Villanova University

Game Information
Television  CBS-TV
Talent  Bob Carpenter
        Jim Spanarkal
Radio   WPHT-FM (1210 am)
Talent  Andy Musser
        Whitey Rigsby
Series Info VU leads, 12-10
Last meeting    WV 83-76 @WV, 2/26/97.
VU Coach    Steve Lappas 
    110-63 (.636) / 6 yrs. (VU)
    166-125 (.570) / 10 yrs.
WV Coach    Gale Catlett
    380-210 (.644)/20 yrs. (WV)
    506-254 (.666)/26 yrs.

Probable Villanova Starters
No. Pos.    Name                        PPG     RPG
#15  F  Malik Allen (So., 6-10, 240)    10.0    7.7
#22  F  HOWARD BROWN (Jr., 6-5, 200)    12.0    5.3
#31  C  Rafal Bigus (Jr., 7-1, 270)      9.3    5.3
#11  G  MARVIN O'CONNOR (Fr., 6-4, 190)  5.8    1.9
#13  G  John Celestand (Jr., 6-3, 175)  13.4    4.4
Probable West Virginia Starters
No. Pos.    Name    PPG RPG
#24  F  DAMIAN OWENS (Sr., 6-6, 215)    19.9    7.4
#45  F  BRENT SOLHEIM (Sr., 6-8, 235)    8.2    4.9
#53  C  BRIAN LEWIN (Sr., 6-11, 265)     7.1    7.6 
#5   G  ADRIAN PLEDGER (Sr., 6-2, 195)  14.4    3.4
#23  G  JARROD WEST (Sr., 5-11, 175)     9.0    2.1
Schedule & Results
Date    Opponent
11/14   @Minnesota      L 55-68
11/29   @Bradley        L 48-60
12/3    @Georgetown     W 73-69
12/6    SETON HALL      W 72-57
12/10   @Duke (1)       L 66-94
12/13   NEW ORLEANS     L 64-77
12/16   TEMPLE (16)     W 68-57
12/22   FIU             W 103-73
12/27   HOFSTRA         W 86-74
12/30   @Boston College W 83-76
1/2     @La Salle       L 65-72
1/6     BOSTON COLLEGE  W 68-65 (ot)
1/10    @Seton Hall     L 54-67
1/12    GEORGETOWN      L 61-67
1/18    WEST VIRGINIA   2:00 p.m.
1/22    @Miami          7:30 p.m.
1/25    @St. John's Noon
1/28    @Notre Dame     7:30 p.m.
1/31    MIAMI           Noon
2/2     @Connecticut    7:30 p.m.
2/8     KENTUCKY        1:00 p.m.
2/10    PITTSBURGH      7:30 p.m.
2/14    @Providence     7:00 p.m.
2/16    SYRACUSE        7:30 p.m.
2/21    CONNECTICUT     8:00 p.m.
2/24    @Pittsburgh     7:00 p.m.
2/28    RUTGERS         Noon

Notes

Last Time Out
Villanova: The Wildcats dropped their second-straight contest to Georgetown, 67-61, on Monday night at the CoreStates Center in Philadelphia. Trez Kilpatrick scored a career-high 19 points, Boubacar Aw added 14 points and 10 boards, and Kenny Brunner contributed 13 points and nine assists. The Hoyas shot 44.2 percent from the field, and an uncharacteristic 79.2 percent from the foul line in addition to outrebounding Villanova by a 40-36 margin. Howard Brown led Villanova with 19 points on seven-for-10 shooting, while John Celestand had 14 points and five assists. Villanova shot only 36.2 percent in the game.

W. Virginia: West Virginia lost its first home game of the season, falling to Notre Dame, 74-72, on Thursday night. Notre Dame's Keith Friel hit a jumper with one second remaining in the game to give the Irish the victory and snap West Virginia's nine-game winning streak. Pat Garrity led all scorers with 27 points and 10 rebounds, while Damian Owens had 22 points, Brian Lewin 14 and Jarrod West 12 for the Mountaineers. Notre Dame shot 58.5 percent from the field and outrebounded West Virginia by a 41-32 mark, while West Virginia converted only 39.5 percent from the floor.

Villanova-West Virginia Series Notes
Villanova leads the all-time series with West Virginia, 12-10, with the two teams first squaring off on Jan. 18, 1938, and the Mountaineers coming away with a 44-38 victory. Since joining the Big East Conference, West Virginia is 1-2 versus Villanova, with its first league victory coming last year on Feb. 26, 1997, at home with an 83-76 decision. Villanova has won three of the past four meetings, and eight of the last 10.

Next Up
Villanova: Villanova begins a three-game road swing on Jan. 22, 1998, with a noon tipoff with Miami in Miami Arena.

W. Virginia: The Mountaineers play Rutgers on Jan. 20, 1998, at 7:30 p.m. in Piscataway, N.J.

Retiring #30
At today's West Virginia game on Jan. 18, 1998, the Villanova Athletic Department will have a special pregame ceremony in honor of former Wildcat Kerry Kittles, retiring his #30 jersey. Kittles played from 1992-96 and earned first-team All-America honors as well as Big East Player of the Year. In addition, he rates as the school's all-time leading scorer with 2,243 career points and all-time steals leader with 277 thefts during his tenure. Kittles was a lottery selection in 1996 by the New Jersey Nets and is currently a starter for the NBA team.

Brown Comes up Big
Junior Howard Brown put in another great scoring performance on Monday night versus Georgetown, hitting for 19 points on seven-of-10 shooting from the field. The Pottstown, Pa., native, led Villanova in scoring on the evening, and was only one point shy of matching his career-high of 20 points. Brown has scored 19 points twice this season and 20 on one occasion, versus Hofstra.

Making an Impact
Sophomore Brian Lynch has made great strides of late, making major contributions in the last three games. After suffering two injuries that kept him limited during six of the first seven games, he has rebounded to become a valuable bench performer. He's averaged 9.7 ppg over the last three games, putting in one of the finest efforts of his career versus Boston College last Tuesday. The Belmar, N.J., native scored a career-high 13 points to help the Wildcats to an overtime victory over the Eagles on a personal-best eight-of-eight from the foul line. Additionally, he had seven points in the extra period to fuel Villanova to the 68-65 win. He followed that with a nine-point effort versus Seton Hall on four-for-eight shooting, and a seven-point performance against Georgetown.

Home, Sweet, Home
The Wildcats have recorded 37-straight sellouts in their on-campus arena, The Pavilion, and boast a record of 96-35 (.733) in the building since it opened in 1986. From the 1994-95 season on, Villanova is 34-3 (.919) in The Pavilion, including a 19-2 (.905) mark in Big East Conference match-ups.

Experimenting with the Lineup
Villanova head coach Steve Lappas has utilized four different starting lineups this season. The constants have been Malik Allen, Rafal Bigus, and John Celestand, while five other players have started at least one game this season. Following are each of Villanova's lineups this season, and the result:

Lineup Record
(F) Allen, (F) Penn, (C) Bigus, (G) Lynch, (G) Celestand 0-1
(F) Allen, (F) Penn, (C) Bigus, (G) Celestand, (G) Medley 0-1
(F) Allen, (F) Brown, (C) Bigus, (G) Celestand, (G) Medley 6-3
(F) Allen, (F) Brown, (C) Bigus, (G) Celestand (G) O'Connor 1-2

Scoring Slump
The Wildcats have lost two-straight games and three of their last four contests after stringing together four-straight wins in December. The major difference in the two four-game swings is scoring, as Villanova averaged 85.0 ppg in wins over Temple, Florida International, Hofstra and Boston College. Conversely, the Wildcats have only managed an average of 62.0 ppg during their last four games. Villanova lost to La Salle, defeated Boston College and fell to Seton Hall and Georgetown during that four-game stretch.

Foul Trouble
Sophomore power forward Malik Allen has been plagued by foul trouble of late, fouling out of the last two games and getting at least four personals in three of the last four games. The Medford, N.J., native, enjoying a much-improved second season on the Main Line, has been taken out of rhythm during the last four games, probably due to the foul trouble. Allen, currently posting 10.0 ppg and 7.7 rpg on the season, has averaged only 6.5 ppg during the Wildcats' recent four-game slump. In contrast, when the Wildcats are playing well and winning, Allen appears to be the catalyst. During Villanova's recent four-game winning streak in December, the 6-foot-10 soph averaged 14.0 ppg.

Three-Point Shooting Woes
Villanova has been struggling from behind the three-point arc over the last four games (1-3 record), converting only 21-of-75 (.280) threes during that time. In the four games prior to the Wildcats' recent slump (4-0 record), they hit 31-of-77 (.403) from three-point range. On the year, the Wildcats have converted 85-of-276 (.308).

Stepping up the D
While Villanova has struggled on the offensive end periodically throughout the season, the Wildcats have stepped up their effort on the defensive end. Through the first six games of the season (2-4 record), Villanova was giving up 44.4 percent (164-for-369) on opponent field goal shooting. Since the New Orleans game, Villanova has recorded a mark of 5-3 and has limited opponents to 39.3 percent shooting from the field (189-for-481).

At Home and on the Road in the Big East
Over the last four years (1994-present), Villanova has recorded a mark of 25-4 (.862) at home in Big East Conference regular-season contests. In Big East games in The Pavilion during that time, the Wildcats are 19-2 (.905), while they are 6-3 (.667) in Philadelphia. During the Steve Lappas era at Villanova, the Wildcats are 31-17 (.646) at home in league play, including a stellar 24-11 (.686) in The Pavilion.

The Villanova Wildcats have recorded a mark of 26-22 (.542) on the road in Big East Conference match-ups under Lappas, including a stellar record of 24-15 (.615) over the last four years, and a 2-1 mark this season with wins at Georgetown and Boston College.

   
Big East
Season  Record  Road    Home
1997-98 4-2     2-1     2-1 (2-0 Pavilion / 0-1 Phila.)
1996-97 12-6    5-4     7-2 (4-1 Pavilion / 3-1 Phila.)
1995-96 14-4    6-3     8-1 (7-0 Pavilion / 1-1 Phila.)
1994-95 14-4    6-3     8-1 (6-1 Pavilion / 2-0 Phila.)
1993-94 10-8    5-4     5-4 (4-3 Pavilion / 1-1 Phila.)
1992-93 3-15    2-7     1-8 (1-6 Pavilion / 0-2 Phila.)
Totals  57-39   26-22   31-17 (24-11 Pavilion / 7-6 Phila.)

Former Teammates
Villanova's Marvin O'Connor and West Virginia's Jarrett Kearseare former teammates, as both are 1997 graduates of Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia. The duo played together under head coach Bill Ellerbee on the Public League Championship squad that recorded a mark of 25-5 overall. Both players were All-Public League selections. O'Connor is currently a starter for the Wildcats, averaging 5.8 ppg, while Kearse has played in all 17 games and is averaging 3.1 ppg.

Wildcats on the Tube
During the Lappas tenure on the Main Line, Villanova has made 55 appearances on five national television networks (ESPN, ESPN2, CBS, ABC, and NBC). The Wildcats have recorded a mark of 32-23 (.582) in those games, including an 11-15 record on ESPN. Villanova is 9-1 on ESPN2, 9-7 on CBS, 1-0 on ABC, and 2-0 on NBC during the six Lappas years.

The Best Since ...
When Villanova and Boston College played at Conte Forum on Dec. 30, 1997, the Wildcats shot 61.8 percent from the field, at the time its third-straight game of shooting 50 percent or better from the field. The Wildcats converted 34-of-55 from the field, their best shooting effort since the Wildcats set a school record at the famous 1985 NCAA title game versus Georgetown. On April 1, 1985, Villanova shot 22-of-28 (.786) to defeat the Hoyas and sit atop college basketball's throne.

75 is the Magic Number
Over the past six seasons under head coach Steve Lappas, the Wildcats are 74-12 (.860) in games where they have scored 75 points or better. In 1996-97, the Wildcats were 15-3 when hitting a score of 75. Last year, Villanova was 16-1 when producing 75+ points. During the 1994-95 season, they tallied a 19-1 record in such games, while they were 13-4 in 1993-94 and 8-3 in 1992-93. Villanova is 3-0 in 1997-98 when they score 75 or better.

Holley to Redshirt
Freshman Johnny Holley, a 6-foot-6 forward from McKinney, Texas, will redshirt the 1997-98 season due to an inflammatory condition in his right knee. Holley played in only one game this season, seeing limited action against Bradley.

Lappas Versus Ranked Opponents
Under head coach Steve Lappas, the Wildcats have recorded a mark of 17-16 (.515) against nationally-ranked teams, including a record of 13-9 (.590) over the past four years. This season, the Wildcats have split against nationally-ranked squads, defeating No. 16 Temple (68-57) on Dec. 16, 1997, and falling to No. 1Duke on Dec. 10 (L 94-66).

Starting from Scratch
The Wildcats were virtually starting from scratch prior to the start of the season, with only one starter returning to the 1997-98 lineup, as Chuck Kornegay, Jason Lawson, Tim Thomas, and Alvin Williams have all departed. Combined, the quartet amassed 4,244 career points and 2,142 career rebounds during their varied tenures at Villanova. In addition, the Wildcat seniors from a year ago (Kornegay, Lawson, Williams) compiled 95 victories during their four-year stint, the most wins by a class in school history. The class of '97 surpassed the class of '85, which posted a record of 92-38 and won the NCAA title.

Lappas and Non-Conference Opponents
Currently in his sixth season at the helm of the Wildcat program, head coach Steve Lappas has posted a mark of 47-19 (.712) versus non-conference opponents during his tenure. In his first year on the Main Line, the Wildcats were 5-3; in 1993-94 Villanova recorded a mark of 10-3 in non-Big East games. In 1994-95, the Wildcats registered a mark of 8-3, and in 1995-96 they were 11-2 out of conference. Last season, Lappas posted a mark of 10-3 in non-league contests, while Villanova is 3-5 in 1997-98.

WILDCAT FACT
Former Steve Lappas assistant coaches John Leonard and Paul Hewitt are currently roaming the sidelines as head coaches. Leonard is in his second season at Manhattan College, while Hewitt is in his debut season at Siena College.

Villanova-West Virginia Comparison
(14 game VU totals; 17 game WVU totals)
VU                      WVU
966     Points Scored   1463    
69.0    Avg. PPG        86.1        
358-813 FG-FGA          562-1187
.440    FG Pct.         .473    
85-276  3FG-3FGA        85-257
.308    3-Pt. Pct.      .331
165-238 Free Throws     254-404
.693    FT Pct.         .629
976     Points Allowed  1192
69.7    Avg. Allowed    70.1
519     Total Rebounds  695
37.1    Avg. RPG        40.9
-0.6    Rebound Margin  +2.0
219     Assists         290
15.6    Avg. APG        17.1
247     Turnovers       225
17.6    Avg. TO Per Game13.2
95      Steals          253
6.8     Avg. SPG        14.9

Series Facts
Record in Overtime Games 1-0
Series First Meeting 1/6/56
Overall Series Record VU 12-10
Big East Regular-Season Series VU 2-1
Big East Tournament Series 0-0
Current Win Streak WVU, 1

The Last Meeting
WEST VIRGINIA 83, VILLANOVA 76
Feb. 26, 1997 - WVU Coliseum
VILLANOVA       MIN FG-A    FT-A    R   A   PF  PTS
Tim Thomas      28   4-12    0-0    7   4   4   8   
Chuck Kornegay  29   5-7     1-1    6   0   2   11
Jason Lawson    33   2-3     1-4    8   1   4   5
John Celestand  36   6-9     0-0    2   3   5   13
Alvin Williams  39  10-16    6-7    2   2   4   31
Howard Brown    21   3-7     0-0    5   1   4   6
Malik Allen      9   1-2     0-0    3   0   2   2   
Brian Lynch      5   0-0     0-0    1   0   0   0
TOTALS         200  31-56    8-12   35  11  25  76
Three-Point Goals: 6-19 (Williams 5-9; Celestand 1-3; Brown 0-3; Thomas 0-4)
Team Rebounds: 1
Blocked Shots: 7 (Lawson, Thomas 3; Williams 1)
Turnovers: 23 (Lawson 8; Celestand 5; Williams 4; Thomas 3; Allen, Lynch 1)
Steals: 8 (Celestand 4; Williams 2; Brown, Lynch 1)

W. VIRGINIA         MIN FG-A    FT-A    R   A   PF  PTS
Damian Owens        36   6-14    4-6    7   6   1   16
Brent Solheim       28   1-5     3-5    1   0   4   5
Gordon Malone       33   6-11    0-2    8   1   2   12
Adrian Pledger      33  10-18    2-2    5   3   2   22
Seldon Jefferson    35   6-11    3-6    5   2   1   20
Jarrod West         14   1-3     3-5    0   0   0   6
Sandro Varejao      14   1-3     0-0    2   1   4   2
Brian Lewin         2    0-0     0-0    1   0   1   0
Marcus Goree        2    0-0     0-0    1   1   0   0
David Liguori       1    0-0     0-0    1   0   0   0
Jason D'Alesio      1    0-0     0-0    0   0   0   0
Tom Beynon          1    0-0     0-0    0   0   0   0
TOTALS            200   31-65   15-26   34  14  15  83  
Three-Point Goals:  6-14 (Jefferson 5-8; West 1-3; Malone 0-1; Owens 0-2)
Team Rebounds:3
Blocked Shots: 2 (Owens, Varejao 1)
Turnovers: 11 (Owens 3; Pledger 2; Malone, Jefferson, West, Varejao, Lewin, Liguori 1)
Steals: 15 (Pledger, Owens, Solheim 3; Jefferson, Liguori 2; Malone, West 1)
Halftime Score: 44-31 WVU
Attendance: 8,702

Villanova and the Big East Opener
The Wildcats opened the Big East Conference season with a victory, defeating Georgetown 73-69 on Wednesday night in the MCI Center. Villanova began play in the Big East Conference in the 1980-81 season, and during the 16-year period has recorded a mark of 14-4 in Big East openers. The Wildcats have never lost a Big East opener under head coach Steve Lappas. Villanova's history in conference openers follows:

1997-98 Villanova 73, Georgetown 69
1996-97 Villanova 75, Providence 64
1995-96 Villanova 83, St. John's 68
1994-95 Villanova 98, Seton Hall 75
1993-94 Villanova 76, Georgetown 75 ot
1992-93 Villanova 79, Syracuse 61
1991-92 St. John's 79, Villanova 69
1990-91 Seton Hall 81, Villanova 69
1989-90 Villanova 64, Connecticut 57
1988-89 Connecticut 57, Villanova 55
1987-88 Villanova 63, Connecticut 61
1986-87 Villanova 66, Connecticut 51
1985-86 Villanova 62, Seton Hall 56
1984-85 Villanova 82, Syracuse 70
1983-84 Syracuse 79, Villanova 70
1982-83 Villanova 87, Seton Hall 68
1981-82 Villanova 97, Boston College 75
1980-81 Villanova 68, Providence 49

Balanced Attack
Villanova posted five double-figure scorers against Georgetown, with Malik Allen scoring 16, John Celestand 15, Howard Brown 11, and Zeffy Penn and Rafal Bigus 10 each. Since Steve Lappas took over the Wildcat progam prior to the 1992-93 season, Villanova has accomplished that feat 21 times, but only eight times (including the latest Georgetown game) in Big East Conference match-ups. During the Lappas era at Villanova, the Wildcats have posted six double-figure scorers in one game only once, in a 94-62 win over American during the 1993-94 season.

Villanova and the Home Opener
Villanova won its' 30th-straight home opener last Saturday with a 72-57 victory over Seton Hall. The Wildcats have dominated their home openers over the years, recording a mark of 72-6 (.922). The Wildcats have had a multitude of home arenas over the years, but have fared the best in their current on-campus facility, The Pavilion, where they are undefeated at 12-0 in home openers. Villanova was 12-3 (.800) in The Palestra, 10-2 in Alumni Hall, and 38-1 in the Field House (also called the 'Cat House) in its 78-year history. Villanova has only played one other Big East Conference opponent in its home debut, defeating Providence last season 75-64 in The Pavilion. The Wildcats have played Seton Hall on three other occasions in their home opener, defeating the Pirates three times (31-22 in 1934-35; 37-28 in 1935-36; and 23-21 in 1936-37). Villanova's losses in home openers are as follows: 28-17 to West Catholic in 1928-29; 31-29 to George Washington in 1930-31; 66-62 to Canisius in 1956-57; 63-62 to Buffalo in 1960-61; 68-53 to Princeton in 1962-63; and 82-65 to USC in 1967-68.

Villanova in the Big Five
Throughout the years, Villanova has played 216 games against Philadelphia Big Five teams. The Wildcats' record is 120-96 (.556) combined against Temple (34-36), Pennsylvania (29-15), St. Joseph's (34-21) and La Salle (23-24).

Wildcats at the Spectrum
Villanova will be making its only appearance at the CoreStates Spectrum versus La Salle during the 1997-98 season. It marks the first time since the 1981-82 season that Villanova has not had a home game at the arena (La Salle is host for today's match-up). Over the years, Villanova is 27-23 (.540) in the CoreStates Spectrum, including a 9-3 ledger over the last four years.

Big Five Games in the Spectrum
Villanova is 6-5 against Philadelphia Big Five opponents in the CoreStates Spectrum. The Wildcats are 2-1 versus La Salle (L 79-75, 12/9/91; W 55-54, 2/28/94; and W 90-50, 2/12/96); 0-1 versus Pennsylvania (59-71, 12/15/92); 3-1 versus St. Joseph's (W 70-62, 2/22/83; W 47-44, 2/19/85; W 83-82, 12/8/90; L 66-77, 2/6/93); 1-2 versus Temple (W 66-58, 2/1/92; L 49-54, 12/11/93; L 56-62, 12/13/95).

Few and Far Between
Under head coach Steve Lappas, Villanova owns a record of 23-2 (.920) versus non-Big East Conference foes in The Pavilion (1992-present). After losing to Florida, 85-77, on Dec. 22, 1993, the Wildcats won 14-straight non-league contests in the arena over a period of three-plus seasons before falling to New Orleans, 77-64, on Dec. 13, 1997. Villanova rebounded after the defeat to the Privateers with a 68-57 victory over Temple on Dec. 16, 1997.

Jermaine for Three
Freshman Jermaine Medley had a breakout game versus Seton Hall on Dec. 6, 1997, registering a career-high 15 points on five-for-nine shooting from the field. The Wilmington, Del., native, converted five-of-eight from behind the three-point arc, one of the best performances of all time for a freshman at Villanova. Medley's five treys set a single-game record for made three-pointers for all Wildcat freshman, while his percentage of .625 is the third best of all-time among Villanova rookies. Kerry Kittles owns the top two three-point shooting marks, converting four-of-four against Lehigh on Dec. 28, 1992, and hitting four-of-six (.667) against Syracuse on Feb. 23, 1993.

Villanova Versus the Atlantic 10
The Wildcats have played every member of the 12-school Atlantic 10, posting a record of 194-148 (.567) combined against the league throughout history. Villanova is 34-36 versus Temple, 3-4 versus Dayton, 25-25 versus Duquesne, 10-8 versus Fordham, 10-6 against George Washington, 23-24 against La Salle, 11-1 against Massachusetts, 4-2 versus Rhode Island, 21-18 against St. Bonaventure, 34-21 versus St. Joseph's, 3-0 against Virginia Tech, and 16-3 against Xavier. In the Steve Lappas era, Villanova is 5-4 against the league.

Shooting Lights Out
The sharpshooting began last Monday versus Florida International when the Wildcats hit 39-of-65 field goals (.600) to record their best performance from the field in nearly two years. The last time Villanova shot that well was on Jan. 25, 1995, versus Miami when the Wildcats converted 33-of-55 from the field, also for 60 percent. Villanova won that game by 30 points as well, defeating the Hurricanes 92-62 at The Pavilion.

Villanova followed its 60-percent shooting effort versus FIU with a .574 (27-for-47) performance the following game against Hofstra. Included in the Wildcats' performance against Hofstra was six-for-11 (.545) shooting from behind the three-point arc, their best of the season and most efficient since a 12-for-18effort against Rutgers last year.

Shooting Streak
The Wildcats have not shot 50 percent or better from the field in three-straight games since the 1994-95 season when they hit for 60.0 percent versus Louisville (30-50, W 82-81), 57.1 percent versus Marist (32-56, W 80-59) and 60.3 percent versus Seton Hall (35-58, W 98-75) near the front end of the season. The dates of those games start at the Great Alaska Shootout on Nov. 26, 1994 and run through Dec. 5, 1994.

Records show that the Wildcats strung together four-straight games of 50 percent shooting from the field during the 1987-88 season. Rollie Massimino's club did it versus Illinois (60.7 percent, 34-56, W 78-76), Iowa (50.0 percent, 31-62, L 74-97), Penn (58.6 percent, 34-58, W 84-55) and California (50.0 percent, 20-40, W 65-50). The dates of those contests start at the Maui Invitational on Nov. 28, 1987 and run through Dec. 6, 1987.

Wildcats in Philadelphia
Villanova has played 53 games in the city of Philadelphia since the 1975-76 season, posting a record of 28-25. In the CoreStates Center, newly opened last season, the Wildcats are 1-2, while they boast a mark of 27-23 in the CoreStates Spectrum. Under head coach Steve Lappas, Villanova owns a mark of 7-5 in Big East Conference match-ups played in the city of Philadelphia.

Villanova played the first collegiate contest ever at the state-of-the-art Center, falling to Duke 87-79 on Dec. 14, 1996 before a crowd of 19,214. The Wildcats had two more games at the Center last season, losing to Syracuse 62-60 on Jan. 20, 1997, and defeating Notre Dame 75-70 on Feb. 16, 1997.

Wildcats Own Attendance Records
Villanova owns the top five all-time attendance marks for collegiate basketball in the city of Philadelphia, including the record of 19,372 set at the Notre Dame game on Feb. 16, 1997.

All-Time Largest Collegiate Basketball Crowds in Philadelphia History
19,372 Villanova-Notre Dame Center 2/16/97
19,214 Villanova-Duke Center 12/14/96
18,524 Villanova-Connecticut Spectrum 2/25/96
18,524 Villanova-North Carolina Spectrum 1/20/96
18,433 Villanova-Georgetown Spectrum 2/3/96
18,276 Indiana-LSU (NCAA Final Four) Spectrum 3/28/81
North Carolina-Virginia
18,202 Villanova-Georgetown Spectrum 1/13/85
18,060 Villanova-St. Joseph's Spectrum 2/23/83
Penn-Princeton
18,059 Villanova-Georgetown Spectrum 2/1/88

Highlights of the Steve Lappas Tenure

Year-by-Year with Steve Lappas
Year    Overall       Conference        School/Postseason
1988-89  7-21 (.250)     3-11 (.214)    Manhattan College
1989-90 11-17 (.393)     7-9 (.438)     Manhattan College
1990-91 13-15 (.464)     8-8 (.500)     Manhattan College
1991-92 25-9 (.735)     13-3 (.813)     Manhattan College/NIT
1992-93  8-19 (.296)     3-15 (.158)    Villanova
1993-94 20-12 (.625)    10-8 (.556)     Villanova/NIT Champs
1994-95 25-8 (.758)     14-4 (.778)     Villanova/NCAA 1st Round
1995-96 26-7 (.788)     14-4 (.778)     Villanova/NCAA 2nd Round
1996-97 24-10 (.706)    12-6 (.667)     Villanova/NCAA 2nd Round
Totals 159-118 (.574)   84-68 (.553)
NCAA Record:  2-3 (.400) / 3 @VU 103-56 (.648)   53-37 (.589)    
NIT Record:  7-1 (.875) / 2 @MC  56-62 (.475)    31-31 (.500)    
Big East Tour:  6-4 (.600) / 5
Team Highs & Lows
POINTS (First Half) 
High            42  Fla. International (12/22/97)   
                    Hofstra (12/27/97)
Low             16  Minnesota (11/14/97)
POINTS (Second Half)    
High            61  Fla. International (12/22/97)
Low             23  Seton Hall (1/10/98)    
TOTAL POINTS    
High            103 Fla. International (12/22/97)   
Low             48  Bradley (11/29/97)
FIELD GOALS 
High            39  Fla. International (12/22/97)   
Low             19  Bradley (11/29/97)  
FG ATTEMPTS 
High            71  Duke (12/10/97) 
Low             47  Hofstra (12/27/97)  
FG PCT  
High            .618    Boston College (12/30/97)
                .600    Fla. International (12/22/97)   
Low             .333    Duke (12/13/97)
3-PT FG 
High            10  Seton Hall (12/6/97)    
Low             1   Minnesota (11/14/97)    
3-PT FG ATTS.   
High            40  Hofstra (12/27/97)
Low             11  Hofstra (12/27/97)  
FREE THROWS
High            22  Georgetown (12/3/97)    
Low             2   Minnesota (11/14/97)
                    Seton Hall (1/10/98)    
FT ATTEMPTS 
High            30  Georgetown (12/3/97)    
Low             4   Minnesota (11/14/97)    
FT PCT. 
High            .889    Fla. International (12/22/97)   
Low             .400    Seton Hall (1/10/98)    
REBOUNDS    
High            47  Minnesota (11/14/97)    
Low             27  Boston College (12/30/97)
ASSISTS 
High            28  Fla. International (12/22/97)
Low             11  Bradley (11/29/97)  
TURNOVERS   
High            23  Fla. International (12/22/97)
Low             12  Seton Hall (12/6/97)
                    Boston College (12/30/97)
            
BLOCKS  
High            7   Hofstra (12/27/97)  
Low             2   Duke (12/0/97)
                    Georgetown (1/12/98)
                    
STEALS  
High            11  New Orleans (12/13/97)  
Low             4   Temple (12/16/97)

Individual Season Highs
TOTAL POINTS    22  John Celestand (New Orleans)
                21  Malik Allen (Boston College)
                20  Howard Brown (Hofstra)
                20  John Celestand (Fla. International)
                19  Rafal Bigus (Fla. International)
                19  Howard Brown (Temple)
                19  John Celestand (Seton Hall)
                19  Howard Brown (Georgetown)
    
FIELD GOALS     9   Malik Allen (Boston College)
                    John Celestand (New Orleans)
FG ATTEMPTS     23  John Celestand (New Orleans)
FG PERCENTAGE   100.0   Rafal Bigus (4-4)(Georgetown)
                 87.5   Rafal Bigus (7-8)(La Salle)
                 83.3   T.J. Caouette (5-6)(La Salle)
                 81.8   Malik Allen (9-11)(Boston College)
                 77.8   Howard Brown (7-9)(Hofstra)
                 77.8   Rafal Bigus (7-9)(Fla. International)
                 75.0   Rafal Bigus (6-8)(Boston College)
                 75.0   Rafal Bigus (6-8)(Hofstra)
                 72.7   John Celestand (8-11)(Fla. Int.)
                 70.0   Howard Brown (7-10)(Gerogetown)
                 66.7   Malik Allen (6-9)(Fla. International)
                 66.7   Rafal Bigus (6-9)(Minnesota)
                 63.6   Howard Brown (7-11)(Seton Hall)
3-PT FG             5   Jermaine Medley (Seton Hall)
                    4   John Celestand (Fla. International)
                    4   Howard Brown (Bradley)
                    4   Howard Brown (Temple)
3-PT FG ATTEMPTS    10  John Celestand (New Orleans)
FREE THROWS         8   Malik Allen (Georgetown)    
FT ATTEMPTS         14  John Celestand (7-14)(Hofstra)  
FT PERCENTAGE   1.000   Brian Lynch (8-8)(Boston College 2)
                        Malik Allen (8-8)(Georgetown)
                        John Celestand (6-6)(Temple)
                        Rafal Bigus (5-5)(Fla. International)
REBOUNDS            16  Malik Allen (Duke)                  
ASSISTS             7   John Celestand (Seton Hall)
                        John Celestand (Boston College)
                
TURNOVERS           7   John Celestand (Boston College 2)
                        John Celestand (Duke)
    
BLOCKS              5   Malik Allen (Boston College 2)  
STEALS              4   John Celestand (La Salle)

Wildcats' Record When ...
RECORDS
Overall 7-7
Home    5-2
Away    2-4
Neutral 0-1
Big East    4-2
Non-Conference  3-5
Big Five    1-1
in Overtime 1-0
at The Pavilion 5-1
at the CoreStates Center    0-1
at the CoreStates Spectrum  0-1

MONTH BY MONTH
November    0-2
December    6-2
January 1-3
February    0-0
March   0-0

AGAINST THE CONFERENCES
Big Ten 0-1
Missouri Valley 0-1
Atlantic Coast  0-1
Atlantic 10 1-1
Sun Belt    0-1
Trans America   1-0
America East    1-0

Current Streak  L2
Longest Win Streak  4
Largest Margin of Victory   30 vs. FIU
Highest FG Percentage in a Game 61.8 vs. BC
Lowest FG Percentage in a Game  33.3 vs. DU
Largest Lead    32 vs. FIU
Largest Deficit 36 vs. DU
When Leading at Halftime    5-2
When Trailing at Halftime   2-5
When Tied at Halftime   0-0
In Overtime 1-0

Individual Highlights
Games Leading VU in Scoring:  Allen (4); Brown (4); Celestand (3); Bigus (1); Penn (1).
Games Leading VU in Rebounding:  Allen (8);  Bigus (2); Celestand (2); Penn (1); Brown (1).
Games Leading VU in Assists:  Celestand (8); Brown (4); Medley (2); Allen (1); Caouette (1); Bigus (1).
Games Leading VU in Steals: Celestand (7); Penn (4); Allen (4);  O'Connor (1); Medley (1);  Caouette (1); Brown (1).
Games Leading VU in Blocks:  Allen (6); Bigus (5); Brown (4); Lynch (2); Celestand (1); Penn (1).
20-Point Games:  Celestand (2); Brown (1); Allen (1).
Double-figure Scoring:  Brown (10); Celestand (10); Allen (5); Bigus (6); Medley (3); O'Connor (3);  Penn (3); Lynch (2); Caouette (1).
Double-figure Rebounding: Allen (3); Penn (1); Bigus (1).
Double-Doubles:  Penn (1); Allen (2).
Records when scoring ...
VU scores 59 or less    0-3
VU scores 60-69 points  2-4
VU scores 70-79 points  2-0
VU scores 80-89 points  2-0
VU scores 90+ points    1-0
Opponent scores less than 50    0-0
Opponent scores 50-59 points    2-0
Opponent scores 60-69 points    2-4
Opponent scores 70-79 points    3-2
Opponent scores 80-99 points    0-1
Games decided by five or less   2-0
Games decided by 6-10 points    1-2
Games decided by 11 or more 3-4
Games decided by 20 or more 1-1