Villanova Is In A World Of Trouble

I am the type of person who likes to relax and step away from the panic button in times of crisis for my sports teams. Well, consider the Villanova panic button pressed.

They are in a world of trouble. Villanova are a team that are real solid defensively, but their offense has been anywhere between meh to terrible over this stretch of the Big East schedule. Villanova currently sit in 8th place in the Big East and things are not looking to get any easier for the Wildcats, who play at 2nd place Notre Dame and 1st place Pittsburgh to close out the Big East regular season.

From then on, Villanova will go to the Big East tournament. If Villanova can so much as find their way to the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament, I will be amazed. If they can advance further, I will wonder what players suddenly injected themselves with steroids.

I am one who is optimistic, but I will also be amazed if Villanova can make it out of the 1st weekend of the NCAA Tournament. They have fallen so fast, it is unbelievable. They have lost four of their last six games, with the two wins being against Seton Hall and DePaul. Not only that, but Villanova had to hold their breath as Seton Hall missed what would have been a game-tying 3 at the buzzer, AND they needed overtime to beat last place and Big East laughing stock DePaul. Getting Kemba'd at the buzzer like what happened at the start of the Big East is one thing, losing to Rutgers, Providence, St. John's, and Syracuse is another, especially for a team that is supposed to be a Final Four contender.

Corey Fisher has been inconsistent, Pena is afraid to use his size, Yarou going at a rebound half-assed cemented the game for St. John's today, Corey Stokes just came back from injury a few days ago but his offense has not been enough right now.

Honestly, the Fisher/Stokes/Pena era can't end soon enough. They were a 1st round tournament ouster this year, and it is looking like they will suffer the same fate this year. What is really a shame is that there have been times where Fisher has really looked poised and completely taken over games and carried the team on his back, but there are times like the Syracuse game on Monday and the St. John's game today where he is just invisible offensively. And if Villanova has any chance of winning games in March, the offensive invisibility can't happen anymore. This team has potential, but sadly, I think that is all they have. They have been playing poor basketball for a few weeks now, and with the competition only getting tougher, they need a turnaround or else they are doomed.

So yeah, consider the Villanova panic button pushed.