DAILY DISH: Villanova upsets Syracuse, Northern Illinois sets new low

By Kels Dayton
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Updated: January 26, 2013

By: Kels Dayton

Darrun Hillard and Villanova struggled early, but have come up with two huge wins over top-five opponents. (Getty Images)

Villanova looked about as dangerous as lime jello in November, when it lost to Columbia and LaSalle and came within a bad call of dropping four straight. Yet somehow, Jay Wright has managed to turn everything around, and the Wildcats have now won back-to-back games over Top 5 opponents.

‘Nova knocked off No. 5 Louisville, 73-64, on January 22, and downed No. 3 Syracuse, 75-71 in overtime on Saturday. These wins were completely unexpected, especially coming on the heels of two sluggish performances in losses to Pittsburgh and Providence. But now, Villanova (13-7, 4-3 Big East) has an opportunity to wake up from its recent slumber and make a run at the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats are young, but as they’ve shown this week, they’re coming together at the right time.

Sophomore guard Darrun Hillard scored 25 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out 6 assists in the win over Syracuse. He could become the team’s go-to scorer in the second half of the season. The Wildcats also got clutch shooting from James Bell and Ryan Arcidiacono, who have the talent to become big-time shooters for this club. Senior big man Mouphtao Yarou also came up big on Saturday, scoring 14 points and grabbing 16 rebounds. Yarou was a McDonald’s All-American as a high school player, and was highly regarded coming into his career at Villanova. He’s been a disappointment, but a day like Saturday could serve as a springboard into a strong second-half finish. Sophomore forward JayVaughn Pinkston has excelled in his role off the bench.

While Jay Wright has had a couple of down years in recruiting, this team looks like it has the talent to return Villanova to national relevance. A light schedule the rest of the way (Villanova plays just two teams that are currently ranked in the Top 25) gives ‘Nova a legitimate chance at finishing with double-digit wins in the Big East. At the very least, these wins will serve as a reminder that Wright can still coach.

Guard Daveon Balls led NIU with seven points in their 42-25 loss to Eastern Michigan. (NIU Today)

Northern Illinois is re-defining what it means to be awful on offense. A month after the Huskies tied the NCAA Division I record for fewest points in a half by putting up five in the first half against Dayton, they decided they could go lower.

NIU scored FOUR POINTS in the ENTIRE FIRST HALF on Saturday against Eastern Michigan. Four points! The Huskies shot 1-for-31 in the half (3.2 percent). They scored 21 in the second half and ended up losing, 42-25 in what may go down as the ugliest game in the history of organized basketball. Northern Illinois starters combined to score 12 points in the game. The team shot 12 percent for the entire game, and made a late push to avoid the record for fewest points in a game in the shot-clock era (Saint Louis scored 20 in 2008).

“Our guys played hard,” said head coach Mark Montgomery. “We just couldn’t make a shot.” That’s an understatement. Northern Illinois fell to 4-14 on the season.

The additions of VCU and Butler have made the Atlantic 10 a top-notch league this season. The Rams and Bulldogs are both Top-20 teams and could easily make deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. League stalwart Xavier has also started out 4-1 in A-10 play, and upstart Charlotte is 16-4, and 4-2 overall. La Salle, Temple and Richmond are also in the mix for an NCAA Tournament bid, and teams like George Washington, Saint Joe’s, Dayton, and UMass are no pushovers. The league’s television deal with NBC Sports Network ensures that its top teams will get plenty of exposure, and there have been many nights on which the A-10 offers the best games in college basketball. VCU is a tremendous T.V. team, with an exciting, up-tempo style and a penchant for playing close games. Butler provides instant credibility, and someone to shoot for in big conference games. La Salle’s students made that point crystal-clear when they rushed the court following the Explorer’s upset victory over the Bulldogs last week. These are good times in the A-10.

It’s crazy how much Kansas dominates the Big 12. In case you aren’t aware of just how much the Jayhawks own every one else in the league, stats like these provide a reminder: Oklahoma has not won in Allen Fieldhouse since 1993. Baylor has never won there. Oh yeah, and Kansas has won 102 of its last 103 home games.