It would sound better if it was a product of design, one of those romantic coaching stories about a groggy-eyed guru scribbling on a greaseboard in the wee hours of the morning. But Villanova’s four-guard offense has no romantic story. Rather, it was the product of desperation.

In the second round of last season’s NCAA tournament, Villanova star forward Curtis Sumpter was sidelined in the first half while the Wildcats held a slim lead. Rather than worrying about traditional positions, head coach Jay Wright played his best players. It happened to include four guards: 6-foot-4 Randy Foye, 6-foot-2 Allan Ray, 6-foot-2 Mike Nardi and 6-foot-2 Kyle Lowry.

No. 20 Syracuse must combat the unique lineup when it faces No. 8 Villanova on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Philadelphia’s Wachovia Center.

Villanova (12-2, 3-1 Big East) went on to beat Florida in the second-round game, 76-65. In the Sweet 16, the same four-guard lineup was a controversial traveling call away from knocking off eventual-national champion North Carolina in the Carrier Dome. During the offseason, Wright planned to return to the traditional positions this season. When Sumpter re-injured his knee in the preseason, Wright switched back to the four-guard system.

Twelve wins and a No. 8 ranking later, it’s become one of the hottest topics in the country. In fact, when a reporter asked Wright about the offense, the reporter prefaced the question by apologizing for asking something Wright’s heard far too often. The amicable coach had no problem answering because when you have seniors Foye and Ray, junior Nardi and sophomore Lowry in your starting lineup, it’s tough to be insulted. (The fifth starter is junior forward Will Sheridan, who splits big man duties with senior Jason Fraser.)

‘It’s all anyone has talked about. It’s probably not as big a deal as everyone’s making it, but it is unique,’ Wright said. ‘I’m so caught up in our world here, I don’t know that many people who do it. But I think the 3-point line has created a demand for skilled play. If you look at Big East games from the ’80s, they were bloodbaths in the paint. Teams were playing zone, sitting back on the foul-line. Now, the game has opened up to the 3-point line.’

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said he’s seen plenty of lineups with three guards, but rarely four. But the former guard, who’s seen a fair share of great players in his coaching career, can attest to the importance of the position.

‘Guard play has always been key,’ Boeheim said. ‘When you have good guard play, you’ll always be alright in basketball. Good guard play is so crucial to everything you do on both ends of the court.’

For Syracuse (15-3, 3-1), stopping Villanova’s foursome will be a difficult task. All four can shoot as evidenced by the Wildcats’ Big East-best 40.4 percent conversion rate from the 3-point line. It will be an attractive matchup against the Orange’s 2-3 zone. Many fans think it’s easy to shoot against the zone, but that’s sometimes not the case. Syracuse holds opponents to 31.8 percent from beyond the arc, fifth best in the Big East.

While the Wildcats have been tested, the Big East schedule undoubtedly provides tougher and more physical teams. Wright acknowledged that the Wildcats will sometimes need to play a bigger lineup. He mentioned freshmen forwards Shane Clark (6-foot-7) and Dante Cunningham (6-foot-9) as viable options. Clark is in the mold of a Demetris Nichols – a tall, long perimeter player while Cunningham is a formidable low-post athlete.

‘We knew there were going to be times that we’re going to play bigger, even three forwards depending on teams we play,’ Wright said. ‘It’s not real complicated. We can put people in different spots.’

The better matchup will come when the Orange is on offense because SU will have a decided size advantage. But the Wildcats have wins over Oklahoma and Louisville, both of whom were in the Top 10 when Villanova beat them. In both games, the Wildcats guards overcame the mismatch.

Foye guards power forwards, often giving up five or six inches a night. Ray defends small forwards, trying to make up three to four inches on the opponent. Lowry, the smallest player on the team, is one of the Wildcats’ top rebounders.

The names are important because it’s not as much the system that’s special as it is the players executing it. A coach can’t throw four guards on the court and expect similar results. Foye, Ray, Lowry and Nardi are seldom outplayed and never out-hustled. It’s that attitude that gives Wright confidence and could give the Orange fits.

‘You have to have tough, physical guys to get away with that,’ Boeheim said. ‘That’s what Villanova has. The advantage is you get a big advantage on offense but a disadvantage on defense. But I think it balances out. But you have to have tough kids to do that. They have tough kids and veterans so they can get away with it.’

Published on January 19, 2006 at 12:00 pm