Now It's Official: Reynolds Returns to Villanova for Senior Year

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

On Tuesday, June 9, Scottie Reynolds officially confirmed what had been wildly speculated for months: namely, that he will return to the Main Line, for his senior season as a Villanova Wildcat. He did so nearly a week before the June 15 deadline for players to withdraw from consideration and still retain collegiate eligibility...

As the sundry NBA mock drafts have repeatedly demonstrated, it was a near-certainty that Reynolds would not have been drafted this year - and so leaving Villanova early would have been of no value to Reynolds.

In a subsequent post this week, I will analyze and speculate what Reynolds's return means for Villanova next season...

Various Viewpoints - Reynolds Returning Edition

On a day of such positive news for the Villanova Wildcats community, all of the fine blogs throughout the Villanova blogosphere have chimed in, with their individual takes on Reynolds's return... Enjoy!

VUHoops.com - Scottie to Return for Senior Campaign

Villanova by the Numbers - Reynolds Returns

Nova News - Scottie Doesn't Go (and Neither Does Jay)

The Villanovan Sports Blog - It's Official: Scottie to Return

I Bleed Blue and White - Scottie Offically Staying

Let's Go 'Nova - Reynolds Withdraws from NBA Draft

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 - ESPN.com Reporting that Reynolds Is "Leaning" Toward Return to Villanova For Senior Year

To the Villanova Wildcats faithful-

The fine site VUHoops.com is noting an ESPN.com report that Scottie Reynolds is "leaning" toward a senior season at Villanova.

This decision, if that's the case, would be logical on Reynolds's part. The overwhelming weight and authority of NBA-draft-specialist mock drafts available online - without exception - project Reynolds as going undrafted.

Interestingly, the mock draft linked above (NBADraft.net) also has Dante Cunningham projected early in the second round, as the 40th selection, by Charlotte... This particular mock draft seems to reflect consensus...

The deadline for withdrawal for non-seniors is June 15...

In addition, here are the respective takes from-

• I Bleed Blue and White...

• The Villanovan Sports Blog....

Finally, congratulations to The Villanovan's David Cassilo on his 100th post, which is linked above. As it is in basketball, the century mark is a significant milestone for any blogger....

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.)

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.)

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.)

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.)

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.)

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.)

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.)

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.)