Hey guys,
I'll do almost anything to avoid doing work this week, so I thought I'd pop over here to try to get some info on the Danes in advance of this Wednesday's game. Anyone out there want to give me a quick rundown of your team (overall outlook thus far, who to watch, etc.)? I'll reciprocate below.
Also, if any of you have any desire at all to see the game in person, come on down. With the students home for break, there will be at least 1,000 tix available at the door.
Villanova has only played 5 games to date, one of the lowest totals in the nation. Much speculation as to the reason for this, the most likely being more opportunity for our oft-injured center, Jason Fraser, to get healthy. Though our opponents thus far haven't been the toughest, defense has been the name of the game. Villanova currently leads the nation in scoring defense and is highly ranked in rebounding margin, blocks, defensive shooting percentage, etc. The defensive scheme often includes a 3/4 court press, falling back into a 1/2 court trap and then an aggressive match-up zone.
The strong "D" has helped cover up for what has sometimes been an anemic offense, especially from long distance. The shooting has been absymal in several games, but came around a little in the last game vs. Fordham. Teams have been successful playing zone and forcing the shooters to the hit the 3. However, since 4 starters shot over 30% from long distance last year, this trend may not continue too much longer.
In terms of players, Villanova plays a 7-8 man rotation. Main scoring threats are SG Allan Ray, SF/PF Curtis Sumpter, SG/SF Randy Foye, all juniors. The aforementioned Fraser has been gaining strength and confidence after a career of injuries, and has been effective in limited minutes, ranking among the national leaders in blocks. PG is Mike Nardi, who has been effective in distributing the ball and running the offense but has struggled mightily with his shooting.
My game prediction: only two teams have scored 50 points vs. 'Nova thus far this year, and I expect that smothering defense to continue. The intensity will probably be a little off right after finals and so close to Christmas, so I'll call it a Villanova win, 62-45.