Villanova Can't Stop Skid

Villanova's season ends on 6 straight losses.  They seem to lose every close game possible, finding ways to defeat themselves.  Antonio Pena missed two free throws late and Mouphtaou Yarou missed the front end of a one and one, and George Mason took advantage of Nova's mistakes.  For the first half, Villanova looked like the team at the beginning of Big East play, playing pesky defense and shooting at a high percentage from the perimeter.  However, that lasted only until halftime, as George Mason changed up on defense and Villanova had no response.

Instead of talking about this game, as a student at Villanova, I have no choice, but to look towards next season.  This team will lose three starters: Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes, and Antonio Pena.  The recruiting class isn't the strongest of them all, but it will allow Villanova to build a new culture.  With Mouphtaou Yarou, Isaiah Armwood, Maurice Sutton, and newcomer, Markus Kennedy, Villanova will have a ton of big men, going away from the traditional Guard U teams that Jay Wright has put together.  Jayvaughn Pinkston will be back from his suspension as he also adds size to an already lengthy team.  Maalik Wayns will be in charge of running the offense, which he did a lot this year as well.  Dominic Cheek will possibly be put into the starting lineup, depending on how the incoming freshmen respond early (Tyrone Johnson, Darrun Hilliard, and Achraf Yacoubou).  James Bell will have to work hard this summer to get ready for next season, because he will probably play a big role next year.  He played well in glimpses, but he needs to become more of a consistent perimeter shooter.

Overall, this team will lose three very good players and will have to rely a lot on underclassmen, which may be their downfall.  Wayns will really have to step up for this team to do anything next year, but I still foresee a struggle for the Wildcats.  The loss of Corey Stokes could be the biggest of them all, because there really is no good three point shooter left on the team, unless Pinkston or the Freshmen are successful in their first season.  It's the worst day every year for any sports fan, but we can sit back and enjoy the rest of the NCAA tournament.