Wednesday, April 29, 2009

John F. Kennedy - "Ich bin ein Berliner"; Markus Kennedy - I Am a Villanovan....

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

VUHoops and I Bleed Blue and White report that Markus Kennedy, a 6-9 power forward, will be joining the Villanova Wildcats program, in the fall of 2010, assuming that all goes according to plan... Kennedy made it official this afternoon at a news conference... Kennedy's final two choices were Villanova and West Virginia...

VUHoops also linked helpfully to a Philadelphia Daily News story on Markus Kennedy... as did I Bleed Blue and White, in this case to the early leaking of the news on Philly.com...

VUHoops also noted that-

Kennedy joins Florida’s James Bell in Villanova’s Class of 2010 Recruiting Class.
(The headline to my post - President John F. Kennedy, speaking in Berlin at the height of the Cold War on June 26,1963, famously told the residents, "Ich bin ein Berliner"... )

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged, and will always be answered. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

VUHoops, I Bleed Blue and White on Potential 2010 Villanova Wildcat Markus Kennedy - Decision Wednesday

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

For those of you interested in the goings-on of the recruiting trail, both VUHoops and I Bleed Blue and White have stories up regarding the decision of Markus Kennedy, who would potentially be arriving as a Villanova Wildcat in the fall of 2010...

Apparently, Kennedy will be announcing his decision tomorrow (Wednesday, April 29) at 12:30 PM at his high school, where he will formally decide between Villanova and West Virginia...

Go Wildcats!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Farewell to Villanova Wildcats Seniors - Shane Clark's Arrival and Freshman Season

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

As graduation approaches at Villanova University for the Class of 2009, I'll be doing a series of farewells to our four Villanova Wildcat seniors, as we look back on their tenures on the Main Line. I'll start today with the arrival and freshman season of senior Shane Clark...

Shane Clark's Background

Clark played for two seasons at Cardinal Dougherty, in the Olney section of Philadelphia, in 2004, where he was a teammate of another future Wildcat, Kyle Lowry, now in the NBA. (Lowry was the 2004 Pennsylvania Player of the Year, while Clark was there.)

Clark averaged a double-double (15 points/11 rebounds) and also four swats a game, under the longtime Catholic League fixture Mark Heimerdinger. Clark then took a postgraduate year at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., to improve his academic standing.

Clark got a late start at Villanova. He was only eligible to play at the end of the first semester of his freshman season (2005-06). Since it's tricky to follow, the easiest way to describe the complicated story of what happened regarding his arrival, is simply to quote DraftExpress....
A storyline worth keeping an eye on is the seemingly endless saga of Philly combo forward Shane Clark. He originally committed to Jay Wright, but then was forced to take a prep year and switched his allegiance to Maryland. When a clearinghouse error made him ineligible at Maryland, he set his sights on the Wildcats again. While he hasn’t made it through the clearinghouse yet, Clark is ready to enroll at Villanova for the spring semester. If he does indeed make it onto the court, he could step right into Sumpter’s role as an athletic, versatile frontcourt presence.

This prognosticator was ready to anoint Villanova as the Big East’s preseason favorite. The way that these guards play is simply too exciting to ignore, and it looked like a few of the big men were ready to step up and hold their own. The possibility of a healthy Jason Fraser was truly exciting. Unfortunately, that all went out the window with the loss of Sumpter. He fit in too well with Wright’s perimeter-oriented attack, and it is highly doubtful that anybody else on the roster will come close to matching his production. Villanova’s season may now rest on the fragile knees of Jason Fraser, or unproven newcomers like Dante Cunningham or Shane Clark. In the end, it’s just hard to be as optimistic about Villanova’s chances as we were just last week.

The question of Clark surviving the clearinghouse sluice was very much up in the air. The situation was so precarious, in fact, that the 2005-06 Villanova Wildcats media guide - which includes his fellow class of 2009ers Dwayne Anderson, Dante Cunningham, Frank Tchuisi, and the eventual transfer Bilal Benn - didn't even have a profile of Clark.

But it all worked out, and Clark was eligible come the end of the first semester. Accordingly, Clark made his Villanova debut against Temple on New Year's Eve, 2005-06 - the first game since the end of the Fall 2005 academic semester.

Clark didn't play all that much, during his first year, for two reasons:
  1. He wasn't eligible till New Year's Eve, thus losing time in the rotation;
  2. It was Wright's best and most talented Wildcats team. It eventually captured a top NCAA tournament seed, and reached the Elite Eight, the first time that Villanova had done so in two decades. So a late-arriving, unheralded freshman got short shrift, when it came to minutes.
As a result, he logged just 286 minutes all season. However, he played more than that stat would indicate, since by rule, he was only able to participate in 25 games - he averaged 11.4 minutes/contest.

In addition, Clark was a significant role player. Along with Dante Cunningham, Jay Wright would judiciously use Clark for defensive purposes, as there were plenty of scorers on that team. And both freshman defensive specialists helped to create one of the best teams in Villanova's illustrious history. This was particularly true down the stretch and in the 2006 NCAA tournament, as Clark's minutes increased sharply in February and March.

Highlights of Clark's Freshman Season, Game by Game
  • In the debut against Temple, he played 10 minutes, scoring two points, grabbing four rebounds, blocking two shots, committing two turnovers, and amazingly, accummulating four fouls.
  • After seeing just six minutes against Louisville, he set what would be a season-high in points against West Virginia, where he played only 11 minutes, but scored nine points while making all four field goal attempts. One was his first collegiate three-point shot, according to the Villanova media guide.
  • For the next four games, he played sparingly - 23 total minutes, six total points, five total rebounds.
  • He then saw the highest minutes of his young career, logging 19 minutes and pulling down five rebounds against South Florida.
  • Notre Dame - he had ten minutes and two rebounds.
  • He set a new high in minutes with 23, in the second game against Louisville, finishing with three rebounds (and three fouls), and no points. And as the Villanova media guide puts it-
    Brought energy in his 23 minutes, keeping several loose balls alive en route to three rebounds in a 79-73 win over Louisville.
  • Marquette - he played just six minutes.
  • But then, Clark played a key role against St. Joseph's in the Holy War - 18 minutes, six points, five rebounds, and a blocked shot, prior to fouling out for the first time - and Villanova won 71-58.
  • DePaul - Clark played a dozen minutes, had a pair of rebounds, but did not score.
This was the beginning of a downturn in Clark's minutes. Over the next four games - two against Connecticut, Georgetown, and Cincinnati - Clark played only 20 minutes, with four points and two rebounds.
  • However, as the Villanova media guide puts it, he made a big contribution against the Bearcats - Clark
    "drew a critical charging foul with 35 seconds left that gave VU possession in a 74-72 win @ Cincinnati on Feb. 23."
Then, for the next seven games, Clark reached double-digits in minutes.
  • St. John's - Clark logged 16 minutes, with two points and two boards.
  • Syracuse - he had one of his best games of the season, with a then-career-high 21 minutes, plus seven points, three rebounds (and four fouls).
  • Rutgers - Clark had 14 minutes, one point, two rebounds.
  • Pittsburgh - 20 minutes - and coincidentally, one point, two rebounds.
In the NCAA tournament, here were Clark's appearances in Villanova's three victories and Elite Eight loss:
  1. #16 Monmouth at the Wachovia Center - 10 minutes, three points, four rebounds, one block and one steal.
  2. #9 Arizona at the Wachovia Center - 17 minutes, one point, two rebounds, four fouls.
  3. #4 Boston College - in one of my favorite Villanova NCAA tournament games, 14 minutes, three points, one rebound.
  4. #2 Florida - Clark's minutes dropped, probably because it was a loss. He played only six minutes - his lowest in eight games - but had two points and four rebounds.
Check back, as I continue the series of Farewells to the Senior Villanova Wildcats... and also check out the worthwhile Villanova Wildcats blogs on the right sidebar.

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged, and will always be answered. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Where Does NBADraftPress Have Villanova Wildcats Reynolds and Cunningham in Its 2009 NBA Mock Draft?

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Yet another NBA mock draft - this time from NBADraftPress - is projecting Dante Cunningham as a high second-round pick, and Scottie Reynolds being undrafted...

This draft was updated by Lance Walton on April 21...


It has Cunningham being drafted by the Detroit Pistons with the 36th overall pick, the sixth pick of the second round...

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged, and will always be answered. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Friday, April 24, 2009

VUHoops on Dominic Cheek's Official Signing As a Villanova Wildcat, and the Basketball Banquet

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

VUHoops.com continues its fine coverage of offseason Villanova news... some highlights...

On the official news that Dominic Cheek is now a Villanova Wildcat:

Official word from campus today that the fourth and final member of the 2009 Villanova Recruiting Class, Dominic Cheek, has signed his National Letter of Intent.

Of course we reported that the McDonald’s All-American signed last week, but it’s always good to see an official press release.

On the Basketball Banquet awards, in which deserving Wildcats - especially senior Frank Tchuisi - received some time in the spotlight...
Frank Tchuisi took home the Jake Nevin Award for “selflessness and providing an outstanding example to his teammates”
Go Wildcats!

There are two ways you can contact
Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged, and will always be answered. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

NBADraft.net's Mock 2009 Draft, Updated April 21 - Does It Include Villanova Wildcats Reynolds and Cunningham?

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Take a look at NBADraft.net's Mock NBA Draft, updated April 21...

It has Dante Cunningham as the 33rd overall pick, the third pick of the second round - and Scottie Reynolds undrafted....

Unfortunately, in contrast to DraftExpress, it did not provide its analysis, as to whether Reynolds's decision to test the waters would make any difference...

Go Wildcats!

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged, and will always be answered. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Read If (and Where) DraftExpress Has Villanova's Reynolds and Cunningham in Its 2009 Mock NBA Draft, in the Wake of Reynolds's Announcement

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

DraftExpress.com has a mock 2009 NBA draft, which was last updated on April 20. Although the most recent update came before Scottie Reynolds announced that he might consider foregoing his senior season at Villanova, it almost certainly did not affect the site's analysis, as you'll read below, in the wake of Reynolds's announcement...

DraftExpress has Dante Cunningham going far later than TheDraftReview, which had Cunningham as the 35th overall pick, in the early second round. DraftExpress doesn't have Cunningham going until the 52nd overall pick, near the end of the second round, by the Indiana Pacers... and like TheDraftReview, it has Reynolds going undrafted...

Here's what the DraftExpress blog had to say on the news of Reynolds testing the waters:
Scottie Reynolds Will Test the Waters

Villanova combo guard and NCAA tournament darling Scottie Reynolds will announce his intentions to “test the waters” shortly, according to sources close to the situation. Reynolds is a junior and thus has very little to lose, although he also doesn’t have much to gain either, since he’s unlikely to be invited to the pre-draft camp and probably won’t garner more than a handful of workouts as teams increasingly look to cut costs.

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged, and will always be answered. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

When Is the Deadline For Reynolds To Withdraw From the NBA Draft?

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Not knowing very much about the NBA Draft, I decided to find out when the deadline is for Scottie Reynolds to withdraw from consideration, without losing his eligibility for his senior season at Villanova.

All of the following information is from
the NBA calendar... and you can also check the Wikipedia entry... Here are the three key deadlines and dates, specific to the situation for Villanova fans:
  • Sunday, April 26, 11:59 EDT - The deadline for Reynolds to declare himself eligible for the draft, since he still has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining. Which is why he announced his decision, this week...
  • Monday, June 15, 5:00 EDT - The deadline for Reynolds to announce that he is withdrawing from draft consideration. He is permitted to do so, since he has not withdrawn from a previous draft (i.e., you only get one opportunity to "test the waters"), and if he has not signed with an agent. But should that deadline pass, Reynolds loses his eligibility, regardless of whether he signs with an agent and/or he is actually drafted.
  • Thursday, June 25 - The 2009 NBA Draft at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged, and will always be answered. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Scottie Reynolds Officially "Tests the Waters" of the NBA Draft, But Retains Right to Withdraw and Return to Villanova for Senior Season

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Junior guard Scottie Reynolds, the hero of the Elite Eight victory over Pittsburgh, and who would be Villanova's primary scoring weapon if he returns for his senior season, announced this afternoon that he would test the waters for NBA interest and declared himself eligible for the NBA draft.

More to come... please check back...


There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged, and will always be answered. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Monday, April 20, 2009

Read If (and Where) A NBA Draft Expert Has Villanova Wildcats Cunningham and Reynolds in His 2009 Mock Draft

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

As we continue our speculation as to the immediate NBA futures of Villanova seniors Dante Cunningham (who will be graduating) and Scottie Reynolds (only a junior), I've found a very substantive site on the topic, published by an NBA draft expert, Matt Maurer - TheDraftReview.com.

On March 30, Maurer published his latest version of the 2009 Mock Draft. Of course, of primary interest to Villanova fans, is if and where Maurer projects Cunningham and Reynolds to appear. And it's the best possible news for us, as fans. Here's why:
  1. We can wish Cunningham well, as he's projected to be in the second round, as the 35th selection overall, by Minnesota. Ironically, with the Timberwolves, he could join former Villanova Wildcat teammate Randy Foye. They played together on the 2005-06 team, when Foye was a senior, and Cunningham was a freshman.
  2. Unfortunately for Reynolds, but fortunately for us- Maurer does not project Reynolds to be drafted in 2009.
Obviously, if Maurer's draft projections are correct, it's the optimal situation for all parties concerned:
  • Cunningham gets to play in the league, and Villanova can boast of yet another NBA player.
  • Reynolds would most likely return for his senior year, where he can help Villanova contend for another City Series title, Big East regular-season and tournament championships, and perhaps - dare I say it - another Final Four (or even a national championship.)
  • And presumably, Reynolds's NBA stock might rise if he has another superb season, and is just as visible in March Madness (and "One Shining Moment").
So, hopefully, the basketball gods will permit Maurer's scenario to take place...

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged, and will always be answered. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Future Villanova Wildcat Dominic Cheek Slam Dunks in Jordan Brand Classic, According to ESPNRise.com

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

VUHoops.com reported on Friday, April 17, that a pair of future Villanova Wildcats - Dominic Cheek and Mouphtaou Yarou - would participate in the Jordan Brand All-Star Game on Saturday.

ESPNRise.com has reported on the results of the game, and Cheek was mentioned in the article by Christopher Lawlor, an expert on high school hoops for two decades:

The Black team was the aggressor for the first 13 minutes, taking a 37-25 lead following a Villanova-bound Dominic Cheek slam dunk off a miss.
However, I don't focus on recruiting on this site. I really don't know very much about recruiting, and so it's not something I consider my strong suit.

Accordingly, as a general rule, I'll try to refer you to sites that do have a particular expertise in that area.
For example, for those of you who:
  1. are avidly interested in recruiting, and
  2. who do want more detail;
SLAM!'s Justin Walsh did an extremely detailed live blog. Unfortunately, from a Villanova perspective, Cheek isn't mentioned at all, although Walsh does note that the other future Wildcat, Yarou, went up for the opening tip:
Mouphtaou Yarou and John Henson tip off for white and black respectively- John wins the tip, passes off to Cousins.
There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Friday, April 17, 2009

Potential Reynolds NBA Departure Follows in Footsteps of Tim Thomas, Michael Bradley, and Kyle Lowry

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

If the rumors are true - and they are, for the moment, just rumors - Scottie Reynolds would be following in the footsteps of three earlier Wildcats, who decided to forego any remaining eligibility and head for the NBA:
  • Tim Thomas - 1996-97 - left after his freshman year. It was a good season for the Wildcats, as he was added to a nucleus of players such as Jason Lawson, Alvin Williams, and Chuck Kornegay, the year following the graduation of Kerry Kittles. The team won a Big East division championship, received a #3 seed in the NCAA tournament, but fell in the second round to #6 California in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (Wake Forest's venue, the Lawrence Joel Memorial Coliseum).
  • Michael Bradley - 2000-01 - played two seasons at Kentucky under Rick Pitino, transferred to Villanova, when Pitino left and was replaced by Tubby Smith. Bradley sat out the 1999-2000 season as a transfer, but was permitted to practice with the team. He played his junior year, during Steve Lappas's final season of 2000-01, which ended in a NIT bid. Bradley opted not to return for his fourth season of eligibility. Nonetheless, he had graduated, since he had spent four years in college (two at Kentucky and two at Villanova.)
CORRECTION: Commenter Brian Ewart (you can see his full comment below) called my attention to an error above. Bradley did not, in fact, graduate in 2001; he returned to Villanova and graduated four years later, in 2005. He has just started his own sports management business...
  • Kyle Lowry - 2004-06 - played two seasons for Jay Wright, and left for the NBA after the 2005-06 season... It was a great year for the Wildcats, as they received a top seed in the NCAA tournament and reached the Elite Eight, losing to Florida. Prior to this year, it was the best season under Wright.
Check the other Villanova blogs on the sidebar, to read and learn more about the issues involving a potential early departure for Reynolds...

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

VUHoops, IBBW: Rivals.com Ranks Villanova Class of 2013 As #1 in Nation

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

As we await the latest rumors about the future of Scottie Reynolds at Villanova, vis-a-vis the NBA draft, there is a great deal of solace in terms of the players who will be arriving on Villanova's campus this fall.

For those of you who are passionate about recruiting, VUHoops and IBBW both have posts discussing the sky-high stock of Jay Wright's incoming Class of 2013:

VUHoops noted the primacy of Rivals' ranking in Rivals Class of 2009 Final Ranking , while at I Bleed Blue and White, one of the team of publishers wrote in Rivals 2009 Recruiting Team Rankings:
I always find it interesting to see where different people and websites rank certain teams, because sometimes, a school could be ranked very high in one person’s top recruiting classes, but not even on another person’s list. Obviously, this is not the case for Villanova’s 2009 recruiting class. The soon-to-be freshmen ‘Cats are on everyone’s list, which indicates they are really really good.
There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Thursday, April 16, 2009

The Question of Reynolds Leaving Villanova For the NBA

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

This question - namely, whether Scottie Reynolds - the now-legendary hero of the Elite Eight victory over Pittsburgh, will be headed to the NBA...

Obviously, we in the fan base would vastly prefer, that Reynolds return for his senior season. The old aphorism about lightning never striking twice might be true, but as long as Reynolds comes back, there is least a slight possibility-

that he might hit an additional, dramatic, thrilling buzzer-beater to catapult the Wildcats into another Final Four. (Or even better yet, another national championship.)

This question, understandably, has generated a great deal of commentary on the fine Villanova blogs on the right sidebar...

VUHoops has concisely titled its own post The Scottie Situation, writing that:
If Reynolds is guaranteed some money by an NBA team, I have no problems with him taking off. Scottie has been a gift to Villanova Basketball and I would never hold him back if he was able to get major $ elsewhere. He really owes ‘Nova nothing at this point.

With that said, there are some downsides to doing this. First, of course, there is the increased possibility of an injury. Besides that, the only other concern is that a bad performance in training sessions can taint the view that some NBA scouts and GMs may hold of a player into the future.

Villanova will be a Top 5 team to start the 2009-10 Season if Reynolds is at the helm. Without him? The squad would probably be ranked in the high teens-low twenties. When Scottie does return to the Main Line next year, he will work on his game and he will continue to leave his mark as a Wildcat.

Go take a look... meanwhile-

Brian, one of the team at I Bleed Blue and White, has the following to say on Reynolds, in "Villanova NBA Draft Declarations?" - with the question mark being a key element:

Today, I heard through a grapevine that Villanova’s Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher will declare for the NBA Draft, but not hire agents. I have looked for articles and what not to confirm this, but have found nothing.

All I can say is the source where this news is coming from would definitely know if players were going to declare. With that said, again, nothing is confirmed and no official decisions have been made yet.
Check those blogs out, as well as the other Villanova blogs on the sidebar, to read and learn more about the issues involving a potential early departure for Reynolds...

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Harry's Legacy - Reflections on the Passing of Harry Kalas (Part 3 - Conclusion)



From this Yahoo page - there is an entire slideshow of Harry Kalas photos on this page... Harry's gesture in this photo, was likely intended to remind fans of Brad Lidge's celebration of the World Series triumph on October 29, 2008...
Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas solicits applause after throwing the first pitch before the start of the MLB National League baseball game between the Phillies and the Atlanta Braves in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 8, 2009. Kalas, a veteran of decades behind the microphone who called more than 5,000 Phillies games since 1971, died on April 13, 2009. Picture taken April 8, 2009. REUTERS/Tim Shaffer (UNITED STATES SPORT BASEBALL OBITUARY)
To the Phillies faithful-

Here is Part 1 and
Part 2 of Reflections on the Passing of Harry Kalas...


Conclusion


Other chroniclers, better than myself, have discussed the fact that Harry was not permitted by MLB rules at the time, from calling the team's 1980 World Series victory.

One mainstay of the clips is the fact that in the Fox Sports broadcast of the World Series, after Game 5 ended, they went back as a courtesy and showed Harry's call of it on WPHT radio, 1210 AM. It was a powerful gesture that indicated how revered Harry was in Greater Philadelphia, but also how popular he was within sports in general, and the sports broadcasting community in particular. It demonstrated to those national viewers, many of whom were naturally unaware that Harry also did baseball - that the longtime (a quarter-of-a-century, in fact) voice of NFL Films "could do it all", as Dick Vitale might say...

The fact that Harry would get another chance to call a Phillies victory in the World Series, 28 years later, was a great story even at the time, several months ago. And the fact that he participated in the World Series ring ceremony, and then passed away several days later - it's one of those series of events which prove the eternal verity that truth is, indeed, more remarkable and astonishing than fiction.

The only unresolved detail to the story line, was the team's scheduled appearance - for today, in fact - to meet with President Barack Obama at the White House, which has now been, of course, deferred.

Harry, regrettably, didn't make it to the White House with the team. But he had the opportunity to call another World Series, and declare the Phillies - after nearly three decades - once more, "the world champions of baseball." And he had the chance to enjoy the off-season, and to see the team bestowed with its rings. And he thus received a second ring for himself, to match the one in 1980.

So in spite of missing the White House visit, Harry might have felt - had he known about it in advance - that he had by now fully shared in the magical experiences of 2008, felt the exhilaration, seen the celebrations that it sparked throughout the city and region, and among expatriate Phillies fans everywhere.

Those rings honor a man who was a great broadcaster - and a great human being. And - fortunately for us, and for succeeding generations of Phillies enthusiasts - Harry and his legacy will never be forgotten...

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Harry's Ubiquitous Presence - Reflections on the Passing of Harry Kalas, Part 2



From this Yahoo page - there is an entire slideshow of Harry Kalas photos on this page... Harry's gesture in this photo, was likely intended to remind fans of Brad Lidge's celebration of the World Series triumph on October 29, 2008...
Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas solicits applause after throwing the first pitch before the start of the MLB National League baseball game between the Phillies and the Atlanta Braves in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 8, 2009. Kalas, a veteran of decades behind the microphone who called more than 5,000 Phillies games since 1971, died on April 13, 2009. Picture taken April 8, 2009. REUTERS/Tim Shaffer (UNITED STATES SPORT BASEBALL OBITUARY)
To the Phillies faithful-

Here is Part 1 and Part 3 of Reflections on the Passing of Harry Kalas...

Harry's Ubiquitous Presence, From April to October

It was noted in yesterday's tributes, that-
"players, managers, and coaches, come and go, but the broadcasters stay".
Broadcasters linger far longer than players or coaches. As for the best ones, they often enjoy a lifetime with the fans of their team. Many Philadelphians, including myself, have no memory of anyone other than Harry, serving as the main play-by-play voice of the team.

In thinking about this fact, I realized, that given how often the Phillies play, that Harry Kalas was probably seen and heard more often in Philadelphia, on an everyday basis- than any other sports figure, in any sport, over the past four decades.

Even a star Phillies player will only be in town for a few years. At most, in the case of the best and most popular players - it will be generally fifteen years, tops, and even that's very rare. And Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins aren't the focus for the entire broadcast - only when they're at the plate or making a play at the field. In contrast, Harry was on for the entire time, either on TV or radio... And the broadcasters for the other sports, since they have games far less often than baseball, are seen and heard far less.

To use our own common passion of Villanova basketball, as the most convenient example...

Our season is short, with 30-35 games (if we have a good season, and depending on whether we're in a holiday tournament...)

Even in this age of 21st-century online media, with the blogs such as this one and those other fine Villanova blogs, which you see on the right sidebar - nonetheless, we see far less of Jay Wright and Scottie Reynolds, than we saw of Harry Kalas, in any given year. (Writing about Harry Kalas in the past tense, for the first time, is both difficult and unpleasant: "we saw of Harry Kalas" rather than "we see of Harry Kalas".)

It was reported yesterday, that Harry did, in fact, do Big Five basketball games, in addition to his many other broadcasting jobs. The outstanding documentary, Palestra: Cathedral of Basketball, has, on their site, a brief video clip of Harry on the Palestra, accessed from their cast biography page... (and if you haven't seen the movie, try to find some time to watch it, as it's incredible...)

I've been doing some digging online, trying to find the exact years, when Harry did Big Five games at the Palestra... but I haven't been able to find them yet... if I do, I'll update and include them...

In trying to explain my avid interest in baseball one time, when it was pointed out to me that the sheer volume of games and the slowness of action, made a poor comparison to (let's say) college basketball, the best way I could try to explain it was this:

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who was a prolific author in addition to being one of the greatest figures of world history, wrote once of what it was like to write one of his books:
"One lived with it. It became a companion."
With baseball, you flip it on, whenever you are doing something else - in the car, reading (in my case, often writing on a variety of subjects), organizing, etc. That is what Phillies baseball is like, and for me and virtually all other Phillies fans, there is no way to distinguish Phillies baseball from Harry Kalas. There is no way to conclusively determine where one ends, and the other begins. They are inextricably intertwined. One and the same.

It was reported that Harry called over 6,000 Phillies games, over the course of 39 years. It's an astounding number, and one which clearly testifies to why he is held in such high regard, by Philadelphians in general, and avid Phillies fans in particular.

So this is one of the major reasons why yesterday's news came as such a shock. One moment, everything is normal - Harry is at the World Series ring ceremony, etc. - and the next moment, you hear the awful news that there will never be another Phillies game, where he will do the play-by-play...

"Our Entertainment, Diversion, and Shared Experiences"

The NBC sportscaster Bob Costas - a now-legendary sportscaster himself - said once, in another quote, on the value of sports in society, something to the effect that:
"Sports exist for our entertainment, diversion, and shared experiences."
I agree with him completely. In fact, I think it is the best argument I have heard to justify the enormous emphasis and role that sports play in our world. Even in our increasingly fragmented marketplace, where the word narrowcasting is beginning to replace broadcasting, when each individual person is often seeking a unique entertainment experience, mass-appeal spectator sports continue to play an extremely important role.

We see it in episodes of great joy and euphoria, of which the most recent obvious examples are the World Series championship in 2008 and the just-concluded Final Four appearance by the Villanova Wildcats. And we see it in episodes of sadness, such as the one we're currently experiencing with Harry.

Another Aspect of Harry's Legacy - "He Sure Made a Lot of People Happy"

Harry leaves a remarkable legacy, as the most prominent sportscaster in Philadelphia history and one of the most prominent of his era, nationally. During 39 years with the Phillies and 25 years with NFL Films (and his countless other broadcasting gigs) his voice will live on forever, and as new technologies permit more and more people to access archives, his voice will never be silenced. The Hall of Fame broadcaster will live forever.

That having been said, I'd like to note that there is another aspect of Harry's legacy...

I heard Scott Palmer, the former WPVI/6ABC sportscaster and now head of media relations for the Phillies, while concluding an interview with his former colleagues yesterday amidst the terrible news, say:
"He sure made a lot of people happy."
That is also a great legacy. It's not just that Harry was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Very, very few of us are going to have legacies like Harry Kalas. He was a guy who loved what he did - who in fact, died doing what he loved, at the ballpark in Washington yesterday. And the magic that he produced, when he took his unparalleled talent on the air, regardless of what sport he was broadcasting - it's incredible to comprehend, in retrospect.

How many of us will be able to say, that during our time on this earth, that we made millions of people happy?

And Harry's various audiences, for all sports, totalled well into the millions - it's not an exaggeration. Even those Philadelphians who weren't interested in sports in general, or baseball in particular, undoubtedly recognized his voice.

And it wasn't even just when he was on the air. What's stunning, in the mourning process into which the Philadelphia region has now been plunged, is the fact that there is a clear consensus belief from other broadcasters, players, and others who knew him well, that-

Harry, while off the air, made time - right till the very end - for the lowliest and humblest of fans, whether it was picture requests, autograph requests, or simply conversation. He was just a really great guy, in addition to being an unsurpassed voice on the airwaves.

I finish up with Harry's Legacy and Conclusion, in Part 3...

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Reflections on the Passing of Harry Kalas, Part 1 - Sadly, We Will No Longer Hear Harry the K's "Mahogany Voice"



From this Yahoo page - there is an entire slideshow of Harry Kalas photos on this page... Harry's gesture in this photo, was likely intended to remind fans of Brad Lidge's celebration of the World Series triumph on October 29, 2008...

Philadelphia Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas solicits applause after throwing the first pitch before the start of the MLB National League baseball game between the Phillies and the Atlanta Braves in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 8, 2009. Kalas, a veteran of decades behind the microphone who called more than 5,000 Phillies games since 1971, died on April 13, 2009. Picture taken April 8, 2009. REUTERS/Tim Shaffer (UNITED STATES SPORT BASEBALL OBITUARY)

To the Phillies faithful-

(here are Part 2 and Part 3 of Reflections on the Passing of Harry Kalas...)

Today, I am going to change subjects, and make some observations and reflections on the untimely passing of the legendary Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas, which happened in Washington, DC, in the early afternoon on Monday. Kalas was preparing for the Washington Nationals' home opener against the Phillies, which was to begin at 3:05 PM.

Tragically, he collapsed in the visitors' broadcast booth, and despite being rushed to the nearby George Washington University hospital, passed away.


Anyone who has spent time living in Greater Philadelphia, is aware of Harry Kalas, and how much he has meant to this city and region for so many decades. Of course, some of you, although you graduated from, or currently attend, Villanova University, aren't from here originally.
But, as all of you are sports enthusiasts, you're all undoubtedly familiar with him and his tremendous talent.

But for someone like myself, who has been a lifelong - and ardent - Phillies fan, the effect of Harry's passing was like being struck by a boulder. When I received the news, my initial reaction was to think that the news was a mistake - because, simply put, Harry Kalas was immortal, and not just in the metaphorical sense as a broadcasting legend enshrined in Cooperstown.


Harry's "Mahogany Voice"

I will refer to him as "Harry", not because I knew him personally, which I did not- unfortunately. The reason being that more so than any other broadcaster, his ubiquitous presence and talent meant that every fan felt like he/she did know him...

The title of this post came from a
Philadelphia Inquirer article that I read a long time ago. I wish that I could remember whom the author was, to give him/her credit. I speculate that it was either around the time that Harry was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002, an honor that he richly deserved, or when his good friend Richie Ashburn, another Phillies legend, passed in September 1997.

The author quoted Harry as-
"saying, in his mahogany voice..."
The phrase has stuck with me, ever since, with Harry, because it was the perfect metaphor. The effect of listening to him, while he was broadcasting, did have the properties of mahogany - classic, creating a comfortable ambience, and (of course) flawless. That was Harry, concisely summarized in five words.


In addition, I did not perceive Harry, as being as old as he actually was (73 years old). I don't think that he looks 73 in the photo at the top of this post, from earlier this month. Also, this may have largely been due to having seen-
  • the many tributes to Veterans Stadium that aired, when Citizens Bank Park opened in 2004, was seeing, in the clips, how youthful he looked, when the Vet had opened 33 years earlier. I wouldn't have thought he was 35, when the Vet opened.
  • and the many looks back at the 1980 World Series champions, when the Phillies triumphed once more in the Fall Classic in 2008. I wouldn't have thought Harry was 44, from the clips from the 1980 season.
"The Best There Ever Was, The Best There Ever Will Be."

This is the caption on Michael Jordan's statue outside the United Center, the venue for the NBA's Bulls in Chicago. The statement fits Harry as well.

There have been many broadcasters, of course, and it's very difficult to make absolute comparisons and state that one iss clearly better than another. But although I haven't heard everyone who's ever done Phillies games, or anyone who's ever done one of the other sports, I can state categorically that Harry Kalas was-
  • the best Phillies broadcaster, ever;
  • the best the Philadelphia has ever seen for any sport, at any time;
  • among the best, ever, in sports, at a national level.
We have to remember that Harry's voice was well-known nationally, and was familiar to sports fans who had never set foot in Philadelphia. His best-known outside work, of course, was his stellar role as the voice of NFL Films, but he did Notre Dame football, commercials, movie trailers - he did pretty much everything.

Moreover, ironically, Harry wasn't actually from Philadelphia - he grew up in suburban Chicago. And the Phillies weren't even his first major-league baseball team. He had served, among many other broadcasting positions, as a Houston Astros broadcaster - as a charter member of their broadcast team. He initially came to Philadelphia because Bill Giles, the team's largest single owner, had worked in the Astros' front office and when he came to Philadelphia, he suggested that the Phillies hire this young broadcaster, whom he knew from his days in Houston.

More in Part 2...

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Monday, April 13, 2009

Four Factors That May Have Torpedoed Villanova's Chances of Upsetting North Carolina in the Final Four

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Of course, I hope all of you had an enjoyable Easter weekend...

Looking at the outcome, back on the evening of Saturday, April 4, with more detachment-

I think that a combination of factors made the difference, between the loss and what
could have been a major upset.
These factors rose in importance, because looking at the dry numbers on the box score, two elements aren't consistent with a 14-point loss, in which you trailed badly, for nearly the entire game.
  1. Villanova - despite being far smaller - actually won the rebounding battle, 50-46, including hauling down 19 on the offensive end, to North Carolina's 14.
  2. The teams both had a dozen turnovers.
So in no particular order, the downsides:
  1. The number of missed three-point shots that a) were open, and/or b) that rattled in and out. Villanova shot 5/27 from three-point range, a miserable 18.5%. And it wasn't just that the Wildcats' best perimeter shooters missed many shots. There seemed to be a disproportionate number of open looks that were not made, and also a good number that rattled in and out... If Villanova had made, say, 8 of 27 (which is still very poor - less than 33%), the entire tenor of the game would have been different, because the Wildcats would have remained within striking distance.
  2. Inability to get to the foul line. One of Villanova's major strengths this year has been free throw shooting accuracy. When it got to the line, Villanova did very well at the line on Saturday, making 12/16 of the line, an impressive 75%. But the Wildcats were unable to do what they often do - drive the lane effectively and draw fouls. North Carolina took far more shots at the line (22/37), and while the shooting percentage was poor (just 59.5%), the Tar Heels netted out a ten-point advantage.
  3. Enormous difficulty, in scoring underneath the basket. Granted, given the disadvantage that Villanova faced in terms of height, this might have been problematic, under any circumstances. North Carolina not only had Tyler Hansbrough, but Roy Williams could bring in two quality players off the bench. They had in reserve, Ed Davis, 6/10 and the team leader in blocks - and also a 7-footer, Tyler Zeller, off the bench, if they had needed him (he played just 2 minutes, as opposed to Davis's 22 minutes). But with Villanova's three-point shooters missing often, North Carolina could continue to stay packed in the lane- and force Villanova's drivers to take bad shots in traffic.
  4. On a lighter note- Jay Wright's pigs let us down. The pigs in Wright's aptly named "pig pocket", in the interior of his suit, were a good luck charm suggested by his daughter several weeks ago. The pigs had been 9-2, entering the game against North Carolina. But, regrettably, the pigs did not deliver at crunch time.
Go Wildcats!

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Reynolds, Many Villanova Wildcats Featured on 2009 "One Shining Moment" on CBS After North Carolina Won National Title over Michigan State

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Thanks to their incredible Final Four run - the first for Villanova in 24 years and since the miraculous victory over Georgetown in 1985 - many Wildcats were featured, some multiple times, in CBS's montage of the tournament with the song One Shining Moment...

This is an article about the passing of the song's creator and the origins of the song One Shining Moment. It's very worthwhile reading, and I give it my highest recommendation. You can also just scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to see the 2008 One Shining Moment YouTube clip - the author starts out with the link to 1987, since he's an Indiana fan, and he has 2008 all the way at the bottom of the page.

There are already several versions of the 2009 One Shining Moment on YouTube. If you have a fast computer, I'd recommend the high-definition version.

On the high-definition version, you have to be patient with it, as the person who uploaded it carefully recorded Greg Gumbel's entire signoff, including an advertisement for The Masters, so you won't see the tribute right away. If you want to skip ahead, and reach the tribute to the late Doug Towey, the individual who first had the idea of using it for CBS's Final Four coverage, and the video, I'd jump to the 0:40 mark of the 4:41.

On the regular-definition version of the 2009 One Shining Moment on YouTube, the uploader started the recording, immediately with Gumbel's tribute to Towey, so it lasts only 3:39.

Villanova Wildcats Appearances (High-Definition Time Counter in front of the picture)

  1. 2:01 - Scottie Reynolds jumper against Pitt during the Elite Eight
  2. 2:14-2:21 - The Shot - Reynolds drives for the game-winning basket to break tie with Pitt and send Villanova to the Final Four, plus the Wildcats pouring on to the court in complete euphoria, like a navy-clad torrential flood...
  3. 2:24-2:25 - Corey Fisher tussling with a Pitt Panther for a rebound, along with Shane Clark
  4. 3:10 - Clark and another Wildcat falling onto Duke's Jon Scheyer in the Sweet 16
  5. 3:16 - Duke's Elliot Williams being fouled by Dwayne Anderson, while driving to the basket, with Dante Cunningham and Corey Stokes following...
  6. 3:20 - Fisher outrunning Pitt Panther Levance Fields for a loose ball in transition
  7. 3:45 - Reggie Redding embracing Reynolds and high-fiving Anderson, during Sweet 16 against Duke (it appears to be Kyle Singler in the corner)
  8. 3:56 -4:07 - Cunningham behind victorious North Carolina Tar Heels greeting Ty Lawson, then Anderson playing defense, as Tyler Hansbrough hits a jumper, shot of Roy Williams, then Anderson and Reynolds pursuing on defense as Lawson goes to the basket off a steal...
Also, I'd like to highly recommend...

This is an article about the passing of the song's creator and the origins of the song One Shining Moment. It's very worthwhile reading, and I give it my highest recommendation. You can also just scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to see the 2008 One Shining Moment YouTube clip - the author starts out with the link to 1987, since he's an Indiana fan, and he has 2008 all the way at the bottom of the page.

Go Wildcats!

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Monday, April 06, 2009

Villanova Featured Three Times by CBS's One Shining Moment in 2008; Reynolds, Wildcats to Appear Prominently in Tonight's Version, post -UNC/MSU

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

The Villanova Wildcats were featured in three different shots of CBS's One Shining Moment in 2008. In addition to that YouTube video, here's a great link:

This is an article about the passing of the song's creator and the origins of the song One Shining Moment. It's very worthwhile reading, and I give it my highest recommendation. You can also just scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page to see the 2008 One Shining Moment YouTube clip - the author starts out with the link to 1987, since he's an Indiana fan, and he has 2008 all the way at the bottom of the page.

Of the three Villanova appearances in the 2008 version-
  1. At 0:20-21, It's hard to tell the exact number, but I believe it's Will Sheridan tipping off against Clemson in the first round of last year's tournament, in which #12 Villanova upset the #5 Tigers, while making an incredible comeback to do so... Corey "The Bayonne Bomber" Stokes is, ironically, in better view from that angle (that moniker coming courtesy of 6ABC, when Reggie Redding took the mike from reporter Jamie Apody and interviewed his teammates, while in Detroit for the Final Four earlier in the week...)
  2. At 1:15-16, Dwayne Anderson gallantly defends a two-on-one break in Villanova's disastrous loss to Kansas, the eventual winner, in the Sweet 16... Russell Robinson lobs it to Brandon Rush, who dunks it...
  3. At 2:23-29, Kansas inbounds the ball under the Villanova basket, with Stokes - again - guarding the inbounder. And the ball is inbounded on a lob to Darrell Arthur, who dunks on the set play over three Wildcats, with Scottie Reynolds nearly being crushed underneath him.

While it was great to last long enough in the tournament long enough to be featured three times, I think we'll all enjoy this year's version considerably more than last year's. So make sure you watch One Shining Moment this evening after the North Carolina/Michigan State game, as Villanova's thrilling, euphoric victory over Pittsburgh was clearly the best game of the tournament thus far, as radio commentator Whitey Rigsby said on Saturday.

Accordingly, it is almost certain that Scottie Reynolds will have a starring role in this year's One Shining Moment... one in which his prominence - and that of his Villanova teammates - will have a far more prominent role than in last year's One Shining Moment....



Go Wildcats!

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

SI's Seth Davis: Villanova Associate Head Coach Pat Chambers to Take Over at Boston University

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Hat tip to VUHoops.com for reporting this, first:

Seth Davis of Sports Illustrated - he of the CBS Road to the Final Four Studio Show - has reported that Villanova associate head coach Pat Chambers will be named the new head coach at Boston University...

The coaching carousel never stops come April, and this word comes less than 24 hours after Villanova's incredible run to the Final Four ended in a half-empty Ford Field in Detroit, close to midnight...

According to the SI site:

The longest tenured member of Jay Wright's staff, Chambers went to Villanova in 2004 as director of basketball operations and then became an assistant coach in '05 before being named association head coach last fall.

He will succeed Dennis Wolff, who was fired after compiling a 247-197 record in 15 seasons, making him the winningest coach in Terriers history.

My two cents-

I have to say that it's a lot of pressure on the incoming coach, when the winningest coach in school history gets fired... Of course, I'll have more on the Chambers departure later this week...


Go Wildcats!

There are two ways you can contact Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)

Sunday, April 05, 2009

The Viewpoint from Opposition Lines: CarolinaMarch.com's Fine Analysis of North Carolina's Victory over Villanova, in Final Four

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

As we all ponder the end of yet another incredible season of Villanova basketball, I would like to call your attention the site CarolinaMarch.com - the graphics look awesome, and the content is first-rate as well...

The author, T.H., has some great substantive points. It's valuable to hear the writers from opponents' web sites, as they often have great insight that we don't notice because we see the Wildcats all of the time...

Here are two samples:

How Villanova Can Beat the Heels (of course, with the stroke of midnight last night, we Villanova fans should now consider it the counterfactual scenario of How Villanova Could Have Beaten the Heels...)

First, despite what you may think, they won't slow the game down. In their two wins over Syracuse, they ran right at the Orangemen's pace, outscoring them 102 to 85 and 89 to 86. They'll try to work the ball into Dante Cunningham a lot, and penetrate with their guards to pick up fouls and disrupt UNC's interior defense. Villanova won't attempt a Duke-level number of threes - it's the main difference between the two similarly built teams - but they'll need someone to get hot, typically Scottie Reynolds or Corey Stokes, the two players who take more threes than twos. They'll go for the steal a lot, again like Duke, but they're also prone to fouling. This won't have an effect on their depth, unless Cunningham hits the bench early and gives the UNC front line a chance to feast upon his smaller teammates, but they should probably avoid sending UNC to the line if they can hep it.

Offensive rebounding will be important for the Wildcats, and there are only two starters who contribute in that regard, Cunningham and Dwayne Anderson, the 6'6" wing player built in a Danny Green mold. Keeping UNC off the offensive boards on the other end will be critical, though, and the Wildcats typically do well as a team in that end. Of course that's in part because they bait their opponents into taking so many threes; if they can do that against Carolina by denying entry passes and otherwise frustrating them like Maryland and Wake Forest did, that should go a long way to getting Villanova the win.

His second post - UNC 83, Villanova 69 - is a superb recap of the game action itself:
The entire game, it seemed like there were two Carolina teams flickering in and out of focus, like two TV channels overlapping on the same band. There was the team from the previous tournament games, where Ty Lawson sliced through defenders at will, and Wayne Ellington dropped threes at will, going 5 for 7 behind the arc on his way 20 points. And then there was the other Carolina team, that popped their heads up earlier in the season. The one frustrated by Villanova's defense descending on the big men in the paint. The team that gave up an obscene number of offensive rebounds to a smaller team (19, and only that low because the Heels finally got it under control late), that went through scoring droughts and could never put an opponent away. I'd hoped to never see that team again this year.
Of course, there will be much more to come on Villanova's appearance in the Final Four, in subsequent posts, on Sunday, Monday, and throughout the week... so please check back...

Go Wildcats!

There are two ways you can contact
Villanova Viewpoint. One is by commenting on this blog. Comments are encouraged. Also, you can e-mail villanova.viewpoint@yahoo.com (Important note: This is a different e-mail address than before. Please use this new one.)