The Nova Blog: FanPosts

Nova and D1 football

2011-06-18T12:44:56Z

Saw my cousin last week that played football at UMASS and Patriots. He is pumped that the school is taking its program up to the D1 level. They are going to play their games at Gillette Stadium the next 2yrs while they expand/rebuild the stadium on campus. Anyone out there have an update on whats going on with Nova's efforts to move up? After watching the rugby championships at PPL Park I think it would be a great place to watch football. Thanks.

Seppi

Villanova Football move up to Big East is Delayed until 2015

2011-05-12T12:11:12Z

Check out the story @ phillynews.com/philly/sports/colleges/Villanova on the delay to move up. I don't get why the school has been so quiet about all the details. Now everyone is speculating because there is no real information as to why its delayed. There has been no official word on anything except that they are working with the Big East? Not good enough and by the way don't we have a business school that can muster some PR power? I just hope that the Big V doesn't go down with the ship on this one.

West Virginia

2011-04-22T14:54:13Z

Its amazing that WV AD would complain about Villanova. They are one of the schools that really doesn't bring much to the Big East as far as $$ from there market and is not on another major conference list for an invite to join. If WV left the Big East would anybody notice? Aren'tthey the number one team a few years back who choked against Pitt in the last game of the season that left them out of big BCS Championship game and could of brought the Big East football to new highs! So where is this coming from.

Its situations like this that make you think Big East will break up soon. If there isn't some sort of limit on new schools joining like Central Florida and Houston? Who cares. Houston hasn't been heard from since the Big E played there back in the 70's!!!

There is no doubt that our President doesn't want to commit to the agreement. Is it that he is over his head in these types of situations? Your guess is as good as mine. Bottom line shows that our university has and is taking hits and has been labeled some as a small time entity.Unfortunate.That said there is still time rectify the situation by committing or pulling out of the process. No one will remember either way if its handled right. That's a big if.

SIGNS FOR GAME DAY

2011-02-08T22:19:52Z

Hi everyone!

I am a Villanova student and we are allowed to bring signs into the pavilion for Game Day (not the actual game itself).

Any ideas for clever signs/sayings?

It can be anything! A saying about the players, Jay Wright, ESPN, etc. Last year there were some good signs about Scottie Reynolds.

Also, after the game, there is a vote that goes on espn.com where people can vote for the best sign that was seen at Game Day. http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/gameday#/signs/

Again, ANY ideas at all would be helpful!

Thanks!

LET'S GO NOVA!!!

Villanova Bigeast Football opportunity

2011-02-01T14:21:53Z

It seems as though the Bigeast is getting frustrated with Villanova's time line on a decision to take their football program up to the BCS Division 1 level (Commissioner statement 1/25/11). My question is how long does it take to figure out the finances and location of play to make a decision? Its been estimated that Villanova is losing 4 million currently per year with a program that has a hard time filling the current stadium of 12,000 seats. What will be the losses if the program goes up to the division 1 championship level based on the Bigeast attendence minimum of 15,000? Its time for the board to make a statement on the progress it has made and explain what the criteria is that they are using to make this decision or what the challenges are. Why would they move the program up to the Bigeast and incur additional loses that can't be made up or hopefully increased from TV, gate and increased Alumni donations except to protect other sports at Villanova in the future. The sports programs at the university has nationally compeditive teams in most sports and a major money maker in the nationally ranked basketball program.

Some Good News for FB

2011-01-27T22:19:48Z

Jordan Canzeri Troy (NY) HS RB coming to Nova. "Canzeri, who rushed for 2,048 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior, provided Villanova defensive coordinator and New York recruiter Mark Reardon his oral commitment to compete for the Wildcats" Full story below.

Football star Canzeri headed to Villanova  By JAMES ALLEN Staff Writer Published: 12:48 a.m., Thursday, January 27, 2011    Page 1 of 1

TROY -- Defenders had a hard time tackling Jordan Canzeri throughout the 2010 football season, yet it seemed like college recruiters had a hard time noticing just how special a talent the Troy High senior running back is.

But since the Flying Horses ended their season with a 40-28 loss in the state Class AA title game against Rush-Henrietta at the Syracuse Carrier Dome on Nov. 28, colleges began taking notice of the speedy standout.

A flurry of activity surrounded Canzeri over the past 72 hours, but he has decided to accept a scholarship to play his college football for Villanova, a member of the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA).

Canzeri, who rushed for 2,048 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior, provided Villanova defensive coordinator and New York recruiter Mark Reardon his oral commitment to compete for the Wildcats.

Villanova advanced to the national semifinals in 2010, falling to eventual national champion Eastern Washington 41-31.

Canzeri was the school's No. 1 recruit at running back.

"He wanted to be on board with what was going on there," Troy High coach Jack Burger said. "There isn't going to be any red-shirt season. They expect Jordan to come in right away and contribute."

Canzeri, who visited Villanova over the weekend, drew a great deal of late interest from Iowa, Connecticut and Indiana. Previously, schools like Temple, Pittsburgh and UConn were involved. All three schools went through coaching changes, and UConn reemerged into the picture behind the direction of new coach Paul Pasqualoni.

Iowa made a late push over the weekend and was going to send a coach to speak with Canzeri.

All along, Villanova was a constant in the recruiting process.

"They open with Temple next year and Syracuse (in 2012)," Burger said. "Jordan is getting close to $250,000 on scholarship. He is very comfortable with his decision."

Villanova has an open invitation from the Big East to join the conference. School officials are still weighing the merits of such a decision, and the Big East may move forward without Villanova.

Canzeri, the Times Union's Offensive Player of the Year in 2010, seems like a perfect fit to play in Villanova coach Andy Talley's no-huddle attack. The senior will sign his national letter of intent next Wednesday at 11:45 a.m. at Troy High.

Reach James Allen at 454-5062 or jallen@timesunion.com.

WVU Wants to Secede

2011-01-27T19:57:50Z

MORE FUN ON EXPANSION . . . This author posits that WVU wants to encourage the FB teams to secede from the BE.

Thursday January 27, 2011

Big East football secession not so farfetched

Column: Jack Bogaczyk

by Jack Bogaczyk

Daily Mail Sports Editor

Charleston Daily Mail

The Big East, with wise forward thinking, is looking toward a football upgrade in 2012-13 when TCU joins the league.

The soon-to-be 17-team conference also has designs on a financial enhancement in its television contract, which runs out with the 2012-13 basketball and 2013 football seasons.

Yes, 2013 - the Year of the Snake in Chinese - should be a pivotal one for the Big East, but for reasons other than the aforementioned.

Before the conference goes through the give-and-take of telecast negotiations for a hybrid, 17- or 18-team conference (with another possible addition for a 10th football school), the pigskin players should consider something similar to a proposal before the West Virginia Legislature.

There, rookie Del. Larry Kump (R-Berkeley) has introduced House Bill 2698 to allow Eastern Panhandle voters to consider whether they want to change the state geography by returning to their roots - Virginia.

Yes, that's secession ... and it has a much better chance of happening in the Big East than in our Eastern Panhandle.

When he spoke to the Rotary Club of Charleston in mid-December, first-year WVU Athletic Director Oliver Luck talked about the Big East and its "obvious divide" between the football and non-football schools, saying it was "challenging to deal with all of the diverging viewpoints."

In football expansion, with one more team expected soon to join TCU and the incumbent eight, Luck said the football schools "are concerned not only about the quantity of teams, but also the quality."

So it should be, and if the football group would break away from the Big East, those schools' revenue would increase significantly because they'd not only be sharing with fewer partners, but they'd also have plenty of hoops legs to stand on even without some of the longtime dribblers.

Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Pitt, Syracuse and WVU (all with RPIs of 37 or better on Wednesday) have the makings of a pretty powerful basketball bunch. That leaves Rutgers, USF and TCU and whomever the footballers bring in as a 10th member. Villanova adds significant value in basketball, but not football.

However, as long as the deep Providence roots are running the Big East as they have for more than three decades, the conference isn't going to fracture on its own - nor is football ever going to get out from under basketball's golf umbrella.

I understand that the NCAA Tournament shares - or "units" as they are called - can be a major sticking point if left behind or split in some sort of exit negotiations, but it's time that the football schools go their own way.

And why do a new TV deal with whatever network if some of the power brokers at schools in the conference figure on breaking away a year or two after the new contracts kick in?

Yes, the Big East's reputation is founded on hoops, and the football was pretty dreadful this past season, but football still drives the dollars in major college athletics.

The Big East football schools, as their own entity, still would be stronger in hoops than in football - although the Horned Frogs will help the reputation considerably.

It also will help that Big East football should be improved thanks to coaching moves in the last two years, not to mention the rise in an Eastern program with some tradition, Syracuse.

If you include WVU's Stewart-to-Holgorsen handoff as a coaching change made this postseason, the Big East coach ranking second in seniority is Doug Marrone at Syracuse ... and he was hired less than 26 months ago.

What's going to need to happen if the Big East football schools want to go off on their own?

Some of the strong, aggressive administrators in the group - and Luck seemingly has joined names that include Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg and Athletic Directors Tom Jurich at Louisville and Tim Pernetti at Rutgers - need to lead the way in secession.

(And I can see a Luck, with his pro sports CEO background, or a Pernetti, with his network TV experience, as a commissioner of a new Big East football league, too.)

The football group should ask Notre Dame if it's in or not for all sports, then make a call as to whether the Fighting Irish stays or goes. If the footballers want to take a couple of basketball players with them for a 12-team hoops league - Villanova? Notre Dame? Georgetown? - then do some coaxing.

But the football creation is going to be stronger, even with just hoops considered, than what's left of the Big East. Those teams would find plenty of programs willing to join them - like much of the Atlantic 10.

Short of secession, looking from West Virginia's perspective, if there are too many interior relationships and forces to fracture the current Big East, the Mountaineers need to find out if it's possible to be part of an expanded, 16-team ACC.

Luck has called that potential scenario "some amalgamation of the ACC and Big East on the Eastern Seaboard." Could that be an ACC North Division of Boston College, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Virginia, UConn, WVU, Pitt and Syracuse?

Those programs with an "invested" interest in Big East football need to proactively push for their own conference sooner than later. Yes, TCU and TV deals are good answers. However, they're not the big one.

It's one thing to have to maneuver through the minefield that recurring (and recent) league fissures have caused, much less constantly hurdle an obvious fault line in your own conference.

Contact Sports Editor Jack Bogaczyk at ja...@dailymail.com or 304-348-7949.

Marinatto: 'We're not waiting for Villanova'

2011-01-25T22:05:37Z

Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Marinatto: 'We're not waiting for Villanova'
By Brian Bennett

The Big East has announced its plans to expand to 10 teams. Villanova is currently undergoing a study to determine whether it will move up to the FBS level and join the Big East, and that process is expected to be completed in April.

The two timelines, however, do not necessarily intersect.

I spoke with Big East commissioner John Marinatto on Tuesday about a host of topics, including expansion. I asked him if the league was waiting on Villanova to make its decision before it went forward with other options.

"We're not waiting for Villanova," Marinatto said. "It's their institutional decision to make, and they have a process set up to make it. They've got to determine what's in their best interest, and we've got to determine what's in our best interest."

Marinatto said he didn't have a good idea of which way Villanova was leaning right now and doesn't know if the school even knows that yet.

"It is a complicated issue for any institution, and probably even more complicated for a small, private institution," he said.

I asked Marinatto if the Big East could decide to add another team before Villanova finalizes its plans in April.

"If the right situation developed in between, we would move on it," he said. "That's a very real possibility. We're not going to make a decision or not make a decision based on Villanova's study."

This makes sense from the league point of view. The Big East originally had hoped for an answer from Villanova by the end of 2010, but the school understandably wanted more time to study all the many factors involved, especially the finances of big-time football.

But the league can't just sit idly by and wait for the Wildcats, who would need a few years to get up to FBS qualifying standards anyway. If the conference decided to add, say, Central Florida, it could do so now and easily fold in Villanova at a later date, as there would be very little transition with a school that competes in all other Big East sports.

I'll have more from Marinatto on Wednesday, including his thoughts on the 2010 season and the outlook for the league's future.

Your thoughts on Cincinnati

2011-01-07T15:35:47Z

As a Bearcat fan I'm interested in learnign what Nova fans think about the Bearcats. Many around Cincinnati think the weak schedule is an indicator that this team is 15-0 due to that. I lean more toward the Bearcats being much better than people think because the weak schedule is hiding the qualities of this team.

I have not seen Nova play yet this year, but I am sure they are very good this year again. I am looking foreward to seeing the Bearcats play Nova Sunday.

A Quick Look into The Red Storm, The Irish, and The Huskies

2011-01-05T07:11:05Z

(Editor's Note: A very well done FanPost! See, I wasn't lying. Right to the front page!)

Thanks Chris for pointing out the FanPosts Feature on the Blog.

The Big East is really shaping up to be a power conference like it usually is despite the pre-season doubts that always seem to linger.

After reading the post about the Big East reigning supreme, a few thoughts came to mind --

St. John's

After St.John's upset against the Hoyas, some may say see St. John's as the sleeper team to watch out for. With the third best recruiting class coming in next season, the Johnnies certainly have much to look forward to. With three wins and no losses in the BIG EAST so far, the Red Storm can make a statement this season. Their upcoming schedule against 7 straight ranked teams should really show whether the Storm can be considered a force in the Big East.

Notable Opponents Coming Up: Syracuse, Notre Dame, and Duke

For thoughts on Notre Dame and UConn, see you after The Jump.

Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish are beginning to make a strong case about why they should be considered atop the Big East. With convincing wins against Georgetown and Connecticut, the Irish are looking to possibly push into the top 10. Watching the game against Connecticut, I could see why they were ranked # 15 in the nation. After shooting 50% from the 3-pt range (hitting 7-14) in the first half, #9 ranked UCONN or better yet #9 ranked Kemba Walker had some work to do. The Irish's starting five are averaging double digits in points per game with Abromaitis and Hansbrough showing their range from downtown. With contributions from Nash, Scott and Martin, as part of the starting 5, the team has some confidence going further into Big East play. However, it should be mentioned that unsung players such as Jack Cooley (Harangody look-a-like) are able to contribute to the hard fought wins. Overall, I see some good basketball being played here as the Irish knock on the doors of the BIG EAST top-contenders such as Pitt, Nova, and Cuse (despite their 12-point loss to the Orangemen earlier this week)

Notable Opponents Coming Up: St. John's - two games within 8 days.

Connecticut

Being a Connecticut native and a die-hard Villanova fan, I have always been very critical of the Huskies. Going from unranked to being #4 in the rankings, UConn has proved a lot to their skeptics such as me. But, have they really? I can't deny the talent of Kemba Walker and his pure athleticism but how much can he really do night in and night out? Averaging nearly 26.7 points per game, he clearly has been lights out night in and night out. But for how much longer?

With a starting line-up including three freshmen, Walker and an inconsistent big-man in Oriakhi, I sense some trouble brewing for the Huskies. With a 15pt loss against Pittsburgh and a close OT-win against USF, the Huskies went into South Bend to face the confident Irish tonight. As mentioned, the Huskies allowed the Irish to shoot an astonishing 7 shots from 3-point land. With a "down" night from Kemba (scored only 4 points in the first half and 15 in the 2nd - was 8-23 FGM-FGA shooting 34%), the Huskies needed help from their freshmen. Thanks to Shabazz Napier, the game wasn't a complete blow-out - well his last second attempt at a game-tying 3-pointer was atrocious considering he still had 2 seconds left on the clock. The Huskies fell 73-70.

For the first time this season, the Huskies saw their freshmen making a difference in scoring. This was about the only positive thing I saw for the Huskies tonight. I see some great potential in the fresh meat such as Shabazz Napier, Roscoe Smith, and Lamb but they will be facing a Big East that can reduce their Husky barks to whimpers.

Lastly, in order for the Huskies to even attempt to stay a force in the Big East, Alex Oriakhi needs to show up to play. At 6 ft 9 inches weighing nearly 240, Oriakhi has to make his presence known in the paint. He started off on fire at the beginning of the season when the Huskies stunned millions in Maui but really has hit a wall since. In tonight's game against the Irish, Oriakhi fouled out with 0 points and 6 rebounds.

If Walker, Oriakhi and Shabazz can find a rhythm, then I would say WATCH OUT for the Huskies, Big East. Until then, the one man team will unfortunately have to grind out close wins.

Notable Opponents Coming Up: Texas and Villanova (Jan. 17th at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, CT at 3:30pm on ESPN).

Discuss! I would love to hear your opinions about any of these teams or anything else you want to bring up that I might have missed.

'Nova Climbing Back Up Big East Super Rankings

2010-12-13T22:16:01Z

Yes, the loss to Tennessee was extremely disappointing. No, it doesn't look like it will stop Villanova from entering conference play ranked in the AP Top 10. The Wildcats proved that by beating a tough LaSalle team in their gym. The top of the Big East is strong, and yes, 'Nova is in the group of top teams.

Huge shake-up after this weekend's games. Pitt's home loss to the Vols means a new #1 and Rutgers moves onto the bubble (that's right, Rutgers). One thing hasn't changed... DePaul remains ranked #16 after losing at home to Ball St. Nice win on Sunday from WVU at Duquense. Check out the rankings as of Monday morning.

Predicting Big East Basketball Standings

2010-11-26T18:10:09Z

A bunch of buddies and I get together every year and play a game to predict the Big East final basketball standings (and other leagues). We assume one big division, we take eight teams only and use conference records only. Here are my predictions, in order. Please weigh in if I am off my rocker:

Pitt, Villanova, Syracuse, Georgetown, West Virginia, Connecticut, Louisville, Marquette

Thanks. looking for some help! This should be a fun year in Big East hoops!

Nova Basketball Recruits- 2010 (Looking into the bright future)

2010-03-23T02:54:23Z

It was a disappointing end to Nova's 09-10 basketball season ending to a loss to St. Mary's. We will miss Scottie Reynolds who will probably be ballin in the NBA. I believe Scottie actually put Nova in the spotlight, which gets Nova some good recruits that probably would never have committed to Nova. Hopefully Corey Fisher, and Stokes come back. Yarou will be amazing next year once he develops, along with Armwood, and Wayns, and hopefully Cheeks can step it up.

I do have some good news though, Nova's basketball recruits that are going to be freshman in 2010-11 season for next year look really good. Jay Wright did quite a good job recruiting because the 3 prospects that have either signed or verbally committed to Nova are all ranked in the 90's on a scale of 100 by ESPN, and 2 out of the 3 are on ESPN's top 100 prospects for the 2010 class

Analysis of the recruits after the jump.

1. James Bell

The highest rated recruit by ESPN for Nova is named James Bell. He is rated 95 out of 100. His position is Small Forward, and he currently attends Montverde Academy which is located in Florida. He is 6-4 and weighs 217 pounds. Out of all the Small Forwards in the 2010 class, James Bell is ranked the 9th best, and is the ESPN's top 100. Additionally, he is ranked #61 best prospect by Scout, #98 best prospect by Rivals and #38 best prospect overall by ESPN. He is currently signed to Nova.

Bell is a physical player, with great athletic ability. He is versatile, and also played Power Forward.(He probably won't be playing PF at the college level though) James is a terrific competitor, and shows natural defensive instincts. Despite his size, he is not afraid to constantly crash the board or to post up. Bell is a team player, and is a leader, and constantly encourages his teammates. James also displays a nice shooting touch from outside the arc, hitting some clutch 3's to win a couple of games. Though he is young, he will develop in time and is a nice addition to Jay Wright's already formidable team. (Sounds like Scottie Reynolds a little guys?)

Link to a Video of him:

James Bell Team Stat AAU Highlights (via VillanovaBasketball)Original Vid is from Here

From Youtube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBYw7sDl4WM

2. Jayvaughn Pinkston

Second on the list is Pinkston. He plays Power Forward and currently attends Bishop Loughlin Memorial H.S. which is located in New York. Jayvaughn is listed as 6-6 and weighs 220. He has verbally committed to Nova, and has not officially signed with them yet. Ranked the 25th best Power Forward in the 2010 class, ESPN has him included in their top 100 prospects. Scout ranks him the 7th best in his position.

His strengths include rebounding, toughness, and is an aggressive scorer. Areas for improvement for him are ball handling and his perimeter shot.(He is a PF though) Jay is big and buff and always know where the ball is. Pinkston runs the floor well, rebounds in traffic, and rebounds in traffic and can finish tough shots down low. Scout calls him a merge of like Charles Barkley and Dejuan Blair. (PInkson sounds nice to don't you guys think?) I'm feeling very happy about this recruiting class.

He's #55 in the Vid.

JayVaughn Pinkston (Bishop Loughlin) (via HSSMTV)

Link to Original Video Here: Here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCcfzcdo9AU

3. Markus Kennedy

The 3rd best, and last that has either verbally or signed with Villanova is Markus Kennedy. He is 6-9 and weighs a hefty 268 pounds. Markus played at center for Winchendon School which is located in Mass. Markus's hometown is Philly. Ranked the 10th best at his position by ESPN, he has already signed with the Wildcats. A fun fact is that Markus picked Nova over West Virginia. Hah! take that.Oh yeah, he also was considering Temple.

Scouts have been all over this kid's nice hands, and his pretty array of post moves.Kennedy has good footwork, yet he does not have impressive hops. Also has good passing skills...... ESPN calls him a less athletic DeJuan Blair. (Again?)

Didn't find that much info on this guy, and I couldn't find a video on youtube of his highlights.

I am excited for next season.Guys, its gonna be great if these Freshmen can step up their game and help us to the Final Four, and hopefully the Championship! I enjoyed learning more about these guys. Hope you guys liked my first post on "The Nova Blog"

Poll

Ready for next season?

Heck Yes

39 votes

No, I think we wil suck next year

3 votes

I miss Scottie ;(

9 votes

51 votes | Poll has closed

Villanova was an enigma all season?

2010-03-22T16:52:12Z

Were the Villanova Wildcats fooling the nation all season? Villanova started the season 20-1, but head coach Jay Wright said his team wasn't as good as people and thought they were then. Wright also said that the Wildcats weren't as bad as they looked down the stretch this season, including in yesterday's upset loss to St. Mary's. Said star senior guard Scottie Reynolds: "We can't have everybody have their own way of playing basketball. It has to be everybody on the same page, and he's the guy we look to for that. We assessed it and we started going in the direction he wanted us to be going in, and we just ran out of time. Time was not on our side this year."

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/20100321_Reynolds__Time_not_on__Nova_s_side.html

Portland Trail Blazers fan sayin' hi and good luck!

2010-03-17T03:40:45Z

Hello all,

Look, I really don't know anything about your school. I'm not even sure what state you're in, but I know it's east of the Rockies. Here's what I do know:

I likes me some Dante Cunningham!

Seriously. He's not like a budding mega-star, but hands down he's my favorite rookie on our team this year, more so than Jeff Pendergraph (fun and hard nosed from Arizona) and Patty Mills (Aussie Olympic standout but otherwise a waterbug type PG). He's got great hustle, great defense, scraps for rebounds, hits that mid-range turnaround J, does whatever his coach tells him and has that awesome "gap-tooth" mouth guard that makes him look like he's going to club you when you turn your back on him.

So with March Madness coming up, no Oregon teams made it into the tourney and the only other NW team is the Huskies, who I am contractually obligated to hate. Yes, our star Brandon Roy is an ex-Husky, but we forgive him for that. So I needed somebody to root for going into the tournament, and I have settled for your team, in honor of Dante Cunningham.

If you could please, tell me what I'm supposed to yell at the TV screen when your team is on the floor.