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October 19th,
2006
By Joel
Welser
Broadcast Basketball
Villanova
Wildcats
Overall
Rank: #24
Conference
Rank:
#7 Big East
2005-06:
28-5, 14-2, 1st (t)
2005-06
postseason: NCAA
 Gone are the
fun days of the four guard lineup at
Villanova. And that should
address some of the key problems the Wildcats faced last season,
most notably ranking 155th in the nation in
rebounding margin. With some big guys earning significant
minutes as freshmen and Curtis Sumpter returning from injury,
moving from one forward to three should be a relatively smooth
process.
Who’s Out:
Only a quarter of that four guard offense returns and the
absence of Randy Foye, Allan Ray and Kyle Lowry will leave The
Pavilion looking a little different this year. Foye and Ray
were dangerous long range shooters and averaged 20.5 and 18.5
points, respectively. Lowry, who left early for the NBA, added
on 11.0 points and a team high 3.7 assists. The frontcourt has
lost roleplayers Jason Fraser and Chris Charles.
Who’s In:
The return of Sumpter from a tear of his cruciate ligament in
his left knee will keep the Wildcats in the thick of the race
for the Big East championship. Despite battling the same injury
in 2004-2005, Sumpter averaged 15.3 points and earned second
team all-conference accolades. As far as incoming freshmen go,
the backcourt needs some depth and it probably found a starter
in Scottie Reynolds. Reynolds is a little undersized to play
the two, but who cares if a 6-0 guy plays the two guard when
last year a 6-3 guy played at the four spot? Reynolds is one of
the best shooters in the class and has proven that he can always
get the job done. Reggie Redding is a smart guard who will work
off the ball to find open shots. Redding can hit the long ball
and is expected to come off the bench and contribute as a
freshman. Antonio Pena, Andrew Ott and Casiem Drummond will
beef up the front court. Pena has the best shot at making an
impact right away. The 6-6, 215 pound bruiser will battle
inside and can step out and hit the mid-range jumper. He’s a
solid rebounder and an able defender. Ott needs to add some
strength, but the 6-9 forward has the natural skills to
contribute eventually. Ott can spread the opposition’s defense
by hitting the long ball consistently and should develop into a
good rebounder once the strength issues are taken care of.
Drummond is full of potential. His 6-10, 290 pound frame raises
questions about his endurance and athleticism and those issues
will have to be addressed before the West Orange, New Jersey
native will see major minutes at Villanova.
Who to Watch:
It’s not like there wasn’t any talent in the frontcourt last
year…it’s just that the backcourt had too much talent to leave
any of them on the bench. Will Sheridan started 32 games last
year and many times was the lone forward. The 6-8, 238 pounder
averaged 5.5 points and a team high 6.3 boards and will step
back into a starting role. However, this time he won’t be alone
up front. Dante Cunningham earned four starts as a freshman
and, along with Sumpter and Sheridan, could be the third
starting forward. Cunningham is a great athlete and will use
his ups to get plenty of rebounds. Shane Clark missed part of
his freshman campaign, but still averaged 2.2 points and 2.0
rebounds in 11.4 minutes per contest. The 6-7 wing forward will
once again provide depth off the bench.
Final
Projection:
If you can
name three out of the four starting guards for Villanova last
year, the one you are missing is probably Mike Nardi. Give it a
few months and the name will be known. Thanks to Lowry, Nardi
was moved off the ball for much of the 2005-2006 season, but
with Lowry gone, Nardi will be back running the show. After
averaging 10.4 points and 2.0 assists last year, expect both of
those numbers to increase for Nardi’s senior season. Dwayne
Anderson, a 6-6 wing, will battle for minutes at the two guard
spot and Bilal Benn could use his versatility to be an effective
backup point guard. There are three quality players in Nardi,
Sumpter and Sheridan to build this team around, but the rest are
unproven freshmen and sophomores. It may take a little while
for those players to find their roles, but by March they won’t
be unproven anymore.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
NCAA
Projected
Starting Five:
Mike Nardi,
Senior, Guard, 10.4 points per game
Scottie
Reynolds, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season
Curtis
Sumpter, Senior, Forward, DNP last season
Dante
Cunninham, Sophomore, Forward, 2.2 points per game
Will
Sheridan, Senior, Forward, 5.5 points per game
Also:
Complete Big East Preview & Ranking
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