Villanova Basketball returns a nice mix of returners and transfer portal acquisition as they look to fare a whole lot better in Year 2 under head coach Kyle Neptune. Neptune led the Wildcats to a 17-17 record overall and 10-10 in Big East action in what was an ultimate learning curve for him and his coaching staff in the first season.
Now, with a retooled roster, Villanova looks to return to the top of the conference once again and compete for an NCAA title in March. They return a solid trio of players in Eric Dixon, Justin Moore, and Mark Armstrong from last year’s squad, but they’ll need their new pieces to fill some of the voids from last year’s struggles.
Their three biggest acquisitions out of the transfer portal are Tyler Burton (Richmond), Hakim Hart (Maryland) and T.J. Bamba (Washington State). Hart is an electric wing player who can fly around the rim and make plays on both ends of the floor. While Burton should be quite the boost in the painted area alongside Dixon, Bamba should emerge in the backcourt for the Wildcats in a Sixth Man role this season.
The bench should be strong for them this season with Chris Acridiacono, Brendan Hausen, and Jordan Longino all back and ready to compete for minutes. With a much more well-rounded group in Year 2, Coach Neptune should see some success from this year’s squad. Take a look at the projected starting rotation and depth chart for the Villanova Wildcats.
Point Guard
Starter – Mark Armstrong (20 mpg)
Mark Armstrong returns for Villanova after putting together a solid freshman campaign in 2022-23. He earned All-Freshman honors after posting 5.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg and 1.0 apg on 40.1 percent shooting from the field. He got some starting experience under his belt this past season, starting in 12 of his 34 appearances as a freshman. As a starter, he put together a stat line of 6.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.6 apg and 1.3 spg on 41.7 percent shooting from the field.
Armstrong isn’t the greatest perimeter shooter but he should provide some stability in the backcourt while battling for the lead guard spot with Chris Arcidiacono this season. It won’t be surprising to see them share the point guard duties and play based on who’s leading them to success after last year.
Bench- Chris Arcidiacono (20 mpg)
Chris Arcidiacono is another returner for the Wildcats who should see time at the backup point guard spot. He began the season in the starting rotation before moving to the bench by the end of last year. He’ll give them a veteran presence in the backcourt but he’ll need to improve his production. He averaged 2.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 1.6 apg across 34 appearances (20 starts) in 2022-23.
Shooting Guard
Starter – Justin Moore (30 mpg)
Justin Moore returns with a full season ahead of him to prove his worth for Villanova at the shooting guard role. He’ll be the biggest focus for the Wildcats’ success after appearing in just 13 games this past season after returning from an Achilles’ injury. He didn’t show any signs of slowing down though, producing 13.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg and 3.2 apg on 34.1 percent shooting from deep and 42 percent shooting from the field.
He really proved himself in a road victory over Xavier with 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 shooting from deep along with three assists and three rebounds back in February. With a full season, he should play a big factor in a better result in 2023-24.
Bench – T.J. Bamba (10 mpg), Brendan Hausen
T.J. Bamba is a player who should play a big role off the bench for Villanova in 2023-24 as he joins the squad from Washington State in the Pac-12. He was a breakout performer for the Cougars in 2022-23, posting 15.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 1.7 apg on 37.2 percent shooting from deep as a starter. As he makes a move to the ACC, he should play big minutes off the bench this season given his skillset. Brendan Hausen also returns for Villanova as a potential option at the third shooting guard role after making 32 appearances in 2022-23.
Small Forward/Wing
Starter – Hakim Hart (28 mpg)
Hakim Hart joins the Big East with the Villanova Wildcats after spending the past four seasons climbing the up the radar in the Big Ten with the Maryland Terrapins. He chose the Wildcats over Kansas, Gonzaga, and Miami as he looks to raise his NBA Draft stock heading into his final year of college basketball. He’s an athletic wing presence who can make plays in the paint and on the perimeter.
He had his best season of college basketball in 2022-23, averaging 11.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.6 apg, and 1.2 spg on 33.3 percent shooting from behind the arc and 47.9 percent shooting from the floor. He’s really come along as a playmaker and in turn, opened up opportunities for himself. He should be a solid acquisition out of the transfer portal for the Wildcats.
Bench – T.J. Bamba (12 mpg), Jordan Longino
T.J. Bamba should see more minutes at the backup wing spot to round out his minutes in the rotation. He should see a lot of minutes given his versatility at the 2-3 spot in terms of production. He knocked down a career-high 55 3-pointers while dishing out a career-high 52 assists. He’ll be a lethal weapon for Villanova on the wing and in the backcourt this season. Longino is another returner for the Wildcats who should see some time at the backup small forward/wing spot after appearing in 25 games this past season.
Power Forward
Starter – Tyler Burton (32 mpg)
Tyler Burton should give the Villanova Wildcats some versatility at the power forward spot with Eric Dixon at the anchor spot. Burton joins the Wildcats after spending the past four seasons with Richmond in the Atlantic 10. He’s been a model of consistency in the A10 over the past three seasons as he looks to bring some of his experience from the NCAA Tournament to a squad that went .500 in 2022-23.
He posted a double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds) back on March 17, 2022, in an upset victory over Iowa in the NCAA Tournament with Richmond. He’s a strong forward prospect who plays with a ton of energy on the hardwood and isn’t afraid to shoot the ball. He should adjust nicely to a new conference while showing off his ability to play both ends.
Bench – Lance Ware (4 mpg), Trey Patterson (4 mpg)
Lance Ware is another transfer portal acquisition that should be a presence for the Wildcats off the bench in 2023-24. He joins the squad after spending the past three seasons in the SEC with Kentucky. He’s a 6-foot-9 forward presence that can provide support as a rebounder and rim-protection off the bench. Trey Patterson is another returner for Villanova that should earn minutes at the third power forward spot and could even battle for minutes for the backup spot. He appeared in 22 games for Villanova in 2022-23.
Center
Starter – Eric Dixon (30 mpg)
Eric Dixon returns looking to bolster the frontcourt once again for Villanova. He’ll have some veteran help out of the transfer portal that should turn the tide in their favor this season. Dixon led the Wildcats in scoring (15.4 ppg) and rebounds (6.6 rpg) while expanding his game to the perimeter and earning second-team All-Big East honors in 2022-23.
He’s figuring out how to put it all together on the hardwood after showcasing his shooting ability and still showing he could effectively rebound the ball. He made a career-high 42 3-pointers on 37.8 percent this past season showcasing his stretch-center skills on the perimeter. After knocking down 1.2 3-pointers per contest this past season, look for his production on the perimeter to rise slightly with other weapons in this year’s rotation.
Bench – Lance Ware (8 mpg), Nnanna Njoku (2 mpg)
Lance Ware should see most of his minutes at the backup center spot. The Wildcats are thin in the frontcourt in terms of legitimate production, but they’ve got a few different bodies to try at the center spot if Dixon gets in foul trouble.
Ware should compete for minutes with Nnanna Njoku, though his experience in the SEC could give him a slight edge in the early going. Njoku appeared in two games for the Wildcats in 2022-23.