Resetting Expectations for Villanova Basketball

A not so happy Thursday Nova Nation. Remember how all offseason Jay Wright has been asking fans to be patient with this team and that he was still figuring things out? I thought he was underselling a promising team with a lot of talent. It turns out, I was wrong.

Was last night bad? Yes, last night was VERY bad. The Wildcats were outplayed in just about every facet of the game, and on their home court no less. Michigan was the better team, and they were certainly more prepared for the game than the Wildcats.

But if you’re looking for a silver lining, here it is: We just watched Villanova’s worst game of the season. The Wildcats will improve, and part of that includes understanding their personnel better. Last year’s team had several players who could do everything. This year’s players are more specialized, able to excel in some areas but will continue to need work in others.

We’re going to see improvement from this team as soon as next week in Disney when they will likely face another ranked opponent. As much as the fans hate to see the team perform like this and take a loss, the team and the staff hates it more. The good news is they have the time, and now the tape, to start fixing what went wrong.

As far as the rest of the season goes, we’re probably going to end the regular season with more losses than originally expected. But as far as the post-season goes, it’s far too early to tell how much this team can improve. Especially in the immediate aftermath a brutal loss like that.

All we can expect now is for the team to come out with a lot more effort than they did last night. And knowing this team, we’re going to see a TON of effort. Bottom line, I wouldn’t want to be Furman on Saturday.

In other “news”, the origin story of #whitedonte, Arcidiacono is becoming a Chicago legend, and Patrick Ewing has a nut slip. Enjoy!

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This was pretty funny.

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There was a violent foul by Kewan Platt near the end of of a Division III game between Nichols and Fitchburg State.

The Coach Who Changed the NBA From Italy | The Wall Street Journal
He played an influential role in the evolution of basketball. But there’s a reason you’ve never heard of Dan Peterson: The American has been in Europe for nearly five decades.