With on-thefly schedule changes, Villanova learning to adapt
If there’s one trait teams must have in this coronavirus-challenged college basketball season, it is the ability to change on the fly, specifically when it comes to the schedule. Flexibility is critical. What was supposed to be a four-day, two-game trip to Connecticut to take part in the 2K Empire Classic at Mohegan Sun Arena has turned into an eightday, four-game adventure for third-ranked Villanova thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Wildcats picked up a game against Virginia Tech Saturday night when Big 5 rival Temple had to shut down for 14 days because of a positive test within its program.
Sunday night, Villanova announced it will stay in “Bubbleville” for a few more days and take on Hartford at 5 o’clock Tuesday afternoon (ESPN2). The Hawks are coached by former Cardinal O’Hara guard John Gallagher.
That game came about when
Saint Joseph’s announced it was pausing basketball activities after a positive test among Tier 1 personnel. The Wildcats and Hawks were supposed to play Wednesday at the Finneran Pavilion. That game was originally scheduled for Monday, but was moved to make room for the Virginia Tech game.
Villanova also was scheduled to play Temple at home on Thursday, but that game was postponed when the Owls shut down.
Initially, the Wildcats were supposed to play the winner/ loser of the Arizona State-Baylorgame inthe secondroundof
the 2K Empire Classic, but Baylor pulled out when head coach Scott Drew tested positive and was replaced by Rhode Island. Villanova defeated ASU for the tournament title after opening with a win over Boston College.
Schedule changes like this are going to be a recurring theme all season.
“I think we’re all going to haveto be readyforthat,” coach Jay Wright said. “With the Baylor situation, we actually got luckybecauseweweren’tscheduled to play Baylor. The two teams that we prepared for, we got to play whereas Arizona State, the day before, was definitely not prepared for Rhode Island. That’s a really good team and a tough team to play.
“Then I think with us and Virginia Tech, we’re trying to do everything we can. Coaches like to have their teams pre
pared, but we’ve actually said toourteamthatthere’sgoingto be some games like this where we’re just going to have to go in and adjust during the game. The BC game was kind of like that for us because they had a lot of graduate transfers that didn’t play there before, so you didn’t know how they were going to play with that team. We had to go into that game saying we’re not really sure what they’re going to do but let’s be ready to adjust. And you could see in the first half, we were not really locked in defensively. By the second half, we did a pretty good job.”
Villanova ended up going 2-1, beating BC (76-67) and the No. 18 Sun Devils (83-74) and falling to the Hokies in overtime Saturday night (80-71).
Those three games, though, were telling.
As expected, the Wildcats have firepower, even with the loss of Saddiq Bey to the NBA, with senior forward Jermaine Samuels struggling to find his offensive rhythm and with the team shooting 69 percent from the free throw line. Forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is averaging 20.0 points per game, followed by guards Collin Gillespie (17.0), Caleb Daniels (15.0) and Justin Moore (12.3).
Daniels, a 6-4 transfer from Tulane, has fit right in. He’s shooting 53 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and has been solid on defense.However,withDhamir Cosby-Roundtree (shin) and Bryan Antoine (shoulder) sidelined by injury, the Wildcats are not as deep as they expected to be.
Wrightbasicallyusedaeightman rotation in Connecticut,
but junior forward Cole Swider was the only player besides the starters (Robinson-Earl, Gillespie, Daniels, Moore, Samuels) to average double-digit minutes. Swingman Brandon Slater and forward Eric Dixon played sparingly.
Wright said that CosbyRoundtree could be out for another month. He did not offer a timetable on Antoine.
“Bryan’s is not as serious but because it’s his shoulder, we’re being conservative,” Wright said. “He has not practiced yet.”
Thegamesalsorevealedthat Villanova has some work to do on the defensive end, especially against dribble penetration. Of the 222 points the Wildcats allowed, 88 were in the paint, including 32 against Virginia Tech. Villanova’s 3-point defense also was lacking in the second half and overtime
against the Hokies. Virginia Tech shot 6-for-9 from deep in the second half to erase a 12-point deficit and 7-for-12 from beyond the arc after halftime.
“They were just a better team tonight,” Wright said of the Hokies. “We did a lot of little things wrong, but I think that was because of the little things they did right, credit to them. We weren’t prepared. They were really good … that’s why you play these early games. And there was a lot. I don’t mean to seem flippant about it, it’s just really true. It’s just defensively, getting beat off the dribble. Offensively, not making the extra pass, free throw shooting, offensive execution, defensive execution, a lot of little things.”