Villanova Basketball: Projecting the 2018-19 rotation for the Wildcats

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 25: Eric Paschall #4 and Phil Booth #5 of the Villanova Wildcats celebrate during the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament East Regional at TD Garden on March 25, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 02: The Villanova Wildcats mascot “Will D. Cat” performs. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Joe Cremo – Guard

Senior | 6-foot-4 | 17.8 ppg/4.1 rpg/3.8 apg at Albany

Joe Cremo was easily one of the best graduate transfers available this offseason and Villanova fans everywhere should be excited about bringing him on board. Not only does he add more experience to an otherwise fairly young roster but he should also fit like a glove into the Wildcats’ system. This is due to the fact that Cremo was one of the best guards in the country when it came to operating out of the post last season.

Head coach Jay Wright loves to run an inverted offensive set with guards posting up on the block and shooters around them. This worked to perfection a year ago with Jalen Brunson, who went on to win the Wooden Award. Of course, nobody should expect that kind of production out of Cremo but this system will allow the newcomer to play to his strengths and find a role within the offense right away.

In addition, Cremo is a dead-eye shooter from 3-point range, gets to the free throw line at will, and is more than a capable passer. But don’t just take my word for it. Here is a look at his overall statistics from last season and how they apply in these three categories (KenPom):

3-point percentage: 45.7%, 22nd nationally
Free throw attempt rate: 40.9%, 324th nationally
Assist percentage: 21.8%, 323rd nationally

While it might take a little bit of time for Cremo to blend in and operate, he should still be a highly-impactful player for the team this season. I wouldn’t expect him to post identical numbers to this past season by any stretch due to the upgrade in competition, but he will likely be a full-time starter who does a little bit of everything offensively. Oh, and he will provide another veteran presence.

If there is one potential worry about this fit, it is on the defensive end of the floor. Cremo is already a relatively poor defender and he could get stuck in more mismatches this year considering he could play up to the “3” position. In addition, the talent level of Big East scorers is much higher than those in the America East.