It didn’t involve a hotel or a stripper, but the Villanova men’s basketball team was involved in a scandal of its own. Unlike the circumstances at St. John’s, Villanova’s scandal involved making unauthorized telephone calls.

Last season following an investigation into the Villanova basketball team, 12 players were suspended for making telephone calls using an unauthorized access code. The suspensions were staggered, meaning some players were suspended for the end of last season, while Marcus Austin, Andreas Bloch, Chris Charles, Curtis Sumpter and Derrick Snowden all served suspensions this year.

The players were suspended for making phone calls in excess of $100 and some for as much as $500. But the suspensions for all the players are over. Tonight, the Wildcats should be at full strength when they take on Syracuse at 7 in the Carrier Dome.

‘Anytime you have a problem, it’s with you,’ SU assistant coach Mike Hopkins said. ‘But these guys are players, and you go out and perform and you play.’

And while the sanctions didn’t lead to expulsions, as was the case at fellow Big East school, St. John’s, that’s not to say it didn’t make it difficult. The Wildcats lost two early games at the Maui Invitational in November. Their first loss was to the host team, Chaminade, which snapped its 30-game losing streak in its own tournament with the win.

But Villanova has been playing with a full roster since Dec. 22. Since then, the Wildcats have been plagued with inconsistency. They haven’t been able to win more than two games in a row. But they’re young and have solid guard play. Those two factors make them a dangerous draw for any Big East team.

‘Villanova’s a very active team, just like Georgetown,’ guard Louie McCroskey said. ‘We have to be ready to play.’

So, too, will Villanova (14-11, 6-6 Big East), which is coming off a two-point loss at Seton Hall. In that game, standout sophomore Allan Ray led the Wildcats with 18 points. Ray, who attended St. Raymond High School with McCroskey, is leading the team, averaging 17.5 points.

Villanova starts four sophomores and a freshman. As is typical with such a young lineup, Villanova has struggled some in Big East play, but it has notched key wins over West Virginia and Boston College.

‘They’re a young team,’ Hopkins said. ‘They’ve got some guards that are pretty fearless. They were all highly rated coming out of high school. They’ll come out guns a slinging.’

But coming off a narrow victory against Georgetown on Saturday, so should Syracuse (17-6, 7-5). Against the Hoyas, SU’s backcourt of Gerry McNamara and Demetris Nichols combined for 15 total points, but 10 of McNamara’s points came in the last five minutes. SU’s starting point guard, Billy Edelin, didn’t play against Georgetown. He has missed every game since Feb. 10, when SU took on Rutgers in the Carrier Dome.

Of course, Villanova knows what it’s like to be without some of its star players. But while there’s no indication Edelin will play tonight, the Wildcats will once again play with a full roster.

‘It’s tough losing guys, especially guys that are a big part (of the offense)’ forward Hakim Warrick said. ‘They lost three of their top five scorers, and that’s tough. But they always come out and always play hard, especially against Syracuse.’

Published on February 22, 2004 at 12:00 pm