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Villanova Basketball: Impact of Wildcats landing transfer Lance Ware

By Holden Walter-Warner

Mar 17, 2023; Greensboro, NC, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Lance Ware (55) reacts in the first half against the Providence Friars at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2023; Greensboro, NC, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Lance Ware (55) reacts in the first half against the Providence Friars at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kyle Neptune’s second season at Villanova Basketball is getting an improved outlook on Saturday after transfer Lance Ware indicated his intention to play for the Wildcats.

Ware is the third significant get for Neptune from the transfer portal. He’s also reeled in TJ Bamba and Hakim Hart, hoping not to repeat the struggles of his first season, which looked even worse when stacked up against a Final Four run in Jay Wright’s final campaign.

Ware spent three years with John Calipari at Kentucky but didn’t receive much of an opportunity. In the most recent season, Ware averaged less than 10 minutes per game. Even with the usual inflow and outflow at the program, his role was far from guaranteed in 2023-24.

How will the arrival of Kentucky transfer Lance Ware affect Kyle Neptune and the Villanova Wildcats?

He hasn’t been able to do much in his limited playing time in Kentucky. While he hit 65.8 percent of his shots this season, he only averaged two points per game and has never averaged more than that in his collegiate career.

Ware wasn’t as elite as most of the prospects that end up at Kentucky, but he was no pushover either. Rivals had the 6-foot-9, 235-pound forward as a four-star prospect, at one point ranking in the top 40 of his class. He also earned numerous in-state accolades in New Jersey, which he’ll be much closer to in Philadelphia than he was in Lexington.

The forward only made a handful of starts during his three-year Kentucky tenure, but he could slide into a starting role at the Wildcats. Eric Dixon, Justin Moore, and Bamba seem like obvious starters. Mark Armstrong could round out the lineup.

An intriguing aspect of the roster is its size and athleticism. Trey Patterson has a similar build to Ware, while Dixon and Nnanna Njoku are bigger in weight and both height and weight, respectively.

Ware was known as a solid veteran presence in Kentucky, a leader off the bench. He should be able to continue in that role in Villanova, part of a veteran core that’s been around the block before; Ware will have two years of eligibility left.

This year’s ceiling may rest in Ware and whether or not he can remind the country about his heralded recruiting status. The Wildcats do seem to have a roster that is capable of making it back to the Big Dance. Less clear, however, is whether or not there are going to be Top 25 vibes around this club; it feels more like a bubble team at this point.

Much will depend on Moore, who couldn’t come back from a torn Achilles tendon until late January. He looked good when he did return, however, and a full season of a healthy Moore should be a difference-maker.

Next. Projected St. John's depth chart. dark

Last year, Villanova disappointed in a major way, missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade. With the major additions of the offseason – now including Lance Ware – the Wildcats are making sure they won’t suffer that fate again.