Massimino returns to Spectrum for exhibition game

The biggest news to come out of the Spectrum last night was that Villanova senior forward Shane Clark, who averaged seven points and four rebounds as a part-time starter last season, is expected to miss the next 4 to 6 weeks after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to clean out loose particles.

Clark has been bothered by slight pain in the joint, but it hadn't prevented him from practicing.

"He feels it is best at this time to have a minor procedure to ensure that this problem doesn't persist during the season," coach Jay Wright said. "He will be back quickly."

The 23rd-ranked Wildcats will officially open next Friday at the Pavilion against Albany.

But for the second straight year, they first played an exhibition against Northwood, the 3-year-old NAIA program from West Palm Beach, Fla., coached by Rollie Massimino, who, of course, guided Villanova to the only national title in Big Five history 23 years ago.

Massimino won 357 games in 19 seasons on the Main Line. And 17 of those wins were at the Spectrum. He'd last coached in Philadelphia in 2000, when his Cleveland State team faced Temple at the Liacouras Center.

Just about every member of that 1985 team was in the house, which is scheduled to become a thing of the past at some unspecified point. They were introduced at halftime at center court.

The Wildcats won, 75-37. They only led by five points after 20 minutes, then scored the first 13 after intermission.

But obviously, the evening wasn't really so much about hoops.

"It's very good [to be back]," said Massimino, whose team is playing at Maryland tomorrow. "It was fun. It was quite a nostalgic evening. It was good to see everybody. I probably enjoyed that more than anything.

"This was very good for us. We needed to get a little bit of humility. I think we're pretty good, for our level. But we've been playing against ourselves. This was something, a great opportunity. I thank Jay for being so good to us. It doesn't happen too often, for a school like ours.

"I've had so many wonderful experiences [here]. I told our kids, 'You don't know how lucky you are.' Some great players and coaches have gotten dressed in the same locker room. You just want them to experience all that."

"I'm glad it's over," Wright said. "I hate it. You don't like to do that against my mentor, a guy I look up to so much. But you want your players to play. But it was cool, to be in a place where so many great players played."

The Wildcats will also play Pitt here in late January.

Dante Cunningham had 20 points for Villanova, and Scottie Reynolds added 14. The Wildcats were 12-for-25 at the foul line.

The Seahawks, who had 31 turnovers, got 15 points from Cardinal Dougherty's DeSean White. *