No smooth ride for Villanova this season
Posted: Monday, November 02, 2009 8:28 AM
Filed Under:
Big East
It’s been 25 years since Villanova staged one of the greatest upsets in sports history.
Well, things have changed.
When the Wildcats staged their “Perfect Upset” of Georgetown in the 1985 NCAA tournament final, they were seeded No. 8 after finishing 19-10 overall and 9-7 in the Big East, tied for third behind the Hoyas and St. John’s.
Elsa/Getty images |
Reggie Redding rebounds against Duke.
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Now, they’re coming off a 30-8 season, a Final Four, have a dynamic freshman class and are picked to win the Big East by the coaches and media.
If they win an NCAA title this season, it’ll be far from an upset.
"There's a real sense of pride here, there really is," coach Jay Wright said in an AP feature. "We've always had it. It's kind of on another level right now. There's also more responsibility that goes with that. We have to maintain that tradition (that previous classes) set. That's where the pressure comes for us, not from the outside."
Still, Villanova’s first test already arrived. Senior guard Reggie Redding – the team’s best defender and perhaps its most versatile player – was arrested this summer and charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
It’s the kind of move that drives coaches nuts. But it also makes the right kind of player crazy. After all, everyone’s made a foolish mistake.
"Of course he was angry, but he didn't yell," Redding said last week. "He didn't have to say much. I knew what I did. It wasn't like I was denying what happened or not accepting the responsibility. I took responsibility from the time that it happened. I knew what I did. There wasn't much he had to yell at me about."
As a result, Redding won’t play until Dec. 19, a 10-game suspension. That means he’ll miss games against Maryland, Big 5 rivals Temple and St. Joe’s and the entire O’Reilly Auto Parts Classic, which could have matchups against Dayton, Georgia Tech or Ole Miss.
Losing Redding for those games isn’t the end, but it means the freshmen either need to grow up quickly or ‘Nova’s going to have some issues. Throw in a Big East filled with teams all at roughly the same level and the Wildcats may be scratching their way to the top.
Maybe this season won’t qualify as a “Perfect Upset,” but it’s not going to be a smooth ride, either.
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