2008–09 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team
Encyclopedia
The Villanova Wildcats
had a 22–13 (9–9) record in the 2008 season. Their season resulted in a trip to the Final Four, with their last second win over the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Elite 8.For the 2008–09 season, Villanova returned all but one from their entire roster that made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. That squad with no seniors, lost 6 of 7 games during a 3-week span in the middle of the season, but came back to make the NCAA tournament.
The 2008–09 schedule includes playing Texas in the Jimmy V. Classic, 18 Big East contests, competing in the Philly Hoops Group Classic (against Niagara, Monmouth, Townson and either Penn State or Rhode Island), and games against a trip to Albany, Fordham, Houston Baptist, & Navy.
On December 1, 2008, Cassiem Drummond announced his intention to transfer out of the Villanova basketball team.
| colspan="7" style="padding-left:10px;" | Overall Recruiting Rankings: Scout
– NR Rivals
– NR ESPN
– NR
|}
The Villanova-Pitt game on January 28, 2009 was the last game to be held at the Wachovia Spectrum
which drew a crowd of 17,449.
The Wildcats finished perfect this year at the Pavilion. Villanova's 25 regular-season wins tied a school record. It had been done three times before, but not since 1950–51.
During the 2009 Big East Awards Ceremony, head coach Jay Wright
was named the 2009 Big East Coach of the Year. He has won the award twice during the past 4 years. Villanova senior forward Dante Cunningham was named the Big East's Most Improved Player, and sophomore guard Corey Fisher won the Sixth Man Award. All-Big East. Cunningham, a senior forward, won second-team honors on the all-Big East team, while junior guard Scottie Reynolds took honorable mention.
– Head Coach
Patrick Chambers
– Associate Head Coach
Doug West
– Assistant Coach
Jason Donnelly – Assistant Coach
Villanova Wildcats men's basketball
This is the article about the men's basketball team from Villanova University. The team has competed since the 1920–21 season. Nicknamed the "Wildcats", Villanova is a member of the Big East Conference and the Philadelphia Big Five. The Villanova Wildcats have appeared in the NCAA...
had a 22–13 (9–9) record in the 2008 season. Their season resulted in a trip to the Final Four, with their last second win over the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Elite 8.For the 2008–09 season, Villanova returned all but one from their entire roster that made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. That squad with no seniors, lost 6 of 7 games during a 3-week span in the middle of the season, but came back to make the NCAA tournament.
The 2008–09 schedule includes playing Texas in the Jimmy V. Classic, 18 Big East contests, competing in the Philly Hoops Group Classic (against Niagara, Monmouth, Townson and either Penn State or Rhode Island), and games against a trip to Albany, Fordham, Houston Baptist, & Navy.
On December 1, 2008, Cassiem Drummond announced his intention to transfer out of the Villanova basketball team.
Class of 2008
|-| colspan="7" style="padding-left:10px;" | Overall Recruiting Rankings: Scout
Scout.com
Scout.com is an integrated sports publishing company that produces both an Internet and print product. Scout has more than 2.1 million visitors...
– NR Rivals
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
– NR ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
– NR
|}
Roster
| Villanova Basketball 2008–09 Roster |
|||||
| G/F | 22 |  |
Dwayne Anderson Dwayne Anderson Dwayne Anderson, Jr. is a former American college basketball player who most recently played for BG Göttingen in German Basketball League. He played as both a forward and a guard at Villanova University in Pennsylvania.-Early life:... |
SR | Washington, DC (St. Thomas More) |
| F | 20 | |
Shane Clark | SR | Philadelphia, PA (Hargrave Military Academy) |
| G | 4 | |
Jason Colenda | SO | Fairfax, VA (Bishop O'Connell) |
| F | 33 | |
Dante Cunningham Dante Cunningham Dante Cunningham is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Charlotte Bobcats. Dante was drafted in the second round of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA... |
SR | Silver Spring, MD (Potomac) |
| G | 10 | |
Corey Fisher Corey Fisher Anthony Guy Corey Fisher is an American professional basketball player. A point guard, he attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania. Fisher decided on Villanova due to its combination of athletics and academics. Fisher played high school basketball for St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, New... |
SO | Bronx, NY (St. Patrick's, NJ) |
| C | 3 | |
Maurice Sutton | FR | Upper Marlboro, MD (Largo HS, MD) |
| F | 0 | |
Antonio Pena | SO | Brooklyn, NY (St. Thomas More) |
| G | 15 | |
Reggie Redding | JR | Philadelphia, PA (St. Joseph's Prep) |
| G | 1 | |
Scottie Reynolds Scottie Reynolds Scottie Reynolds is an American professional basketball player who will play for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters of the Philippine Basketball Association. The Huntsville, Alabama native played for Villanova University in the Big East Conference of the NCAA... |
JR | Herndon, VA (Herndon) |
| G | 24 | |
Corey Stokes Corey Stokes Corey Stokes is an American basketball player, formerly for Villanova University, best known for his three-point shooting. , he's under contract with Bundesliga club BBC Bayreuth.-High school:... |
SO | Bayonne, NJ (St. Benedict's) |
| F | 42 |  |
Frank Tchuisi | SR | Douala, Cameroon (St. Benedict's) |
| F | 23 | |
Russell Wooten | JR | Chula Vista, California (St. Augustine) |
2008–2009 Season
Before the season began, on October 22, 2008, the Wildcats were selected to finish 5th among the 16 Big East Conference teams in the annual Preseason Coaches Poll at Madison Square Garden. Nova returned all five starters from a 22–13 squad that reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. As part of recent tradition, the 2008 Hoopsmania (an on-campus kickoff of the Villanova Basketball season), included a performance by hip-hop artist T-Pain. Previous artists have included 50 Cent, Tony Yayo and MIMS.The Villanova-Pitt game on January 28, 2009 was the last game to be held at the Wachovia Spectrum
Wachovia Spectrum
The Spectrum, formerly known as the CoreStates Spectrum , First Union Spectrum , and Wachovia Spectrum was an indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
which drew a crowd of 17,449.
The Wildcats finished perfect this year at the Pavilion. Villanova's 25 regular-season wins tied a school record. It had been done three times before, but not since 1950–51.
During the 2009 Big East Awards Ceremony, head coach Jay Wright
Jay Wright (coach)
Jerold Taylor "Jay" Wright, Jr. is an American basketball coach. He is currently the men's coach at Villanova University. He was born in Churchville, Pennsylvania, U.S., and is married to a former Villanova cheerleader...
was named the 2009 Big East Coach of the Year. He has won the award twice during the past 4 years. Villanova senior forward Dante Cunningham was named the Big East's Most Improved Player, and sophomore guard Corey Fisher won the Sixth Man Award. All-Big East. Cunningham, a senior forward, won second-team honors on the all-Big East team, while junior guard Scottie Reynolds took honorable mention.
2009 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2009 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament, a part of the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, will take place in March 2009 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This is the first Big East tournament to include all 16 of the conference's teams. Villanova was able to clinch the 4th spot in the Big East, thus earning the double-bye to the quarterfinals in the tournament.| Date | Opponent | Location | Televised | Time | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
|||||||
| March 12 | Marquette | Madison Square Garden | ESPN | 2:30pm | Win | ||
| March 13 | Louisville | Madison Square Garden | ESPN | 7:00pm | Loss | ||
2008–2009 NCAA College Basketball Rankings
Villanova's rank in the major college polls:| Date | AP Top 25 | ESPN/USA Today |
|---|---|---|
| November 10, 2008 | #23 | #25 |
| November 17, 2008 | #23 | #23 |
| November 24, 2008 | #20 | #22 |
| December 1, 2008 | #17 | #16 |
| December 8, 2008 | #15 | #12 |
| December 15, 2008 | #18 | #15 |
| December 22, 2008 | #18 | #16 |
| December 29, 2008 | #15 | #13 |
| January 5, 2009 | #18 | #17 |
| January 12, 2009 | #23 | #22 |
| January 19, 2009 | #20 | #21 |
| January 26, 2009 | #21 | #21 |
| February 2, 2009 | #17 | #16 |
| February 9, 2009 | #13 | #13 |
| February 16, 2009 | #12 | #14 |
| February 23, 2009 | #10 | #12 |
| March 2, 2009 | #11 | #16 |
| March 9, 2009 | #10 | #13 |
Coaching staff
Jay WrightJay Wright (coach)
Jerold Taylor "Jay" Wright, Jr. is an American basketball coach. He is currently the men's coach at Villanova University. He was born in Churchville, Pennsylvania, U.S., and is married to a former Villanova cheerleader...
– Head Coach
Patrick Chambers
Patrick Chambers
Patrick "Pat" Chambers is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at Penn State University. He was hired on June 3, 2011....
– Associate Head Coach
Doug West
Doug West
Jeffery Douglas "Doug" West is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'7" shooting guard/small forward from Villanova University, West was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the 1989 NBA Draft...
– Assistant Coach
Jason Donnelly – Assistant Coach
2008–09 Schedule and results
| Date | Opponent | rank | Location | Televised | Time | Result | Overall | Conf. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
|||||||||||||||
| November 6 | Northwood (exhibition) | 25 | Wachovia Spectrum | No | W | 75–37 | 0–0 | 0–0 | |||||||
| November 14 | Albany | 25 | Villanova, PA | No | W | 78–60 | 1–0 | 0–0 | |||||||
| November 17 | Fordham | 23 | Villanova, PA | No | W | 107–68 | 2–0 | 0–0 | |||||||
| November 19 | Niagara | 23 | Villanova, PA | ESPNU | W | 77–62 | 3–0 | 0–0 | |||||||
| November 25 | Monmouth | 22 | Villanova, PA | No | W | 71–48 | 4–0 | 0–0 | |||||||
| November 28 | Towson | 22 | Philadelphia, PA (Palestra) | No | W | 64–47 | 5–0 | 0–0 | |||||||
| November 29 | Rhode Island | 22 | Philadelphia, PA (Palestra) | No | W | 78–65 | 6–0 | 0–0 | |||||||
| December 2 | @ PENN | 16 | Philadelphia, PA (Palestra) | No | W | 69–47 | 7–0 | 0–0 | |||||||
| December 4 | Houston Baptist | 16 | Villanova, PA | No | W | 93–57 | 8–0 | 0–0 | |||||||
| December 9 | #6 Texas | 12 | New York, NY (Madison Square Garden) | ESPN | L | 67–58 | 8–1 | 0–0 | |||||||
| December 11 | St. Joseph's | 12 | Villanova, PA | ESPN2 | W | 59–56 | 9–1 | 0–0 | |||||||
| December 14 | @ LaSalle | 12 | Philadelphia, PA (Tom Gola Arena) | ESPNU | W | 70–59 | 10–1 | 0–0 | |||||||
| December 22 | Navy | 16 | Villanova, PA | No | W | 78–68 | 11–1 | 0–0 | |||||||
| December 29 | Temple | 13 | Villanova, PA | ESPNU | W | 62–45 | 12–1 | 0–0 | |||||||
| January 1 | @ #13 Marquette | 13 | Milwaukee, WI | ESPN | L | 79–72 | 12–2 | 0–1 | |||||||
| January 6 | @ Seton Hall | 17 | Newark, NJ | WPHL/SNY | W | 89–85 (OT) | 13–2 | 1–1 | |||||||
| January 10 | #21 Louisville | 17 | Philadelphia, PA (Wachovia Center) | ESPN | L | 61–60 | 13–3 | 1–2 | |||||||
| January 18 | St. John's | 22 | Villanova, PA | WPHL/SNY | W | 76- 57 | 14–3 | 2–2 | |||||||
| January 21 | @ #3 Connecticut | 21 | Hartford, CT | ESPN | L | 89–83 | 14–4 | 2–3 | |||||||
| January 24 | @ USF | 21 | Tampa, FL | WPHL | W | 70–61 | 15–4 | 3–3 | |||||||
| January 28 | #3 Pittsburgh | 21 | Philadelphia, PA (Wachovia Spectrum) | ESPNU | W | 67–57 | 16–4 | 4–3 | |||||||
| February 1 | Cincinnati | 21 | Villanova, PA | WPHL | W | 71–50 | 17–4 | 5–3 | |||||||
| February 4 | @ Providence | 16 | Providence, RI | WPHL | W | 94–91 | 18–4 | 6–3 | |||||||
| February 7 | #20 Syracuse | 16 | Philadelphia, PA (Wachovia Center) | ESPN | W | 102–85 | 19–4 | 7–3 | |||||||
| February 10 | #12 Marquette | 13 | Villanova, PA | ESPN2 | W | 102–84 | 20–4 | 8–3 | |||||||
| February 13 | @ West Virginia | 13 | Morgantown, WV | ESPN | L | 93–72 | 20–5 | 8–4 | |||||||
| February 19 | Rutgers | 14 | Villanova, PA | ESPN2 | W | 82–72 | 21–5 | 9–4 | |||||||
| February 22 | @ #25 Syracuse | 14 | Syracuse, NY | CBS | W | 89–86 | 22–5 | 10–4 | |||||||
| February 25 | @ DePaul | 12 | Chicago, IL | WPHL | W | 74–72 | 23–5 | 11–4 | |||||||
| February 28 | Georgetown | 12 | Philadelphia, PA (Wachovia Center) | ESPN | L | 56–54 | 23–6 | 11–5 | |||||||
| March 2 | @ Notre Dame | 16 | South Bend, IN | ESPN | W | 77–60 | 24–6 | 12–5 | |||||||
| March 5 | Providence | 16 | Villanova, PA | ESPN2 | W | 97–80 | 25–6 | 13–5 | |||||||
| March 12 | #21 Marquette | 13 | New York, NY | W | 76–75 | 26–6 | 14–5 | ||||||||
| March 13 | #5 Louisville | 13 | New York, NY | L | 63–82 | 26–7 | 14–6 | ||||||||
| March 19 | (14) American University | 12 (3) | Philadelphia, PA | W | 80-67 | 27–7 | |||||||||
| March 21 | #17 (6) UCLA | 12 (3) | Philadelphia, PA | W | 89-69 | 28–7 | |||||||||
| March 26 | #5 (2) Duke | 12 (3) | Boston, MA | W | 77-54 | 29–7 | |||||||||
| March 28 | #4 (1) Pittsburgh | 12 (3) | Boston, MA | W | 78-76 | 30–7 | |||||||||
| April 4 | #3 (1) North Carolina | 12 (3) | Detroit, MI | L | 69-83 | 30–8 | |||||||||
See also
- 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball TournamentThe first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....
- 2008–09 Big East Conference men's basketball season2008–09 Big East Conference men's basketball seasonThe 2008–09 Big East Conference men's basketball season was the 30th in conference history, and involved its 16 full-time member schools. Leading up to, during, and following the season, it has been widely regarded as one of the most successful seasons in Big East Conference history, fielding...
- 2008-09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
- 2008-09 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
- List of NCAA Division I institutions