Villanova Basketball: Grading Each Wildcat's Performance Last Week

It was yet another tough week for Villanova basketball, but maybe tougher than most.  It started off with an 87-71 win over DePaul, but it went downhill from there.

Villanova took on top-ranked Syracuse, and although the 79-66 score doesn't seem too one-sided, the Wildcats never got closer than 11 in the second half and spent much of the game down by close to 20 points.

The Wildcats went to Cincinnati on Saturday in search of their first road win, but it was not to be.  Despite putting on a shooting clinic for the first 25 minutes, they couldn't sustain it, finally succumbing 82-78.

The Wildcats did show a lot of guts and heart, and their effort can't be questioned.  They may not play in the postseason this year, but they look like a team on the verge of putting it together.

On to the breakdown of every player's performance last week.

Maalik Wayns, Junior, Point Guard: A

Maalik Wayns was very efficient against DePaul, scoring 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting.  He also added eight rebounds and three assists. 

He didn't have a good game against Syracuse, scoring just three points and missing all seven of his shots.  Really, Syracuse is just a far superior team whose main objective defensively was to stop him from scoring.

He couldn't find good shots, couldn't find openings and had a tough game against the toughest possible team.

On Saturday, Wayns had a game for the ages.  He dropped 39 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and had six assists.  He almost single-handedly carried the Wildcats to a victory.

He is still shooting too many threes, and he missed his last five attempts on Saturday.  In all, Wayns is starting to develop into the leader Villanova needs.

Mouphtaou Yarou, Junior, Center: B

Mouphtaou Yarou doesn't have a basketball background, and it sometimes shows very clearly.  He is shaky catching the ball and looks very indecisive at times once he has it.

What he lacks in experience, he makes up for with raw talent.  While not the most athletic player, he has great footwork and a very soft shooting touch.

Last week, Yarou averaged a double-double, averaging 11.7 points and 10.0 rebounds per game.

He has room to grow and improve, and if he does, he could really help turn the Wildcats around.

Dominic Cheek, Junior, Guard/Forward: B-Minus

Dominic Cheek has struggled in his first season being relied upon to score. 

When his shot is falling, he can drop 25 on any given night, and when it's not, he just starts to look lost.

He does, however, play tough perimeter defense every minute he is on the floor; he attacks the glass and is a very active player.

He also had one of his most productive weeks, averaging 17.0 points per game and hitting double figures in all three games.

When his shot was falling in the first half in Cincinnati, Villanova was a different team, but the second half was not kind to his jumper, and it showed as they scored just 33 second-half points.

James Bell, Sophomore, Guard: C-Plus

Bell has seen a dip in his minutes recently, but he is still providing energy and toughness off the bench.

He sometimes tries too hard, leading to mistakes, but what he brings to the court is very valuable for the Wildcats.

Bell played a total of 41 minutes last week—going 4-of-6 from the field and 3-of-5 on threes—for 14 points, while adding seven rebounds.

If he can become a consistent shooter and ball-handler, Bell could be what Dwayne Anderson was to Villanova's Final Four team in 2009.

JayVaughn Pinkston, Freshman, Forward: B-Plus

For a struggling Villanova team, the emergence of JayVaughn Pinkston could be a game-changer. 

Pinkston looked very timid over the first month-and-a-half of the season, but he is really turning up the heat.

Last week, Pinkston had perhaps his most impressive performance of the season against Syracuse.  Going against a tough interior defense, Pinkston attacked it without blinking.

Against DePaul, he had 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting.  He also made five of his six free throws.

He played just 19 minutes, but he scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds and blocked a shot.  Most encouraging was how his offense changed the momentum of the game for about five minutes, as the 'Cats went on a 15-4 run.

He had a little trouble at Cincinnati, fouling out with six points.  He did add five rebounds and three assists.

Markus Kennedy, Freshman, Center: C

After showing so much promise in his first three Big East games, Markus Kennedy appears to have hit a wall.

Going against Big East big men every night is no small task, especially as a freshman.  Kennedy scored just 11 points with 16 rebounds last week on 39 percent shooting.

His production is down, but his skills are still evident.  He gets good position on the block, is a great interior passer and knows when to pass out of a double-team, evidenced by his four assists against DePaul.

Once he has a full season under his belt, he will be a force.

Ty Johnson, Freshman, Point Guard: B

Ty Johnson played just five minutes at Cincinnati because the Wildcats needed more size on the floor, but Johnson is another young player who is showing signs of improvement.

Against DePaul, Johnson got the start and scored seven points while dishing out five assists and grabbing four rebounds.

He scored eight points with five rebounds against Syracuse, knocking down a couple threes in the first half while it was still close.

Johnson has shown some shooting touch, along with some skills to get to the basket or set up his teammates.  He is coming off a broken foot before the season started, so once he is 100 percent, he could help take some pressure off Maalik Wayns.

Jay Wright, Coach: B-Plus

This Villanova team is starting to resemble the 2003-04 team. 

Allen Ray, Curtis Sumpter and Randy Foye were all sophomores, in their first season as "the guys" on the team.  The leading scorers on the team, they averaged 17.3, 14.3 and 13.5 points per game respectively.

Ray shot 44 percent from the field, Sumpter 49 percent and Foye 39 percent. 

Wayns, Yarou and Cheek?  They averaged 17.8, 12.6 and 12.2 points, respectively.  Wayns shoots 41 percent, Yarou 51 percent and Cheek 40 percent from the field.

It is eerily similar except for three-point shooting.  The earlier team shot 36 percent from deep, and this one shoots just 31 percent.

The 2003-04 team went on to do great things, and there is hope that this team can eventually do the same.  Wright has been here before, and he knows how to navigate this terrain.  The most important thing in times like this is not to lose the team and lose the effort. 

That is the one thing you can count on every night from this group.