Big East Bummer (Game) @ Wells Fargo Center: AP #10 Creighton Bluejays Bludgeon Villanova Wildcats in South Philly

 (You might be asking & saying…)

 “Bludgeon(-ed)? Villanova lost by 2 (and) after Creighton’s Trey Alexander nailed the go-ahead bucket with just 0.2 seconds-left. The ‘Cats weren’t smoked?!” 

Perhaps you’re right. Then again, Creighton waltzed into Villanova’s gym and embarrassed the Wildcats right out of the gate. Storming out to a 12-zip lead in the game’s opening 3 minutes, the Bluejays were only getting started; continuing to pile on and seizing a 24-3 lead minutes later that eventually ballooned to a 24-point advantage, 32-8, over ‘Nova at the midway point of the first half. For ‘Nova Nation, stomaching Creighton’s 12-nothing lead felt like a walk in the park. In other words, the 2023-‘24 Villanova Wildcats have started a lot of their games (-off) miserably; digging themselves into very early, double-digit holes so many times now that they don’t even bat an eye to it. While they have battled back in many of their games this season, such efforts have come up short more often than not (against UConn, Marquette, & Creighton to name a few); not to mention the fact that this troubling trend is a sign of a larger problem. Only a fool would think the ‘Cats’ early-game struggles are coincidental.

Sure, Kyle Neptune, Villanova, and ‘Nova Nation can pat themselves on the back for (only losing to Creighton by 2 PTS; &) their resilient nature; but when you’re down-big in any game it’s easy to accept your circumstances and play free, loose, and confident from that point on. Once you’ve come to terms with the fact that losing is a very real possibility, it’s amazing how quickly things can change for the better. The trick is accepting these conditions in the proper time frame; (or) before the game begins. Otherwise, you may be fearful, indecisive, lack confidence, or play tight during the game. Truthfully, this isn’t a unique phenomenon; it’s just part of being a competitor. Unfortunately, the 2023-‘24 Villanova Wildcats’ roster is chock full of physically gifted players who are still learning how to compete. 

Thanks to the ever-expanding transfer portal, legendary NCAA Division 1 coaches like Jay Wright and Nick Saban are no longer with us. Meanwhile, these ex-coaches (former-) teams, in addition to many other proud programs across the nation, have continued to operate at the mercy of a morally bankrupted system that has not one minute for programs that value the sanctity of competition through their established culture, identity, accountability (-measures), continuity (on rosters), and commitment to one another. The result? Too many transfer-driven teams that are (also) similar to the 2023-‘24 Villanova Wildcats. As rosters like Villanova struggle to retain (their) players in an era where constant turnover is the norm, achieving roster continuity has become more of a dream than a realistic expectation. Nowadays, more teams than ever before are being plagued by culture, chemistry, character, togetherness, and identity-related problems. If you don’t believe me, take a look at what’s happened to the (17-14) Villanova Wildcats; the same program that won the 2016 & 2018 national championships. 

In any event, today’s Wildcats still have a ton to play for. Even though Villanova squandered their opportunity to punch their ticket to the 2024 NCAA Tournament by losing to Creighton this weekend, it was a heck of a game, and the ‘Cats haven’t relinquished control of their own fate yet. Yes, the ‘Cats somehow managed to tie this game at 67 in the game’s closing stages; but the ‘Cats’ performance in the game’s first 12 minutes was so sad it almost felt like Creighton threw them a bone towards the end of the first half. Lucky to be down by just 11 points at half, ‘Nova looked like the far inferior team, and if it hadn’t been for Eric Dixon and Justin Moore the ‘Cats would’ve lost this game by at least 20 points.

Poor Eric Dixon (25 PTS) and Justin Moore (17 PTS). While ‘Nova’s TJ Bamba and Mark Armstrong were able to prove they weren’t entirely absent from the game’s proceedings via 9-points apiece, they didn’t give Dixon and Moore enough help; handling the ball to such a high degree that the ‘Cats needed more from them in order to beat the Bluejays. As for the ‘Cats’ (3) remaining transfers, Lance Ware, Tyler Burton, and Hakim Hart played a combined 48 minutes and scored just 2 points against Creighton.

During Jay’s day at ‘Nova, he would’ve responded to the ‘Cats’ early struggles against Creighton a lot differently than Kyle Neptune chose to. Trying to appear as if he’s (still) in-control when things are spiraling out of control on the court, Neptune refuses to get angry when his team is getting manhandled; maintaining a nervous, but stoic demeanor that’s less effective than he thinks it is.

Plainly, Jay Wright would’ve challenged his players; angrily getting in their faces and leaving them virtually no choice but to respond appropriately. Or, he would’ve subbed out all 5 players on the court; which is precisely what happened when his team would be playing so badly it would blow his mind. Kyle Neptune? He didn’t get into anyone’s face and he didn’t challenge anyone. Instead, the 39-year-old (head coach) touched his beard, kept his cool, and watched his team’s bad start snowball into a really bad start and, eventually, a horrendous start (until it was 32-8).

While a lot of good things did happen for Villanova in the closing minutes of the first half and beyond that point, it’s hard to look past the fact that they were trailing by more than 20 points ten minutes into the game. At this point in the season, the ‘Cats have less poise than they should. 

Dump it. Time to move on-to the Big East Tournament @ Madison Square Garden. 

Let’s Go ‘Nova.