NCAA Basketball: Top 25 early winners from 2023 offseason moves
By Joey Loose
8. Villanova
Replacing a legendary head coach is never easy, but Kyle Neptune’s first season leading the Wildcats was extremely underwhelming. After starting the season in the Top 25, Villanova never looked like a top-level team, finishing the season at 17-17. They were passed over by the other talent in the Big East, though they did play better when Justin Moore finally got back onto the court after his injury.
Not only is Moore back, but so is leading scorer Eric Dixon, who averaged 15.4 points a game last season. But the Wildcats aren’t just winners for bringing back a couple of starters; Neptune landed two big gems of the Transfer Portal. The Wildcats will get great contributions from Hakim Hart, a solid-shooting wing from Maryland, and TJ Bamba, a sharp guard who led Washington State with 15.8 points per game last year.
There’s certainly talent here for Villanova to make a run at the Big East and this team should be better than last season. They’ll have an improved backcourt with those two new wings adding much offensive depth to this lineup. There still might be questions at the point, but younger players like Mark Armstrong and Jordan Longino will look to take steps forward. Villanova should find themselves back in the NCAA Tournament, though this Big East is certainly tougher than it was a few years ago.