Deja Vu? Maybe Not.
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Here we go again, another team climbing to the top of the ranks on the shoulders of their guards. We have seen this before. Illinois did it last year and Villanova would win the award right now for best impersonation. Ray and Foye are monsters and I heard somewhere that Lowry might be better then both of them once he reaches his potential. Can the Wildcats win it all though? The Illini lost the championship game last year because they got out rebounded and out played underneath by Sean May and the Tar Heels. How can the Wildcats actually compete with a team that boasts a better frontcourt then Will Sheridan.
Well, for one, they knocked off the Huskies. This alone should put them at number 1 considering that Uconn was the previous number 1 who beat Georgetown who beat Duke who is currently number 2 when they were number 1. Follow that? I hope so. But another test for the Wildcats will come on Sunday when the host the aforementioned Hoyas. The Hoyas have one of the biggest frontcourts in the nation that is presently leading their charge to be the best in the Big East. Then they’ll have to face the vengeful Huskies again on Feb 26th. These 2 games alone will tell you all you need to know about Villanova can handle the ball underneath. Then who knows who they’ll see in the BE Tourney.
But by then it may not matter. Everything could change. Villanova was ranked #4 in the preseason in large part to Curtis Sumpter. Once he went down, much hope was lost for the Wildcats to contend for a national championship. But they continued to play hard and they continued to win. Now with only a few weeks of regular season left, the Wildcats may be getting their biggest puzzle piece back. The Hartford Courant is reporting that Sumpter may return in time for the BE Tourney in March. "I'll make my decision within the next two, three weeks," Curtis told a reporter over the phone.
If he returns this season, it will be very interesting to see what happens. Can he jump right in with out missing a beat or will he knock the wheels off the wagon? He has been working hard to get back in to playing shape since he started rehab. If he can play a few games before the NCAA Tournament gets under way, I’ll be putting Villanova at the top of my brackets this year. I watched the Illini go down last year, but Illinois never had a forward like Curtis Sumpter.
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