[JNixonParticipant]

#9- Villanova Wildcats

Frontcourt- They lose only 1 guy who played rotation minutes last year, Taylor King, an EXTREMELY good player who makes them fall from #1 to #9. Just kidding just kidding. They don’t have any guys who have great individual talent or explosive upside, but they do have guys who compliment their guards well. The starter C figures to be Soph. Mouphtaou Yarou, a physically gifted bruiser down low. Yarou is already a high-quality post defender with his 6’10 255 frame, and he’s not bad athletically either, especially for his size. He also has a surprisingly decent mid-range game. He looked the part of a Fr. last season (4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, in 15 mpg) although some of that because of the injury that cost him roughly half the season and took him time to get into playing shape. Still, Yarou is extremely rough around the edges as a player. He’s very robotic in his post moves, doesn’t look like he’ll ever be a very good talent offensively, and he’s not a great rebounder either for someone with his size. To me, he reminds of Daniel Orton. But at least he’ll develop for 3 or (likely) 4 years to develop more smoothly. Yarou has Kendrick Perkins-type upside. The PF rotation figures to be a “committee” approach with the tough guy and incumbent starter Antonio Pena, wiry Maurice Sutton, Fr. bruiser Jayvaughn Pinkston, tweener Isaiah Armwood. The 6’7 230 Pena (10 ppg and 7 rpg last yr.) is a hard-worker who has improved a bit every year he’s played for Villanova. He’s not exactly a truly naturally talented player or a physical specimen, but he throws his weight around and is strong. He also plays bigger than he is, can make 10-15 ft shots, and can score some when the D doesn’t body him on the offensive glass. Sutton, a 610 210 Soph., is a long shot-blocker lacking the strength to play/finish with his back to the basket and the perimeter skills to stretch on PF/C’s, so he’s not a very good offensive player. Pinkston is a 6’6 250 PF/C in the DeJuan Blair mold, a bruiser who rebounds very well (especially offensively), can play down low because of his wide frame, and he has a big wingspan. He’s not exactly gifted offensively and he lacks athleticism, but he should be a relatively valuable role-player for Villanova next season, likely off the bench. Armwood has nice upside and could see more time at SF next year too, and he is a potential mismatch at the PF spot with his quickness and handle. Right now though, at 6’7 180, he’s a bit too weak to play effectively at the PF spot for more than spurts and he doesn’t have polished enough perimeter skills to play on the perimeter exclusively either. He’s not dissimilar to Kris Joseph at Syracuse though, so he could develop his perimeter skills more in time much like Joseph has. At SF, Sr.’s Reggie Redding and Corey Stokes, and Fr. James Bell will play at the SF spot some. Redding, who goes 6’5 210, is a very strong defender who can score more with his jump shot than with his handle. He’s also a pretty good passer. The 6’5 210 Stokes is a one-dimensional shooter who’s stiff in his movements, although his frame makes him tough to get around on the ball on D. Bell figures to see some backend time, but he’s another 6’5 210 body that packs a bunch of strength for a Fr. and he’s an OK slasher and a solid and tough defender. This group has nice role-players and an abundance of depth. Coach Wright will need to manage rotation minutes carefully. Sutton and Bell figure to see the least time though.

Backcourt- Villanova once again has an aggressive slashing backcourt that will carry significant responsibility on the offense as a whole, and they will apply pressure on the ball on D. Scottie Reynolds has now graduated after a celebrated college career. Reynolds became smarter as a Sr. and really was the leader and overall most valuable player in the Big East last year IMO. The cupboard is nowhere near bare though, with Corey Fisher and Maalik Wayns in the fold. Fisher has been a celebrity for hanging 105 in an off-season tournament. He is an aggressive slasher with a great 1st step and ball-handling skills, a sturdy 6’0 frame, and the ability to put token pressure on the ball defensively. Still, he’s not a true PG really as he looks for his looks 1st and foremost, is a mediocre shooter, and he’s a bit erratic. He has the potential to be a good backup PG in the NBA, in the Kyle Lowry mold, but he has to show better PG skills and learn to make better decisions with the ball to take the next step. The 6’0 190 Wayns is much like Fisher is, strong and aggressive slashing to the rim. Wayns should prove to be more of a pure PG than he was last year when he had negative A/TO (1.3/1.4), and he should develop into either an elite backup PG or a very good compliment to Fisher in the same backcourt. Wayns will need to improve his shooting skills and prove he can be a true PG to start becoming a legit prospect, but he has the makings of a strong PG in college, especially in 2011-2012. The SG spot will see a combination Fisher, Redding, Stokes all seeing most of the minutes, but look out for Dominic Cheek. Cheek, a Soph and former Mickey D’s, looks EXACTLY like T.I. He has alright size at a rangy 6’6 190, decent athleticism, and good shooting skills (even with his awkward, Kevin Martin-esque form), and he’s also a pretty nice defender too, even though he does needs some more time to improve more on that end. He really needs to improve his ball-handling ability some more to take his game to the next step. The guard group has its usual nice starting talent, and they have the swingmen to play different lineups. The wild cards are Wayns and Cheek, both of whom look to improve from relatively average Fr. seasons with the PT spike they’ll see.

Overview- Villanova is usually good for at least the 2nd weekend of the tourney (last year was just bad timing in their locker room), and they have good guard play and nice depth in their frontcourt. Jay Wright is a very good coach who has a guard-friendly system and role-playing bigs this season. I look for Villanova to be a Sweet 16 team next year. I guess the loss of Reynolds could be looked at as addition by subtraction by tourney time.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Were my Eyes or Mind playing games on me when i read somewhere that Rick Pitino said St. John will be the best team in the BIG EAST next year? he must’ve meant to say they were the best team in 1985….SMH

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Were my Eyes or Mind playing games on me when i read somewhere that Rick Pitino said St. John will be the best team in the BIG EAST next year? he must’ve meant to say they were the best team in 1985….SMH

[JNixonParticipant]

Yeah, no clue at all why he said that. None at all…..

[JNixonParticipant]

Yeah, no clue at all why he said that. None at all…..

[McDunkin]

They wont know how to act without “Tay King”

[McDunkin]

They wont know how to act without “Tay King”

[sammybuckeye13Participant]

But with Melo, Jackson and Joseph, Cuse has a better front court IMO

[sammybuckeye13Participant]

But with Melo, Jackson and Joseph, Cuse has a better front court IMO

[JNixonParticipant]

No argument from me there…

[JNixonParticipant]

No argument from me there…

[Cusemen727Participant]

Did you do an overview yet of cuse?, j/w wondering where he had them if you had done them already.

[Cusemen727Participant]

Did you do an overview yet of cuse?, j/w wondering where he had them if you had done them already.

[JNixonParticipant]

Yeah I talked about the Cuse:

http://www.nbadraft.net/forum/countdown-ncaa-season-jnixon-iggy9s-top-35-teams-21

[JNixonParticipant]

Yeah I talked about the Cuse:

http://www.nbadraft.net/forum/countdown-ncaa-season-jnixon-iggy9s-top-35-teams-21

[Cusemen727Participant]

thanks.

[Cusemen727Participant]

thanks.

[DraftDanteCunninghamParticipant]

Bell is also out for the season, but I think you posted this before it was announced.

[DraftDanteCunninghamParticipant]

Bell is also out for the season, but I think you posted this before it was announced.

[DraftDanteCunninghamParticipant]

an okay rundown and Redding doesn’t play at Nova anymore.

Wayns and Fisher both have very good jumpshots…..

oh and Cheek looks nothing like T.I.

[DraftDanteCunninghamParticipant]

an okay rundown and Redding doesn’t play at Nova anymore.

Wayns and Fisher both have very good jumpshots…..

oh and Cheek looks nothing like T.I.

[Author]

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