It is going to be strange watching the Villanova Wildcats this season and not seeing Peter Christianโs boy Scottie Reynolds on the floor…ย Kind of like how it is when I tune into CSI and do not see Gil Grissom.ย It is different and I am not sure I like it, but I know have to move on because he is never coming back.ย For the record, I have the exact opposite feeling about Taylor King not being on the โNova roster.ย That makes me smile.
The Sports Bankโs โ99 in 99โ ranks the 72 power conference college basketball teams and top 27 mid-majors.ย โNova comes in at #12.ย Click here if you missed teams #13-#99.
By: David Kay
Villanova Wildcats (T-2nd, 13-5 in Big East, 25-8 overall)
Projected Depth Chart
F/C: Mouphtaou Yarou (So)/Maurice Sutton (So)
PF: Antonio Pena (Sr)/ Jayvaughn Pinkston (Fr)
G/F: Corey Stokes (Sr)/Isaiah Armwood (So)/James Bell (Fr)
G: Corey Fisher (Sr)/Dominic Cheek (So)
PG: Maalik Wayns (So)
Gone: PG-Scottie Reynolds, G/F-Reggie Redding, F-Taylor King (transfer-Concordia)
2010-2011 Outlook:
What happened to โNova last year?ย After starting the season 22-2 and looking like a repeat Final Four contender, the Wildcats ended up losing six of their final nine games and needed overtime to avoid a first round upset at the hands of 15th seeded Robert Morris before being ousted by St. Maryโs in the second round.ย It will not get any easier this season especially since the โCats lose three key contributors including their fearless leader, Scottie Reynolds.
As has been the case as โNova, the guard play will fuel the Wildcats.ย The Coreys, Fisher and Stokes, have been key contributors since their freshman seasons and bring experience and scoring to the floor.ย Stokes is a streaky outside shooter who can really light it up when he is on.ย Fisher is known more for his fearlessness when attacking the basket (and most recently his 105 point in a summer league game a couple of months ago) but can also stroke it from the outside.
They figure to be joined in the starting line-up by Maalik Wayns who will probably handle most of the point guard duties. Sophomore wing Dominic Cheek will be the only true guard coming off the bench since freshman James Bell is likely out for the season after having metal rods inserted into both of his legs due to stress fractures.ย Ouch!
Unlike recent years, the frontcourt actually has more depth than the backcourt.ย Antonio Pena fits the mold of Dante Cunningham in that he is an undersized post who has been forced to play bigger than he because โNova just has not had a lot of big bodies inside.ย Pena should spend less time playing the five this year due to rising sophomore Mouphtaou Yarou.ย The Benin native missed a chunk of last season but will provide some needed physicality and rebounding in the middle as should be much improved from a year ago.
Lengthy Maurice Sutton was thrust into the line-up last season and showed flashes as a shot blocker but was rather offensively challenged.ย He and athletic wing Isaiah Armwood provide depth in the frontcourt.ย Freshman Jayvaughn Pinkston is under-sized but knows how to throw his body around in the paint and should certainly figure into the mix.
Player to Watch: Maalik Wayns, PG
With Reynolds now playing professionally in Italy, Fisher figures to assume the responsibility of becoming the team leader; but Wayns could be the key player for Guard University.ย The speedy sophomore has drawn comparisons to former Wildcat Kyle Lowry and is already listed as a first round draft prospect on numerous NBA Mock Draft boards.ย Wayns is too talented to come off the bench this season and Jay Wright has never been shy about starting two point guards.ย If he can become more consistent in showing some of his tremendous flashes from a year ago, the โCats should once again be near the top of the Big East standings.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/24 vs. UCLA (Pre-Season NIT)
11/26 vs. Tennessee/Missouri State/Wake Forest/VCU (Pre-Season NIT)
12/3. vs. St. Josephโs
12/12 at La Salle
12/30 vs. Temple
1/15 vs. Maryland
Other 99 in 99’s:
#13 Baylor
#14 Washington
#15 Georgetown
#16 Missouri
#17 Memphis
#18 Wisconsin
#19 Purdue
#20 Butler
#21 Virginia Tech
#22 Tennessee
#23 Gonzaga
#24 Texas
#25 San Diego State
#26 Xavier
#27 West Virginia
#28 BYU
#29 Georgia
#30 St. John’s
#31 N.C. State
#32 Florida State
#33 Marquette
#34 Temple
#35 Vanderbilt
#36 Arizona
#37 Murray State
#38 Dayton
#39 Notre Dame
#40 Mississippi State
#41 Utah State
#42 Maryland
#43 Richmond
#44 UNLV
#45 Seton Hall
#46 Wichita State
#47 Washington State
#48 St. Louis
#49 Old Dominion
#50 Minnesota
#51 New Mexico
#52 UConn
#53 Northwestern
#54 UCLA
#55 Southern Mississippi
#56 St. Mary’s
#57 Texas A&M
#58 Louisville
#59 Arizona State
#60 Northern Iowa
#61 Creighton
#62 Clemson
#63 Cincinnati
#64 Texas Tech
#65 Miami, FL
#66 Charlotte
#67 UTEP
#68 Ole Miss
#69 George Mason
#70 Colorado
#71 Weber State
#72 Alabama
#73 Bradley
#74 Central Florida
#75 Wake Forest
#76 Georgia Tech
#77 USC
#78 Oklahoma State
#79 Cal
#80 Oklahoma
#81 Virginia
#82 South Carolina
#83 Indiana
#84 Stanford
#85 Oregon
#86 Penn State
#87 South Florida
#88 Arkansas
#89 Boston College
#90 LSU
#91 Providence
#92 Michigan
#93 Oregon State
#94. Nebraska
#95. Auburn
#96. DePaul
#97. Iowa State
#98. Rutgers
#99. Iowa
