Jay Wright can be a pain in the ass!

[Novachap]

Dear BE Hq, Val & Stu:

Prez H here, from 2500 California Plaza (Hilltop).

We have decided to extend our Caribbean vacation until May 2022. Go ahead and just mail all trophies-banners and the like to GQ Jay and the Radnorites NOW, saving millions in travél/hotels and the like. Why bother with competition when consensus says it’s a foregone conclusion that Nova wins hands down.

Email me whenever the BE decides to re-engage in competitive sports.

Respectfully
Prez H.

Gtmo's personal BE season journey regarding the Cats:

Denial - Preseason
Anger - Early Nov.
Bargaining - Start of conference games
Depression - January 1st
Acceptance - Feb. 1st

We've got a ways to go until he comes around...

[Xuperman]

Jay Wright never ceases to amaze. To somehow get a W after that fiasco is just classic GQJ!

I got wrapped up in the BU/OU game, but did switch over some once the Nova game got started and watched during the Butler halftime. That has to be some of the worst combined shooting from 2 elite programs you'll see.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... /401370003

HOWEVER, I do recall a similar brickfest from Nova last year (I think they missed 40).

Obviously this is just another freak occurrence, but one has to think that Villanova is going to have issues when they shoot under 30% from distance....ESPECIALLY in Big East play. Is it realistic to expect the usual outcome for THESE WILDCATS, considering the quality of depth on display by the majority of teams in conference?

This Villanova team has an extremely thin bench based on early results. What the heck is going on? Are there more injuries than just Antoine?

No question the teams that are positioning themselves to comprise the top half of the league, have a real opportunity here. Just don't see how Nova can hold up to the physicality of a full Big East schedule with 6-7 productive guys and no true post presence.....but then again, Jay Wright can be a pain in the ass!

[GumbyDamnit!]

Jay Wright never ceases to amaze. To somehow get a W after that fiasco is just classic GQJ!

I got wrapped up in the BU/OU game, but did switch over some once the Nova game got started and watched during the Butler halftime. That has to be some of the worst combined shooting from 2 elite programs you'll see.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-baske ... /401370003

HOWEVER, I do recall a similar brickfest from Nova last year (I think they missed 40).

Obviously this is just another freak occurrence, but one has to think that Villanova is going to have issues when they shoot under 30% from distance....ESPECIALLY in Big East play. Is it realistic to expect the usual outcome for THESE WILDCATS, considering the quality of depth on display by the majority of teams in conference?

This Villanova team has an extremely thin bench based on early results. What the heck is going on? Are there more injuries than just Antoine?

No question the teams that are positioning themselves to comprise the top half of the league, have a real opportunity here. Just don't see how Nova can hold up to the physicality of a full Big East schedule with 6-7 productive guys and no true post presence.....but then again, Jay Wright can be a pain in the ass!

Games have to be played...so no one is handing anything to the Cats...they'll have to earn it. It's the beauty of the Round Robin format. Strap in because 110 games are scheduled and 110 will determine if you are right or not.

Past results never guarantee future performance, but they often provide some good predictors. First, this current age of the Nova program is ultra consistent, well prepared, fundamentally sound and mentally very tough. If you are going to beat them, you better be prepared to match what they bring to the table. They don't often just lay an egg, even though every team is amped every game to come at the King. So we fully expect to see 20 fully engaged and motivated teams come at us. But a deep league affects ALL teams, not just the ones perched near the top. So if you ask if Nova can handle a deep league, you also have to wonder how UConn, SHU, X, etc. are going to handle these same teams. Can any of those play consistently enough during the 20 game grind?

From someone who watches every second of every game, let me offer some thoughts on your questions. We have players all the way to the end of the bench who CAN play. But Jay is stuck in his ways and only plays 7.5 players pretty much every year. Right now 6 is Daniels and DCR is 7. Both solid IMO. Love that DCR is able to contribute; that is a very underrated recent occurrence that will really help. 0.5/#8 will (hopefully) be Bryan Antoine if/when he recovers. If he comes back and provides another weapon off the bench, that could be the difference between great and elite. The scuttlebutt is we may not see BA until late January / February if at all. Not good. So either Chris Arch, Jordan Longino or Trey Patterson will get a few spot minutes. Those 2 latter guys are our future but no one expects much this year. But both CAN play.

Lastly the Eric Dixon criticisms are a bit premature. His defense is much improved and he's starting to provide some offensive punch. Not since Daniel Ochefu have we had a true traditional big in the middle. It's not how we play. So we may give up some bunnies to Kalkbrenner and Nunge, but we'll also pull those guys away from the basket and trade 2's for 3's. Dixon has shown he has range to the 3 pt line (5/8 so far); he just needs to look for his shot more. If he adds that element then bring on all the 7 footers you want and I'll take who we got. That's how we play. No surprises there. Shoot 'em up from 3 and make the other team adjust to us.

So Xup, I think if Vegas was handicapping, Nova vs the BE Field might be even money. But which other team would you bet on? X could end up being better but they could also just as easily end up in 4th. If you had to bet your house which of those two seems the safer bet, fandom aside, which would you choose?

[anXUfan]

I haven’t watched all the other BE teams enough, but X does seem to have the pieces to make a run at the conference title.

[Xudash]

Regardless of whether Jay Wright "can be a pain in the ass" or not, I certainly love how he sticks up for the Big East conference.

Nova will not go quietly into the night this year. I watched a very sound, focused basketball team last night chisel Syracuse's zone over the course of the entire game. Electric atmosphere - how couldn't it be: MSG and an old BE match-up.

Xavier? Colby Jones is the real deal. Nate Johnson has found himself again. Paul is Paul. Odom is rock solid. Nunge has been a fantastic pick-up. Freemantle will shake off the rust and be back to his normal self soon enough (hopefully tonight in time for Saturday).

Kunkel is a heady player who still needs to sharpen his 3-point percentage. Hunter adds value so long as he doesn't get it into his head that he is a primary threat from behind the arc - he only threatens our chances for winning when he starts launching from there. Otherwise, he has a solid game. I expect Miles to continue to improve, but he already is a load to deal with on defense.

Collectively, I love their focus and energy. These guys are tuned in and they truly love and play for each other. They aren't going quietly into the night, either.

It's going to be a helluva battle this year.

[Xuperman]

Gumby,
If I'm reading you correctly, you think 1-1 odds for Nova vs field is reasonable. I would be 100% in on the field with that line. HOWEVER, there is no single team presently that could do better than 4-1 straight up vs Nova IMO. I strongly believe that will start to creep closer in 2022.

Again, from what I see from the outside looking in, this Wildcat bench is highly suspect....especially from a scoring aspect. Arch getting run over your young "end of bench" guys seems like a coach reward for practice effort. He is a serviceable place holder for some blow time, but I can not see him posting any consistent numbers that make a difference. My prediction is that Slater/Dixon will struggle vs the BE gauntlet. Your starting 5 MUST mantain their legs come February AND avoid ANY injury....the replacement options would be way too thin to overcome.

As a 40+ year diehard X guy, I will always root against Villanova after OOC. We desperately need sustained parity for the National optics of the league. But of course, I hope everyone realizes, that me starting this thread was out of pure respect and ADMIRATION for the program Coach Wright has developed for ALL of us.

[kayako]

Just don't see how Nova can hold up to the physicality of a full Big East schedule

BET will be a challenge with a thin bench. But regular season title is a different story. I don't know how anyone could have watched BE basketball so far and think that Nova isn't on its own tier. Nova is 9 deep if Antoine can make it back to the rotation. We shall revisit this thread when Xavier is fighting for 2nd

[stever20]

Just don't see how Nova can hold up to the physicality of a full Big East schedule

BET will be a challenge with a thin bench. But regular season title is a different story. I don't know how anyone could have watched BE basketball so far and think that Nova isn't on its own tier. Nova is 9 deep if Antoine can make it back to the rotation. We shall revisit this thread when Xavier is fighting for 2nd

Providence won the BET in 2014 when their bench played a total of 74 minutes in 3 games. Their bench played for the season 14.7% of the minutes that year. Nova so far this year is at 21.9% to put in context.

[Xuperman]

Just don't see how Nova can hold up to the physicality of a full Big East schedule

BET will be a challenge with a thin bench. But regular season title is a different story. I don't know how anyone could have watched BE basketball so far and think that Nova isn't on its own tier. Nova is 9 deep if Antoine can make it back to the rotation. We shall revisit this thread when Xavier is fighting for 2nd

No, not many on Victory Parkway are confident winning the Regular Season outright....we will be MORE than happy with a top 5 finish and a sub 10 seed come tournament time.

Nova clearly has quality depth issues so far. The rest of us are salivating!