An Interogation: Villanova University/A Preview You'll Wish You Had Skipped

I high-jacked Blackburn's schtick for your entertainment purposes. Well, not so much entertainment, but more for your informative purposes. With our big win against Georgia Tech yesterday, we gain the pleasure of taking our Catholic brothers from just outside Philly, the 6th ranked Villanova Wildcats. We got a lot to cover, and I have to go to google how to treat sun poisoning for Blackburn, and chilli overdose for Donoher. Chris from the aptly named blog I Bleed Blue and White, was kind enough to take a moment and answer some questions for us about his talented Nova squad. Chris originally struck me as the kind of guy who answered his questions while drinking a well aged merlot and reading the Catechism to a group of newly minted puppies. I was quickly proven wrong, and now have him taking a close second to Ray in my favorite blogger rankings. We discuss Nova's suave coach, their front court struggles, and how Jim Boeheim is a pussy. I answered some questions from Chris too and I'll post a link for that when it goes up later.

***Update***

Chris posted my interview with him. Feel free to give his site some traffic and tell me how wrong all my answers are.

O'Brien: The early word out of Puerto Rico is that this just isn’t Villanova’s tournament. While the whispers and rumors were just background noise in early November, Nova’s fans worst fears were validated when Jay Wright showed up to the game wearing an UNTUCKED POLO. To make matters worse, his flowing mane was lacking its usual Dapper Dan high-sheen finish. Clearly the normally best dressed coach in the country just didn't bring his A-game today. What kind of effect does Jay Wright’s appearance have on the team? Will he make this mistake again?

Chris: I was on Twitter for the game. There were at least 150 tweets from Nova fans stressing about Jay Wright's appearance. This has been a common theme for these early season tournaments with him. There's obviouslNo homo, but that is a handsome man. y a correlation between his looks and the team's play. Clearly, the players took one look at him and thought, "If Coach is gonna half-ass this, we are too." It's unacceptable in my opinion and we've already started a fund for the Puerto Rico Alumni chapter to buy him a suit for tomorrow.

Call it early-season struggles if you will, but he usually doesn't bring out the Hugo Boss look until mid-January. A damn shame too.

O'Brien: I want to ask you about the George Mason game, but I’m not sure you haven’t already blocked it from your memory. One thing I’d like answered is whether Nova Nation wants to kill Corey Fisher for going 1-14 from the field or smother him in cold, Catholic love for going 14-18 from the free throw line.

Chris: Luckily the George Mason game is still fresh in my mind, and not that Irish travesty that occurred yesterday. Don't even get me started on that. I'll start yelling at you in Gaelic while I chop down Jameson.

Back to the topic at hand -- I think I can speak for everyone when I say I didn't realize how bad the shooting stats were for Fisher. But digging deeper, he kept taking it to the hole and getting fouled. He just wasn't finishing, so it isn't as bad as it looks because as you said he had a pretty good game at the line. He had a game his freshman year at Georgetown where he was something like 2-14 from the field and WASN'T getting to the line. That was bad.

O'Brien: This match up intrigues Dayton fans, mostly because Villanova has attained what Dayton strives for. A medium sized Catholic school, set pretty much in the middle of nowhere, which perennially contends for the Final Four. Coming off such a successful 2008-09 season, what are your expectations for 09-10 beyond Puerto Rico? Do you expect to find yourself back in the Final Four, or could this be a disappointing season that is packed with expectations?

Chris: Well, we are on the outskirts of Philadelphia, not exactly in the middle of nowhere, but I get your point. The key to our success has been Jay Wright, and the overwhelming support of the school. Jay has gone to battle with the big boys and brought in top-flight recruits, and he's also turned those kids into NBA players. But ultimately, it is the team aspect that he preaches that has made us who we are. Today was a great example of that. We finished the game with three true freshman on the floor because of fouls and still got the win. That's a testament to Wright (and of course the players).

This season, I personally feel we are ranked on potential. As we saw today, we are going to have growing pains. We are not the 5th best team in the country right now. But we can be, because we have a nucleus of guys who know what it takes to get to the Final Four and a talented freshman class that is eager for success. I think because of the ranking, and last season, anything less than the Final Four will be a disappointment for us. It may be unfair, but the bar has been set. If we want to be one of the elite programs, we have to be in contention for that every year.

O'Brien: The Wildcats are already short handed in the front court with Super-Frosh Mouphtaou Yarou being sent home with a viral infection, Reggie Reading being suspended till January for selling condoms at a Catholic Institution (right?), and you’re two starting forwards fouled out today. Will this effect your already guard heavy line up in anyway?Chris Wright better find himself in this postion on Friday afternoon.

Chris: The short answer is yes. I think with the lack of depth we'll see more ball-handlers on the floor instead of the classic look.

The Yarou news may be worse than originally thought, but we won't get into that. And unfortunately for us, Redding has a little too much in common with Ricky Williams. Those two things have left us short-handed for the time-being. Yarou appeared to hurt today as all 4 of our main frontcourt guys fouled out. It looks like Taylor King is going to get the start, and he was underwhelming in that role today. George Mason took it to him and he couldn't handle it. You'll be seeing a lot of Maurice Sutton. He's skinny, but really tall and active and can make things happen on the defensive end. Also, I wouldn't be shocked to Isaiah Armwood get more PT tomorrow after his game-winner today.

O'Brien: From what I’ve seen Villanova NEVER plays zone defense. Yet, Dayton biggest vulnerability is the zone. We’ve struggled with zone sets ever since Coach Brian Gregory came to town. Will Jay Wright stay true to who he is and play to Dayton’s strength or will he attack our biggest vulnerability?

Chris: Jay Wright's most famous quote is, "Zone is for pussies like Jim Boeheim." Actually, I made that up. I may have yelled that at last year's Syracuse game. I don't really remember. You'll rarely see Villanova play a zone though. Wright likes tough, in-your-face defense and demands that his players do exactly that, or they won't play. We have seen the zone when things are going poorly in the past but to be honest I'm not even sure we practice it.

O'Brien: Prediction time. Who wins the game, or are we saved by the Rapture? 

Chris: The Rapture. I like it. That should be Scottie Reynolds' nickname. Since we both had tough games today, I'd expect both to come out and prove yesterday wasn't the norm. I have a hard time seeing us shoot so poorly two days in a row, but at the same time Dayton is a much tougher opponent than George Mason, and I'd expect a similar fight to the game today. You know I can't pick against the Cats.

Villanova wins 78-71.

Pt. II: A Preview

It's already been a long weekend in Puerto Rico. Dayton needed all 40 minutes to dispatch an immensely talented Georgia Tech squad, Donoher is having separation anxiety from Blackburn, Marcus hasn't seen a white woman in 24 hours, and I've run out of scotch. Some people would say that our trip to PR is already a success because we have a win over a ranked opponent and that's all we need. The fact is Villanova may be our last chance to take on a ranked opponent until Xavier and considering that's two months from now, who knows what can happen to them? Don't let the ham and eggers tell you that we've done enough and we're winners no matter how this game ends. We need to take this victory to cement our place on the national stage. Am I delusional? No. Did that third scotch taste weird? Yes.

Villanova is the best team we could face in the nation that will exceed our talent in every phase of the back court. They have depth, range, speed, strength and intensity that Dayton will not be able to match for 40 minutes, no matter how many subs we make. It will take every bit of talent we have to contain Reynolds and fellow guard Corey Fisher, whose disastrous day shooting from the field against George Mason will not be repeated. Marcus Johnson, King Paul the First, and London are going to have to play their best game yet to give us a shot at taking this victory. Along with the aforementioned Corey Fisher and Scottie Reynolds, Nova will have their current high scorer Corey Stokes (don't get your Corey's confused) roaming the perimeter and a pair of freshman from Jersey in Dominic Cheek and Maalik Wayns, who each played crucial roles in the come back against George Mason.

Get ready for me to write a sentence you not only will never see again on this blog, but I also regret before even typing it. Dayton may have an advantage in the post. Hold on a second, I'm going outside to buy a warm 40 from a homeless guy to get this taste out of my mouth. Villanova's front court is as short-handed as a body that washes up on a Moscow river bank.Don't make me regret this Kurt Their top recruit Mouphtaou Yarou was just sent back to the states with a possible case of hepatitis, which has yet to be definitively traced back to the local Puerto Rican night walker population, and his loss has diluted an already thin front court. Current starters Antonio Pena and Taylor King, as well as back up center Maurice Sutton fouled out of yesterdays game, leaving Nova with Jay Wright's wet dream of four guards on the court in the final seconds against GMU. If there was ever a time for the Big Dog to eat and Kurt to be acknowledged by Dayton Cheerleaders in the ghetto, it's tomorrow. I'm not even sure who's going to match up with Chris Wright. Blackburn already told you Wright's lackluster performance cost him with scouts yesterday, he really only has one last shot to steal their attention in PR.

In terms of team philosophy, Villanova will play man-to-man defense against us no matter how bad our shooting is from 15 feet. Villanova and Dayton are two teams on the same train track heading right toward each other. There's only room for one Catholic school in the top 15, and Nova will be damned if they have to change their style for a bunch of Ohio boys. If only they knew the only man more stubborn than Jay Wright is Brian Gregory.

This game will be decided at either the three point line or the free throw line. If Dayton can stop the Nova 3's and hit their own shots from the charity stripe, this is a win against a vulnerable Villanova team. This game is going to be fun fellas (and Julia), so I recommend taking the afternoon off and not risk missing what might be the high water mark for Dayton this decade. I've never pretended to be impartial and I'm not going to start now. Brian Gregory upgrades his shark's tooth necklace to a Jay Wright's tooth necklace, Marcus lets Scottie Reynolds know that he has a juvenile name, Prairie Fires are on me and Chris Wright makes himself some money.

Dayton over Nova: 75-68

The Great American Preview Post

One of my friends is a huge NFL Draft guy. He loves it so much, he calls it Draftmas and gets hammered for it every year. He's a big NFL fan in general, but nothing gets him more excited than Roger Goodell coming to the podium to make an announcement. Will there be a trade? Will his team waste a pick on an Ohio State player? Is there a cure for the common herpes infection? It's sad, it really is. Not that there isn't a cure for herpes, well that is sad, but that the best moment of his year is in the off-season. That's what you get for being a Browns fan. For Flyer fans, the past 8 months have been excruciating, because we know we have a great team, and we know that this season has the potential to be our best ever.

Sure this blog has the tendency to be bit negative at times, but its mostly because we have a tendency to push away those we love for fear of abandonment. Over-affection for our mother's aside, I can assure you that we all dream of a Final Four berth and would only say it out loud standing on an Indian burial ground while holding a shovel. The season is about to start and we are ready to win and drink Beast till the break of dawn, while spraying 40's on 19 year old girls and hoping they react the same way they would if Marcus were holding the bottle. This is the final prediction post we will make, and I promise I am just as happy they are over as you are. Without further ado, a post for you to skim while drinking your morning coffee. From here on out, no more abstract conversations, it's pure basketball. Until Donoher comes back from vacation of course.

1. Breakout player. Who is going to greatly increase their numbers and play from last season?

Big Dog gonna eat.Donher: I gotta pick Chris Johnson as my breakout player.  i see him easily averaging 10 points a game with about 6-7 boards.  Next year he will even get better.  He showed signs of brilliance last year but was very sporadic.  I hope Gregory gives him at least 20-25 minutes a game this year.  He should be starting this year and if not, definitely the first guy off the bench.

Ollie: Devin Searcy.  It's an easy pick now that's he's been named a starter, but I really think he fits the system well.  He's a run and jump big man in a system that likes to get up and down the court.  I love his demeanor too.  Perhaps, his skills could use some refining, but he's relentless and aggressive. Add those traits to his athleticism, and multiply by increased minutes, and I think he surprises this season.  Nothing extravagant, let's say 6 and 5 with a block for good measure.

Blackburn: This is an easy one for me. The obvious choice would appear to be CJ, but I feel like he has already “broken out.” My pick is Big Dog Searcy. I’m not saying that he is going to average a double-double, but I think he will have two or three games that make people take note and question why he isn’t getting more minutes. From everything I’ve read, it seems like Searcy really took his game seriously this summer and I’ll think we’ll see him take shit to a new level.  

O'Brien: Paul Williams. I’m going to save my breath because I already waxed poetic about my affection for him. Dayton needs shooters (sit down Luke) who can play great defense (I told you to sit down Luke) and Mr. Williams fits that bill. If he lives up to the lofty expectations he arrived in our Marianist Mecca with, Dayton will elevate their play to a higher plane. Dark Horse? Kurt. (/ducks shoe)

2.  Disappointing player. Who is a player coming into this season with hype and will fall woefully short of said hype.

Blackburn: Although I could definitely see Kountry Chris not living up to his press this season, I think the most likely candidate would be Marcus Johnson. MJ is entering his final year in the Gem City, and perhaps may feel pressured to force the issue at times. That being said, I don’t necessarily think Marcus will disappoint, but his numbers may slip a bit this season.

Ollie: I'd like to preface this like a pussy and say I hope he proves me to be an idiot, but I think Paul Williams is exposed as a charlatan this year.  He's looked decent in the exhibitions but I just can't forget him being blown by on consecutive possessions by Lamont Mack last season.  This from a player who's a lockdown defender?  To me, it looks like an injury (the mysterious foot injury?).  Athletically he just doesn't look like a D1 player to me.  And if you don't have the athleticism, you better either be huge or able to fill it up Reddick-style (right Luke?).  To me, he just seems to lack any skill or ability that would get him on the floor.  Like I said though, hope he proves me wrong.

O'Brien: I know it’s a bit obvious, but Chris Wright. Not in the conventional terms that he’ll be terrible, because he won’t be. I just think he falls into some of the same habits he had last season. His free throw percentage will be disappointing, which is almost criminal considering the driving to the basket is such a key component to his game, and I also think he continues to disappear a few times a season. Jack Daniels, I hope I’m wrong.

Donoher: Have I ripped Matt Kavanaugh enough on this site?  I feel terrible for saying this because I am sure Matt is a nice guy, but come on...he is a white kid from Centerville.  Warm and Cheerful Centerville.  "The larges collection of early stone houses in the state of Ohio."  He was recruitd by mid-level MAC schools.  From my sources, he comes from a rich family.  He has never had to work for anything in his life.  He's been the tallest player throughout his career.  Yeah he played well vs some Villanova recruits, like Blackburn said, "Anyone can have 1 or 2 good games and their stock rises."  Saying that Kavanaugh will be the next James Cripe is an insult to James Cripe...I'm sorry.

3. Conference play; The A14 is a whole new beast this season. Is this the year Dayton  beats X in Cin City? Or is this the year Dayton folds like Oliver at the blackjack table against LaSalle? Where do we end the season, and in which tournament? From Left to Right: Thunderdome

Ollie: I think we take second in the A10 and qualify for the only tournament that matters.  While I fight against the urge to be pessimistic about these Flyers, they return essentially the entirety of a pretty good team.  As I've told anyone who'll listen, "Did you at any time last season truly think this was a dominant team?"  and generally the response involves some mumbling and shifting of feet.  I think we make the tournament as a double digit seed and then go quietly into the night, as quietly as a mouse pissing on a cotton ball.

O'Brien: YES, YES, AND YES. First of all, Oliver is terrible at blackjack. Second, I have full expectations that Dayton is going to take the A10. I don’t predict it’s going to be a landslide, I think we squeak it out. I have a lot of evidence to back it up, but I left it in my other keyboard.

Donoher: Fuck no, Dayton won't win in Cincinnati this year. Come on now.  Mark Dayton down for at least 4 losses on the road (Xavier, St. Louis, Richmond, St. Joe's/Temple).  Mark them down for at least 1 more loss at home, I'll say LaSalle.  They will not lose at home in non-conference play.  So let's see here...2 non-conference losses plus 5 conference losses.  23-7, most likely 3rd or 4th place in the league.  Win 1 game in the A-14 tournament, hold your breath, 11 seed, first round win, second round loss.  Wow...I am a negative nancy. 

Blackburn: If ever there was a year for UD to break the hex in Cincy, this is it. However, I still don’t see it happening. This is the same team that looked absolutely shell-shocked at Xavier last season, and I think the Muskies extend the streak to 25. The Flyers have a mental block away from the Arena, and no place has a stranglehold on UD like Xavier’s home court.

The possibilities for this season are endless. If you told me that Dayton finishes fifth in the conference and ends up in the NIT, I’d believe you. If you told me that Dayton wins the A-10 and plays in the second week of the NCAA tournament, I’d believe you. I have feeling it will be somewhere in between. As of now, I’d guess that UD has a similar year as last season and gets a 8/9 seed in the Dance.

4. Does CW go pro? What country does MJ finish his career in? Does BG stay in Dayton? Will the new Stuart Street Bridge carry champions or failures?

Marcus, if you need an agent or entourage member, you know where to reach meO'Brien: You other guys are so long winded, I’m stream lining this one. No, Flyer Jesus returns again to grace UD, Mr. Johnson heads to Sweden….for obvious reasons…BG leaves Dayton and moves to Kettering, and the Stuart Street Bridge collapses. I bet you didn’t see that coming.

Donoher:Wright announces he will go pro but doesn't hire an agent, realizes he won't get drafted, comes back.  Marcus plays in Germany.  Is Stuart Street bridge fucking done yet?

Blackburn: As I said earlier this fall, there is absolutely no way Wright wants to stay in Dayton for his senior season. Although the hype and PR machine is clearly out pacing the actual talent, I think Wright declares but doesn’t sign on with an agent. I don’t think Chris is going to like what scouts have to say—and assure you he isn’t going to like the possibility of second round non-guaranteed money. Although I’m not as confident as I was a few months ago, I think Wright comes back for his senior year simply because his pro prospects are too murky.

MJ will have a nice career over in Europe somewhere. I don't think MJ is holding onto NBA dreams, so I don't see the NBDL in his future. I think he is comfortable knowing he can get paid to play basketball and probably isn't worried about where he lays his head down each night.

As far as BG, time will tell. I think he could leave at the end of this season depending on what jobs are open and what his prospects look like. I think he has a pretty good thing going here in Dayton, and as long as UD lives up to expectations he should see some decent offers come his way in the near future. It's ultimately going to come down to timing, when the right job opens up, he is gone.Hey Chris, I got the perfect franchise for you.

Ollie: I'm completely baffled by Wright's flirtation with the NBA.  I don't know if he's buying the sweet nothings being whispered by agents, because he doesn't look like an NBA player to these eyes.  But then again, quite a few respected NBA Draft websites think fairly highly of him.  It seems delusional to me, but I think he goes pro and falls to the second round.  Unless he improves his shot well beyond my expectations he'll never be anything more than a leaper and defensive stopper in the NBA.

Marcus is one of my favorite players on the team.  I truly believe he's in it for the success of the team and not out for individual stats.  But I think we all know well enough what Marcus is, a great second option on a good college team.  If anything, I think Marcus's offensive numbers may take a small step backwards this year.  Don't feel bad for Marcus.  Remember the best weekend of your senior year, where you were drunk for 72 consecutive hours and slept with girls impossibly out of your league?  That's every weekend for Marcus.

BG will leave at some point.  And he isn't waiting for Izzo to leave Michigan State.  He's just waiting for a big enough paycheck.  The first legit Big 10, SEC, or Big East school that shows up at his door with a little bit of history and an Ed McMahon check wins his services.

5. In 5 years when we look back at this team, what will we say?

Donoher: {Ed. Note: Donoher forgot to answer this question before leaving to go to Canada on his honeymoon, so feel free to guess what he would have said in the comments.}

Blackburn: I will say that this team doesn’t live up to the expectations, which for argument’s sake means reaching the Sweet 16. There are just too many offensive limitations to think this team could reach those heights this season. On a positive note, I think this is the year that solidifies UD’s place on the college basketball landscape. Dayton will reach the next tier, joining the likes of Butler, Gonzaga, Xavier, etc. as a program to be respected, yet not feared.

Ollie: It'll be a happy memory.  We're in for an exciting and successful season.  But, of course, the Flyer fans who believe we're capable of being Duke will be disappointed and the bitching and moaning will ensue.  This pains me more than I can explain, but the absolute peak of expectations for UD is what X has experienced the past few years.  A couple of fluke runs with some talented players and the right coach before he bolts for the cash.  Kinda of sounds like this year, huh?

O'Brien: Our realistic ceiling in the Sweet 16. I know some fans will see that as a disappointment, but in reality that means we'll have won three NCAA Tournament games in two years. We set the table to be a program to recon with for the next decade. I'd almost say that the past two year's success is better than George Mason making it to the Final Four. GMU made it that far and everyone said they were a fluke and it showed when they failed to turn that success into top recruits. On the other hand, I think people will look at Dayton and say that they are building a top flight program that will be a mainstay on the national stage.