Dec. 2, 2009

The Nova Notebook, by director of media relations Mike Sheridan, takes a look at Scottie Reynolds and his role in a 77-58 victory over Drexel on Dec. 2 at the Pavilion.

When last he donned the white Villanova home uniform to face Drexel, Scottie Reynolds was a young guard feeling his way through his first season as a Wildcat. He had with him an identity as one of the BIG EAST's most promising rookies but was still looking to veterans Mike Nardi, Curtis Sumpter and Will Sheridan for guidance. His coaches and teammates implored him to be more assertive on the court but the polite Reynolds tended to be deferential to his older mates.

It was December of 2006 and on that night the 6-2 product of Herndon, Va., scored just a single point in 20 minutes of action as Drexel upset Villanova, 81-76. He was 0-of-5 from the floor and spent much of the second half on the bench.

"We did talk about that game," stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright of his team's preparation for the first meeting between the two schools in three seasons tonight.

Only three Wildcats remain on the roster from the evening the Dragons upended the `Cats. Antonio Pena was recovering from minor knee surgery when the clubs met that night and would ultimately accept a redshirt in 2006-07. Reggie Redding, presently awaiting his return from a student code of conduct violation, played only three minutes back on Dec. 9, 2006. So that left Reynolds as the only tangible link between what was one of the bleaker nights of his storied `Cat career and the opportunity for redemption that presented itself this time around.

Reynolds, of course, is a much more seasoned player now, on track to finish as one of the school's all-time scoring leaders. This time out, he played 27 productive minutes and contributed 14 points, six assists and eight rebounds in a 77 -58 triumph over a new edition of Dragons. Those eight rebounds tied a career high established back in a December 2007 victory over LSU.

He says he hasn't forgotten that December setback from what seems like a lifetime of basketball ago.

"I learned," said Reynolds, "that I had to become a college basketball player. I didn't play a lot of minutes and in that game they had so many guys who were experienced. I went out there just happy to put on a Villanova jersey. That game made me realize I just couldn't be satisfied. I've got to go to the next level and I had to change quickly."

It was one of the defining moments of his early days on the Main Line. By February of that campaign, he was one of the most talked about freshmen in the nation, capping his season off with a 40-point outburst at Connecticut that helped earn him BIG EAST Rookie of the Year honors.

That was the culmination of Reynolds' acceptance of his role as a young catalyst for a team that clawed its way to an NCAA Tournament appearance.

"I did it for my coaches and teammates," he recalled of '06-07. "I knew that they needed me out there and they needed me to get better quickly. I couldn't just wait two years. I had to turn it around right there."

Wright took something from that night as well. Villanova has lost only once at its campus home since then - a Jan. 6, 2007 defeat to DePaul in which Reynolds scored 25 points - and is in the midst of a 32-game winning streak at the Pavilion.

"We learned a lot from that game in that season," stated Wright. "At that time, we were coming off a game against Oklahoma where they had a 46-game win streak at home and we played well. (Drexel) was just tougher, they executed better than we did and it wasn't that we didn't play hard. You know I watched that tape today - we played hard, we respected them. But we didn't execute and weren't as tough as they were.

"We talked about that today. We talked about how good this Drexel team can be."

This Drexel squad lacked the experience of the '07 model. But it did bring a gritty defensive toughness that helped limit VU to 34 first half points and 32 percent shooting from the field in the period. Fortunately for the `Cats, they were even more exceptional on defense, holding the Dragons without a point for the game's first 10 minutes and 22 percent shooting in the first half.

VU built a 34-16 halftime edge and expanded that to as many as 27 points before eventually wrapping matters up with a 19-point win.

"We're getting better," stated Wright. "I thought this was our best defensive effort. We've still got a lot to improve on, especially offensively but I like this group and how it listens."

For Reynolds, the early lesson Drexel helped teach helped pave the way for what has already been a remarkable Wildcat journey.