No matter who starts this game, Villanova will have to rely on role players to step up against St. John’s.
Happy Game Day Nova Nation! We’re all on ankle watch today as Gillespie, Moore, and St. John’s Posh Alexander are all considered game time decisions after suffering ankle injuries last week. Moore’s had about a week to recover, while Gillespie and Alexander are each just days removed from their injuries. All eyes will be tuned in to see who’s in the starting lineup tonight when the ball tips in Madison Square Garden at 8:30PM ET on FS1.
But even if Villanova is without their star guards, nothing changes from a mentality standpoint for the Wildcats. Nova has always gone by the philosophy of “Next Man Up”, and tonight I expect that to be fully on display.
We started seeing it in the last game without Justin Moore. Caleb Daniels slid into the starting role while Chris Arcidiacono saw a significant increase in minutes. Without Gillespie and Moore, Arch is Villanova’s next best ball distributor by the numbers. Outside of the two starters, he’s the only other player on the team with a Turnover Rate under 15 (14.8) and an Assist Rate over 12 (13.4). Daniels is much more of a scoring threat, having the team’s second highest turnover rate (17.9) and worst assist rate (7.9). Longino, aside from being a freshman, also has by far the highest Turnover Rate (35.6). Antoine doesn’t turn the ball over, but he also has the team’s second worst assist rate after Daniels (8.8).
Actually, I wouldn’t be shocked if we see the offense in this game run almost exclusively through Dixon and Samuels in the paint. After Arcidiacono, those two actually have the best ball distribution numbers in terms of efficiency. It also helps take away St. John’s defensive strength of pressuring the perimeter.
No matter how they attack in the half court though, the key in this game will be inbounding and handling the full court pressure. It’s not something Nova’s been known for, and certainly not without arguably their two best ball handlers. Throw the numbers out the window, someone who normally comes off the bench is going to have to play a much bigger part tonight for Villanova to secure the victory.
In other news…
Villanova at St. John’s
Collin Gillespie and Justin Moore are ‘game-time’ decisions for Villanova | The Inquirer
Gillespie suffered a “severe” ankle sprain Saturday against Connecticut.
St. John’s relying on Dylan Addae-Wusu in make-or-break week | New York Post
With Alexander’s status up in the air after suffering a right ankle injury in Saturday’s come-from-behind win over Butler, Addae-Wusu could be St. John’s starting point in this make-or-break week.
St. John’s vs Villanova: preview, recap of the first matchup, and prediction | Rumble In The Garden
St. John’s takes on a tough Villanova team in a rematch at the Garden.
NBA Wildcats
“Ohhhh, That Kyle?”- Jimmy Butler Trolls Kyle Lowry After Miami Heat’s Blow Out Victory Over Washington Wizards | Sportsmanor
Jimmy Butler was seen having fun with Lowry’s name after the Heats 21 point win against the Washington Wizards.
“Mikal Bridges anchors the Suns defense way differently than Draymond Green does for the Warriors”: JJ Redick breaks down 4th year guard/forward’s impact on the NBA’s best team this season | The SportsRush
JJ Redick and Tommy are back for an in-person front-of-show as they discuss Mikal Briddges & the Defensive Player of the Year award candidates.
Big East
Seton Hall to face 3 straight top-25 opponents, providing opportunities to boost NCAA Tournament résumé | nj.com
Seton Hall will Xavier, Villanova and UConn in the next 10 days, providing plenty of opportunities to help their NCAA Tournament cause.
Lewis trusts the process, building a case for BIG EAST Player of the Year | Marquette Wire
When redshirt first-year forward Justin Lewis saw all but two of his teammates from the 2020-21 season leave the program after the head coaching change from Steve Wojciechowski to Shaka Smart, he could have easily done the same. Wojciechowski recruited Lewis, who is from the same city of Baltimore, Maryland. After just one turbulent year…
PC men’s basketball ranks 11 NCAA polls; URI, Bryant, Brown news | Providence Journal
Providence College’s ranking in the AP Top 25 national men’s college basketball poll rose four spots. More news from URI, Bryant and Brown.
Advice For Fans Of Providence, The Luckiest Team In College Basketball | Barstool Sports
Did I throw that headline in there because Providence fans will 100% get mad at it? Yes, of course. They don’t want to be called lucky. Let me tell you guys, embrace it. That’s my advice. Luck is part…
‘What’s the matter with them?’ Anonymous coaches dish on the ACC, Big 12, Big East: Hoop Thoughts – The Athletic
Men’s college basketball is starting to get serious, and you know what that means: It’s time to beef up our inside game.
Villanova Women’s Basketball
What Villanova coach Denise Dillon says about UConn women’s basketball: ‘Tradition of excellence’ | CT Insider
The former Wildcat is in her second season coaching Villanova and prepares to face UConn…
Maddy Siegrist Named BIG EAST Player of the Week | Villanova University
NEW YORK — The BIG EAST Conference today announced its weekly award winners and Villanova junior forward Maddy Siegrist (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) was named the league’s
Philly D1 Women’s College Basketball Weekly Awards and Review | Philly College Sports
Siegrist turned in two 30-point games, and her third consecutive. She scored 34 points in the win over St. John’s and 32 points and 14 rebounds in the Georgetown game.
Villanova Athletics
Wildcats Open Jill Batcheller Era Against William & Mary Saturday | Villanova University
Villanova, Pa. – The Villanova women’s lacrosse program enters the 2022 season under the guidance of new head coach Jill Batcheller. She takes over the program
Paige Rauch Earns Third Team Preseason All-America Honors From Softball America | Villanova University
VILLANOVA, Pa.—It is finally game week for Villanova as the 2022 season is set to commence later this week another preseason honor has rolled in for graduate pitcher/utility
Villanova University
Penn, Villanova students to compete in ‘Jeopardy! National College Championship’ | PhillyVoice
Mehek Boparai, of the University of Pennsylvania, and Mitch Macek, of Villanova University, will compete in the ‘Jeopardy! National College Championship’ this month. The tournament begins at 8 p.m. Tuesday on ABC and is available to stream the following day on Hulu. The winner gets a $250,000 grand prize.