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Starting with exhibition, 'Nova looking to defend

11/05/2015, 6:15pm EST
By Eugene Rapay

Mikal Bridges (above) is hoping his defense and versatility earns him minutes during his redshirt freshman season. (Photo: Tug Haines/CoBL)

Eugene Rapay (@erapay5)
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We have all heard the old adage before, “Defense wins championships.”

Last season, Villanova’s defense boasted a conference-best 60.9 points per game allowed. This time around, head coach Jay Wright showed a bit of concern for his defending Big East champion Wildcats.

“We lost arguably our three best defensive players,” Wright said at the team’s media day last week. “We have to replace three great defensive players. They have a lot of work to do.”

Darrun Hilliard, Dylan Ennis, and JayVaughn Pinkston were key contributors for Villanova on both ends of the court. While mainly appreciated for their efforts on offense (they combined for 1,207 points), they were key pieces in Villanova’s press defense.

They often disrupted passing lanes and showed active hands. Pinkston emerged and even laid down a couple game-saving blocks.

They helped the Wildcats’ put together one of their best seasons in program history, finishing 33-3 overall. Villanova won the Big East regular season and tournament titles, before a disappointing early exit from the NCAA Tournament at the hands of N.C. State.

With Hilliard in the NBA, Ennis now at Oregon, and Pinkston graduated, Villanova will work to fill in the gaps left from their departures.

Despite the losses, Wright remains optimistic.

“We can be a really good team,” he said. “It’s not just replacing the three great players we lost, but it’s also the younger guys stepping up and replacing them with the guys we have.”

The need to emphasize their defensive play has echoed from the team’s most experienced veterans to those with less experience.

This Sunday, at 12 p.m., Villanova hosts Division II Pace University for a preseason exhibition game at the Wells Fargo Center.

It gives Wright and his staff a chance to examine how his team’s defense will look against an opposing team. While the game may not count, it allows for last-minute adjustments heading into the regular season that begins the following Friday night against Fairleigh Dickinson.

Players are already looking forward to it in great anticipation, with hopes to get to prove themselves out on the court. They know that defense will be an integral part to Villanova’s mission and there will be some new faces appointed to bigger roles within the team.

Junior forward Darryl Reynolds has not seen much playing time in his first two seasons, but with Pinkston gone, he is expected to play more minutes. Currently, Reynolds and Daniel Ochefu serve as the only true forwards in the post.

“For me, it’s more about just getting in there and worrying about ‘D’ first,” Reynolds said. “We spent a portion of the preseason breaking things down and now we’re at a point where we are working very hard on our defense and our conditioning.”

Last season, Reynolds averaged a meager 5.4 minutes per game, that number is expected to rise as he steps into a bigger role.

He isn’t the only one anticipating filling a greater position. Mikal Bridges had to wait a whole year before being able to log his first minute of action as a Wildcat.

Bridges was redshirted for his freshman year, and as a result was relegated to being a mere spectator as Villanova captured the Big East crown.

While it was a tough time for the 6-foot-7 forward to endure, he says that it inspired him to focus and work even harder.

“My defense and my length; I think that’s going to be the main thing about me this year,” Bridges said. “It’s what I’ve been working on and getting ready for.”

The emphasis on defense has trickled down to the newcomers on the team. Fordham transfer Eric Paschall will have to sit out this season, but Jalen Brunson (Adlai Stevenson/Lincolnshire, IIl.) and Donte DiVincenzo (Salesianum/Wilmington, Del.)  are impressing their coaches and teammates so far.

While Brunson has grabbed a lot of attention for his scoring and flashy playmaking in the FIBA U-19 World Championships, his play on the other end of the court gets somewhat overlooked.

“A lot of people don’t know he is extremely tough defensively,” Ochefu said of Brunson’s play. “I’m really excited to see him play real games.”

As for the other freshman on the team, DiVincenzo is looking forward to making a name for himself on the court.

“I just want to be ready when he calls on me and to help out the team,” he said. “My biggest strength is using my athleticism on the defensive end and attacking the boards.”

From the veterans to the newcomers, focusing on their defense is something that will be a continuous work in progress. March is a long time away, but when the time comes, they’ll need to be ready to defend their crown.

 


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