RSS
Home
Villanova gets first true tests next week
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
On Thursday night, the number-16 ranked Villanova Wildcats crushed the Houston Baptist Huskies by a score of 93-57. Wildcats star guard Scottie Reynolds led the way with 23 points and six assists and guard Corey Stokes had 22 points and shot 6-of-9 from three-point range. The win pushed Villanova's record to 8-0, but they have yet to face a true test t
his season.
Before Houston Baptist, Villanova had wins over Penn, Rhode Island, Towson, Monmouth, Niagara, Fordham and Albany, with a margin of victory of almost 23 points per game. Both Rhode Island and Niagara are projected to have decent seasons in their respective conferences, but they are both not expected to make noise on the national scene.
The Wildcats are filled with talent and depth this season with Reynolds, Stokes, Dante Cunningham and Corey Fisher, among others. This team certainly has not surprised anyone with this 8-0 start, especially with the somewhat soft schedule thus far. However, many college basketball supporters, both fans and analysts alike, are ready to see what these Wildcats can do against stiffer competition.
Well, Villanova will finally get an idea of what kind of team they truly are when they travel to the New York City to take on the nationally-ranked Texas Longhorns as part of the Jimmy V Classic on Tuesday night. Texas is coming off a big win over a fellow nationally-ranked team, the UCLA Bruins, as part of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series. Darren Collison and the Bruins fought hard but came up short against A.J. Abrams and the Longhorns, losing by a score of 68-64.
Texas is a very good defensive team so the Wildcats' scoring average of almost 80 points per game will be put to the test. Last night, all five starters for Villanova scored in double figures. In order to succeed against Texas, head coach Jay Wright will need a similar balanced scoring output from his team.
After Tuesday's big game in the Big Apple, the Wildcats will host city rival Saint Joseph's on Thursday night. As of December 5th, the Hawks had a record of 3-3, but, unlike Villanova, they have played a tough non-conference schedule thus far. Saint Joe's played in the Maui Invitational taking on the likes of Texas, Indiana and Alabama, giving coach Phil Martelli's squad some solid early season experience against top quality programs.
So while Villanova is talented and has started strong in the 2008-2009, many are anxious to see what they can do this week against Texas and Saint Joseph's.
Related Articles:
Comments
