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Villanova Basketball: 2017-18 season preview for the Wildcats

By Lukas Harkins

BUFFALO, NY - MARCH 16: Will D. Cat, mascot for the Villanova Wildcats, peforms as they take on the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers in the second half during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center on March 16, 2017 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY - MARCH 16: Will D. Cat, mascot for the Villanova Wildcats, peforms as they take on the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers in the second half during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at KeyBank Center on March 16, 2017 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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MILWAUKEE, WI – JANUARY 24: Villanova’s Brunson (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI – JANUARY 24: Villanova’s Brunson (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

Key duo for success

Jalen Brunson

One of the best guards in the entire country, Brunson will need to be a leader for Villanova this season. Although he is just a junior, he has extensive experience as the lead guard for ‘Nova. In fact, he has started in all but one game with the team in two seasons (75 of 76). This will be his third season playing major minutes under Coach Wright, but his first as the star of the team. Brunson was second on the team in scoring last year while averaging 14.7 points per game.

In addition, Brunson dished out 4.1 assists per game and was incredibly efficient when shooting inside the 3-point arc. On 6.3 attempts inside the arc per game, Brunson shot an insane 62.1% last season. His ability to probe the inside makes him a dangerous scorer and creator for the Wildcats.

Omari Spellman

This will be Spellman’s first season playing with the Wildcats but he is expected to have a big season. Spellman was a part of the 2016 recruiting class but sat out last season due to an eligibility issue. He took an academic redshirt last season and will play his first game for Villanova this season. Spellman was rated as a five-star and #21 recruit in the entire nation in the class of 2016.

The tallest member of the starting lineup, Spellman is a 6’9″ forward with plenty of talent. He is a tremendous low-post player and will function extremely well in the two-man game with Brunson. He fits in Coach Wright’s system incredibly well on the interior and he should make an immediate impact. In addition to his offensive game, Spellman will need to be a strong rebounder for ‘Nova as they are not the biggest team inside.