Maturation process vital to Villanova's success

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VILLANOVA, Pa.As the boat winded its way through the canals of Amsterdam, Villanova head basketball coach Jay Wright looked around and marveled at what he saw.

Not only at the sights but also how his players acted as they ate a fancy dinner on a boat tour of Amsterdam during the teams final night of their European trip this past August.

It was probably the type of dinner you go on a date, Wright said with a chuckle. It was almost romantic. But for all of us to be in that classy setting, I was very impressed with the guys maturity. We made a simple toast and ended the trip in a really mature waywhich was, I thought, ironic for a young team.

Perhaps its ironic but it also seems to be just the way it is. And throughout Villanovas media day interviews at the Pavilion on Wednesday, Wright could not stop gushing about how mature his young players have acted since arriving on campus.

If you look on paper, you dont have any seniors and only one sophomore, so you are a young team, Wright said. But I certainly dont want to use that as an excuse, I really dont. Because I think we have a chance to be a good team with our young guys. And thats what impressed me the most about them.

Wright has good reason to be optimistic about this years Wildcats, even if they were picked to finish eighth in the preseason Big East Coaches Poll. Despite graduating Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes and Antonio Pena, the Wildcats have two exceptional players to build around: juniors Maalik Wayns and Mouphtaou Yarou.

And theres more in the cupboard, too. Guards Dominic Cheek and James Bell are poised to have big years in the backcourt alongside Wayns, while 6-foot-11 junior Maurice Sutton, 6-foot-7 redshirt freshman JayVaughn Pinkston and 6-foot-9 freshman Markus Kennedy, among others, will join forces with the 6-foot-10 Yarou in what figures to be one of Novas most imposing frontcourts in years.

This is a really different team for us, said Wright, who, whether fairly or unfairly, been billed as a guards coach. Im really enjoying it. Some times in the past where you make mistakes early in the season, you get burned because youre undersized. But we can make mistakes and recover because of our size.

This is really fun for us a coaching staff. Im really looking forward to what we can do with it. Were gonna have some size for a while.

And, it appears, Villanovas young big men will be getting significant minutes for a while, too. Wright said that both Pinkston and Kennedyalong with freshman guard Darrun Hilliardhave a chance to start, and that fellow rookie guards Ty Johnson and Achraf Yacoubou will likely need to contribute, as well.

Perhaps no freshman will be as important to the teams success as Kennedy, a bulky freshman from Philadelphia who, according to Wright, has already surpassed expectations in terms of his maturity level.

He has a great basketball IQ, the Villanova coach said. He talks on the floor better than some upperclassmen. I think a lot of Philly kids are that way. Usually when kids dont talk theyre not confident in what theyre saying. Hes got a great feel for the game.

Of course, all of the freshmen have acted in that kind of mature fashion, both on and off the court. Some of them got an immediate wake-up call during their August trip to Europe, where they played three national teams filled with professional players and grown men. But they never backed down, and Wright thinks theyll all be ready to get their first taste of college basketball when Villanovas season begins with a home game against Monmouth next Friday night at 7 p.m.

Theyll make some mistakes, Wright said. But I dont think theyre going to be confused or intimidated. Theyll just be young mistakes.

Company at practice
The NBA lockout may be upsetting for a lot of people. Not for Wright.

This lockout, the Villanova coach said, has been awesome for all of us in college basketball.

Thats because with little to do, many NBA coaches and executives have been out to watch Villanovas practicesalmost every other day, Wright saidand then give Wright their impressions on his team.

Its also been rewarding for Villanovas current crop players, who have gotten to practice with guys like Kyle Lowry, Randy Foye and Malik Allenall Nova grads who now make their living playing basketball professionally. And because the NBA season could conceivably start shortly, those guys are giving it their all every practice.

To have our players practicing with us, we may never get this chance again, Wright said. Its the greatest learning experience than Ive ever been a part of in coaching.

If we have a good year, I think that will be a big part of it.

Watching what you eat
After enjoying two terrific seasons at Villanova, Wayns has returned for his junior year poised for even bigger things.

Only now, hes just a little smaller.

Wright told reporters the Nova guard, on his urging, lost about 12 pounds in the offseason.

You can see hes just more defined, Wright said. He was always a thick kid. Hes in great shape. Corey Fisher was like that too. They just have body types where if they eat poorly for a week or so, they can bulk up. So you just have to watch them.

E-mail Dave Zeitlin at djzeitlin@gmail.com.

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