Family drives Arcidiacono's competitiveness

Whether it's diving over a courtside table, bumping heads with a teammate in a scramble for a loose ball, or getting run over while taking a charge, Ryan Arcidiacono never gives a second thought about sacrificing his body during a Villanova basketball game, no matter the score.

If that means recurring trips to the hospital for stitches for the Wildcats sophomore point guard, so be it.

"I dropped him off at 'Nova two years ago," said his father, Joe. "Within two weeks he calls us and says, 'Dad, I've got to go to the hospital.' He got stitches in his head. Two months later, he got stitches on the side of his head. I think he's been to Bryn Mawr Hospital four times in his two years."

That's what the elder Arcidiacono calls the "degree of reckless basketball" that his son plays. But the toughness also comes from his competitiveness that passed down from Joe, who played football at Villanova from 1976 to 1980; his mother, Patti; and his five brothers and sisters, all of whom were - or still are - involved in sports.

It's a trait that Villanova coach Jay Wright, whose team will open its Big East tournament play at noon Thursday against Seton Hall at New York's Madison Square Garden, first admired when he saw Arcidiacono at Neshaminy High School, something he still approves of as he watches his player run the Wildcats offense.

"I think that competition and expectation and experience . . . he watched his older sisters play college ball, watched his cousins play football," Wright said. "His dad is a competitive guy.

"That whole family has got a great basketball genealogy. Now, you see his little brother [Chris] coming up, and it's the same way. I think that basketball family creates competitiveness, and it creates humility, because he watched others in his family have success. I think his family is probably the biggest asset to his success in many ways."

A major sports fan, particularly of all things Philadelphia, Ryan Arcidiacono loved watching athletes such as the 76ers' Allen Iverson because of his toughness and competitive nature.

"I think everyone in the Philadelphia area followed Allen Iverson, how small he was, how he played on the court, and just that toughness," he said. "I really admired how he played, and I thought I could be just as tough as him - definitely not as good, but I could definitely be just as tough.

"I just always prided myself on being the toughest player on the court. Growing up, I always wanted to be the one taking charges and just doing all the little things for my team. Luckily, Villanova is a place that takes great pride in that, and it's a great fit for me."

Joe Arcidiacono is an admirer.

"He really doesn't know any boundaries," he said. "That was kind of his hallmark - he always wants to be the hardest player playing in the game."

Ryan Arcidiacono grew up playing baseball and football in addition to basketball; he had a small Fisher-Price basket in the family room of his Langhorne home. Basketball gradually took over, and he committed to it after eighth grade, assisted by a personal trainer and his father, a former high school hoops star at Father Judge.

He matured into a star high school player, drawing attention from many colleges. Though he initially had his heart set on Florida, Villanova eventually won out, mainly because of the family influence.

Arcidiacono did not play basketball during his senior year at Neshaminy, though, because of surgery to repair a herniated disc in his back. Wright wondered whether his recruit would be able to get on the court at all but still wanted him around the program if he couldn't.

But Arcidiacono said he "never really thought about" being held back.

"With my work ethic and my drive, I felt I would be able to get back where I was," he said. "My mom worried a little bit, but my dad was like, 'He'll be fine.' So I knew I would be OK once I got back on the court and did all my rehab. I've felt good ever since."

With Maalik Wayns having left Villanova a year early for the NBA, Arcidiacono was immediately installed as the starting point guard. In addition to those duties, he was asked to be a scorer, a huge responsibility for someone who hadn't played the previous season and admittedly needed time to get back to game speed.

While he struggled with his shot on occasion, he scored nearly 12 points per game and, more important, learned how to play at the college level.

This season, he hasn't been asked to shoot as much, but he has been effective, and his playmaking has been excellent - a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio, fourth in the Big East.

"I just kind of slowed myself down this year," he said. "Last year, I always felt like I was going 150 percent. Now I let the game come to me a little bit more.

"I may not be scoring as much, but I don't need to on this team. We have so many scorers that maybe I can just find them and do the dirty work, or something like that."

Arcidiacono also got himself in better shape. His father joked that "it cost my wife and I about a thousand dollars in salmon," but that the improved diet helped his son cut his body fat.

If there's one area where Arcidiacono would like to improve, it's his free-throw shooting. His percentage has dropped from 82.4 percent last season to 70.4 percent this season.

In a family where ribbing is part of the deal, Joe Arcidiacono suggested that Ryan take some tips from his younger brother, Chris, who "literally shoots 90 percent at the foul line," their father said.

"I said to him, 'I want Chris to work with you a little bit on your foul shooting,' " he said with a laugh. "He gave me a look to kill: 'You've crossed the line, Dad.' "

All in a competitive family.

Ryan Arcidiacono has been more selective shooting the basketball this season, but he has made his baskets count. Staff writer Joe Juliano offers five examples of his on-court heroics:

He hits a three-point basket - his only field goal of the game - with 10.1 seconds to play to give the Wildcats the lead for good in a 63-59 upset win at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas.

He drills back-to-back three-pointers to help force overtime, and the Wildcats pick up their second win over a nationally ranked team in as many nights, 88-83, and capture the tournament title.

He scores six of his 20 points in overtime, along with handing out two of his career-high 11 assists, in a 94-85 victory.

After missing the last shot of regulation and a layup at the end of the first OT, he completes a three-point play with 3.6 seconds left in the second OT to clinch an 82-79 win.

He banks in a three-pointer for the Wildcats' only field goal in the last five minutes, as they hang on for a 57-54 victory over the Red Storm at the Wells Fargo Center.