The Sun’s Arizin: Battling on the Boards

Happy Thursday Nova Nation! Anyone who watched Tuesday night’s game knows that a big reason why Villanova won was rebounding. It kept the Wildcats in the game through their early shooting woes and helped them pull away late. While Jermaine Samuels led the team with 9 rebounds, six different wildcats recorded at least six rebounds on the night. That “Team Rebounding” mentality has been a big reason why Villanova has outrebounded their opponents in six of their nine games and are +49 against opponents on the boards this season.

And while the rebounding is a team effort, one player has stood out above the rest. He’s come up so big on the boards this year, leading the team in defensive rebounds and being the leading rebounder in multiple games. We all know the big guy so let’s just say his name together on three. One... Two... Three...

Justin Moore!

Surprised? I know I was. Yes, Moore is having a terrific season on the boards. He’s averaging 5.4 rebounds a game (3rd on the team) and a team high 4.4 defensive rebounds a game. He was also Villanova’s leading rebounder in back to back games with 11 against Penn and another 7 against St. Joe’s.

Moore has stepped up his game in so many ways this year, and I’m not sure he’s getting enough credit for it. The offense flows more freely through him now, and there’s no longer a fear of Gillespie coming off the court if Moore is out there. The numbers back that up with Assists up (3.1 apg), Turnovers down (1.2 tpg), and he boasts the best Turnover Rate (9.4) on the team per kenpom.com. Defensively steals are up (1.3 spg, 2nd on the team) and as we mentioned how well he’s doing on the boards. The only part of his game that’s even dipped slightly is Free Throw shooting, and that’s likely just due to a small sample size.

Moore will need to keep his tenacity on the boards up this weekend as they take on one of the better rebounding teams in the country in Baylor. I think he’s up for the challenge.

In other news, Dada is back on the court, Jay Wright is back on your TV, and Pat Chambers is back in the Big 5. Enjoy!

Villanova Men’s Basketball

Inside Villanova Basketball with Jay Wright Presented by Land Rover Jaguar Main Line to Air on 6abc | Villanova University
First of 10 shows for 2021-22 to air this Sunday at 12:30 p.m.

Dhamir “Dada” Cosby-Roundtree Returns | villanovan.com
Dada is back.

Villanova making an impact with its improving play under the boards | The Inquirer
Although Jay Wright had some concerns entering the season, the Wildcats have now outrebounded their opponents in seven of their nine games, including a dominating 57-36 performance against Syracuse.

Villanova Defeats Syracuse

Board Work Helps Carry Wildcats Past Syracuse 67-53 | Villanova University
Villanova outlasted Syracuse 67-53 Tuesday night at the Jimmy V Classic

Villanova controlled the boards and hit their threes vs. Syracuse | The Inquirer
The Wildcats followed a horrendous shooting first half with a more smoothly running offense against the Orange zone in the second half, and held a 57-36 rebounding advantage.

Cold-Shooting 'Cats Pull Away Late, Defeat Syracuse 67-53 | villanovan.com
In a highly anticipated matchup between two basketball powerhouses, Villanova traveled to Madison Square Garden to face Syracuse and former Wildcat Cole Swider on Tuesday night.

Villanova Vs Baylor

Villanova Eye Test and Flag(ler) Flying High | Our Daily Bears
Allow me to introduce myself...and thanks for giving this a skim at worst and a read at best...my name is Branden MacKinnon and I am a Baylor sports fan. All of the takes below are my own and...

Predicting When Every Undefeated Men's College Basketball Team Will Lose | Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report doesn't think Villanova will be able to knock Baylor from the list of the unbeatens this weekend.

Villanova Recruiting

Duke's Dereck Lively, UCLA's Amari Bailey highlight 2022 Sports Illustrated All-American nominations | Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated unveils the SI99, a ranking of the top high school basketball prospects in the nation. Two Wildcat commits make the list.

Big Five

Ex-Penn State Basketball head coach Pat Chambers Promoted at La Salle | Victory Bell Rings
There's another member of the Jay Wright coaching tree back in Philly. Former Penn State Basketball head coach Pat Chambers has been promoted from a volunteer assistant, to full-time member of the La Salle coaching staff.

NBA Wildcats

Pelicans shootaround update: Josh Hart looking to build upon career-best start to 2021-22 | New Orleans Pelicans
When Josh Hart was sidelined from game action by left knee soreness a week ago, the injury was disappointing in at least two major ways. One, New Orleans had begun to play its best basketball of 2021-22, relying on a starting lineup that won three of four games with Hart at shooting guard. Two, Hart was in the midst of one of his better stretches as a pro, leading to career

Villanova Football

A South Dakotan's South Dakota State Preview | villanovan.com
On Saturday, Villanova will host South Dakota State in Villanova’s first quarterfinal appearance since 2014. For most Villanova students and fans, this is a big game, but for me, the

Villanova Women’s Basketball

Women’s Basketball Drops First Two Big East Games | villanovan.com
After a hard fought comeback victory against LaSalle, Villanova opened its conference schedule with two road games against Providence and Creighton. On Friday night, the ‘Cats fell to Providence, 66-47,

Wildcats Travel to James Madison Thursday | Villanova University
The Villanova women's basketball team will travel to Harrisonburg, Va., on Thursday evening to take on the James Madison Dukes in a non conference game. Villanova

Villanova Athletics

Villanova Announces a Formal Two-Year Partnership with Team IMPACT | Villanova University
The Villanova University Athletics Department is pleased to announce a formal two-year partnership with Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit organization that pairs