VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) -Scottie Reynolds and Villanova laid the smack down on the nonconference schedule. Then the Wildcats bodyslammed an arduous Big East schedule.
Reynolds now wants to mix it up in the ring WWE-style with his next opponent: In this corner, from Churchville, Pa., Jay “The Wildcat” Wright.
“Maybe one day we can get in the ring and wrestle,” said Reynolds.
Wright refused to take the bait, don the tights and accept the challenge.
“I don’t want any part of it,” Wright said, laughing.
Reynolds’ open challenge toward his coach had nothing to do with ending any sort of simmering feud or a bizarre change in career path. The star guard was trying to tell where exactly the Wildcats got their toughness in one of their best seasons in history.
On a team loaded with reserved personalities, Wright is the one in their faces at practice or during timeouts, curtly trying to get a message across.
he season, I’m starting to like it. I like that he shows how much passion that he has.”
By calm, counseling word or a profane fit, Wright has molded the No. 11 Wildcats into one of the surprises of the Big East this season. They are 25-6 overall and 13-5 in the conference, giving them 25 regular-season wins for only the third time in team history.
Villanova didn’t lose consecutive games all season, finished 13-0 at its on-campus home, and clinched the No. 4 seed and two byes in next week’s Big East tournament. The Wildcats opened Big East play 2-3, then won nine of 10 in a one-month span.
“To be 13-5 in this league, it’s a hell of an accomplishment,” Wright said. “We’re in a good spot.”
They’re building the kind of resume that might get them a pair of home games at the Wachovia Center in the NCAA tournament.
The four-member senior class is the winningest (97-35) in team history and Dante Cunningham is the only borderline NBA prospect in the bunch.
“I just watch them and I say to myself, ‘Wow, these guys are good. These seniors are really good,”’ Wright said. “It’s kind of amazement and being impressed with the kids.”
Don’t discount Wright’s influence.
timeout and they responded – Reynolds and Shane Clark hit consecutive 3s coming out of it for a 12-point lead, and they went on to beat the Friars 97-80 in the regular season finale.
Forward Dwayne Anderson said Wright’s motivational pregame speech was ripped from the script of President Barack Obama. He’s a motivator who gives the Wildcats a reason to believe they can play even better as tournament time rolls around.
“When he says something you really believe it,” Anderson said. “I’m not saying coach Wright is Barack Obama, but it’s just the way he expresses his feelings in our meetings. We had a meeting (Wednesday) and he’s giving us a speech. By the end of the meeting you just want to go out and play right then and there.”
Reynolds said he had to laugh during a recent dinner when Wright assured him he was much more calm at home.
“He has to push us that way,” Reynolds said.
The Wildcats will get two extra days’ rest, not opening play in the conference tournament at Madison Square Garden until Thursday. They need only three wins for the Big East tournament title, while the 5th-8th seeds need four victories and 9-16 five.
Then maybe at the end of the year, Wright and Reynolds can lace up their wrestling boots. Or maybe they’ll just hug it out.
“At the end of the day we love each other,” Reynolds said.
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