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Villanova Basketball: Keys to success for the Wildcats in 2019-20

By Lukas Harkins

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 03: Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats reacts against the Georgetown Hoyas in the second half at the Wells Fargo Center on February 3, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Villanova defeated Georgetown 77-65. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 03: Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats reacts against the Georgetown Hoyas in the second half at the Wells Fargo Center on February 3, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Villanova defeated Georgetown 77-65. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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VILLANOVA, PA – NOVEMBER 06: Coach Wright of Villanova watches. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
VILLANOVA, PA – NOVEMBER 06: Coach Wright of Villanova watches. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

1. Freshmen answer the call.

This is easily the most important key for this coming season. Having lost Booth and Paschall this offseason, Villanova only returns one double-digit per game scorer from last season. This opens the door for highly-rated freshmen to come in and take on immediately significant roles in the offense. Five-star prospects Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (No. 16 overall) and Bryan Antoine (No. 17) look like the two most obvious choices to join the starting lineup and run the offensive show for Coach Wright during this coming season. The two freshmen are both highly-touted as legit scoring options at the college level and that should be evident early on.

JRE is the higher-rated of the two and looks poised to play a big-time role in the frontcourt as a 6-foot-9 power forward. He scores at an extremely high rate around the rim and from mid-range while also showcasing plenty of skill as a rebounder and defender. JRE was remarkably consistent during his high school career and that should continue in college. Antoine is a true wing with superstar potential. He brings plenty of size at nearly 6-foot-5 and is a superb athlete with three-level scoring ability. He is an explosive offensive player with multipositional defensive abilities.

In addition to Antoine and JRE, Villanova has a pair of other top-100 freshmen joining the fray as well. Justin Moore (No. 57) and Eric Dixon (No. 71) may have a more difficult time cracking the rotation but they should be major pieces for the future. Chris Arcidiacono is the last incoming freshman as a 6-foot-5 guard and brother of former star Ryan. If they are called to play big minutes as a freshmen, then they are talented enough to live up the hype.