Villanova Basketball: 2022-23 season preview and outlook for Wildcats

Key Reserves

Forward – Cam Whitmore (Freshman)

This five-star prospect will be a full-time starter for the Wildcats, but Whitmore is one of those aforementioned injuries. He recently had surgery on his thumb and will hope to be on the court at some point during nonconference play. An extremely talented small forward, he’s a high-impact scorer and athlete who will contribute on the defensive end as well.

Guard – Justin Moore (Senior)

Moore tore his Achilles in last season’s Elite Eight victory and is still working his way back from that injury, which will keep him out until after New Year’s. When he gets back on the court, he’ll be Villanova’s most important offensive weapon, averaging 14.8 points last season. If the injury doesn’t linger, getting Moore late in the year will be as big a boost as any team in the nation can get in the middle of the season.

Guard – Brendan Hausen (Freshman)

A four-star piece and top-100 recruit, Hausen is an electric shooter from long range who has a chance for minutes early in the season, especially with those aforementioned injuries. It’s the shot-making ability that makes Hausen an attractive piece, with work needed to be done on his ball handling and other skills as his collegiate career progresses.

Forward – Trey Patterson (Sophomore)

We haven’t seen much of Patterson, but that’ll change as the depth chart opens up in front of him. He’s an athlete forward who shoots the ball well and has the ability to defend all over the court. We’ll see if he can take that step forward as a sophomore after scoring just 9 points last season.

Guard – Chris Arcidiacono (Senior)

It’s easy to be unimpressed by Arcidiacono’s numbers after three seasons, but you have to remember that he isn’t his brother. He’s found his role as a bench piece for the Wildcats, and though he’s not a flashy scorer by any means, his ability to run the offense and distribute the ball is very important, especially for a team in transition this season.

Guard – Angelo Brizzi (Freshman)

After redshirting last season, Brizzi will get his chance on the court and will compete for early minutes in that backcourt. He’s a former 3-star recruit who can shoot the ball decently and will do all the little things that Villanova wants in one of their guards. We’ll just have to see how he fares when his chances come at the collegiate level.

Forward – Nnanna Njoku (Sophomore)

Njoku’s freshman year was severely limited by injury, as he played just nine games with limited opportunities for growth. The young big man is athletic and strong and could become an important piece as a backup to Dixon in the frontcourt. If Njoku can stay healthy and continue to develop, he could blossom into even more than that moving forward.