NCAA Basketball: Top 25 frontcourts for 2020-21 season

Jay Wright hasn’t rostered a dominant traditional big on his team since Daniel Ochefu in 2015-16, but he’s adapted with the times and found ways to make his frontcourt one of the most consistent and productive groups in the nation in that time.

The switch to a more modern type of frontcourt player has continued to pay dividends for Wright and the Wildcat program on the court, but also in elevating the prospects of his players to the professional ranks as was the case with Omari Spellman, Eric Paschall, and Saddiq Bey.

This brought about all the more surprise this offseason when freshman standout Jeremiah Robinson-Earl decided to return to Villanova for his sophomore season, despite nearly averaging a double-double and receiving a high projection in the NBA Draft.

Robinson-Earl came into the program with excellent footwork at his position with the ability to put the ball on the floor and score consistently away from the basket. His presence should continue to be felt in massive ways in 2020, especially after another offseason of development in the Villanova program.

That development has started to show in a big way for senior Jermaine Samuels. After biding his time behind other starters on the roster, Samuels has carved out a prominent role in Villanova’s offense. The former top-50 recruit has improved in every facet of the game with every extra minute he received, with the exception of his perimeter consistency in 2019.

However, there’s no hesitation in thinking Jay Wright won’t push Samuels to improve this area of his game to fill the void left by Saddiq Bey’s departure.

Given the typical frontcourt rotation for the Wildcats, Bey’s pursuit of an NBA career could also signal a breakout for junior Cole Swider. Seeing small chunks of minutes in his first two seasons with the team, Swider’s skill set fits in with the successful model of development outlined by Samuels and Bey.

He’s shown improvement in his perimeter shooting efficiency and has the size and athleticism to effectively guard multiple positions both on the perimeter and on the interior. With the potential for 30 minutes per game on the table, Swider could be a double-digit scoring candidate in 2020.

Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree has not been able to crack the Villanova lineup in the same way, but it’s about time he shows he’s capable of doing so. He has the experience to slot into a smaller rotational role on this year’s team, as long as he can hold off redshirt freshman Eric Dixon.

However, the return of Bryan Antoine could complicate the rotation and cause both players to get the short end of the stick. Despite not being a flashy group, Villanova’s frontcourt is very disciplined and productive, especially on the offensive end. They already have significant continuity from last year’s team and they only become stronger with experience.