The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper The Spokesman-Review
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
Current Temperature
59°F
Current Conditions
Overcast clouds
View complete weather report

Color Scheme

Subscribe now

‘Nova keeps guards up

Kyle Lowry (1) and Villanova have won 10 straight games, utilizing a quick four-guard lineup. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press
Kyle Lowry (1) and Villanova have won 10 straight games, utilizing a quick four-guard lineup. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

Turns out opponents aren’t the only ones having problems handling Allan Ray and Randy Foye. The two Villanova guards do quite a number on each other in practice.

“It got to a point where coach didn’t want me and Randy to guard each other anymore,” Ray said. “He had to move us on to different guys. It’s just so intense, the guards going at each other in practice. It’s just brutal.”

Those kinds of efforts are best reserved for game days, where Ray and Foye, along with Mike Nardi and Kyle Lowry, have given the fourth-ranked Wildcats (21-2, 11-1 Big East) more than a unique four-guard starting lineup. They’ve returned the Wildcats to national prominence and given them a legitimate shot at the national championship.

The four guards range from 6-foot to 6-4, which gives hope to teams with a beefy frontcourt that they can exploit the absence of a true big man and choke off the lane to prevent penetration.

Instead, the Wildcats have simply proven too quick to cover man-to-man, and they shoot too well to use a zone. Someone is always hot, so stopping one or two of those undersized stars leaves two others to thrive.

(2) Duke 92, Miami 71: At Durham, N.C., J.J. Redick scored 30 points to set the Duke career scoring mark and help the Blue Devils beat the Hurricanes. Redick finished 10 for 15 from the field and hit six 3-pointers for the Blue Devils, passing assistant coach Johnny Dawkins by one point on the all-time list with 2,557 points. That also moved Redick into second place in the ACC career lists, 30 points behind Wake Forest’s Dickie Hemric.

(4) Villanova 75, (17) Georgetown 65: At Villanova, Pa., Randy Foye scored 22 points, Allan Ray had 20 and the Wildcats’ starters scored every point in securing their 10th straight win.

Oklahoma State 81, (6) Texas 60: At Stillwater, Okla., JamesOn Curry scored 22 points as the Cowboys routed the Longhorns.

(14) Illinois 70, Indiana 58: At Champaign, Ill., James Augustine scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Illini over the Hoosiers.

(23) North Carolina 83, Wake Forest 72: At Winston-Salem, N.C., Reyshawn Terry had 24 points, Tyler Hansbrough added 17 and the Tar Heels gave the Demon Deacons their eighth Atlantic Coast Conference loss in a row.