Happy Tuesday, ‘Nova Nation! Generally speaking, I’m a big fan of Seth Davis’ work. Like Jay Bilas, he calls ‘em like he sees ‘em and that’s generally refreshing in a world when most pundits go for the narrative.
But yesterday Seth made a curious argument. He said that Villanova’s "old-school" model wasn’t built for the long run. You know, the model that’s won more games than any other program in the last three seasons and just won a National Championship. That’s not consistent success!
There’s obviously huge upside to bringing in fresh, elite players every year. It’d be fun to be Kentucky. But let’s link Will’s article on recruiting risk again. I won’t go as far to say that Seth’s statement is empirically false because I don't know how he's defining short vs. long term, but it’s approaching the land of #hottaeks.
And now, the "news."
Ten storylines to watch in the 2016–17 college basketball season | Campus Rush
Seth Davis considers Villanova's approach - the one that has one them more games than anyone else in the country over the last three years - to be something not built for long-term success. Okay!
Dylan Painter dives right in at Villanova | City of Basketball Love
Now one can understand how August unfolded for Dylan Painter, a topsy-turvy time during which the all-state big man from Hershey High School picked up priceless on-the-job training alongside the Villanova teammates he was really just getting to know.
Mikal Bridges Is Villanova's Sixth Starter | Jon Rothstein
Mikal Bridges was a key reserve for the Villanova Wildcats during the team's run to the national title last year as a freshman...
Big East Coast Podcast #10 - Villanova Wildcats | Big East Coast Bias
Our Season Preview podcasts conclude with the champs!
National Signing Day dominoes ready to fall | HoopSeen
The HoopSeen crew predicts how Lonnie Walker's recruitment will end.
Big East conference preview: Is Villanova a national title contender again? | FOX Sports
Team-by-team breakdowns and awards predictions for the entire Big East.
Hot Board: What's the latest with the available top 100 players? | Scout ($)
The first of two signing periods begin on Wednesday and runs through the 16th. There are 30 available prospects in Scout's 2017 top 100. Below is our breakdown of where each available top 100 prospect stands in their recruitments, when they took their official visits and when they plan on announcing.
Jay Bilas' 2016-17 college basketball opus | ESPN ($)
Here now, the opus, the all-knowing guide to take you from now to the madness of March. Final Four? Check. Places to eat? Check. Anything else you can think of? Check. As always, you're welcome.
Preseason Bracket Projection: Duke, Kansas lead preseason Field of 68 | NBC Sports
A look at our Preseason Bracket projection.
Villanova tops DePaul on PKs to advance to Big East semifinal | Brotherly Game
Wildcats will travel to Indianapolis to meet Butler on Thursday.
Athletes feel the love at Special Olympics Fall Festival | Delco Times
RADNOR >> “I was told when I volunteered for the Fall Festival that it is the best weekend of the year at Villanova,” said Mike Maffuid, a freshman at Villanova University. “That’s a high bar to set. But it was met. I