Big East Basketball: 2019-20 offseason questions facing each team

Villanova: Will youth hold up under high expectations?

Villanova is widely projected to be a top-15 team in the country during this coming season. Of course, name recognition and program respect play a major factor in this, but many experts are also expecting the Wildcats’ incoming recruiting class to be extremely productive right away. It is, though, impossible to overlook the fact that Villanova lost two major pieces this offseason with both Eric Paschall and Phil Booth graduating. While there are some solid pieces returning, it is clear that the freshmen will need to be productive in order for the program to each their lofty expectations.

Thankfully, though, this is an extremely talented recruiting class headlined by top-20 prospects Bryan Antoine and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. Antoine is a 6-foot-5 wing who does a little bit of everything. He is a high-level athlete who can switch on defense while also being able to score at all three levels. JRE, on the other hand, projects as a 6-foot-8 power forward for Villanova and he has simply performed at a high level at every national event. He is ultra-consistent on the court. These two are the headliners but Villanova’s class also features two other top-75 talents in Justin Moore (No. 55) and Eric Dixon (No. 68)

These players will not need to be the biggest contributors on the roster but they need to be solid pieces. Villanova already returns the likes of Collin Gillespie, Saddiq Bey, and Jermaine Samuels, among others, but the team cannot be truly successful without immediate impact play from their newcomers. Coach Wright might have a tough time working with the young roster but he is one of the best in the business for good reasons.