Wow.
To see this Villanova team, comprised chiefly of freshmen and sophomores, rally from 21 points down with 8:33 left in the second half to beat LSU in the closing seconds was inspirational. It was the type of comeback you'd expect to see from a nationally-ranked team. It was the type of comeback you'd expect to see from a team that's poised to make a run back to the NCAA tournament.
OK, let's not get ahead of ourselves. LSU, though a good team, is not in the top 25. They are (now) 5-3 and squarely in the middle of their conference standings. To let the Tigers enter the Wachovia Center and dominate the game for 31 minutes is enough to make me a bit worried about this young but inexperienced group of Wildcats, at least when it's time to face the real powerhouses.
Still, it would have been easier to abandon the game as lost, but the Blue and White fought on and found a way to spark a 35-13 run in the later stages. Few teams, even the good ones, can rally from a 21-point deficit that late in a game.
Somebody forgot to tell Malcolm "the Microwave" Grant. 
With less than seven minutes left in the game, Grant scored EIGHTEEN points. He's a six-foot freshman guard, and Grant put the team on his back and single-handedly led the comeback that would stun LSU on national television. (How's that for a debut?) With seconds left, it was Dante Cunningham (16 points, 12 rebounds) putting back the shot Grant missed that ultimately sealed the victory for Villanova.
It's comforting to know that when Scottie Reynolds has a bad night, as he did last night, his teammates are ready to step up and do what it takes to win.
'Nova rallies to stun LSU [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Villanova overcomes 21-point deficit thanks to the 'Microwave' [ESPN]
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