Busting Brackets
Fansided

Villanova Basketball: Joe Cremo adds more firepower to Wildcats backcourt

By Brad Cavallaro

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 31: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats gestures in the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 31: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats gestures in the first half against the Kansas Jayhawks during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Villanova added the most sought-after graduate transfer, Joe Cremo. How does this talented guard fit with the defending National Champion’s roster?

Villanova added the top player on the graduate transfer market, former Albany guard Joe Cremo. Cremo had a superb three-year career at Albany where he averaged 17.8ppg, 4.1rpg, 3.8 apg and shot 46% from three as a junior.

As a graduate transfer, Cremo can play his final season of eligibility immediately. This is the main reason that basketball powers like Kansas, Gonzaga, Texas, and Villanova all showed interest and competed for his services.

He is a perfect fit in the Villanova backcourt, especially if Donte DiVencenzo remains in the NBA Draft. It seems more likely that Divencenzo will sign with an agent now that Cremo is in the fold because the backcourt would be awfully crowded.

That is a great problem to have if you are Villanova, but from Cremo’s perspective, it makes little sense to be a 15 minutes per game reserve when you could start on almost any other team in the nation.

Operating under the assumption that DiVencenzo is gone, Cremo slots in nicely on the wing next to Phil Booth. His style of play fits perfectly because he can shoot, handle the ball, and distribute which are required traits for a Villanova guard.

Cremo is an excellent secondary playmaker as he averaged almost four assists per game as an off guard. This ability to create for others will be extremely beneficial because of the question mark at PG.

Using the term question mark may be an exaggeration since Jahvon Quinerly is a five-star recruit and Collin Gillespie was a solid role player last season, but there will be a significant drop off from Jalen Brunson. Brunson was one of the best players in the country and was as reliable a lead guard as you will find in College Basketball.

Both Gillespie and Quinerly are good players, but the value of having a guy like Cremo who can create for others and knock down shots cannot be overstated. The 6’4” senior will undoubtedly make a major impact in his lone season with Villanova.

He will play 28-30 minutes a game and will probably average double figures for the Wildcats. While Cremo is not as good as Divencenzo, Villanova could not have dreamed of a better replacement.

Next: Biggest Snubs from the NBA Draft combine

If Spellman returns to school, Villanova should be a consensus top three team in the country. Even without their talented center, they are still the favorites in the Big East and Cremo’s addition is a huge reason for optimism, no matter how the roster shakes out.