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Villanova Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Wildcats

By Jason Burgess

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 16: The Villanova Wildcats celebrate the 74-72 win over the Seton Hall Pirates during the Big East Championship Game to claim the Big East title at Madison Square Garden on March 16, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 16: The Villanova Wildcats celebrate the 74-72 win over the Seton Hall Pirates during the Big East Championship Game to claim the Big East title at Madison Square Garden on March 16, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – MARCH 23: Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – MARCH 23: Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Starting Lineup

With 80% of the starting line up returning there aren’t a lot of questions to answer when it comes to the Wildcats’ first five. While they do have to replace the guy that was their leading scorer, third-leading rebounder, top shooter both from the field and from the three-point line, and was second on the team in assists, there is a guy that is at the ready to step into a full-time starting role.

One thing Wright emphasizes in his offense is that all five players on the floor must have the ability to handle the basketball. That versatility makes it tough on defenders because can all do the same things on the floor, and one thing they all do is shoot from long distance often and shoot well.

Last season the Wildcats shot just over 35% from beyond the arc and according to KenPom.com, only eight other teams in the country had a higher percentage of their points come from three-pointers than Villanova, and five of the six players who made at least one start also shot over 100 threes.

Backcourt

The backcourt should remain the same with sophomore Justin Moore and senior Collin Gillespie manning those spots. As a freshman, Moore averaged 11 points per game with three rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. The 6’4 Moore is Villanova’s top returning three-point shooter, knocking down 39% of his 154 attempts on the year.

Villanova’s most important player this season may be Gillespie who had a breakout season of sorts as a junior proving he can be the distributor that can run Wright’s offense. The 6’3 guard dished out a team-high 4.5 assists after just 2.8 as a sophomore and also added a career-high in points (15.1) and rebounds (3.7). With Bey gone, Gillespie can fully jump into the driver’s seat of this offense and take it to another level.

Frontcourt

The Wildcats will likely start three forwards again this season, sophomore Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and senior Jermaine Samuels return to their starting roles after combining to average 21.2 points and 15 rebounds per game.

The 6’7 Samuels shot just 21% from deep but made up for it by making nearly 65% of his shots inside the arc. Robinson-Earl tested the NBA waters but decided to return and the 6’9 235lb. forward can step out and shoot the three, but also score on the block while taking advantage of his quickness against slower forwards.

The guy who should slide into the starting line is junior Cole Swider, the lanky 6’9 Swider made 15 starts last season with six points and three rebounds per game. He really improved as a shooter as a sophomore, some of which could be explained by the increase in playing time, but he improved both his field-goal percentage and three-point percentage by seven points.

With even more consistent and increased playing time, Swider can help solidify a Wildcat frontcourt sans Bey.