Feb. 12, 2006
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VILLANOVA, Pa.-- Villanova Men's Basketball Game Notes for Monday night's game between No. 4/4 Villanova (19-2, 9-1 Big East) and No. 1/1 Connecticut (22-1, 9-1 Big East). The teams will meet at 7:02 p.m. Monday from the Wachovia Center, with an ESPN national telecast on tap. The game can also be heard on the airwaves at WNTP 990-AM, while streaming audio can be accessed online at www.villanova.com.
Complete game notes can be accessed by clicking on the PDF link at the top of this release. The UConn game notes can be accessed by clicking here.
Below are some of the top stories surrounding Villanova basketball.
Center Showdown
This marks the 19th time that Villanova has faced the No. 1 team in the Associated Press poll. In its previous 18 game, the Wildcats are 4-14 against No. 1 teams. The last time VU faced the nation's top team was on Dec. 30, 1998, when UConn dealt it a 100-76 loss at the Hartford Civic Center. Its last win over a No. 1 squad also came against the Huskies, a 96-73 triumph at Gampel Pavilion on Feb. 18, 1995.
Eight Straight
With Saturday's 61-51 victory over DePaul, Villanova has now won eight consecutive Big East games, bringing it to within two wins of its all-time record of ten consecutive league wins. The `Cats have also won 15 of their last 16 Big East games, with the only loss coming to West Virginia on Jan. 8 at the Pavilion. The 9-1 start is Villanova's best since it became a member of the Big East in 1980.
Cousy Candidate
Earlier this month it was announced that Villanova sophomore Kyle Lowry is one of 16 finalists for the Cousy Award, the annual honor bestowed upon the nation's top point guard. The Philadelphia native made a nice case for himself in the win over Saint Joseph's, with 25 points and six assists.
Polling Places
Villanova has been ranked in the top 10 every week thus far in 2005-06. The Wildcats began the campaign ranked at No. 4 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches polls before moving up to the No. 3 slot on Dec. 7. VU remained in that position through Jan. 16, when it fell to No. 8 in the AP poll and No. 7 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll. The Wildcats moved back up a notch to No. 6 in the Jan. 23 poll, advanced two spots to No. 4 in both polls on Jan. 30 and remains in that slot this week.
Below is the current Villanova Notebook.
Dealt with the Demons: In a city where the term was coined more than two decades ago, the Villanova Wildcats borrowed a page from the 1983 Chicago White Sox.
"It was ugly," said Villanova head coach Jay Wright after the Wildcats produced a workmanlike 61-51 win over DePaul on Saturday afternoon before 14,906 at Allstate Arena.
On a day when they connected on just .356 of their field goal attempts and were only 5-of-21 (.238) from beyond the 3-point arc, VU still managed to keep DePaul at bay.
The Wildcats sprinted to a 24-7 lead with 6:34 to go in the first half largely due to the effort of Randy Foye and Kyle Lowry. But the Blue Demons slowly chipped into that margin, cutting it to 32-20 at intermission and 40-37 with 9:59 to go in regulation after Sammy Mejia drained a 3-pointer.
However, Lowry converted a jumper and Dante Cunningham scored on a layup and the Wildcats slowly pulled away down the stretch.
VU is now 5-1 in games this season when it has shot 40 percent or less from the field. The only loss in that circumstance came at Texas on Jan. 14.
Nardi News: After a difficult week, much of it spent in the Villanova University Student Health Center, junior guard Mike Nardi hopes to be available for action on Monday night.
Nardi began feeling symptoms of tonsillitis on Feb. 4, shortly after Villanova defeated Marquette 72-67. He did not practice in preparation for the `Cats game against Saint Joseph's on Feb. 7 and watched that contest from the Health Center.
On Friday, he accompanied the team to Chicago but did not practice. He was in uniform against DePaul but Wright elected not to utilize him.
"I thought about it," stated Wright. "At one point in the second half, I turned to him and asked, `do you have a three in you'? He said he did. But then Kyle made a play and we didn't use Mike. I think we have a chance to get him back for Monday night."
Nardi averages 12.2 ppg.
Foye Story: As senior guard Randy Foye enters the home stretch of his Villanova career, he continues to make a case for post-season honors.
Foye was at the forefront of Saturday's victory over the Blue Demons, dropping in a game-high 23 points to go along with eight rebounds. He added two steals and two assists for good measure.
Last month, SI.com named Foye and Allan Ray the nation's top backcourt tandem. The two combine to average 39.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Earlier this month, the pair was included among the 30 finalists for the John R. Wooden national player of the year award.
To date in 2005-06 the 6-4 senior has topped the 20 point plateau 13 times.
Foye is responsible for much more than points. At 6-4, he is second to Will Sheridan among Wildcat rebounders (5.0 rpg) and he chips in 3.1 assists per outing. In addition, he connects on .821 of his free throw attempts and has been to the line more times than anyone on the Villanova roster (106).
Through 20 games, Foye is averaging 20.4 ppg, second only to Quincy Douby of Rutgers among Big East players. With 1,718 points he ranks 11th on VU's all-time scoring list.
Lowry's Loomed Large: The outboard motor for the Villanova engine is sophomore guard Kyle Lowry. The product of Philadelphia's Cardinal Dougherty High School enjoyed a strong week in the wins over Saint Joseph's and DePaul, averaging 20.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.
On Saturday, Lowry connected on 5-of-11 from the floor for 15 points and added seven rebounds in 34 minutes. He also made all five of his free throw attempts to raise his season percentage to .779.
Lowry averages 11.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. He leads the Big East in steals (2.29 spg). His presence has helped lift the Wildcats to new heights. Four weeks after Lowry joined the lineup in 2004-05, in the wake of surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee, VU moved into the national rankings and has remained there since. Villanova is 37-9 (.804) since Lowry donned a uniform.
Ray's Moving Up: As he closes in on the end of his Villanova career, senior guard Allan Ray is leaving his mark on the Wildcat record books.
The Bronx, N.Y., native now has 1,805 points, good for 8th place on the school's all-time scoring list. Next up is current assistant coach Ed Pinckney, who tallied 1,865 in his decorated career on the Main Line. Ray is tied for fourth in Big East scoring as of Sunday with Notre Dame's Chris Quinn (18.6 ppg).
In his four seasons, Ray has surpassed the 20-point plateau 35 times, including nine times in 2005-06. He also averages 4.3 rebounds per outing. In addition, he is converting .905 of his attempts from the free throw line.
Carom Count: In spite of a starting lineup featuring four guards under 6-4, Villanova has held its own on the backboards thus far in 2005-06. That will be a major factor on Monday as it confronts the team with the best rebounding margin in the conference (+10.7).
Villanova owns a 36.4-33.9 advantage on the glass over its opponents this season. Five players average 4.1 rebounds per game or better: Will Sheridan (5.7 rpg); Foye (5.0 rpg); Lowry (4.5); Ray (4.3 rpg); and Jason Fraser (4.1 rpg). And Dante Cunningham pulls down 3.8 rpg.
The Wildcats have outrebounded their opponents seven times in 10 Big East games thus far in 2005-06.
Four Score: Villanova's four guards - Foye, Allan Ray, Mike Nardi and Kyle Lowry - have scored 1,267 of the team's 1,596 points thus far. That's 79 percent of the Wildcats offensive output to date.
Defensive Details: Despite being the third most productive offensive unit in the Big East this season (76.0 ppg), VU often leans on its work at the defensive end. In its last two wins, VU held its opponents to 38-of-104 (.365) shooting from the field and 11-of-36 shooting (.305) from outside the 3-point arc. It surrenders an average of 62.0 ppg.
Bumping Along: He's the only non-guard in Villanova's regular starting lineup so forward Will `Bump' Sheridan is often left to deal with the opposition's best interior player. He has thrived in that role all season and contributes offensively too.
"Will does so many things for us that people on the outside might not appreciate," says Wright. "But inside our locker room, everyone knows what he brings to our team."
In the win over DePaul he chipped in with six rebounds, four points and three blocked shots in 35 minutes. Sheridan averages 4.5 ppg and 5.7 rpg.
Bench Boost: With Nardi sidelined for the last two games, several players have helped fill the void.
Freshman Dante Cunningham has started each of the past two games. On Saturday he contributed two points and five rebounds in 19 minutes.
Fellow rookie Bilal Benn enjoyed his most productive college outing in the win over the Blue Demons. Benn, a former teammate of Lowry's and Shane Clark at Cardinal Dougherty H.S., chipped in with nine points in 15 minutes, including a key basket in the second half.
Finally, 7-0 center Chris Charles played 10 minutes at DePaul, the most action he has seen since playing 14 minutes against Rider on Nov. 30. He added two points and three rebounds.
Catching Up With Curtis: On Nov. 15, senior forward Curtis Sumpter underwent successful surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee. The operation was performed by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala.
In January of 2005, Sumpter sprained his right knee at Notre Dame on Jan. 7. He missed two games but was able to return to action and become an important cog as Villanova charged towards the NCAA Tournament. However, his season ended abruptly when he tore his ACL on March 20 against Florida in the NCAA Tournament. He underwent surgery on April 15 but re-injured the knee in a practice session on Oct. 19, necessitating the most recent procedure.
Sumpter visited Andrews' staff on Jan. 9 and was reported to be making good progress. He remains sidelined indefinitely.
At Home: The 6,500 seat Pavilion has been Villanova's primary home court for 20 years and it has been a friendly venue to the Wildcats. VU is 179-52 (.778) lifetime in the building and 46-10 (.821) since Jay Wright became head coach in 2001.
The Wildcats are 2-0 at the Wachovia Center in 2005-06 with wins over Syracuse (80-65) and Louisville (79-73). Villanova is 14-16 (.467) all-time at the Center and has averaged 20,015 in attendance in its two appearances thus far.
Career Corner: Here is the latest on where several of the current Wildcats rank on the school's all-time charts:
POINTS7. Ed Pinckney (1981-85) 1,8658. Allan Ray (2002-present) 1,80510. Paul Arizin (1947-50) 1,73711. Randy Foye (2002-present) 1,718
ASSISTS12. Whitey Rigsby (1974-78) 39313. Randy Foye (2002-present) 38220. Dwayne McClain (1981-85) 28721. Mike Nardi (2003-present) 28028. Harold Jensen (1983-87) 23129. Allan Ray (2002-present) 229
STEALS6. Chris Walker (1988-92) 1857. Randy Foye (2002-present) 18017. Howard Brown (1995-1999) 12617. Allan Ray (2002-present) 126
Big Five Title: In the Big Five's 50th anniversary season, Villanova claimed the historic City Series title. The Wildcats wrapped up the honor with a 71-58 win over Saint Joseph's on Feb. 7 before a sellout crowd at the Palestra. It marked only the fourth time in the 50 year history of the alliance that two 3-0 squads had met for the undisputed crown.
Villanova defeated Penn, 62-55, on Dec. 13 at the Palestra; La Salle 98-57 on Dec. 22, and Temple on Dec. 31, 75-53. Allan Ray averaged 18.5 points and 5.0 rebounds in the four games of round-robin competition among the five schools.
Series Stuff
Connecticut at Villanova
Monday, Feb. 13, 2006
Wachovia Center/7:02 p.m.
ESPN
VU ISP Radio Network/WNTP Radio (990 AM)
All-Time: VU leads 29-25
Last Meeting: UConn 81, VU 76 (Feb. 2, 2005)
Last VU Victory: VU 79, UConn 70 (Feb. 15, 2003)
Jay Wright vs. UConn: 1-7
Notes: The Wildcats have drawn 40,029 in two previous Wachovia Center appearances this season and another large crowd is anticipated ... The Huskies have won seven of the last eight meetings in this series and 13 of the last 17 dating back to 1996 ... Connecticut has won four of the six meetings played at the Center, including a 75-74 overtime thriller here on Feb. 28, 2004 ... Mike Nardi's 20 points led the Wildcats in last season's defeat at the Hartford Civic Center.
Georgetown at Villanova
Sunday, Feb. 19, 2006
The Pavilion/12:04 p.m.
WB 17/ESPN Regional TV
VU ISP Radio Network/WNTP Radio (990 AM)
All-Time: GU leads 34-25
Last Meeting: VU 67, GU 56 (Feb. 27, 2005)
Last GU Victory: GU 66, VU 64 (Jan. 15, 2005)
Jay Wright vs. GU: 3-2
Notes: The Hoyas and Wildcats split a pair of contests in 2004-05 ... Georgetown upended the Wildcats in January on an afternoon when Villanova honored the 1985 NCAA championship team that upset the No. 1 Hoyas in the NCAA Final ... That contest marked the Hoyas first appearance at the Pavilion since it opened in 1986 ... Allan Ray averaged 17.5 ppg in the two meetings with Georgetown ... Villanova has won six of the last eight encounters between the two programs ... Georgetown owns a 25-17 edge in regular season matchups since the Wildcats joined the Big East Conference in 1980.
Villanova at Cincinnati
Thursday, Feb. 23, 2006
Fifth Third Arena/9:00 p.m.
ESPN
VU ISP Radio Network/WFIL Radio (560 AM)
All-Time: VU leads 1-0
Last Meeting: VU 70, CIN 68 (Dec. 20, 1947)
Jay Wright vs. CIN: 0-0
Notes: The Wildcats will take on Big East newcomer for the second time ever ... The teams only previous meeting was a Villanova victory during the 1947-48 season ... The Bearcats are the last of the five incoming Big East time the Wildcats will play ... Villanova is currently 5-0 against the new Big East schools, with two wins over Louisville and one win each against DePaul, Marquette and the University of South Florida.
ON THE AIR
Talking Villanova Basketball with Jay Wright
WNTP Radio (990 AM): Monday, Feb. 20/ 6:00 p.m.
Kelly's Restaurant and Tap Room, Bryn Mawr, Pa.
New Faces Headed This Way: Five newcomers signed letters of intent on Nov. 16. The group includes:
Casiem Drummond, 6-10, Bloomfield (N.J.) Tech.
2004-05: 15.5 ppg; 9.0 rpg
"Casiem has outstanding skills, combined with size and strength," stated Jay Wright. "He has played in a very successful high school program under Nick Mariniello at Bloomfield Tech."
Andrew Ott, 6-10, Germantown (Pa.) Academy.
2004-05: 14 ppg, 11 rpg
"Andrew is a very unique basketball player," Wright stated. "He has the skills of a guard and size of a forward. He also comes from an extremely successful program, having learned from Jim Fenerty at Germantown Academy."
Antonio Pena, 6-8, St. Thomas More (Conn.)
2004-05: 21 ppg, 11 rpg
"Antonio has size, skill and athleticism," notes Wright. "He has Brooklyn toughness with prep school savvy. He's been well schooled by Tiny Morton at Lincoln High School and Jere Quinn at St. Thomas More."
Reggie Redding, 6-4, Saint Joseph's (Pa.) Prep
2004-05: 22 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 4.0 apg
"We're thrilled to have a classic Philadelphia guard join us in Reggie Redding," says Wright. "He is as prepared for college basketball as any player, having played for the legendary Speedy Morris at Saint Joseph's Prep."
Kraidon Woods, 6-8, Pocono East H.S.
"Kraidon has size, length and skills," Wright states. "As he adds bulk, he can become a very effective frontcourt player. He's got a great feel for Philadelphia basketball, having played for Bron Holland and Al Callejas."
