Basketball Preview 2008 | Temple has Christmas, but 'Nova brings presence

With three Big 5 squads making it to the NCAA Tournament, last season was a banner year for the informal Philly conference.

Temple and Saint Joseph's both fell in the first round, to Michigan State and Oklahoma State, respectively. But No. 12-seeded Villanova upset Clemson in the first round and won another over No. 13 Siena before falling in the Sweet Sixteen to eventual national champion Kansas.

Sure enough, Villanova opens the season No. 23 in the nation according to The Associated Press poll, while Temple and Saint Joseph's both received votes.

The Wildcats rattled off 10 wins in their first 11 games last season, but stumbled once Big East play began.

Even if 'Nova shoots out of the gates again, its conference road will be even rockier. Six other Big East teams broke into the AP poll, all of them ranked ahead of the Wildcats.

The ace in the hole might be former Big East Rookie of the Year Scottie Reynolds. During the junior guard's 2007-08 campaign, he led his team in points, assists, steals and scoring with 15.9 points per game.

Reynolds capped off the season with second team All-Big East and first team All-Big 5 honors, while topping the 1,000 point mark for his NCAA career.

Within the city limits, St. Joe's is coming off an impressive season of its own, winning at least 20 games for the first time in three years and earning its first NCAA berth since the 2003-04 season.

Unfortunately for the Hawks, they will play the season without uber-forward Pat Calathes, who left for the NBA draft after senior graduation, but wound up signing a pro-contract in Greece.

At 6-foot-10, Calathes was an unusually skilled shooter for his size and led the Hawks in scoring (17.5 ppg). Also a stalwart on defense, he collected 189 defensive rebounds and 42 blocks on the year.

Fit to fill such large shoes is forward Ahmad Nivins, a 6-foot-9 senior from Jersey City, N.J.

Nivins is not as dynamic around the perimeter, but he was second to Calathes in all aforementioned statistical categories. He should get more scoring opportunities this year.

The Hawks' offensive scheme could shift dramatically by making their big man the focal point of attack.

But St. Joe's will need to avoid a second half collapse like last season, when it lost eight of its final 14 contests.

The Hawks will also have to deal with a change of scenery by using the Palestra for home contests while their own Fieldhouse undergoes renovations.

Temple will try to defend its conference title. The Owls should pick up early experience with top-notch competition like Tennessee and Kansas.

Philadelphia native Dionte Christmas comes off his second season leading the A-10 in scoring with 19.7 ppg. The 6-foot-5 guard also garnered first team honors in the A-10 and Big 5.

He started this season off early with an honorable mention as a preseason All-American, but the co-captain will have to tighten his ball-handling. Christmas had 96 turnovers - second worst on the team - and only 86 assists as a shooting guard.

Former Quakers coach Fran Dunphy enters his third season leading the Owls, coming off their first NCAA appearance in seven years.

La Salle, one of two Big 5 schools to finish under .500 (Penn was the other), hopes to rebound with an early season trip to Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam.

After a 15-17 record a year ago, the Explorers will likely round out the bottom of the A-10 amid a mixed non-conference schedule.

They downed Division II Philadelphia University, 76-60, in their first outing of the season and will face Florida State of the all-powerful ACC next Friday.

LaSalle is eager to see how its new forward, Vernon Goodridge, can perform against competition down low. The junior transfer from Mississippi State sat out last season per NCAA transfer rules.

Goodridge had 12 points in 23 minutes during his debut last week. His 6-foot-9, 230-pound frame should be able to hold its own against most opponents on the Explorers' schedule.

The big three of the Big 5 will be Temple, Saint Joseph's and Villanova, which all should compete for a berth in the NCAA tourney.

But the Wildcats look to be the frontrunner, playing Saint Joseph's and Temple on their own court and facing the weaker Penn and La Salle on the road.

For 31 consecutive seasons, at least one member of the Big 5 has played during March Madness. Given the strong RPI and athleticism of the A-10 - not to mention the outside shot of Penn receiving an automatic bid - 2009 will not be the year that streak ends.

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