Year one at Villanova under Kevin Willard was definitely a step back in the right direction but the work has only just begun. After recent struggles for a few years, the Wildcats won 24 games, finished 3rd in the Big East, and returned to the NCAA Tournament. However, Villanova fell in the opening round of the event and is certainly looking for more success here in the near future.
They’ll be shedding a significant portion of last season’s talent, but many rosters are senior-laden these days and the Wildcats aren’t exactly a bare cupboard. Great rebounder Duke Brennan and freshman point guard Acaden Lewis might be gone, but Tyler Perkins will be back for his senior season after averaging 12.7 points per game last year. Matthew Hodge will also be back after some nice numbers as a sophomore, but an ACL tear means we won’t see him in the lineup early on and likely not at full strength for some time.
Villanova adds a few notable freshman, with the highlight clearly being Adam Oumiddoch, a Top 100 shooting guard from Arlington, Virginia. 7-footer Luigi Suigo will catch some eyes in the frontcourt, though the transfer haul also helps fill some of these holes. Among the notable addition, the Wildcats added Devin Royal, the presumed starter at the 3, after brilliant work at Ohio State. The backcourt gets plenty of scoring talent too in Elijah Crawford (UIC), Jake Fiegen (Cornell), and Daryl Simmons (St. Bonaventure), each of whom averaged at least 14 points a game last season.
Big time addition
There’s another transfer that floats to the top of rankings and expectations and that’s Kwame Evans Jr. Not only is he a 6-9 forward from Baltimore, Evans is a former 5-star prospect who was considered Top 15 three seasons ago before ending up out at Oregon. He spent three years with the Ducks with mixed results, but is fresh off his finest efforts as a junior. He averaged 13.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last season, albeit during a rough season for that Oregon team.
The pure talent is clearly there and Evans has all the potential to be a big piece in Villanova’s frontcourt. However, his important is even further magnified with Hodge’s injury. Evans becomes the clear starter at the 4 in Hodge’s absence and should take on a major role this season. He just might be the best rebounder on this current roster, as Willard and company are hoping he can step into a leadership role on both ends of the court.
There are some question marks for the Wildcats but also significant potential with the pieces they’ve assembled. Adding Evans, Royal, and those scoring guards into the mix with Perkins and a few other returners and Villanova might have something cooking here. They’ll certainly need notable contributions from several new players, but Evans is assuming quite the role in Hodge’s stead and he needs to have another standout season for the Wildcats to shine.
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