Villanova Gets Humiliated By Notre Dame 93-72: When Will It Stop?
by Chris Lane on Feb 28, 2011 9:13 PM EST
in Villanova Wildcats Basketball
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The Notre Dame Fighting Irish came out and hit 11 3-pointers in the 1st half. Eleven. Let that sink in. So you would think that not much else could get worse for the Villanova Wildcats. Wrong.
Ben Hansbrough and Tim Abromaitis had literally the best games they'll ever have in college basketball. I'm not kidding at all. If you don't believe me check out the box score.
Abromaitis had 9 bombs and Hansbrough had 7. They each finished with 30. And let's not forget the supporting cast, who also chipped in to the all-out assault from beyond the arc, helping the Irish finish 20-32 from deep. 20 made 3-pointers. I'm going to be sick.
On the bright side (yes, I'm reaching for the bright side), Corey Fisher broke out of his 2-game coma to finish with 20 points. Antonio Pena and Mouphtaou Yarou got dominated on the glass by ND, but at least Pena was an efficient 6-8 from the field to finish with 12 points. I can't say the same about Yarou, who was yet again a no-show, taking just 3 shots against a small Irish front-line to finish with 4 points.
Maalik Wayns was just about the only player who showed up in the 1st half. The defense didn't show up all game. Things got a bit better after the break, but it's hard to appreciate the team finally showing some pride when they were down by 30.
More misery after The Jump.
More things I'm frustrated with:
- Ben Hansbrough and his theatrics like his brother. I hate em both.
- Every team we ever play seemingly hitting everything. I mean EVERYTHING.
- Tom Kopko, God bless em, somehow hitting a circus shot for the first hoop of his career in mop up time.
- This team showing no pride at all.
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I disagree a bit here. You are never as good as you think you are and you are never as bad as you think you are. This Villanova team does have good players. Let us not forget that.
I admit that I missed the game because of class, but when a team hits 20 3-pointers, that screams Notre Dame luck to me. It happens. Unfortunately for Villanova’s sake, it is happening at one of the worst possible times. I am worried about how they will perform in the NCAA Tournament, especially when their opponent could very well be kinda good, but I am not worried that they are not so bad that they will routinely get blown out by 20 points at the hands of top teams.
Writer at SB Nation's Philadelphia Union blog, The Brotherly Game. Follow me on Twitter.
not luck when about 15..
of those threes were wide open.
It's a great day to be great - Greg Jennings
I'm on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen. - Charlie Sheen
by Esteban d' Amur on Feb 28, 2011 9:26 PM EST up reply actions
Exactly
The defense as just terrible tonight. ND can’t take anyone off the dribble, yet we were collapsing into the lane like every guy was Kemba Walker out there.
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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Interesting fact..
from the Juliano column. We haven’t lead at any point in a game since the first half of the ’Cuse game.
It's a great day to be great - Greg Jennings
I'm on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen. - Charlie Sheen
by Esteban d' Amur on Feb 28, 2011 9:41 PM EST up reply actions
Make it stop...
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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At least when we fail...
it’s epic.
It's a great day to be great - Greg Jennings
I'm on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen. - Charlie Sheen
by Esteban d' Amur on Feb 28, 2011 9:57 PM EST up reply actions
Lowry...
Reynolds exchange on Twitter about the game is gold.
It's a great day to be great - Greg Jennings
I'm on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen. - Charlie Sheen
by Esteban d' Amur on Feb 28, 2011 9:58 PM EST reply actions
No kidding
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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What did it say?
If it’s not too much effort, can you transcribe it on here please?
Basically...
Reynolds asked Lowry is Nova won. Lowry responded that they lost by 30. There was some funny back and forth about how Jay was going to make them run.
It's a great day to be great - Greg Jennings
I'm on a drug. It's called Charlie Sheen. - Charlie Sheen
by Esteban d' Amur on Mar 1, 2011 9:09 AM EST up reply actions
Live
Living in the South Bend area, I was able to attend the game tonight. I was sad watching our team, even during warmups. It feels as though they’ve given up on the season already. I agree with you Chris about the defense. There were so many times when Abromaitis or Hansbrough were wide open because we’d give help defense in the lane. Even if ND was good at driving the ball, we shouldn’t have let them stay wide open for 3’s all night long. That said, we did manage to score 72 points and any team would have had a hard time stopping that duo tonight. The place was on fire and so were they. It was a tough loss for the ’Cats.
At some point...
it’s actually the team, and not just a perfect storm of events though.
Every night it’s something. We finally shoot it okay tonight and we can’t play D whereas before it was the opposite.
This is just tough to watch.
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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Hey good news!
Villanova’s next game is on the road at Pittsburgh! Yay!
………
Writer at SB Nation's Philadelphia Union blog, The Brotherly Game. Follow me on Twitter.
It's time to PANIC! But there's a chance we'll be okay!
There are 3 ALARMING things that I’ve noticed during this tough strech for us.
1: We have horrible man to man defense. All of our players get beat on or off the ball a lot which causes the bad help & rotation schemes they play. If everyone would stay with there man than maybe they can get back to holding teams to 60 or less points with 40 % field goal shooting.
2:We have to get to the line like we use too & then make free throws!!!!!!!
3: Corey Fisher MUST get to the basket & stop settling for 3’s
3 Reasons why we can turn it around.
1: Corey Fisher had a GREAT second half and finished with 22 points. Corey Stokes was great last week with back to back 20 + point efforts. Maalik Wayns has played well too. All 3 are putting together good streches at the same time once again. Maybe they can do it at Pitt this weekend.
2: Nova is still one of the most talented teams in the country & Jay Wright knows how to get the best out his guys.
3: It’s the BIG EAST! The Big East is the only conference in the country that can put Villanova threw a tough 10 game stretch like this & have you doubt yourselves before the NCAA’s. But also leave an oppurtunity to feel like the best in the country. Ex: If they beat Pitt on Saturday. And at least get to the Big East tourney championship ( And they’re going to play at least two of the top 25 teams during the tourney) they’re gonna feel confident again.
That was definitely not what I was expecting
Good luck to you guys the rest of the season (seriously, please beat Pitt), and perhaps we will meet again in the Garden.
http://www.rakesofmallow.com
I want to beat Pittsburgh real badly too
Just for the team’s confidence and so they can end the season on a high note going into the Big East tournament. Also, for whatever reason, I feel like the voters and the tournament committee regard Villanova highly. A Pittsburgh win will make me feel so much better about this team. At least in the short term.
Writer at SB Nation's Philadelphia Union blog, The Brotherly Game. Follow me on Twitter.
They're Tired
They look tired and worn out. They have played at least 2 game a week since late December or so. Don’t forget practice, classes, homework, and travel to and from games. Finally, throw in the pressure of the games and where they rank in the conference and polls.
I wonder how many days off Jay has given the team since getting into the second half of the season. I know that a hockey team I follow gives players days off from practice as well as the whole team days off during the season so that they can keep from wearing down.
Are you serious?
They are college athletes. The schedule is like this every year. Where is your argument here?
Just because they're 18 to 25 years of age...
…they can’t be tired?
Are you or have you ever been in college? If so, how did you feel at the end of the semester? Did you feel as fresh and energetic during finals week as you were at the beginning of the semester?
When did they begin formal practices? October? How many true blowouts have they had? Three (3) wins by more than 20 points! Those were back in Nov. and Dec. against very weak opponents. Their biggest margins of victory since then occurred only twice. They beat Rutgers and WVU by 16 points.
In these most recent games have they been the ones beating the other guys to loose balls? Have they been the ones beating the other guys into the positions to get rebounds?
Of the recent seasons, when have they closed out the regular season on a long winning streak? They won 7 straight back in 2004-2005 and one or two other seasons where they won more than they lost at the end of the regular season. The rest of the seasons saw the ’Cats be, at best, a .500 team down the stretch.
Now, if you want to believe the guys can’t be tired or worn out, go ahead. Keep on thinking that way. It is no skin off my nose.
Ray
by Wildcatter1980 on Mar 2, 2011 1:22 PM EST up reply actions
Wildcatter1980: What are you talking about?
To answer:
1.) I’ve been at college, and over the course of the semester, it does become a challenge to keep up that level of performance. However, it’s the people who can still keep up their performance and excel who do well. Others, I don’t know, I’m not one of those, so I can’t speak for them.
2.) They began practices the same time they do every year. So why should this one be treated differently?
3.) Yes they’ve been beating guys to loose balls and rebounds. They’ve also been throwing many “no-look” passes. And by that, I mean, passing to teammates who aren’t looking, resulting in turnovers. They are playing sloppy, but still hustling. (What were you getting at with this?)
4. This is how ’Nova finished their last few seasons, Feb 1st::
() = Big East Tourney
[] = NCAAs
2011: 4-6 (in progress)
2010: 5-5; (0-1); [1-1]
2009: 12-3; (1-1); [4-1]
2008: 6-5 ; (1-1); [2-1]
2007: 7-2; (1-1); [0-1]
2006: 8-1; (1-1); [3-1]
In Summary:
Based on the recent end of season results which you claimed they are always close to .500, can you please let me know if you are trying to set some double-standard for the post-2009 classes? Are you saying it’s ok to be tired and tank the ends of the seasons now because it’s getting too rigorous for these kids (even though nothing has really changed in the past several years regarding the amount of games they play).
Just looking for some answers… thanks!
Gotta side with JMilack here...
Everyone goes through this. It’s tough, sure, but it’s the same for everybody.
This team hasn’t handled it well the last 2 years. Other programs have. So something is wrong.
The excuse that it’s hard is not an excuse for Villanova. It’s hard and tiresome for everybody.
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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It is not "Oh, it's hard."
It is that the season is a marathon, not a sprint. The coaching staff has to approach things with that in mind.
Chris, you say it is the same for everyone, but it that really true? I do not watch enough games other that ours to be certain, but I can barely recall hearing that many teams other than the Cats do not go very deep into their benches. It seems that even the lower tier teams in the Big East go deeper into their benches, spreading the minutes out among more players, than Jay does with the Cats.
If this is true and Jay does not account for this by giving his high-minutes players enough time off between games to recover, then it should not be surprising that they wear down at the end of the season.
You say something is wrong. Well, just look back as the past ten years and how more often than not the Cats do not put together an impressive stretch of wins from mid-January through the end of the season and then try to say that it could not possibly be that the players are tired or worn out.
When I reflect on what I saw watching the St John’s and Notre Dame games, I saw a team that just did not have the zip or the energy that the other teams had. They were consistently beaten to loose balls, outfought for rebounds and for position on the court and off target with their shots. Those are all classic signs of fatigue.
Ray
by Wildcatter1980 on Mar 3, 2011 2:33 PM EST up reply actions
Ray, here's the last 6...
Which I did the research for already… and that’s their record from February on.. Looks poor the last 2 years, if you want you can show me beyond that, such as when Jay first started and Foye, Ray, Sumpter were all freshman. Just didn’t want to do all the dirty work for you if you are the one trying to prove they always have bad ends to their season.
2011: 4-6 (in progress)
2010: 5-5; (0-1); [1-1]
2009: 12-3; (1-1); [4-1]
2008: 6-5 ; (1-1); [2-1]
2007: 7-2; (1-1); [0-1]
2006: 8-1; (1-1); [3-1]
Honestly Embarassed....
That game was embarassing. 20 3pt baskets, with very few contested. Villanova is a team with a lot of talent, they just need to find their pride and show some heart in order to have any shot at picking up the pieces of this current disaster.
One bright light, Malik Wayns. He looks like he wants to be a leader. I think he has the respect for the seniors though, which is keeping him from being that vocal leader we need. Once Fisher, Stokes, & Pena are gone, I expect to see Wayns step up and be that leader, by voice and example, which he’s capable of being.
i don't know why everyone is so upset we only lost by one in the second half.....
I don’t know how we are going to do it but a win a Pitt would really salvage this sinking ship
by nova fan in texas 2 on Mar 1, 2011 1:48 PM EST reply actions
Yeah it'd be a feel good win and definitely give us a lift...
but how can anyone look at what is happening on the court and think this is possible?
The only hope I have is that Pitt plays at a slow pace. They aren’t putting up 40 a half vs. us (I hope)
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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Two years in a row now
for this team to falter down the stretch of the season. Whether it is effort, lack of proper coaching, or the players are just not that good something will have to change next year.
I have always felt that the good Nova teams was the team that had a chip on its shoulder, gave the extra effort and was a team that was not ranked high.
This team seems like it has already won a league championship or is a final four team.
This team has no edge.
Has no edge
Sums it up perfectly
I prematurely shot my wad, if you will, on what was supposed to be a dry run, and now it looks like I have something of a mess on my hands.
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