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2008 Villanova Basketball Predictions & Season Preview

Written October 21, 2008 by Jack Jones

The good news for the Villanova basketball team is that they have nearly everyone back from a year ago, but that team only managed to go 27-13 and 9-9 in the conference. The good part of that was how they were able to pick up a couple of wins in the NCAA tournament before losing to the Kansas Jayhawks. The players that head coach Jay Wright has on his roster aren’t going to outscore the offensive powerhouses on their schedule, so they are going to need to be efficient on offense while playing tough defense. If he can get the young talent to buy into that philosophy then this team should head right back to the Sweet 16. BetUS currently has Villanova at 9-to-1 odds to win the Big East.

Wright is going to have plenty of options depending on what he wants to do in the frontcourt. One thing is for certain and that’s Dante Cunningham will see plenty of time no matter the situation. The 6′8″ senior put up 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds last year and plays well at both ends of the floor. Dwayne Anderson was a surprise to end last season, working his way into the rotation and becoming a key player in some of the finishing games. There is also Shane Clark, who had an inconsistent junior season that saw Anderson eat into his playing time. Antonio Pena and Casiem Drummond are a couple of big boys that can bang around with the opposing post players.

On the perimeter you’ll find Corey Fisher playing the point. Even though he averaged 9.1 points per game, the team needs him to shoot the ball better and raise his 35% field goal percentage. Scottie Reynolds is the team’s best scorer at 15.9 points per game last year, but turns the ball over too much. He does work better when he has the ball and can make things happen. Reggie Redding is the best perimeter defender the Wildcats have, but doesn’t do much on the other end. Corey Strokes came in last year as a scorer, but couldn’t elevate his game until the halfway point of the season. I look for him to do a better job as a sophomore.

Final Analysis

Unfortunately for the Wildcats the Big East is loaded with talented teams this year. That means that I have a hard time seeing them being able to compete for the conference title. You will more than likely see them in the upper middle of the pack though, making another NCAA tournament appearance and picking up a few post-season wins. If you want to bet on the Wildcats to win the national title the odds are set at 50-to-1.

Want to make money with your basketball betting from the opening tip through the Final Four? Take a look at the NCAA basketball picks offered by our experts. They study the basketball odds each night and know which ones are worth wagering on.