Since Jay Wright arrived at Villanova, the coach has turned the Wildcats into a consistent force in the Big East. The Final Four was nice last year, but with few teams able to match their talent and depth on the perimeter, look for Villanova to reach even higher goals in 2009-2010.
Villanova easily has one of the most dynamic and talented backcourts in the country, especially with the return of Scottie Reynolds, who averaged just over 15 points and more than 3 assists last year, while providing a huge boost to the Wildcats. Reynolds could have easily taken off to the NBA, but instead he will be shooting three-pointers and attacking the basket for one more year at Villanova. As a part-time starter last year, Reggie Redding's versatility was his greatest strength, and although he will miss the first semester due to a suspension, count on him to return in December to grab some rebounds, dish out a few passes, and even block a shot or two. In the interim, Wright will be looking for the two Corey's to get the job done; Corey Fisher is a point guard with a scoring mentality who should be more responsible with the ball now that he is an upperclassman, with Corey Stokes being nearly as effective a scorer while doing most of his damage from outside the three-point line.
After the huge loss of Dante Cunningham – he led Villanova in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots last year – the Wildcats will be looking Antonio Pena as their only seasoned player. The 6-8 junior started 20 games last year, and will now be asked to do much more than his 17 minutes, 5 points, and 4 rebounds per game. The Wildcats expect Pena to step up and steadily play about 25 minutes per game, while providing the Villanova frontcourt the experience it needs.
There is good reason that most recruiting services ranked Villanova's 2009 class as one of the best in the nation, with point guard Maalik Wayns and small forward Dominic Cheek both struggling to find playing time in a crowded backcourt. The real need is under the basket, and that is where Mouphtaou Yarou needs to step in. While the 6-10, 250 pound freshman is physically ready to play in the Big East and should be an animal on the boards, Isaiah Armwood and redshirt freshman center Maurice Sutton will also need to be ready to provide minutes off the bench.
