Villanova Basketball: Takeaways from wire-to-wire win over St. John’s

Saddiq Bey is playing like a man possessed

Saddiq Bey is a clear-cut All-America candidate who has really turned it on as of late. Bey is averaging 15.8 points per game but he has gone for 20+ points in three-straight games now, including 23 points in the win over the Red Storm. Jay Wright has trusted Bey and Collin Gillespie to run the Wildcats’ offense but with way Bey is playing as of late, Wright may want to devote even more possessions to him.

In Villanova’s 71-60 win over St. John’s Gillespie actually had quite a poor performance, tallying 8 points on 2-for-12 shooting, four assists, two turnovers, and three fouls but it ultimately didn’t affect the Wildcats too much with the way Bey was shooting. He hit 3-pointers from the exact same spot in the corner on Villanova’s first two possessions to give them a 6-2 lead. That lead would stretch to 10 points—including one more Saddiq Bey jumper—before a TV timeout gave St. John’s some relief.

Obviously, Bey isn’t going to shoot 50% from the 3-point line every night—though he is damn close at 46.3%—but his shooting numbers have always very much appeared to be real when you watch the tape. Most importantly, he is showing increased aggression in terms of drawing fouls, as well as an improved touch at the free throw line (78.3% from FT line). He feasted on St. John’s smaller defenders on his way to a 5-for-6 effort from the charity stripe.

Bey chipped in four rebounds and three assists on top of the 23 points, and he only committed one foul in 37 minutes of play. It was an all-around big-time performance from Bey in a game Villanova needed to win as they continue their pursuit of a Big East title.