Dwayne Anderson's Arrival, Freshman, and Sophomore Seasons - Villanova Wildcat Senior Farewell

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Having completed the Senior Farewell series on Shane Clark and Frank Tchuisi, it's now time to look at departing senior Wildcat Dwayne Anderson... in subsequent posts, I'll look back at Anderson's junior and senior seasons, as well as that of putative NBA draft choice Dante Cunningham...

Dwayne Anderson's Arrival and Freshman Season - 2005-06

Anderson played very sparingly as a freshman. As noted in previous profiles, the 2006 team was one of the best in school history, and there weren't a lot of minutes to go around. That having been said, Anderson's minutes were more akin to a walk-on than a scholarship player, as he logged only 55 minutes in 14 appearances.

Anderson played more in the calendar year of 2005, when the competition wasn't as rigorous. The Silver Spring, MD native - and product of the St. Thomas More Prep School in Connecticut - made his collegiate debut against Stony Brook at the Pavilion on November 17. He wound up playing seven minutes- and he took - and made - the first shot of his career, a three-pointer.

He appeared in the next five games, for 22 minutes, although he did not score. The most impressive performance was five rebounds and a steal, in just nine minutes against Rider, in his third game.

His seventh and eighth games were the best of his season. Against Longwood, he played a career-high dozen minutes and scored half a dozen points, by hitting two triples. Facing La Salle, he scored 10 points, a career-high, on 4/6 shooting from the field.

However, Anderson's minutes vanished afterwards. He had played seven minutes against La Salle, but he would play only seven minutes - combined - for the entire rest of the season. During the remainder of the regular season, he logged one minute against Temple, Texas, and Rutgers; he played two minutes against South Florida.

In the NCAA tournament, to Jay Wright's credit, Anderson played one minute against #16 seed Monmouth in the first round; he also played one minute against eventual national champion Florida in the Elite Eight. And against Florida, he scored the first points of his NCAA tournament career, making one out of two free throws; he missed two field goal attempts, one from three-point range.

Dwayne Anderson's Sophomore Season - 2006-07 season

With the loss of the core of the 2006 team (Allan Ray, Randy Foye, and Jason Fraser were seniors, while Kyle Lowry opted to jump to the NBA, after two seasons), it was reasonable to speculate that Anderson's minutes would expand.

For most of the season, that appeared to be the case. After playing only 55 minutes as a freshman, Anderson exceeded that amount, by just his fourth game of the season.

• Against Northwood, in the season opener, Anderson set career highs in minutes (22), points (16), rebounds (8), steals (4), and assists (3). He shot 5/9 from the floor and 4/4 from the line.
• Played 13 minutes against the College of Charleston.
• Played just two minutes against Xavier.
• After not scoring in the previous two contests, launched a blizzard of points against Iowa, setting another career-high in points (18), on 6/12 shooting from the floor, 4/10 from three-point range, plus five rebounds and a pair of steals.
• Played 11 minutes against Navy, scoring three points.
• Played 17 minutes against Stony Brook, scoring seven points.
• Played only 7 minutes against Penn, but hit three triples to finish with nine points.
• Played 6 minutes against Oklahoma, but did not score.
• Played 11 minutes against Drexel, finishing with seven points, including 5/5 from the line.
• Played 18 minutes against Rider, racking up a dozen points and five rebounds.
• Played 11 minutes against La Salle, finishing with four points.
• His minutes set a new career-high against Temple, with 24, but scored three points.

As you can see, Anderson was an integral part of Wright's rotation, for a majority of the season up until that point. He had demonstrated his three-point accuracy, and he was a strong role player on a team that was widely viewed - accurately - as rebuilding after the 2006 run to the Elite Eight.

However, at that point, Anderson's minutes plunged. He played 12 minutes against West Virginia, but scored only two points, and Wright's confidence in him seemed to be wavering. (As it turned out, those two points would be Anderson's last of the season, as he didn't play much after that.)

Anderson played just two minutes against DePaul without taking a shot. Against Georgetown, Anderson saw 11 minutes- but did not score, taking only one shot and committing two turnovers. And that game, in retrospect, was the effective end of Anderson for the season. He saw action in eight remaining games, but played a total of 17 minutes with no more than five minutes in any single game (against Syracuse, right after the Georgetown game, and then Cincinnati five games later). Unlike his freshman year, he didn't get into the NCAA tournament at all, when Villanova lost its first-round opener to Kentucky in an #8/#9 game...

There was a good deal of transfer speculation during that off-season, as we fans wondered why he was no longer playing. Playing time is often the primary reason for players transferring, and Anderson had demonstrated that he could help somebody win as a three-point shooter.

(Anderson would confirm this fact, in passing, in an interview with a local news station, during the 2009 NCAA tournament run, where he said something to the effect that he had been thinking about transferring as a sophomore, because he wasn't playing.)

And as it turned out, Bilal Benn, who had entered Villanova with this class, would eventually transfer to Niagara, where he played more than he did on the Main Line.

Go Wildcats!

Of course, check back for the latest posts in the Senior Farewell series, in which I'll be looking back at the Villanova tenures of the other two departing Wildcats, Dwayne Anderson and Dante Cunningham - the Frank Tchuisi and Shane Clark series are already completed...

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.)

Deep Sixer - the Inquirer's 76ers Blog - Reports Conclusively that Jay Wright "Asked To Be Removed From Consideration" for 76ers Position

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Naturally, there has been a firestorm of online activity, within the Villanova Wildcats blogosphere, when word emerged that Jay Wright had been one of half a dozen candidates interviewed for the vacant Philadelphia 76ers head coaching position.

Well, have no fear. Wright will be staying on the Main Line. Today, Kate Fagan, the author of the Philadelphia Inquirer's Deep Sixer blog (which is a clever title, by the way), wrote conclusively, that while Wright interviewed for the job, that he subsequently asked that the 76ers withdraw his name from consideration.

In addition, it's worthwhile to consider that another candidate, Chris Ford, also has strong Villanova ties, as a former standout guard for the Wildcats, from 1969-72. According to the Villanova media guide, Ford-

"Guided Villanova to a record of 65-21 and three consecutive NCAA appearances during his three seasons ... Posted 1,433 career points, the 21st highest output of all time..."

(Note: Ford played only three seasons, as freshmen were not eligible at the time.)

Here are some highlights from Deep Sixer's post on the subject.

The Sixers and General Manager Ed Stefanski announced this morning that they have completed six interviews for their vacant head coaching position. Until this release, the number was thought to be four...

Who were the two candidates interviewed that weren't known? A source has confirmed that one was internal candidate Chris Ford, who has been the head coach of the Boston Celtics as well as a short stint with the Sixers. The second was Jay Wright, currently coaching the Villanova Wildcats. Villanova PR has confirmed that Stefanski reached out to Wright and that Wright said he is not interested in moving from Villanova to the Wachovia Center. A press release is expected confirming that Wright will remain at Villanova.

Here are Wright's comments:

“Last week, Ed reached out to me to see if I would be willing to speak to him about the Sixers’ coaching position,” stated Wright. “He is a longtime friend of mine whom I have great respect for and is someone I talk to often. We had a lively conversation about the vision Ed has for the Sixers organization. As a lifelong Sixers fan, I was honored to be part of the process.

“Following our meeting, I called Ed to thank him and requested that he remove me from consideration. I love Villanova and it is where I want to be. I am grateful to the Sixers for including me in the process. There is a lot to look forward to for Sixer fans like me with the young talent they have put together and the leadership of Ed Stefanski.”

So that seems fairly conclusive to me. Jay Wright will remain at his dream position - head coach of the Villanova Wildcats.

Accordingly, have no fear about Wright leaving... and of course, have a great Memorial Day weekend...

Go Wildcats!

Of course, check back for the latest posts in the Senior Farewell series, in which I'll be looking back at the Villanova tenures of the other two departing Wildcats, Dwayne Anderson and Dante Cunningham - the Frank Tchuisi and Shane Clark series are already completed...

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.)

VUHoops Reporting that Former Villanova Wildcat Chris Walker To Return As Assistant to Jay Wright

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Unsurprisingly, VUHoops.com continues to do a stellar job with Villanova news, and it has been keeping us all up to date, on the potentiality of former Wildcat guard Chris Walker once more returning to the Main Line as an assistant to Jay Wright. Walker, currently serving as an assistant at New Mexico, had previously served as an assistant under Wright's predecessor, Steve Lappas...

VUHoops had also initally reported the rumors of Walker's return...

Go Wildcats!

Of course, check back for the latest posts in the Senior Farewell series, in which I'll be looking back at the Villanova tenures of the other two departing Wildcats, Dwayne Anderson and Dante Cunningham - the Frank Tchuisi and Shane Clark series are already completed...

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.)

Villanova by the Numbers Has A Superb Piece on the Wildcats Class of 2009

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

As I've been writing the series of Senior Farewells - the latest of which, on Frank Tchuisi, you can read at the bottom of this post...

I would like to call your attention to a superb piece over at Villanova by the Numbers, by greyCat, where he takes his quantitative look at the achievements of this most magnificent of Villanova Wildcats classes...

Here's a sample-

The four players who will graduate as members of the Class of 2009 were not the four most heralded players to set foot on the Main Line -- not an MDAA among them. But they leave a legacy that will be hard to match. Consider that:

1. They went 15-1 in the Big 5, compiling an astonishing 0.938 winning percentage, the best in Big 5 history.

2. The 2006 team (they were freshmen) broke Villanova's single season win record (26) by winning 28 games on their way to an NCAA Elite Eight.

3. That 2006 team was the Big East regular season co-champion (with Connecticut), posting a 14-2 record in conference play. That 2006 team was the first in over 20 years to earn a regular season conference championship.

4. As seniors their (2009) team broke that record again by winning 30 games in a season.

5. Broke the Class of 2008's record for most career wins by a class (96) by winning 102 games during their 4 years on the Main Line.

Go Wildcats!

Of course, check back for the latest posts in the Senior Farewell series, in which I'll be looking back at the Villanova tenures of the other two departing Wildcats, Dwayne Anderson and Dante Cunningham - the Tchuisi and Shane Clark series are already completed...

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.)

"A Quiet Leader" - Frank Tchuisi '09 Senior Farewell - His Junior and Senior Seasons

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

This is the second half of the Frank Tchuisi Senior Farewell, in which I'll be discussing his arrival, freshman, and sophomore seasons...

Here are the previous entries, as I recapped Tchuisi's arrival and freshman and sophomore campaigns, as well as Shane Clark's Villanova tenure:

• Clark's arrival and freshman year, after originally signing a letter of intent to attend Maryland - as well as his sophomore year... and junior year... and finally, his senior year...

Now that Tchuisi's farewell is finished, I'll be following it up in subsequent posts, for fellow seniors Dante Cunningham and Dwayne Anderson...

Frank Tchuisi's Junior Season - 2007-08

Tchuisi's playing time significantly diminished as a junior, which is somewhat surprising, given that the Wildcats squad wasn't as formidable as those of his first two seasons. Villanova had to endure a very arduous March, leading up to and including Selection Sunday, before making it (probably as the last team included) as a #12 seed. The team went on to make a surprise Sweet 16 run, reaching that round for the third time in four years.

Tchuisi had played 35 minutes as a sophomore, in 13 games; the following year, he made only nine appearances and logged only 13 minutes. His numbers for the season:

• 1/6 from the floor, no three-point attempts, 1/4 from the foul line, finishing with 3 points, an average of 0.3 points/game.
• Six rebounds, four of them on the offensive end, averaging 0.7 rebounds/game.
• Two personal fouls, no assists, no turnovers, no steals, one blocked shot.

He did not participate in the two Big East tournament games, unfortunately. However, and far more importantly-

Tchuisi played in all three NCAA tournament games: the two victories over #5 Clemson and #13 Siena, plus the crushing defeat by #1 Kansas, the eventual national champion. This was of great significance, because he hadn't gotten on to the floor, during either the 2006 or 2007 NCAA tournaments, despite the fact that Villanova had played five games in those tournaments (including one against overmatched #16 Monmouth, against whom Tchuisi undoubtedly should have seen action.)

Game by game:

• His best game, by far, was against Penn, the first game in which he appeared. He played five minutes, scoring a basket, missing a pair of free throws, had a defensive rebound, and committed a foul.
• One minute against Hartford - one rebound.
• One minute against Georgetown - no entries.
• One minute against St. John's - one missed field goal.
• Two minutes against West Virginia - one rebound, one blocked shot, one foul.
• Three minutes against South Florida - 0/3 from the floor, 1/2 from the line, an offensive rebound.
• Clemson in the first round of the NCAA tournament - 0+ minutes, no entries.
• Siena in the second round - one minute, 0-1 from the floor, one offensive and one defensive rebound.
• Kansas in the Sweet 16 - 0+ minutes, no entries.
  

Frank Tchuisi's Senior Season

The 2008-09 Villanova Wildcats media guide described Tchuisi this way:

"Brings raw tools and a desire to learn... Gives great effort in practice and is slowly absorbing nuances of the game... A quality shot-blocker and rebounder... A quiet leader on this club."

At the end of the season, as the Wildcats prepared to face North Carolina in the Final Four on April 4, Tchuisi had played far more as a senior, than he had during any of his previous years at Villanova. Looking at the numbers (senior year first, then previous years combined):

• Appeared in 23 games as a senior, as opposed to 30 games.
• Logged 78 minutes - as opposed to 59 minutes. His minutes/game zoomed from just under 2 to 3.4.
• Scored 21 points, averaging 0.9/game - opposed to 8 points (0.3/game).
• Grabbed 16 rebounds, five on the offensive end, 0.7/game - opposed to 13 (0.4/game).
• Went 7/17 from the floor, 41.2% - compared to 2/11, 18.2%; he never took a three-point shot as a Wildcat.
• Went 7/13 from the line, 53.8% - compared to 4/8, 50%.
• Committed 14 fouls, one turnover, had no assists, four blocks and a steal - compared to eight fouls, two turnovers, one assist, four blocks, and a steal.

Against Villanova's cupcake opponents in November and early December 2008, Tchuisi played quite a lot. Taking a look at his season, game-by-game:

• On November 14, against Albany, Tchuisi set a new career-high with 11 minutes played. (Consider, that during his junior year, Tchuisi had played a grand total of 13 minutes during the entire season.) He scored two points on 1/4 shooting, went 0-1 from the line, grabbed three defensive rebounds (also a career-high), committed two fouls, and blocked two shots.
• Three days later, against Fordham, Tchuisi set yet another career-high with 14 minutes, as well as a career-high four points on 2/3 shooting, plus two misses from the line, two fouls, and one rebound.
• Two days later against Niagara - five minutes, no points, one rebound.
• Monmouth - eight minutes, two points.
• Towson - eight minutes, three points, and a career-high five rebounds.
• Rhode Island - two minutes.
• Penn - four minutes, two rebounds.
• Houston Baptist - six minutes, one point, one rebound.
• La Salle - one minute, two points.

Tchuisi then didn't see action at all for almost a month. Against Big East opponents, he didn't play much, the one exception being the four minutes he received against St. John's, and the five minutes at Connecticut (during the latter contest, he scored two points and grabbed a rebound).

Of course, the highlight of Tchuisi's season was the atypically early Senior Night festivities at the Pavilion on Feb. 19, against Rutgers. That evening, Tchuisi made the first and only start of his career as a Villanova Wildcat. The fans and students - who have always loved Tchuisi - gave him a huge ovation as he was introduced - and which he totally deserved.

He made the most of his time on the floor, committing two fouls in his two minutes, before he was removed by Jay Wright - to yet another ovation from the Pavilion crowd.

He didn't get into any of the Big East tournament games, or the victory over #14 American in the NCAA first round (probably because American had a double-digit lead in the second half). He did play one minute, in the victory over UCLA in the second round.

While in the Sweet 16 victory over #2 Duke, Tchuisi got in for only one minute - but scored four points and pulled down an offensive rebound. That final minute was one of the most satisfying for avid Villanova fans, knowing as we did about Tchuisi, who deserved great accolades for his contribution to the Villanova Wildcats' first Final Four in 24 years.

Unfortunately, he did not get into the glorious victory over #1 Pittsburgh in the Elite Eight (which was understandable, given the seesaw battle and Scottie Reynolds' legendary shot at the buzzer). But I was appalled that Tchuisi did not get into the Final Four loss to North Carolina the following weekend. The Wildcats were never really in the game, and the Tar Heels had a commanding lead throughout the second half.

Accordingly, Wright absolutely should have put Tchuisi and Jason Colenda into the game. As a result, I was very disappointed in Wright's judgment, as reflected in his decision, which prevented Tchuisi and Colenda from knowing for the rest of their lives, that they had played in a Final Four. In a magical, memorable season, Wright's decision not to put them in the game - during garbage time, no less - was completely indefensible. It is one of the few aspects of this season that was disappointing.

But looking at the bright side, Tchuisi did have the opportunity, to walk off the NCAA tournament stage, so to speak, by scoring four points against Duke (in a single minute!) in the Sweet 16 in a lopsided Villanova victory over the Blue Devils in Boston. So his career had a fitting ending.

Congratulations to Tchuisi, who carried on the tradition of humble, dedicated practice players. He received a leadership award, according to VUHoops's story on the basketball banquet, which he richly deserved. Best of luck to him!

UPDATE: An anonymous commenter, below, helpfully noted that Coach Wright had honored Tchuisi, in the following way, after the glorious victory over Pitt in the Elite Eight, in this Inquirer article... I also replied to his comment, below, noting that Wright's acknowledgment of Tchuisi provides a better picture of how much Tchuisi is appreciated by Wright, the staff, and his fellow Wildcats... So thanks to that commenter for providing the link... a couple of pullout quotes from the article..

One strand of the net remained on the rim, one last chance in Villanova's victorious net-cutting ritual at the TD Banknorth Garden for a player to snip it, triumphantly hold it in the air, and wear it around his neck as a wreath of honor.

The honor went not to Scottie Reynolds, the hero of the game, nor to Dante Cunningham. It went to Frank Tchuisi.

Yes, the 6-foot-8 senior forward from Cameroon, who played only 78 minutes in 23 games and scored just 21 points all season, was the final player up on the ladder Saturday after the Wildcats' dramatic 78-76 victory over Pitt, which got them to the Final Four.

That, however, was just fine with his teammates and coach Jay Wright...

That's the mark Tchuisi (pronounced TWEE-zee) has left on the Wildcats, and why his teammates never forget to mention him when discussing senior leadership on the team as if he played as much as the three other seniors...

Go Wildcats!

Of course, check back for the latest posts in the Senior Farewell series, in which I'll be looking back at the Villanova tenures of both the other departing 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.)

Frank Tchuisi Senior Farewell - Arrival, Freshman and Sophomore Seasons

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

This is the first half of the Frank Tchuisi Senior Farewell, in which I'll be discussing his arrival, freshman, and sophomore seasons...

Here are the previous entries, as I recapped Shane Clark's Villanova tenure:

• Clark's arrival and freshman year, after originally signing a letter of intent to attend Maryland - as well as his sophomore year... and junior year... and finally, his senior year...

After Tchuisi's entries, I'll be following it up in subsequent posts, for fellow seniors Dante Cunningham and Dwayne Anderson...

Frank Tchuisi's Arrival

Frank Tchuisi's homeland, linguistics, and academic acumen make his personal story one of the most interesting of any player in Villanova's storied history... He was a valuable practice player for one of the most successful eras in that storied history, and was a member of the class which has won more games than any other...

Tchuisi (pronounced "Twee-see") is from Douala, Cameroon, and is fluent in five languages, including French and German. After emigrating to America in 2002, he played at the noted New Jersey basketball power St. Benedict's Prep, under coach Danny Hurley, which went 28-1 during one particular season. That year, Tchusi averaged nine points, eight rebounds and five blocks for the school...

The 2005-06 media guide, introducing Tchuisi, described him as such:

This gifted athlete brings size and shot blocking to the interior... Looking to gain physical strength for the battles in the Big East... An improving offensive player...

It also mentioned Tchuisi's academics:

Received an academic excellence award and was an honor student...

and a quote from Jay Wright:

Frank is a very long, athletic defensive player who continues to improve offensively. He brings a passion for the game to our team.

Although, throughout his career, Tchuisi's minutes were generally limited to those allotted for walk-ons, he was, in fact, a scholarship player. He is a superb example of an increasingly rare phenomenon- a scholarship player who is used primarily as a practice player. He was happy to serve as a role player, for the greater benefit of the team as a whole, and that makes him one of the most laudable members of a Villanova Wildcats squad, that will go down in history as among the most memorable.

Frank Tchuisi's Freshman Season - 2005-06

Tchuisi played a total of 21 minutes, in eight games, as a freshman. It was arguably Wright's best team: the one that reached the Elite Eight, before losing to the eventual winner, Florida.

During those 21 minutes, Tchuisi, unfortunately, did not score any points, or take any shots of any kind. However, he did have a pair of offensive and defensive rebounds, an assist, four blocks, a steal, two personal fouls, and one turnover.

Tchuisi made his Villanova debut against Stony Brook, on November 18, 2005, playing five minutes (as it turned out, his high for the season). He had a blocked shot against the Seawolves. The game is memorable for the score, since the Wildcats held Stony Brook to just 35 points, triumphing 78-35. The rest of the season:

• Four minutes against Lehigh, in which he collected his two defensive rebounds, blocked a shot, and committed one foul.
• Three minutes against Rider, in which he collected his two offensive rebounds, committed a turnover, and committed one foul.
• Two minutes against Longwood - one assist.
• Four minutes against La Salle - one blocked shot.
• One minute against Temple - one blocked shot.
  
• In his Big East debut, against St. John's - one minute, no entries.
• One minute against Rutgers - no entries.

Frank Tchuisi's Sophomore Season - 2006-07

Tchuisi's minutes and appearances increased as a sophomore. He logged a total of 35 minutes, up from 21, and appeared in 13 games, up from eight.

Tchuisi also scored the first five points of his career, averaging 0.4 points/game for the season. He ultimately shot 1-5 from the floor, did not take a three-point shot, and went 3-4 from the foul line. He had three rebounds, two on the offensive end, averaging 0.2 rebounds/game. He committed four fouls and two turnovers, and blocked one shot.

Game-by-game:

• Set a career-high in minutes by playing nine minutes against Northwood on Nov. 11, 2005. He was 0-2 from the floor (the first shots of his career), had an offensive rebound and a turnover.
• One minute against the College of Charleston - no entries.
• Scored the first points of his career against Iowa - as the media guide puts it:

Recorded the first points of his career with a put-back bucket in an 89-60 win against Iowa on Nov. 20 in the U.S. Virgin Islands...

• Eight minutes - the second-most of his career - against Stony Brook - one personal foul.
• Took the first free throws of his career against Penn, making both - and also blocking two shots - all in just a single minute.
• One minute against Oklahoma - no entries.
• Five minutes against Rider - one defensive rebound, one personal foul.
• Three minutes against La Salle - one of two free throws, one personal foul.
• One minute against Temple - no entries.
• One minute against Texas - no entries.
• One minute against St. Joseph's - one turnover.
• Two minutes against Cincinnati - no entries.
• Two minutes against Rutgers - no entries.
  

Check back for the look at Tchuisi's junior and senior seasons, as well as for the latest posts in the Senior Farewell series.... There will be subsequent looks at the Villanova tenures of fellow seniors Dante Cunningham and Dwayne Anderson...

Go Wildcats!

Of course, check back for the latest posts in the Senior Farewell series, in which I'll be looking back at the Villanova tenures of each of the other three departing 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.)

Class of 2009 Senior Farewells: Shane Clark's Senior Season

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

This is the final installment of the Shane Clark Senior Farewell, as previous entries - Clark's arrival and freshman year, after originally signing a letter of intent to attend Maryland - as well as his sophomore year... and junior year...

I'll be following it up in subsequent posts for fellow seniors Dante Cunningham, Dwayne Anderson, and Frank Tchuisi...

The following information on Clark's senior season was culled from the Villanova.com site - the averages don't include the Final Four loss to North Carolina...

Clark had come off the bench down the stretch of his junior year. As a senior, Clark remained a role player, and was a significant part of the Wildcats' incredible Final Four run. He continued to come off the bench for the first half of the season, with his minutes ranging from a low of 13 to a high of 22. His final game off the bench was the upset of #4 Pittsburgh at the old Spectrum - the final collegiate game there - on January 28. (It was difficult to imagine at the time, that it wouldn't even be the most memorable victory, over Pittsburgh, this season.)

But when the calendar moved to February, Clark returned to the starting lineup for good, and started the remaining 18 games. Although he didn't play as many minutes as the other starters, Clark ended up logging 687 minutes for the season. As a starter, his minutes ranged from a low of 15 to a high of 29. He reached double-digits in scoring, half a dozen times. Highlights of his senior year included:

• 14 points and 10 rebounds - his sixth career double-double - in the win over Syracuse on Feb. 7.
• 16 points and seven rebounds in the win over Marquette on Feb. 10.
• 15 points and eight rebounds in the season-sweeping win at Syracuse on Feb. 22.
• 13 points - in just 18 minutes - in the win @ Notre Dame.
• Six points and six rebounds in the thrilling win over Marquette in the Big East quarterfinals, when Dwayne Anderson's shot rolled in at the buzzer...

But perhaps Clark's best performance of all came in the already-legendary Elite Eight victory over Pitt on March 27 in Boston. Clark nailed three triples early in the first half, and his sharpshooting forced the Panthers to extend their perimeter defense, opening up opportunities for his Wildcats teammates. Clark finished the contest with 11 points on 4/7 shooting, as well as four rebounds.

Looking at his career as a whole - Clark finished in double figures in points 26 times, and in rebounding five times, ending with five double-doubles... In summary, Clark was a key role player and frequent starter for a class that won more games than any other in Villanova's illustrious history...

Of course, check back for the latest posts in the Senior Farewell series, in which I'll be looking back at the Villanova tenures of each of the other three departing 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.)

Hat Tip to VUHoops: NCAA Lauds Villanova Wildcats For Their Outstanding Academic Performances

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

As graduation approaches, I've been doing the Senior Farewells to our quartet of seniors - Dante Cunningham, Shane Clark, Frank Tchuisi, and Dwayne Anderson.

And in that spirit, it is apparent that Villanova has done its usual incredible job at keeping the "student" in that oft-bandied-about term, "student-athlete". As alumni, we're always very happy to hear that the school is maintaining its sterling academic reputation.

VUHoops has a great post up, on some great news on that front. So I'd like to extend a hat tip to them for finding a good story.The authors describe how the Villanova Wildcats athletic program has now won considerable public recognition, from the NCAA, for the school's high-level academics:

The Villanova Wildcats led all 16 Big East programs in Academic Progress Rates.

And it wasn't just men's basketball - football, women's basketball and softball, men's golf, swimming, and lacrosse were all lauded as well... I learned a great deal about the NCAA's benchmarks and metrics for this supremely important aspect of the lives of student-athletes, and I'd encourage you to check their story out...

Key excerpt:

Football, Men’s Lacrosse, Men’s Golf, Men’s Swimming, Women’s Basketball, and Women’s Softball also won the award for their APRs.

Villanova led the Big East Conference APR for Men’s Basketball with an astounding 985.

Of course, check back for the latest posts in the Senior Farewell series, in which I'll be looking back at the Villanova tenures of each of the four departing 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.)

A Superb Profile of Dante Cunningham in Nova Notebook on Villanova.com

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

As you've seen, I've started the series of Senior Farewells to our four graduating seniors - Shane Clark (whose first three years are already chronicled), Dante Cunningham, Frank Tchuisi, and Dwayne Anderson. Cunningham, according to a consensus of mock NBA drafts, is likely to be a high-to-middle second round selection, in late June.

For a superb look at Dante Cunningham, as he prepares for his new life in the NBA, take a look at Nova Notebook on Villanova.com, the official site of Villanova athletics... this was published earlier today, Tuesday, May 5...

I think this was a great article, particularly because it accurately notes that Cunningham was not expected - at least by recruiting analysts - to be a star player at Villanova. However, I speculate that Jay Wright and the coaching staff may have seen a potential star in Cunningham all along... Cunningham's new status as near-certain NBA draft pick represents one of the most impressive player developments in the history of Villanova Wildcats basketball... and it really was a great recruiting decision by Wright and the staff to land him and bring him here...

Here are some key excerpts from the article, written by director of media relations Mike Sheridan...

One month has passed since Villanova returned from the Final Four and the careers of Cunningham and classmates Dwayne Anderson, Shane Clark, and Frank Tchuisi officially entered the homestretch. As seniors headed for graduation later this month, they are still a part of the basketball family. They remain a presence on campus in class rooms and at the Davis Center.

...When he came to Villanova in 2006, he was an unheralded prospect from Silver Spring, Md. Though he had enjoyed a superb senior season at Potomac High School, earning Washington Post Player of the Year honors, his was hardly a ballyhooed arrival...

As a senior, he blossomed, earning Most Improved Player honors in the BIG EAST while averaging 16.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per outing for a group that led the Wildcats back to the Final Four for the first time since 1985. Along the way, he also took what he learned from the likes of Randy Foye, Allan Ray, [Curtis] Sumpter, and Mike Nardi to become a complete vocal leader...

With the passage of a few weeks since the season ended in Detroit, Cunningham and friends have had a few moments to finally peer back at what they accomplished. They know there is now a new standard in place for victories by a single Villanova class (102) that belongs to them. It's a fact that has been brought to the attention of their younger peers - "I think they'll have to go like 38-0 to catch us" quips Cunningham - and will remain a source of honor for the soon to be alums...

The fine site VUHoops.com also has its thoughts on the article...

Of course, check back for the latest posts in the series, in which I'll be looking back at the Villanova tenures of each of the four departing 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.)

Farewell to Villanova Wildcats Senior Shane Clark - His Junior Season of 2007-08 -

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Continuing my series of Senior Farewells, here's a look at the junior year of senior Shane Clark...

Also, here are the links to Clark's arrival and freshman year, as well as his sophomore year...

Shane Clark's Junior Season - 2007-08

Clark's junior year saw him start for the first half of the season. However, after starting the first 17 games of the campaign, he came off the bench for the remaining 15 contests. Ironically, he ultimately logged fewer minutes as a junior (713), than he did as a sophomore- he averaged 22.5 minutes/game as a junior. He remained a valuable member of the rotation, nonetheless...

Looking at his season statistics, much of it was similar to his sophomore season.

• He averaged 7.4 points/game, up from 7.1 as a sophomore;
• He averaged 4.3 rebounds/game, up from 4.0 as a sophomore;
• His shooting percentage was 43.9%, up from 43.0% as a sophomore;
• He had 21 steals as a junior, down from 27 as a sophomore;
• He blocked 15 shots as a junior, up from 12 as a sophomore.
  

There was significant change in other respects, though. Clark's three-point attempts plunged from 100 to 56, and it was probably related to a drop in his accuracy from 38.0% to 28.6%. But Clark showed an impressive improvement in two other areas.

First, at the foul line, his accuracy jumped all the way to 84.1%, a remarkable total for a forward, and it represented the second straight year of increased accuracy. (He had shot just 58.6% as a freshman, and had boosted it all the way to 72.2% as a sophomore.)

Second, his assist-to-turnover ratio was considerably better. He had 31 assists against 47 turnovers as a sophomore; as a junior, Clark dealt 35 assists against 34 turnovers.

From the Villanova Wildcats media guide, regarding Clark, game-by-game...

"Posted double-doubles in early season wins over Bucknell and George Mason...
Averaged 13.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game through the season's first nine contests... Scored a career-high 25 points in the season opener against Stony Brook."

Although he no longer started by the time the Wildcats reached the Big East and NCAA tournaments, Clark still scored and rebounded consistently off the bench. Against Syracuse in the first round in Madison Square Garden, Clark narrowly missed a double-double, with 11 points and nine rebounds.

According to the media guide, during the NCAA tournament, in the first round victory over fifth-seeded Clemson, Clark finished with two points, two steals, and tied for the team lead in rebounds with half a dozen. In the second round against Siena, he had half a dozen points and two rebounds... and in the Sweet 16 loss to Kansas, he had a great showing, finishing with 10 points and seven rebounds...

Check back for the latest posts in the series, in which I'll be covering the Villanova tenures of each of the four departing Wildcats - Clark, Dante Cunningham, Frank Tchuisi, and Dwayne Anderson...

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.)

Farewell to Villanova Wildcats Seniors - Shane Clark's Sophomore Season

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

Continuing with my series on the four departing Villanova Wildcats seniors, here is a look back on Shane Clark's sophomore season - 2006-07...

Also, here's the post on Clark's arrival and freshman year of 2005-06...

Shane Clark's Sophomore Season

2007 was somewhat of a rebuilding season after the glories of 2006, which saw the Wildcats capture a top seed in the NCAA tournament, play the first two rounds at the Wachovia Center, and reach the Elite Eight for the first time in 20 years.

With the departure of Allan Ray, Randy Foye, and Jason Fraser - three of the four players in Jay Wright's first vaunted recruiting class - there were far more minutes to go around.

It was also Shane Clark's first full season on the court, as he hadn't been eligible in the first semester of his freshman year. And due to those two factors, Clark played much more often as a sophomore. After appearing in only 25 games as a freshman, all coming off the bench, Clark played in 33 games and started 10 of them.

Clark established himself as an outside threat. He took 100 three-pointers on the season, connecting on 38 of them (making the math easy). He had taken just two three-point shots as a freshman (although since he made one of those two, his three-point shooting percentage actually dropped 12%).

From the foul line, he improved his accuracy substantially. He drained 72.2% of his free throws, up from 58.6% as a freshman. And his overall field goal percentage was boosted slightly, from 40.9% to 43%.

As a result of playing more games and more minutes, his overall numbers in absolute terms increased as well. He logged just 286 minutes as a freshman; he logged 793 minutes as a sophomore, more than doubling his playing time.

Having scored 54 points all of his freshman year, Clark scored 243 points as a sophomore, with his points/game exploding from 2.2 points to 7.4 points. And he doubled his rebounding - 50 rebounds (2.0 per game) as a freshman; 132 (4.0 per game) as a sophomore.

The only areas where he didn't improve substantially, was in assists to turnover ratio - he committed 47 turnovers as a sophomore, against 31 assists; as a freshman, he had seven assists and eight turnovers.

Looking at some key game-by-game highlights of Clark's season, with the help of the Villanova Wildcats media guide (the source of all quotes in this section):

• Set a then-career-high of 10 points in the season opener against Northwood, in only 17 minutes.
• Had a dozen points and half a dozen rebounds against College of Charleston, with all the points coming after intermission, according to the media guide...
  
• Exploded for 17 points in 29 minutes against Xavier.
• Fouled out for the second time in his career against Iowa, while scoring six points and grabbing four rebounds.
• Scored 11 points in 19 minutes against Stony Brook.

Against City Series rival Pennsylvania-

Played an instrumental role in VU's 99-89 win at Penn on Dec. 2... Supplied 16 points and six rebounds in 30 minuts, and helped spark the 'Cats in the second half...

• Recorded the first double-double of his career against Rider, with 10 points and a dozen rebounds in only 21 minutes.
• Scored 14 points against Georgetown in 28 minutes...

Clark had the best game of his career up till that point, against Texas at the Wachovia Center. Making his first-ever appearance in the starting lineup against the Longhorns, he recorded a double-double with 11 points and a dozen rebounds, plus a pair of blocks. He played a significant role in the Wildcats' 76-69 victory. And according to the media guide-

Was also a key defender in helping limit freshman sensation Kevin Durant, to 4-of-15 shooting and 12 points...

Clark started the next three games, and then came off the bench in a victory against Louisville, ironically, given that he-

Led the 'Cats with 12 points on 4-5 shooting from the field, including three three-pointers...

Unsurprisingly, Clark was back in the starting lineup for the next five games. During that stretch, his next memorable game was in the second contest against Georgetown, in Washington:

Sank four crucial free throws in the final 15 seconds to help VU secure a 56-52 win at Georgetown... Finished with 14 points, two rebounds and two steals in the win...

Clark started the next two games, against Marquette and Rutgers, but was struggling with his shot, and he came off the bench for the rest of the season (which turned out to be five games). Against DePaul and Georgetown in the Big East tournament, he logged 44 minutes in the two games. But he took only one shot and did not score, finishing with four rebounds.

In the first round NCAA tournament loss to Kentucky in Chicago, Clark came off the bench once more, finishing with 22 minutes, two points, and four rebounds.

Check back for the latest posts in the series, in which I'll be covering the Villanova tenures of each of the four departing Wildcats - Clark, Dante Cunningham, Frank Tchuisi, and Dwayne Anderson...

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.)