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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!
Villanova officially opens its renovated building with a clunker for the ages | The Inquirer
Nobody saw this coming, Michigan by 27 in a rematch of last season's NCAA final.
Villanova Won A Title. Now It Must Start Over From Scratch. | FiveThirtyEight
The Villanova Wildcats produced one of the most dominant seasons in NCAA history last year, going 36-4, including a complete dissection of a strong Michigan tea…
Villanova basketball installs actual 2016 Final Four court inside renovated arena | NCAA.com
Villanova's renovated home arena includes the actual court from the 2016 title game won by Kris Jenkins' buzzer beater.
Can Villanova Wildcats keep winning ahead of schedule | ESPN
Coming off a national title, Jay Wright had a vision for this season. Then the NBA draft changed his plans.
Jahvon Quinerly Is More Than Just a Layup | Bleacher Report
He's the most heralded member of the Jelly Fam. 5-star recruit. New Jersey icon. Now, at Villanova, Jahvon Quinerly is itching to show that he is more than his signature move or an internet celebrity.
The lowdown on college basketball's top 2019 recruiting classes | 247 Sports
Signing Day is here and that means some of the nation’s top prospects are set to put the pen to the paper to make their college choices official.
College basketball Thanksgiving tournaments will test contenders | SI.com
Duke already announced itself at the Champions Classic, but contenders like UNC, Gonzaga and Virginia will use highly-anticipated Feast Week tournaments to make their mark—for better or for worse—early in the season.
Big East Is Not Only Surviving But Thriving Without Big-Time Football | Forbes
As Villanova faces Michigan in an NCAA final rematch, here's a look at the current financial health of the Big East and what the future might hold for the only non-FBS power conference in college basketball.
The story of DiVincenzo's 'White Donte' nickname | Journal Sentinel
Bucks rookie Donte DiVincenzo has picked up another nickname this year, which came from and has been often used by ESPN's Bomani Jones along with Pablo Torre on the show High Noon.
Chicago Bulls: The biggest storyline of the season is... Ryan Arcidiacono?
The Chicago Bulls have had an interesting start to the NBA season. So far, the biggest storyline for the team has been the emergence of Ryan Arcidiacono.
VIDEO: Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing praises his player’s ‘cojones’ | NBC Sports
This was pretty funny.
VIDEO: Fitchburg State player commits violent flagrant foul | CollegeBasketballTalk
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.