Penn Post Game -- Closing Out

They Were on Fire, and Then...
There were times in the first half when it appeared, Big 5 game/rivalry or not, Villanova was going to sweep Penn right out of the Pavilion. The 'Cats opened with a 12-4 run in the game's first five minutes on their way to a 73-65 win over their Big 5 rival. The score understated the Wildcats' domination...

	Score	Poss	PPP	eFG%	TO%
Penn	4	8	0.50	33.3	25.0
Villanova	12	8	1.50	75.0	0.0

The teams were on track for a 32 possession half and a 64 possession game...with a score of 96-32 Villanova. Numbers too good to be sustained...and the skeptics were not disappointed. Not before Villanova doubled the score on Penn, 32-16 near the 3:00 mark of the first half. The Wildcats took a solid 18 point lead, 38-20, into the intermission.

"I thought it was important (with Maalik Wayns out with two first half fouls) that we did not let him (Penn point guard Zack Rosen) get started..." Coach Wright asserted in the post game press conference, "...because once he gets going, it's really tough to stop him..." This served as the explanation for Penn's point guard Zack Rosen's second half explosion. Going into the half with six points on 2-4 (0-1, 2-3) from the floor and 2-2 from the line, Penn's preseason favorite to take Player of the Year honors in the Big 5 used the time to gather himself, and returned to the floor to record 17 more points as he engineered the Quakers' second half rush to close the gap. Though they fell short, Penn whittled a deficit that bulged to 18 early in the half down to four with 0:15 left to play. Rosen's three pointer (one of seven they managed to convert after shooting 0-7 in the first half) brought the Quakers to 65-69, but they could get no closer as the young Wildcats hit their free throws to push the margin back out to eight.

With Maalik Wayns on the bench
Zack Rosen schools Achraf Yacoubou (24) in first half action

The bloggers over at VUHoops.com focus on Villanova's nine game winning streak over Penn and how the squad converted at the line to bring home the win in their piece, "9 Straight for Cats Over Quakers". The Nova Blog noted Penn's second half rally in "Villanova Holds Off Penn's..." and how the Wildcats preserved the win. The University site posted the AP wire story and the official boxscore. The breakdown by halves

Opponent	Penn
	1st	2nd	Game
Pace	33.1	33.4	66.5
	Offense				Defense
	1st	2nd	Game		1st	2nd	Game
Rating	114.8	104.8	109.8		60.4	134.8	97.8
eFG%	62.1	28.8	46.4		29.2	66.1	50.0
TORate	21.2	12.0	16.5		24.2	12.0	18.1
OR%	33.3	35.0	34.3		16.7	33.3	24.2
FTA/FGA	17.2	92.3	52.7		33.3	16.1	23.6
FTM/FGA	6.9	76.9	40.0		25.0	12.9	18.2
ARate	60.0	71.4	63.6		14.3	58.8	45.8
Blk%	10.3	3.8	7.3		4.2	6.5	5.5
Stl%	9.0	8.7	8.9		9.1	3.1	6.1
PPWS	1.21	0.94	1.06		0.72	1.35	1.06
2FG%	47.4	46.2	46.9		46.7	55.6	51.5
3FG%	60.0	7.7	30.4		0.0	53.8	31.8
FT%	40.0	83.3	75.9		75.0	80.0	76.9
%2FG	47.4	34.3	41.1		70.0	44.4	52.3
%3FG	47.4	8.6	28.8		0.0	46.7	32.3
%FT	5.3	57.1	30.1		30.0	8.9	15.4

Half Time Adjustments
The pace was dictated by Villanova and remained consistent through both halves. Penn's marked, half-over-half improvement on offense (or Villanova's defensive lapse if you wish) was graphic and led by the turnaround on their outside shooting. The Wildcats kept their points per possession rate north of one (1.048 PPP) on the strength of their offensive rebounding, dramatic drop in turnovers and the large number of times they got to the line. From Zack Rosen's post game comments, "...I don't know where our confidence was...we want to go out and play with anybody, no matter who it is...and do what we do. I think in the second half we did what we did..." Indeed, the Quakers hit 7-13 from beyond the arc, One of the minor surprises is how Penn, which racked up a staggering 27 personal fouls managed to keep their entire rotation eligible for play. Three Quakers, Rosen, forward Henry Brooks and forward/center Cameron Gunter picked up four fouls apiece while four others had three fouls apiece. Five of Penn's 18 rostered players are 6-8 and taller. They struggled to block out Mouphtao Yarou, sending the junior forward to the line for 12 free throw attempts.

Notes & Observations
1. About Villanova's defense -- "We gotta learn we have to play 40 minutes...it's hard (to maintain defensive intensity), but good teams do that...when you're young...when you get a lead...the place you rest is on defense. When you're a veteran...and you're going to rest, you do it on offense" -- Coach Jay Wright

2. Maalik Wayns picked up his second foul with nine minutes left in the first half and sat for the balance of the period. He took no shots in the first half, dished two dimes, racked up a steal and committed two turnovers before retiring to the bench. Urged at the half to shoot more, the junior's line at the finish was 11 points on 2-4 (1-2 from beyond the arc, 1-2 inside) shooting from the field and 6-6 at the line.

Maalik Wayns' three pointer in the second half
helped staunch a Quaker comeback

3. With Wayns on the bench and Rosen on the loose, the staff with limited options turned to freshmen Ty Johnson and Achraf Yacoubou to pick up Wayns' minutes and they did not disappoint. Johnson logged 15 minutes as he manned the point, recording six points while providing three assists to two turnovers. The freshman grabbed a rebound and was credited with a steal. Yacoubou was a bit less productive offensively, but he did dish two dimes while committing one turnover in an 18 minute stint.

4. Yarou racked up a double-double, 21 points and 11 rebounds in 33 minutes of action. The Quakers did not have a player, or combination of players who could contain Yarou.

Ty Johnson directs the Wildcats late in the first half

5. With the win, the latest in a streak of nine (as reported by VUHoops.com), Villanova now holds a 39-14 edge over Penn in their Big 5 series. This is the least competitive of the head-to-head series within the Big 5.

Penn's Coach Jerome Allen directs the Quakers
from the sidelines

Roster Moves
The staff used an eight man rotation against Penn, the shallowest this season, as junior forward/center Maurice Sutton dislocated his right thumb in practice this week. He is expected to miss between two and three weeks. Do not look for him before the Big East season. Freshman forward Markus Kennedy collided with JayVaughn Pinkston in practice and sustained a shoulder injury. Coach Wright hopes he will be ready Tuesday for the Missouri game in Madison Square Garden.

Saint Louis Post Game: Deja Vu

Take Me Home, Country Roads
The first seven possessions went like clockwork, 13 points on 5-8 shooting with three made three point field goals as Villanova jumped out to a 13-5 lead on St. Louis. Then the Billinkens calmed down and began to work their offensive sets. The game tightened up as the Bills took a 12-10 run over the next six minutes to trim two points off of the Wildcats' lead. Then Mouphtao Yarou headed to the bench with his sesond foul of the half, and the wheels fell off of the wagon. Coach Rick Majerus' squad launched a 22-10 onslaught over the last 9:30 of the first period that wiped out Villanova's lead and sent Saint Louis into the lock room with a four point, 38-34 lead. And firm control on the game.

Watching Villanova's defense try to trap and press St. Louis reminded me of a badly played game of keep-away. By the mid point of the second half the relative youth (and indiscipline?) of the Wildcats showed with a series of flairing elbows and flagrant foul calls. Walking a fine line between tough, Big East defense and chippy basketball, the 'Cats found themselves under an unwelcomed refereeing microscope. The irony was that Villanova's offense was not terrible, as in lose-the-game terrible. With a 52.9% eFG% and turnover rate of 18.5%, how could Villanova be losing, and by double digits (the game was in the second half...) at that? The game reminded me of the West Virginia teams under John Beilein. Most of the time the Wildcats got much of what they wanted offensively, but would still lose to a Mountaineer team that understood what plays to run to exploit the Wildcats' help defense. As Blue and White defenders collapsed on the Billiken with the ball driving the lane (or at the elbow), the pass would go into the area just vacated by the "help" defender...to a Billiken flashing to the basket or set for a quick three. The Bills converted 14 of 27 three point attempts, far, far to high for any opponent to overcome. It was a game where high rebounding numbers and low turnover rates were marginalized by the extraordinary efficiency offered by the other team.

The bloggers over at VUHoops.com offered a brief recap with player grades while the Nova Blog posted a recap followed by a detailed player critique later. The University site posted their AP wire story. The official boxscore is also posted. The breakdown by halves

Opponent	St. Louis
	1st	2nd	Game
Pace	32.4	31.9	64.3
	Offense				Defense
	1st	2nd	Game		1st	2nd	Game
Rating	105.1	106.5	105.8		117.5	131.6	124.5
eFG%	56.3	50.0	52.9		68.5	60.4	64.7
TORate	15.5	21.9	18.7		12.4	9.4	10.9
OR%	6.7	37.5	22.6		0.0	31.3	17.2
FTA/FGA	41.7	25.0	32.7		7.4	83.3	43.1
FTM/FGA	29.2	21.4	25.0		3.7	54.2	27.5
ARate	75.0	30.8	52.0		64.3	41.7	53.8
Blk%	4.2	7.1	5.8		0.0	4.2	2.0
Stl%	6.1	9.3	7.7		0.0	6.3	3.2
PPWS	1.18	1.09	1.13		1.36	1.25	1.30
2FG%	56.3	52.4	54.1		45.5	53.8	50.0
3FG%	37.5	28.6	33.3		56.3	45.5	51.9
FT%	70.0	85.7	76.5		50.0	65.0	63.6
%2FG	52.9	64.7	58.8		26.3	33.3	30.0
%3FG	26.5	17.6	22.1		71.1	35.7	52.5
%FT	20.6	17.6	19.1		2.6	31.0	17.5

Half Time Adjustments
An anemic 6.7% offensive rebounding rate in the first half was "corrected" to 37.5% in the second half. Realistically that was probably the only way to boost an already good 56.3% eFG%. Ironically the rebounding improved -- but the conversion rate still dropped. A 52.9% eFG% coupled with a 1.13 PPWS should be good enough offensively to chalk up the win. The Billikens however, sliced up Villanova's defense to the tune of a 64.7% eFG% and 1.30 PPWS, numbers that should draw a comment from Ken Pomeroy and others who track those numbers. Villanova's "help defense" was it's own worst enemy in this game. And the frustration manifested by a number of second half chippy fouls (and Darrun Hilliard's quick exit after his fourth foul) suggests the players knew their best efforts were useless to shut down the offense they faced.

Notes & Observations
1. The assist rate drop from first to second half (75.0 to 30.8) is clear evidence that the offense went away from dribble drive to one-on-one breakdown as a response to being down double digits for much of the perod.

2. Maalik Wayns took a whopping 44% of the shots when he was in the game. Given he played 87.5% of the available minutes at one of the guard positions, his high shooting percentage was not a distortion of the minutes. His 49% possession rate, however, tends to reduce Villanova's offense to one dimension. Stop Wayns and the Wildcats stall.

3. James Bell emerged as a legitimate second option on offense. The sophomore wing took 26.5% of the shots when he was on the floor, with a comparable percentage of the possessions. Now one (or both?) of Mouphtaou Yarou or Dominic Cheek must establish themselves as legitimate second/third scoring options. For Yarou that means staying in the game (and game flow). For Cheek it means shooting/scoring more consistently.

4. The staff used a 10 man rotation again. Minute distribution ranged from five (Ty Johnson to 35 (Wayns) minutes, with eight drawing 10 or more minutes.

5. St. Louis was paced by sophomore guard Jordair Jett who came off of the bench to score 19 points on 7-8 (2-2, 5-6) shooting from the floor and 3-6 from the line. Kwamain Mitchell (32.1% Shot%), Cody Ellis (23.5% Shot%) and Rob Loe (43.6% Shot%) were, along with Jett, the offensive mainstays for St. Louis. Mitchell did not convert efficiently however, and Loe played only nine minutes (taking five field goal attempts in that time span).

Up Next... -- Santa Clara will face Villanova in the 3rd place game on Sunday.

Seton Hall Post Game: Value the Ball

?#!?#%!! Not Again...
For the third consecutive game the outcome came down to the last shot. And twice in those three games the ball was in the hands of the opponent. The nightmare scenario was unfolding as Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall's latest 2,000 point scorer had the ball with 0:11 on the clock and 25 points already banked from this game. Hazell-led teams had never beaten the Wildcats, and this was the best chance in his four seasons. Hazell, who had 2,005 points entering the game, will probably almost certainly pass Greg Tynes (1974-78) to become the #3 scorer in Pirate history. But his total stopped at 25 tonight as his last three point attempt careened off the rim and into Dominic Cheek's eager grasp. 60-57 Villanova in a game that was among the strangest of this already strange season. The two teams played the 100th game in a shared tradition that goes back to 1921. Villanova may hold a 63-37 edge, but three of the last four meetings have come down to the last possession.

The Athletic Department website posted the official boxscore and the AP wire story, "No. 15 Villanova Beats Seton Hall, 60-57", lead with freshman James Bell's outstanding shot accuracy, Villanova's appalling turnover spree and the series' century mark. The breakdown by halves...

Opponent:		Seton Hall University
	1st	2nd	Game
Pace	30.4	32.7	63.1
	Offense				Defense
	1st	2nd	Game		1st	2nd	Game
Rating	92.1	98.0	95.2		92.1	88.8	90.4
eFG%	54.3	58.3	56.1		37.1	35.2	36.2
TORate	36.2	33.7	34.9		6.6	15.3	11.1
OR%	45.5	27.3	36.4		25.0	30.0	27.5
FTA/FGA	13.0	77.8	41.5		16.1	51.9	32.8
FTM/FGA	13.0	61.1	34.1		16.1	37.0	25.9
ARate	63.6	66.7	65.0		50.0	55.6	52.6
Blk%	6.5	0.0	4.9		3.2	7.4	5.2
Stl%	16.5	6.3	14.3		3.3	6.1	4.8
PPWS	1.15	1.30	1.22		0.84	0.86	0.85
2FG%	47.1	54.5	50.0		41.2	53.3	46.9
3FG%	50.0	42.9	46.2		21.4	8.3	15.4
FT%	100.0	78.6	82.4		100.0	71.4	78.9
%2FG	57.1	37.5	46.7		50.0	55.2	52.6
%3FG	32.1	28.1	30.0		32.1	10.3	21.1
%FT	10.7	34.4	23.3		17.9	34.5	26.3

Keys to Winning
If your eFG% 56.1% you should win, right? If your opponent's eFG% is 36.1%, you should win by double digits. If you snag 36.4% of your misses while you limit your opponent to 27.5% of his misses you should be looking at a +15 margin of victory. The three point winning margin can be attributed nearly exclusively to a 34.9% turnover rate. Over 1 in 3 Villanova possessions ended in a turnover. Seton Hall turned the ball over on just over 1 in 10 of their possessions. And despite their inability to consistently convert field goal attempts and their inability to rebound effectively against the Wildcats, this game hung on a Jeremy Hazell three point attempt with 0:0.6 seconds left. The Pirates had 17 more field goal attempts (58 to 41) than the Wildcats (twice as many three point attempts 26-13) even though Nova limited the Hall's second chance opportunities.

"It was another ugly game...Pitt was an ugly game...and this one was too" Coach Wright's voice trailed off at the end of his thought. There was a lot to like from the game, but the turnover rate virtually negated strong defensive rebounding numbers (the Hall is ranked #13 in the conference for offensive rebounding rate at 30.7%; Villanova held them to 3% less), strong shot efficiency and excellent shot defense and took the game to the last possession and shot. "Too many three point attempts" were Coach Willard's last words in his unusually brief and subdued post game presser. "What else can he say?" shrugged a writer near me "...at this point in the season he has covered everything..."

Ineffectual Mutterings...
The Wildcats' tempo continues to decline as Nova faced another 2-3 zone defense. For the fourth consecutive game Villanova has played for fewer than the conference average of 65.4 possessions. For this game the 'Cats came in at 63.1 possessions, below their own conference average of 65.5 possessions. The teams were on track for a 60 possession game going into the half, but consistent with previous games, the pace increased in the second half.

With 0:39 on the clock and four fouls apiece on Corey Fisher and Maalik Wayns, the staff went to a "rebound & defense/penetrate & free throw shooter" rotation, subbing Fisher and Wayns out for Maurice Sutton and Isaiah Armwood. Dominic Cheek played the point on five man team that consisted of Pena, Cheek, Sutton, Armwood and freshman James Bell. The freshman, who scored a career-high 21 points on an extraordinarily efficient 7-9 (4-6, 3-3) and 3-3 from the line, paced the Wildcats for the first time in his career. Bell's eFG% was 100% with a PPWS of 2.04. "We stopped Fisher and Wayns, but everyone on that team can score..." replied Coach Willard to a question about Bell's performance.

Bell, born in Plainfield (NJ), grew up in Florida. A few reports speculated on how a Plainfield High School team with a back court of (Villanova-bound) Ty Johnson, (red shirting this season in Pittsburgh) Isaiah Epps and Bell might have fared in NJHSAA play..."He was a sophomore (in high school)...(and) approached us and said 'I want to play for you'..." Coach Wright described how Villanova's recruitment of Bell opened. "We said 'ok, but we have to see you play before we decide (whether to offer a scholarhip)..." "Coach! So what happened?" "We saw him play the next day and offered..."

Ray Floriani, at the game, will add a post later.

Records, Next Up...
Villanova's records stand at 20-6 overall and 8-5 in conference play. The Wildcats have run their string of consecutive 20 (or more) win season to seven, going back to 2004-05. The Pirates records stand at 11-15 and 5-9 in conference play. Seton Hall hits the road for a swing through the Midwest, taking in Marquette next Saturday, and Notre Dame the Saturday following (2/26). Villanova heads West too, out to Chicago to play DePaul on Saturday, then back to Philadelphia to close out the season series with Syracuse on President's Day.

Roster Notes
Corey Stokes did not play, and should per Coach Wright's comments post game, be inactive for two weeks. The objective of the rest is to have him healthy and 100% for the balance of the his playing career at Villanova...most likely the last few games of the season. When the "two week" clock started however, was somewhat ambiguous. When asked if Stokes would be available for the Syracuse game (2/21), Coach Wright replied "...that would be the earliest...". The certainty -- Stokes will not play at DePaul Saturday.