Delaware Post Game -- The Juniors

On the Other Hand
In the 78-59 blowout Villanova handed Delaware in late December of last season, a few Blue Hens got a bit chippy at the end. Playing before a mellow crowd in the undersold Wells Fargo Center did not provide the electricity usually associated with Philadelphia's downtown pro venue. Maybe it was the disappointment or maybe it was the fact that the game was uncompetitive virtually from the tip-off, but the Blue Hens, staff and players were unhappy with the experience and made no effort to hide it. This season the game was completely different. The game was scheduled earlier (by a month), the venue a more intimate Pavilion on Villanova's campus and the contest much, much closer. The Hens had a year to focus their frustration and the results showed last night as Delaware still lost by double digits, 79-69, but went down fighting (figuratively speaking), holding the margin to the 8-10 range from the 35:00 mark in. Blue Hen guard Devon Saddler recorded the game-high 27 points on 10-26 (3-10, 7-16) shooting from the court and 2-4 from the line. 'Cat guards Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek notched 21 points apiece, team-high for the host.

The Wildcats took the first 5:52 to jump out to a 14-5 lead, in a tease that hinted at another 20+ win. The flow ground to a halt for the next 5:52 however, as the Blue Hens outscored Nova by a 4-1 margin on an ugly sequence that featured four points on eight possessions by Delaware and one point on seven possessions by Villanova. Though the 'Cats took a 14 point edge into the half-time break, the margin was based on a Villanova 8-3 run in the last 2:21 of the half. The second half featured a 16-6 Delaware run in the first 4:34, and while the two teams did not fall into another high-possession low-scoring funk, the Wildcats were not able to sustain a scoring run that could create the separation necessary to demoralize the Blue Hens. The teams hovered at the ten point margin for much of the last three minutes of play.

My last paragraphs echo the disappointment registered by the bloggers over at VUHoops.com and The Nova Blog, both of whom felt the winning margin should have been greater than 10 points. We should probably shut up; no point in giving Coach Monte Ross more bulletin board material. The University site posted their AP wire story. The official boxscore indicates that Throw Your V's Up blog can tally this one in the 0>10 "Home" column. The blog features an excellent breakdown on how the Wildcats performed in close games last season. The breakdown by halves

Opponent	Delaware
	1st	2nd	Game
Pace	33.3	32.6	65.9
	Offense				Defense
	1st	2nd	Game		1st	2nd	Game
Rating	114.2	125.7	119.9		72.1	138.0	104.7
eFG%	51.9	58.6	55.4		37.9	58.3	49.2
TORate	15.0	15.3	15.2		24.0	15.3	19.7
OR%	27.8	42.9	34.4		30.0	50.0	39.5
FTA/FGA	51.9	27.6	39.3		13.8	8.3	10.8
FTM/FGA	37.0	24.1	30.4		6.9	8.3	7.7
ARate	75.0	66.7	70.4		70.0	64.7	66.7
Blk%	3.7	3.4	3.6		6.9	5.6	6.2
Stl%	3.0	12.6	7.6		18.2	6.0	12.1
PPWS	1.13	1.25	1.19		0.78	1.20	1.01
2FG%	53.3	57.9	55.9		50.0	52.9	51.5
3FG%	33.3	40.0	36.4		15.4	42.1	31.3
FT%	71.4	87.5	77.3		50.0	100.0	71.4
%2FG	42.1	53.7	48.1		66.7	40.0	49.3
%3FG	31.6	29.3	30.4		25.0	53.3	43.5
%FT	26.3	17.1	21.5		8.3	6.7	7.2

Half Time Adjustments
Villanova's first half can be traced to efficient shot (eFG% ) conversion, and tight defense. Note Delaware's 37.9% eFG% (nerves?) combined with low offensive rebounding (30%) and high turnover rate (24%). The Hens had few shot opportunities, and when they shot they neither converted nor did they get many second chances. If Villanova was not as dominant as they were versus Monmouth, they nevertheless converted well, rebounded their misses and did not turn the ball over much. Notice the second half collapse of Villanova's defense. The Blue Hens managed to score 45 points on just over 32 possessions. Last season that would have killed Villanova.

Notes & Observations
1. The staff started four guards for the fourth straight game (last exhibition plus three regular season games), using Wayns at the point with Bell playing the "#4" and Darrun Hilliard along with Dominic Cheek rotating between the #2 and the #3. Hilliard logged 27 minutes last night, down slightly from the tighter La Salle game. The staff shows a lot of confidence in the freshman, keeping him in the game when the score is closer. A total of 10 players were used, alloted playing time ranging from three minutes (freshman Ty Johnson) up to 36 minutes (Wayns). The three junior starters logged an average of 33.3 minutes apiece, as opposed to the other seven players who average 14.3 minutes apiece...remember Hilliard got 24 of those minutes, while freshman JayVaughn Pinkston played for another 19 minutes.
2. Among the junior starters, Yarou stepped into the "offensive engine" role, taking over 30% of the possessions and 33% of the shots in a very un "Guard U"-like performance. Wayns stepped back and worked on setting up the team a bit more (28% assist rate) while taking about 28% of the possessions and 24% of the shots. His efficiency exploded. Cheek (24% Shot%, 23% Poss%) logged numbers consistent with prior games, again suggesting his role will grow this season and he responded with another efficient scoring night (62.5% eFG%). Yarou was not as efficient, most likely due to turnovers (he had two). Pinkston, the other front court option, had a night of growing pains, going 0-6 from the field with two turnovers.
3. Rebounding was an issue for the first time this season as the 'Cats were outrebounded, 34-36, by the Hens. Note the table above, the big letdown was in the second half, where Villanova allowed Delaware to grab 50% of the Blue Hen misses, about 17% more than the Division I average, and 20% more than usual for Villanova.

University of Delaware post game: Winter Break

An Evening in South Philadelphia
Having agreed to do a Live Blog for Rush the Court, I arrived at the Wells Fargo Center (the arena formerly known as the Wachovia Center...) and, after a quick bite in the Press Room, headed out to the arena. My struggle with WIFI gremlins at the Rock and Madison Square Garden over the past 12 months have made me a bit paranoid. Overly cautious perhaps, I now pack a netbook in case the laptop and arena WIFI are not on speaking terms. With about an hour to go however, the press area (behind the baskets at the South end of the arena) was not yet assembled. "Give us another 10 minutes" Villanova's SID requested. He explained there was a "water problem". The WFC definitely felt different, as if everyone was a half hour or so behind schedule, or just moving more slowly as the fall semester was winding down. Was the hustle and energy that marked the start of the season settling into a rhythm perhaps? For the first half of the game, though the pace was a surprisingly brisk 37 possessions, both the Blue Hens and the Wildcats played as if they too were caught in the post semester slow down. Only in the last 10 minutes of the game did the two teams seem to approach the task before them with a sense of urgency.

The Athletic Department website posted the official boxscore and the AP wire story, "Double Figures Help No. 10 Villanova Route...", noted the scoring distribution. The breakdown by halves...

Opponent:	University of Delaware
	1st	2nd	Game
Pace	36.7	33.6	70.3
	Offense				Defense
	1st	2nd	Game		1st	2nd	Game
Rating	92.6	131.1	111.0		65.4	104.3	84.0
eFG%	51.9	50.0	51.0		26.0	44.8	36.1
TORate	30.0	17.9	24.2		27.2	11.9	19.9
OR%	37.5	43.8	40.6		15.8	26.3	21.1
FTA/FGA	42.3	104.3	71.4		44.0	41.4	42.6
FTM/FGA	26.9	91.3	57.1		44.0	31.0	37.0
ARate	41.7	40.0	40.9		83.3	58.3	66.7
Blk%	11.5	21.7	16.3		8.0	6.9	7.4
Stl%	8.3	15.0	11.5		8.1	11.9	9.9
PPWS	1.09	1.28	1.19		0.79	1.01	0.91
2FG%	52.9	43.8	48.5		33.3	52.6	44.1
3FG%	33.3	42.9	37.5		10.0	20.0	15.0
FT%	63.6	87.5	80.0		100.0	75.0	87.0
%2FG	52.9	31.8	41.0		41.7	57.1	50.8
%3FG	26.5	20.5	23.1		12.5	17.1	15.3
%FT	20.6	47.7	35.9		45.8	25.7	33.9

Favorable numbers get some green highlighting while the troubling stats get the red treatment. Given the lack of urgency in the first half, I was a little surprised to see so many possessions (about 37), the explanation comes with the turnovers (see the red highlight under Villanova's offense above...), the Wildcats had a lot of them in the first half. While not the scorching, NBA-level pace of the La Salle game, it was higher than projected. Villanova played excellent defense and converted their field goal attempts at a defense level. But the turnovers (and the fouls). The game notes say the Hens had four points off of the fast break, while the 'Cats netted a single point. Delaware definitely took away a weapon, but they could not control Villanova's offense all.

Notes & Observations
1. Corey Fisher led the 'Cats with 21 points on overall shooting of 7-13 (2-5 on three pointers, 5-8 on two pointers) and 5-8 free throw shooting. The senior guard had a stat-stuffer night that included five rebounds, six dimes (and five turnovers) and three steals.
2. Three other 'Cats, Corey Stokes (10), Maalik Wayns (16) and freshman James Bell (10) also scored double digit points.
3. Mouphtaou Yarou became the latest recipient of a "teaching moment". Near the end of the game Coach Wright benched Yarou after the sophomore center exchanged words with Delaware's sophomore forward Josh Brinkley as the concluding act of a "more physical" sequence. Brinkley picked up a technical earlier in the half after senior guard Jawan Carter fouled Maalik Wayns on a Villanova fast break. A Hen player went to the floor while Yarou and Brinkley exchanged words. Brinkley picked up the "T", but Yarou was assessed one just a minute later, as he tangled with Carter over a rebound. Coach Wright pulled him right away and played sophomore Maurice Sutton, as he gave Yarou a few minutes to calm down. For the Hens however, the tension remained just below the surface. Carter's attempted steal later in the period went out of bounds, and when the officials ruled the ball was Villanova's, Coach Monte Ross of Delaware disagreed with the officials' call. He strenuously objected to the call and was slapped with a technical as well. Brinkley drew his second technical (and was ejected from the game) about a minute later. Good theatrics perhaps, but with the clock inside of two minutes and the Wildcats' lead in the 15-20 range, the game was all but over.
4. The freshman James Bell had an active game, and appears well on his way to have full recovery.

Coach Wright and James Bell
meet the press

Delaware Post Game -- Hen Pluckin'

Well, Pomeroy Said The 'Cats Were Favored by 29...
...and in an unusual development, the Wildcats actually exceeded the projected winning margin against this mid-major opponent, 97-63. Having won the tip, the Wildcats' Antonio Pena scored a layup at the 19:40 mark of the 1st half that broke a 0-0 tie. And it was downhill from there for the Blue Hens. The Official website posted an AP wire story and (of course) the box score. The breakdown by halves...

Opponent	Delaware
	1st	2nd	Game
Pace	34.8	36.3	71.1
	Offense				Defense
	1st	2nd	Game		1st	2nd	Game
Rating	137.8	135.2	136.5		91.9	85.5	88.6
eFG%	60.9	69.0	64.8		53.7	39.1	45.8
TORate	19.8	16.6	18.0		26.4	16.6	21.0
OR%	46.7	35.7	41.4		21.4	21.7	21.6
FTA/FGA	28.1	41.4	34.4		18.5	25.0	22.0
FTM/FGA	28.1	31.0	29.5		11.1	18.8	15.3
ARate	43.8	47.1	45.5		76.9	40.0	60.9
Blk%	0.0	0.0	0.0		3.7	6.3	5.1
Stl%	3.8	14.0	9.7		11.6	8.2	9.8
PPWS	1.32	1.41	1.37		1.09	0.87	0.97
2FG%	47.4	64.7	55.6		58.8	27.8	42.9
3FG%	53.8	50.0	52.0		30.0	35.7	33.3
FT%	100.0	75.0	85.7		60.0	75.0	69.2
%2FG	37.5	44.9	41.2		62.5	32.3	47.6
%3FG	43.8	36.7	40.2		28.1	48.4	38.1
%FT	18.8	18.4	18.6		9.4	19.4	14.3

Only the George Mason, Drexel and Temple games saw the Wildcats get fewer possessions. Slowing it down appears to have worked well against the Hens as the Wildcat shooters had their most accurate night since Penn (note the gree highlighting in the table), and their most dominant night on the defensive boards since Fairleigh Dickinson (see green highlight above).

Half-time Adjustments
Though leading by 16 at the break, Villanova's shot defense was not working particularly well as Delaware managed to shoot 10-17 inside the arc (58.8% -- note the red highlight above). Note that while the Hen's were shooting well (from inside the arc anyway), their efficiency was not particularly good because they were turning the ball over (23%), not rebounding their misses (21.4%) and not getting to the line for additional scoring opportunities (18.5%). A rare case where good shot efficiency was completely negated by inefficiency in the other 3 areas of offense and defense. At the break the 'Cats figured out how to shut down the Hens' inside scoring. The Hens had to look outside for more shots. While Delaware improved their conversion rate (30% to 35.6%), the difference did not keep up with their 1st half 2 FGM numbers (35.6 for 3 FGMs is equivalent to a 53.6% conversion rate for 2 FGMs).

Notes & Observations
1. Scottie Reynolds moved 22 points closer to the 2000 point career mark, as he has logged 353 points so far this season, ahead of marks from his previous 3 seasons. His per game average to date, 17.3, is the best in his career, for this point in (12 games into) the season.
2. Taylor King broke out of a mild scoring slump, hitting 5-8 (1-3, 4-5) and 8-8 for 19 points. King also grabbed 12 rebounds (6-6-12), making this the 1st double-double of his collegiate career. And he did all of that in 23 minutes of play. King has to be an early favorite for a 6th man award, as he seems to be instant energy off the bench.
3. Corey Fisher had another mediocre night from the field, shooting 4-10. He did however, go 2-4 from beyond the arc, nail all 4 free throw attempts, grab 5 rebounds (love the rebounding guards...) and dish 4 assists with no turnovers. So it was not a bad night overall for the junior guard.
4. Reggie Redding is back. With a vengence. The swing man went 6-7 from the field, (1-2, 5-5) and nailed all 3 of his free throw attempts for a 16 point night. That translates to a 1.90 PPWS and a 92.9% eFG%. That's not a typo. Reggie grabbed 6 rebounds (love those rebounding guards), dished 2 assists (against a turnover) and had a steal to boot. Redding is not a 1st option on offense, but he seems to often be the 3rd choice. He logged 30 minutes of play.

Ref Notes
Bernard Clinton, Mike Kitts and (Coach Calhoun's favorite...) Wally Rutecki made up the referee crew. They must have been in the holiday spirit; they were restrained with their whistles. While the number of fouls called, 38, was on the low side, it was still within the "normal range" for Villanova home games. The number of free throw attempts (34) was, however (for both teams) lighter than expected for the number of fouls called. That accounts for Villanova's relatively low FTA/FGA rate for this game (see the half splits above). All three referees have worked Villanova games in prior seasons, but for Clinton and Kitts, this was their first Villanova game of the 2010 season. Wally Rutecki worked the Penn game back in November.

Roster Notes
1. Maurice Sutton was DNP with an upper respiratory problem. He should be ready for Marquette on January 2nd.