Nardi is returning to his original Villanova role of point guard after spending last season off the ball to make room for Lowry.
"It's taken me a little time because I didn't play there much last year," he says. "But it's something I'm very familiar with and it won't take long for me to feel back at home."
This season, it's quite possible the focus at Villanova could shift to the frontcourt. Sumpter returns and Sheridan figures to have a larger role on offense. Sophomores Dante Cunningham and Shane Clark demonstrated intriguing talents as rookies and figure to have a more substantial role.
Yet the guards cannot be overlooked. Nardi will clearly be a vital ingredient and be assisted by the likes of freshman Scottie Reynolds, sophomore Bilal Benn, sophomore Dwayne Anderson and freshman Reggie Redding.
"Coach brought it up to us recently," Nardi says with a smile. "He told us that we'll be haunted by the ghosts of guards past if we don't play hard and play together. Those guys set a standard here that we all appreciate. But I think each of us is ready to accept that challenge."
