Saddiq Bey named to Mid-Season Wooden Award Watch List

Happy Thursday Nova Nation! Sorry for being MIA yesterday, sometimes life throws a curve ball and plans have to change quickly. Thankfully we have Catherine was able to step in for me on very late notice, so BIG shout out to her! That said, all is good and I’m back this morning to talk about Saddiq Bey.

The star sophomore is one of 25 players to be named to the mid-season Wooden Award Watch List. It’s not often that a player gets onto this list over a teammate who’s averaging more points on the season, but that’s where we are with Bey (14 PPG) being added over Collin Gillespie (15 PPG).

In my opinion, it’s the right call. This list is the players that could end up being named the best player in the country. While I don’t think that player is on Nova’s roster, Bey is probably the closest. Gillespie may have more points, assists, and steals, but Bey has been the better player over the first half of the season. Bey has better shooting percentages overall, inside the arc, outside the arc, and at the free throw line. He’s also the better rebounder and is Villanova’s most versatile defender. When the Wildcats need to put someone on the opposing team’s best player, Bey usually gets the call.

All of that said, Bey isn’t playing well enough yet to earn that reward. It’s not that he’s playing poorly, he’s just on the same list as some players that are simply at the top of their games while Bey is still growing into his. I wouldn’t bet on Bey to win the award this year, but consider this honor a recognition that Bey will be someone to keep an eye on the rest of this season and beyond.

In other “news”, several Wildcats named for mid-season Big East “awards”, more on Villanova’s big win at Creighton, and another rail station has reopened near the Finn. Enjoy!

Villanova Men’s Basketball

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Villanova took the three-ball away from Creighton all night and hit big shots down the stretch to earn a hard-fought road win in Omaha
In what Villanova head coach Jay Wright described as his team’s best defensive performance of the season, the 16th-ranked Wildcats held Creighton’s three-pronged perimeter attack of Ty-Shon Alexander, Mitch Ballock, and Marcus Zegarowski to 9-for-30 shooting from the field — including 1-for-10 from beyond the arc — and stayed within striking distance long enough to finally land the game-changing counter punches on offense down the stretch of a 64-59 win at the CHI Health Center Omaha on Tuesday night.

Bey Named to Wooden Award Midseason Watch List | Villanova University Athletics
Bey is Part of Wooden Top 25 Watch List

NBA Wildcats

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