The Villanova Update

Yes, I know we lost last week on Sunday. But it was bound to happen one of these days -- the Big East this season is going to be a total war (ask U Conn) and a four point loss at home when our defense barely showed and we saw the usual referee shenanigans down the stretch is understandable, if not acceptable. And Rutgers, which dragged us to overtime, is tougher than people think. Besides, we got another glimpse of the Kyle Lowry who drove UNC nuts last season in the tourney. We need that guy to make more noise in the tournament this season.

I think the turnover problem will be solved, but I'm worried about our team's defensive woes. Rutgers shot 50% the other night as well. It's scary to think what we will be able to do if and when Curtis Sumpter returns.

In the meantime, it looks like Nova basketball is taking off in popularity back home....

This year is different. This year the Eagles were rendered irrelevant long before the ball dropped on the New Year. Since Nov. 14, when Donovan McNabb reinjured his sports hernia as he tried to stop Dallas' Roy Williams from returning an interception into the end zone, the city has been searching for something else to get behind.

The Sixers aren't the answer and the Flyers are months away from games of real consequence, so hello Big 5 -- and welcome to your close-up, Villanova.

The Wildcats, the last team to parade down Broad Street with any sort of championship hardware, are 10-1, No. 3 in the country, and on many a short list to make the Final Four.

The city ain't missing this one.

Villanova's press row, once limited to a handful of beat writers, is now littered with media. Local television stations, which in the past got by with a cameraman and a microphone, are sending reporters out to practice. Coach Jay Wright is a frequent guest on WIP, the infamous sports-talk radio station that usually spends 23 of its 24 hours hashing and rehashing the Eagles, Flyers, Sixers or Phillies.

No one at Villanova will complain about the attention, but there is something to be said for temporary anonymity.

"For Villanova to get invited to the [WIP host] Angelo Cataldi TV show, an Eagles' show, is amazing," Wright said. "For us to be regulars on WIP, it's crazy. They usually never talk about us."

Villanova sold more three-game packages (1,800 in all) for its Wachovia Center games on its first day -- Nov. 14 -- then it did all of last season.

It would be inaccurate to link that directly to the Eagles, as Syracuse, UConn and Louisville are coming to town. Still, a season ago, Villanova's first two games at the Wachovia Center, against some rather big college basketball names -- Kansas and Notre Dame -- were played in the heat of the NFL playoffs and failed to draw 15,000 in the nearly 20,000-seat arena.

Fast-forward to this year: The Syracuse game on Jan. 21 already is sold out, and fewer than 1,000 tickets remain for Louisville and UConn.

I'd better get some tickets. If this team somehow... nah, I don't want to say it. Go Cats -- let's bring Texas down off their high this weekend.