Villanova Is Built to Win the Big East

Kevin Willard is in his second season at Villanova. The Wildcats went 24-9 last year, made the NCAA Tournament, and finished with a top-40 KenPom offense. Acaden Lewis transferred to Miami and Bryce Lindsay transferred to Indiana. Willard replaced that production with several transfers who averaged double figures elsewhere, plus the return of All-Big East guard Tyler Perkins.

Tyler Perkins

Perkins stayed. He was All-Big East and the Big East’s Most Improved Player last season. In 33 games he averaged 13.7 points and 5.4 rebounds and shot 36.9% from three. He led the team with 452 points. With Lewis gone, he is the clearest returning scorer. The new guards will have to share the ball with him.

Jake Fiegen

Fiegen transferred from Cornell. He averaged 17 points, shot 54.6% from the field and 41.4% from three, and finished second on Cornell with 122 rebounds. He is 6-4 and can both create and make shots. He is the most complete of the new guards.

Elijah Crawford

Crawford comes from UIC. He averaged 14.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 23 games, made All-Missouri Valley second team, and was named to the All-Newcomer team. He led UIC in scoring and assists. He shot 27.6% from three, so the creation is the main draw.

Darryl Simmons II

Simmons led St. Bonaventure at 16.4 points per game in the Atlantic 10. He had multiple 20-point games, including 31 against Duquesne and 30 at Richmond. At 5-11 he is another ballhandler. Between Fiegen, Crawford, and Simmons, Villanova has three new guards who averaged at least 14 points last season at their previous schools.

Devin Royal and Kwame Evans Jr.

Royal transferred from Ohio State. Evans transferred from Oregon, where he averaged 13.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists and shot 45.4% from the field. Both give Villanova size and physicality in the frontcourt that it did not have to import last year. Evans is the one with a clear double-digit scoring line.

Outlook

Villanova already had a top-40 offense and a 24-9 record. The portal class is meant to replace Lewis and Lindsay without a drop. Perkins is the returning piece. Fiegen, Crawford, and Simmons are the new creators. Royal and Evans are the forwards. If the new guards can share the ball and Perkins continues to score at the same rate, Villanova should stay near the top of the Big East. The exhibitions against Rutgers, George Mason, and Virginia will be the first look at how it fits before the November 1 opener in Rome against Notre Dame.