Villanova took no prisoners as they faced city rival Penn.    The Quakers never had a chance as they trailed by 30 at the end of the half.   The #6 Wildcats played a nearly flawless game and finished with a 38 point victory, 103-65.

Jay Wright coached a masterful game and the Wildcats fired on all cylinders  to start the season 2-0, albeit against a much inferior Quaker team that is not nationally ranked and will probably have trouble finishing above .500 this season.   Malik Wayns led the team with 16 points, and 3 other starters scored 14 as 6 players scored a dozen or more in perhaps the most balanced offensive attack in the Big East.

Being the best in the Big East is no joke either as this conference has 6 teams ranked in the top 25 nationally and boasts 10 teams that have started off 2-0 or 3-0 to start the season.  Once interconference play starts this will change, but when you look at the Big East against any other conference you see how dominant they are as a group.   Villanova, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Connecticut, West Virginia, Louisville, Depaul, Syracuse, St Johns, and Providence all play here.

Villanova is fortunate in that they have a relatively light schedule early, and overall play some easier teams out of conference, but in order for any team to finish with 30 wins in the Big East, they need to be on top of their game every 3rd night or so for the next 3 months.

Villanova may be the team to beat, as early as it is, but a potential speed bump in a city rival from the Atlantic 10 lies in wait, in the LaSalle Explorers.   These two traditional Philly powers meet on November 28th, and in my opinion, if one team dominates this meeting, they will be the team to watch.  Every game is a tough one, but if the Wildcats get by the Explorers, the next true test of their mettle may well occur on January 11th when they have to travel to Louisville  to play the now ranked 22nd Cardinals who could well still be undefeated at this time.

Louisville boasts a strong team with veteran starters and an extremely young bench.  This could prove to be a huge potential asset or an equally large liability depending on how these games play out, but I for one would not want to face Louisville at home if they enter this game at 16-0 or 15-1 and ranked in the top ten with something to prove.  With five major teams, six if you wish to count Drexel, Philadelphia probably stands one of the best chances of a city being represented in the final four, and I think the year should be an exciting one for the fans as we wait to see who it is going to be !

My early vote is on Villanova,  a team that has won 19 of their last 20 contests against other big 5 teams, and 6 straight against Penn, and has a winning streak at the Pavilion that dates back to January of 2007.   They shot 59% from the field and totally dominated the contest wire to wire, looking much more relaxed and confidant than they did in their season opener where they struggled early against the Knights before pulling away for an 84-61 victory.

This team looked like the final four contender from last year, the one ranked #6 by ESPN and AP voters early this year, and the one that should lead a group of superior Philadelphia teams in the NCAA this year.  Oh, good times, and more to come !!

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