The 2007-08 season will be a very exciting one for the wildcat fans. Villanova has an extremely young core led by Sophomore point guard Scottie Reynolds and Freshman point guard Corey Fisher. Villanova has no seniors this year but they have a lot of experience in the starting lineup compared to other teams in the Big East.
The Wildcats have three freshman coming in this season. They are Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes, and Malcolm Grant. The most notable of these is Corey Fisher. Fisher attended St. Patrick's in Elizabeth, New Jersey, a powerhouse in high school basketball. Fisher is an elusive guard who really knows how to get to the basket and work the offense. Fisher was nicknamed Fisher-Price because he toys with people.
Corey Stokes is also a New Jersey native. He is a 6'5” shooting guard with a deadly shot. He played his high school ball at St. Benedict's in Newark, New Jersey. According to Villanova Head Coach Jay Wright, Stokes is the best pure shooter he has ever recruited. Stokes and Fisher were good friends in high school and they dominated their league.
Malcolm Grant is probably my favorite of the newcomers because of his aggressiveness and awareness of the game. Grant is a 6'3”, hard-nosed, tough guard from Winchendon, Massachusetts. I think Grant will play a big part in this season and he will give them good depth at guard.
A player who will play a big part this season is Dante Cunningham. Cunningham is a 6'8” power forward with length. Cunningham is a junior and has played the most out of any of the other juniors. Villanova only has one other true post player who will have significant playing time in Casiem Drummond. Drummond is a 6'10”, 275 pound center. Drummond is an excellent rebounder. Cunning and Drummond will be very important for the wildcats this season especially with the dominant big men in the Big East Conference.
The Big East is what I think the toughest conference in the country. Many people think that the Pac-10 is the toughest but the Big East has more depth than the Pac-10. The Pac-10 has about six teams that are locks to get into the NCAA Tournament. The Big East has probably nine or ten teams to get into the big dance. I think Villanova might struggle in the beginning of January because of their lack of experience, but they will finish strong at the end of the season.
I see Villanova finishing fifth in the Big East and losing in the sweet 16. I think their lack of depth at the post positions will hurt them a lot. I think what will get them to the sweet 16 is the exceptional guard play they seem to have every year. I do not expect a huge run this because of the experience factor, but this team should be one of the top teams in the country in years to come.
