Big East Basketball: 10 key questions looming for 2021-22 season

4. Who will step up for the Villanova Wildcats?

The Villanova Wildcats lose a ton of their playmaking with the loss of Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (NBA) While a majority of their rotation returns in 2021-22, the Wildcats still have room for another player or two to emerge on the wing.

Four of five starters return for head coach Jay Wright as the Wildcats look to continue their dominance in Big East basketball action. They won last season’s regular-season Big East title, finishing 11-4 in conference action en route to their seventh title in the past eight seasons.

Collin Gillespie was stellar, producing 14.0 points, 4.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 37.6 percent from 3-point range, to earn a share of the Big East Player of the Year award. It will be interesting to see who else will step up for them with the departure of Robinson-Earl.

Look for Justin Moore (12.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.1 apg) and Caleb Daniels (9.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg, and 1.2 apg) to play expanded roles on the wing and in the backcourt. They’re primed for breakout seasons after having strong sophomore and junior campaigns, respectively in 2020-21.

They’re sizeable guards that each can do different things in the backcourt for the Wildcats. They should be pivotal in Villanova’s success in 2021-22 as they look to make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament.