Last Year: 17-17; Sixth (10-10) in the Big East Conference, lost in the first round of the NIT
Head Coach: Kyle Neptune (Second Year)
Projected Starting Lineup
| G Justin Moore – 6’5″, 210 – Senior (5th) |
| W TJ Bamba – 6’5″, 215 – Senior |
| W Hakim Hart – 6’8″, 205 – Senior (5th) |
| F Tyler Burton – 6’7″, 215 – Senior (5th) |
| F/C Eric Dixon – 6’8″, 255 – Senior |
Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats
Justin Moore: 13.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.2 apg, 0.5 spg – 42.0% FG in 13 games played
TJ Bamba: 15.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.7 apg, 0.9 spg – 37.2% 3FG @ Washington State
Hakim Hart: 11.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.2 spg – 47.9% FG @ Maryland
Tyler Burton: 19.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.5 spg – 44.9% FG @ Richmond
Eric Dixon: 15.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.6 bpg – 37.8% 3FG
Experienced Reserves
| G Mark Armstrong – 6’2″, 180 – Sophomore |
| F/C Lance Ware – 6’9″, 235 – Junior |
| G Brendan Hausen – 6’4″, 205 ‘ Sophomore |
| G Chris Arcidiacono – 6’4″, 205 – Senior (5th) |
| F Trey Patterson – 6’9″, 225 – Junior |
| W Jordan Longino – 6’5″, 215 – Junior |
| F/C Nnanna Njoku – 6’9″, 260 – Junior |
Experienced Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats
Mark Armstrong: 5.3 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.8 spg – 40.1% FG
Lance Ware: 2.0 ppg, 2 0 rpg, 0.6 apg, 0.4 bpg – 65.8% FG @ Kentucky
Brendan Hausen: 3.1 ppg, 0.5 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.2 spg – 42.9% 3FG
Chris Arcidiacono: 2.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.6 apg, 0.4 spg – 38.2% 3FG
Trey Patterson: 0.5 ppg, 1.1 rpg – 21.4% FG
Jordan Longino: 5.0 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.4 spg – 39.6% FG
Nnanna Njoku: 2 rebounds in four games played
Freshmen
| F Jordann Dumont – 6’8″, 200 – Freshman |
‘Great men are not born great, they grow great’
– Jay Wright, probably
The first season of new head coach Kyle Neptune’s tenure leading the Villanova Wildcats was not the rousing success which many had hoped it would be. Despite inheriting a roster which included six of the top eight players from a Final Four team, Neptune’s Wildcats stumbled to a .500 record and sixth-place finish in Big East Conference play.
There isn’t much room for treading water in their league, and no one in the Villanova program is resting on past laurels. Wright, now a Godfather Special Assistant to the university’s president, Neptune, and his entire staff hit the Transfer Portal hard, searching for impact veterans to supercharge Villanova’s returning roster. And those efforts paid off.
Four outstanding talents with a wealth of winning experience are the result of Villanova’s offseason. The quartet has been rated as highly as any group of newcomers to any program in America, and they are poised to revitalize Neptune’s roster. And, combined with growth from their young coach, they are looking to lead the Wildcats deep into the NCAA Tournament once more.
The best thing about Nova’s roster is that the newcomers don’t have to do all of the heavy lifting – there are stars already in place, too. Eric Dixon returns after breaking out in a big way as a junior, and is looking to show that there are even more dimensions than he has already shown to his game. A terrific post-up scorer, Dixon can drive the Wildcats’ offense from anywhere inside the free throw line, and last season showed that he can be a legitimate deep threat as well. Dixon is a strong and athletic big who looks to score from inside out, and is comfortable on either block or backing his man straight down the lane. Dixon can score with both hands, has great mobility, uses his hips well to establish position and seal his man, and has a devastating drop step to power shots up when gets in close. And when he spots up with room to shoot, Dixon has shown that he will stick jumpers from almost anywhere. While he is a true post player, Dixon is not an outstanding rebounder and he does not block many shots. He is active on the glass, though, and has a good instinct for putting back friendly misses; he cashed in 33 of them a year ago. The only place that Dixon occasionally struggles is on defense, as he does not have great quickness and can be overpowered by larger players. His hustle and long arms make up some ground, and hopefully this year, Neptune can play Dixon at the 4 spot a bit more often.
Justin Moore is a four-year star for the Wildcats, and like Dixon, played big minutes for a Final Four team two years ago. Unfortunately, last year Moore missed the first three months of the season while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon which he suffered during Villanova’s Elite Eight victory two years ago. It took Moore a few games to get rolling, but he averaged 16.4 points and 3.4 assists over the Wildcats’ final eight games last season. A big scoring guard who also makes plays for his teammates, Moore has handed out four or more assists in 26 of his 105 games in a Villanova jersey and owns a career 1.54:1 assist to turnover ratio. This year, Neptune needs Moore to run the point. It’s a big ask for a team with so many key new faces, but Moore has the experience and skill to step up to the challenge. There have been times in the past when Moore dribbled out most of the shot clock trying to get his look in the lane or took a few too many heat-checks. And while Moore has always been a streaky player, he’s also a guy who can carry his team when he’s rolling. With great size against most point guards and the strength to back down many defenders if he can’t take them off the dribble, Moore can get his points inside and out. And he’s the most efficient when he’s getting to the basket, though Moore does love to shoot the three. If he can reign in his proclivity for hunting his own looks and evolve as a ballhandler and playmaker, Moore can take both his own game and the Nova offense to greater heights.
In his freshman season, Mark Armstrong flashed the ability that convinced multiple recruiting services to rank him a Top 50 prospect. Now, he’ll be asked to do even more to help lead the offense. If he can start by solidifying himself as a reliable outside shooter, Neptune would be appreciative. When he arrived in the Main Line, Armstrong carried a reputation as a combo guard who could score from all over; and while he did so last year, his percentages were a bit wonky. While Armstrong cashed in 60% of his shots near the rim, he hit just 25% of his triples, per Bart Torvik. Armstrong sank 88% of his free throws, though, and he’s got clean mechanics, so the hope is that things will swing back up this year. He’s gotten stronger since becoming a Wildcat; where Armstrong was listed around 160 pounds before his freshman year, he now checks in at 180.
That will only continue to serve him well defensively, as well. Not yet a complete player on that end of the floor, Armstrong nonetheless has great quickness and fluidity, and can be a real irritant – he had four steals in a game twice during the second half of his freshman year. The all-around potential is very clearly there for Armstrong to break out, he just needs to tighten things up at both ends and prove that he can help drive the offense.
The younger Arcidiacono…possesses the family traits of poise, playmaking, and outside shooting
A trio of experienced guards return to provide support, and together they have more than enough potential to provide the deep threat which Nova needs. Brendan Hausen only averaged nine minutes per game as a freshman, but demonstrated that he can be every bit the collegiate marksman that his prep reputation suggested. With good size and length, Hausen is a pure shooter, and while he’s not yet adept at creating lots of looks for himself, he’s money in the bank coming off of a screen or spotting up on the wing. Hausen will need to show more defensively, but he knows how to be in position and has good awareness at both ends of the floor. He’s also a good passer, and though not a playmaker, is efficient at moving the ball around the perimeter when he’s not running around screens. Chris Arcidiacono isn’t the scorer that his National Championship-winning brother Ryan was for the Wildcats, but the younger Arcidiacono possesses the family traits of poise, playmaking, and outside shooting. A big guard who was the primary point man last year before Moore returned from injury, Chris Arcidiacono is a max–effort player and tenacious defender whose years of hard work finally paid off in a significant role for the Wildcats. Though he’s not much of a scorer, Arcidiacono can knock down an open three and cut for an open layup, but is best when he’s not really looked to as a source of points. He’s a solid playmaker and ballhandler, and turned it over just 18 times in 755 minutes played last year. Neptune knows exactly what to expect from Arcidiacono, and that means that he should continue to have a role helping the Wildcats to execute.
Jordan Longino made steady improvements last year, and the former 4-star prospect is hoping to earn an even bigger role as a junior. Despite some streaky outside shooting of his own, Longino had been averaging 25 minutes and 7 points per game last year until a hamstring injury cost him almost all of January and limited him for the rest of the season. This, after Longino suffered a knee injury during Villanova’s postseason run two years ago which required offseason surgery and still bothered Longino at times heading into last season. If he can stay healthy this year, Longino is looking to prove that the offensive skills he has flashed are for real. A terrific outside shooter, Longino has struggled to find his rhythm consistently and owns just a 26% career mark from deep in a Nova jersey. He was much better inside the arc last year, hitting 71% at the rim and half of his jumpers. When Longino is right, he has a true midrange repertoire and can be a key floor-spacing shooter. Longino and everyone around the program are hoping he can play every game this year mostly pain-free, and thus give a proper account of all that he has to offer.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| 43.6% – Team FG Percentage (243rd) |
| 82.0% – Team FT Percentage (1st) |
| 7.2 – Offensive Rebounds Per Game (343rd) |
| 26.0 – 3FG Attempts Per Game (25th) |
| 33.4% – Team 3FG Percentage (221st) |
TJ Bamba was the first transfer to commit to the Wildcats this offseason, and the former Washington State star is coming off of a breakout campaign which nearly landed him in the NBA. A largely unheralded recruit coming out of high school, the Bronx product did nothing but improve during his three seasons on the Palouse. A year ago, he emerged as the Cougars’ leading scorer and one of the best guards in the Pac 12. A big, strong scoring who is also very capable of setting up his teammates, Bamba likes to drive at his defender and create off of it. He’s got a solid step-back jumper that he will go to, or Bamba will put his head down and get to the rack. He’s also made himself into a dangerous three point shooter, and Bamba grew tremendously in his confidence overall playing on the perimeter. Bamba is bigger and stronger than most guards, and he can be explosive around the rim at both ends of the court. The last two years, Bamba was asked to defend some of the better guards in the country and he did a great job. At times he needed to conserve his energy a bit on defense because his offense last year was so vital to the Cougars; now, with scorers all around him, Bamba should get to let it all hang out on defense, which is bad news for the backcourts of the Big East.
A week after Bamba arrived from out West, a Philly native pledged his commitment to return home. Hakim Hart is a big wing who brings versatility and a skillset that’s been evolving over the course of 85 career starts at Maryland. The graduate transfer is a great passer and effective inside/outside scorer who can finish at the rim himself or create a great look for a teammate. Hart is great at moving without the ball to give himself opportunities, and is terrific and unselfish in transition. With the athleticism and length to get to the rim, Hart can be a matchup problem. Hart has dished out 219 career assists, and last year had four or more in a game ten times. He’ll be even more dangerous if Hart can improve his outside efficiency. He has a bit of a low release and has shot 33% from deep each of the past three seasons. When he’s making triples, Hart becomes a dangerous offensive player. Villanova fans saw too much low-efficiency three point shooting for their 26 attempts each game last season – the 25th-most on average in the nation a year ago. If Bamba keeps it up and Hart can reach a new level of consistency from the outside, Villanova’s three’s will hurt the opposition a lot more this winter.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| N – North Carolina / Northern Iowa – November 23 |
| vs Maryland – November 17 |
| vs UCLA – December 9 |
| @ Kansas State – December 5 |
| N – Texas Tech – November 22 |
While he never quite lived up to the 5-star hype he arrived with in Lexington, Kentucky transfer Lance Ware is hoping that Villanova is just the change of scenery he needs to live up to that potential. The New Jersey native averaged about 10 minutes, 2 points, 2 boards and half a block per game across 77 career games in Kentucky blue. Now that he’s swapped his jersey to a different shade, Ware is hoping that his size and skills will provide a nice contrast to Dixon up front. Ware is long and lean where Dixon is wide, and has the bouncy athleticism to collect rebounds and block shots that other players cannot. He’s not as powerful as Dixon, and that was often a knock on Ware at Kentucky. In Lexington, Ware played behind former National Player of the Year Oscar Tchiebwe for two seasons, and never really carved out enough minutes to expand his game. With his ability to play above the rim and some touch around the rim, Ware has untapped potential; and his shot-blocking is a needed skill which Dixon doesn’t come upon as naturally.
All of those pieces make Villanova a contender. There is depth and quality at each position, and the upgrades should be felt immediately. It had been a great spring for the reshaping of the roster. Even so, it seemed like maybe one ingredient was missing.
And just then, a guy from the A-10 happened to enter the Portal. And Wright smiled like the Wildcat that’s caught its mouse.
Tyler Burton has been one of the best players in America the past three seasons not to play for a major conference team. Now that he’s a Wildcat, the whole country will get to see the skills Burton used to conquer A-10 competition. Burton scored 1,634 points as a Richmond Spider, twice being named all-conference. He finished third in the league in scoring last year, and second in free throws, FT attempts and minutes played. A combo forward who knows how to score on the block, Burton is also a good jump shooter who can get hot and carry his team. A 35% career shooter from downtown coming into last year, Burton uncharacteristically fell off to 29%. Overall, Burton is a very efficient player who makes the right pass when doubled and attacks when the defense is out of position. He’s with the ball, even against bigger post players, and knows how to draw lots of and finish through heavy traffic. If Burton’s three point stroke comes back, he’ll be an outstanding 1-B option to Dixon. Defensively, Burton doesn’t have incredible natural tools, but he’s smart, understands positioning and how to help his teammates, and always gives a great effort. Two years ago he averaged 15 points and nine boards through the postseason, leading the Spiders to an Atlantic 10 Tournament championship and a win in the NCAA Tournament. Burton appears as prepared as a newcomer could be for his arrival to the Big East, and should be the pièce de résistance to Villanova’s work upgrading this year’s team.
There are a pair of veteran bigs returning who have served as deep reserves thus far in their careers, and each will hope to play a larger role this time around. Trey Patterson has played in 40 career games for Villanova, and averaged nearly seven minutes per game last season. He’s got size and mobility, but shot the ball poorly on his few attempts last year. If Patterson can make a few of the deep jumpers which clanged last winter, he could earn some more run. Nnanna Njoku has only played 13 games over this two seasons, and remains stuck behind quite a few good forwards. Njoku can help at the 5 in spot minutes, and will hope to find more time somehow. The Wildcats have also added Jordann Dumont, who is an under-the-radar freshman prospect. Though not a 5-star, Dumont has good length and can shoot the ball, and he may well take a redshirt to add strength and develop those skills for next season.
Last year, Villanova just didn’t end up doing enough winning things. They ranked below 300th nationally in offensive and total rebounding, assists, and blocks. The things they have done well provide a solid foundation, and players like Dixon, Moore and Arcidiacono have been around to see what it’s like near the summit of March Madness. This season, they want to breathe that delicious, thin air once again.
“I think life in general is a process of growth and every year you get a lot of new experiences and get better, Neptune said at Big East Media Days. “We got a lot of experience under our belt from last year and that year is over now…it’s time to get a new bunch of experiences and learn from that as well.”
With this upgraded roster, the expectation is that this team will be vastly improved. The Wildcats have not come out swinging just to go .500 once again. Each of Neptune’s teams so far – both at Fordham and last season – have liked to shoot the three, but they haven’t been particularly efficient about it. The veterans who have been added can make shots, and should transform the Wildcats by giving opponents lots of tough covers. If it all clicks, and Neptune can himself rise to a new level, Villanova’s ceiling will be very high. They’ll have to put in a full season’s work, but after all, that’s the only way that great talent on paper grows great in March.
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