In his first year at Villanova, Head Coach Kevin Willard went 24-9 and led the Wildcats back to the NCAA tournament for the first time since Jay Wright's final season in 2022. Nova finished third in the Big East last year. Even so, they were well behind back-to-back champion St. John's and the since-retooled UConn Huskies . Willard looked to build more depth this offseason to try to close that gap. The Wildcats used a seven-man rotation last season, with the eighth spot rotating among several players. One game into the season, here's how the new-look Wildcats stack up.
Nov 1, 2026; Rome, Italy; Villanova Wildcats head coach Kevin Willard reacts on the sideline during the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Palazzo dello Sport. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
Willard lost 10 players from last year, and nine of them left through the transfer portal. Of the seven-man rotation, five are gone, and all of the players who rotated in the eighth spot left. The biggest loss for the Wildcats was superstar freshman point guard Acaden Lewis . Lewis came to Villanova as a top-50 recruit and did not disappoint; he was named to the All-Big East Freshman team and to the All-Big East second team. He averaged 12.2 points and 5.3 assists per game and started all 33 of Nova's games last season. Lewis tested the waters in the NBA draft, then returned to college and transferred to Miami.
Willard was also tasked with replacing double-double machine and starting center Duke Brennan , who was named to the All-Big East third team and averaged 12.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Brennan graduated, then received a preliminary injunction granting him another year and transferred to Oklahoma. Bryce Lindsay was the remaining Wildcat starter who transferred; he averaged 12.3 points per game and is now at Indiana.
The other two consistent rotation players who will not be at Villanova this year are Devin Askew , who exhausted his eligibility, and Malachi Palmer , who transferred to Minnesota. Askew averaged 9.8 points per game, shot 40.6% from three, and won the Big East Sixth Man Award. Palmer averaged 4.6 points per game.
Willard had four returning players, two of whom were impact players and starters. Matthew Hodge started at forward in every game he played last season and averaged 9.2 points and 3.6 rebounds. Hodge tore his ACL and missed the final four games of the season. He currently has no estimated return date for this season. Tyler Perkins was named the Big East Most Improved Player last year and was also named to the All-Big East third team. After averaging 13.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, he will look to make another jump this season.
Willard signed only three recruits, but it's a very strong class. Leading the class is game-changing Italian center Luigi Suigo . Suigo is seven-foot-three and should provide a big boost to Villanova's offense by stretching the floor and finishing around the basket. After playing 26 games in the ABA League last season, Suigo should also anchor the Wildcats' defense. Willard then added four-star shooting guard and top-70 recruit Adam Oumiddoch.
Oumiddoch originally committed to St. John's before choosing to play for the Wildcats. What he lacks in strength and elite athleticism, Oumiddoch makes up for with craftiness, shot-making, and good handles. The final addition is Maryland combo guard Carter Fisk. This class gives the Wildcats two players with major roles, and by the end of the year, they could be two starters.
The Wildcats added seven transfers from the portal, five of whom will be part of the rotation. It starts with Ohio State forward Devin Royal , who averaged 13.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Royal was a key member of the Buckeyes for the past two years and will look to bring the same production to the Wildcats. Jake Fiegen , a first-team All-Ivy League guard from Cornell, averaged 17.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and looks set for a big role. All-MVC second-team point guard Elijah Crawford averaged 14.1 points and 4.9 assists per game at Illinois Chicago; he will look to play a rotational role for the Wildcats.
Darryl Simmons IIaveraged 16.4 points per game, shot 42.5% from three, and led the A-10 in made threes last season for St. Bonaventure. The final rotation player in this transfer class is Oregon starting forward and former McDonald's All-American Kwame Evans Jr. Evans Jr. started every game he played at Oregon last season, averaging 13.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game.
PG: Simmons II (2 years), Crawford (3 years), Fisk (5 years), Wade Chiddick (1 year, returner)
SG: Fiegen (2 years), Oumiddoch (5 years), Brady Muller (1 year, transfer)
SF: Perkins (2 years)
PF: Royal (2 years), Hodge (3 years; currently out), Abdou Samb (1 year, transfer)
C: Suigo (5 years), Evans Jr. (2 years), Nico Onyekwere (4 years, returner)
Willard is looking to build off his success from last season and has done so thus far with a strong offseason. This Nova roster still has questions to answer. Who will play point guard? As we saw in Villanova's first game yesterday, there is no question that they can shoot the ball. However, they struggled to take care of the ball, committing 20 turnovers. We will see if Simmons II can help cut down on turnovers or if Willard turns to Crawford.
Can the freshmen rise to the occasion in the Big East? Suigo and Oumiddoch are expected to have very large roles right out of the gate. Time will tell if they can be consistent contributors. When will Hodge be back? Once he returns, Villanova will likely have a nine-player rotation, which is much deeper than last year and will give the Wildcats plenty of flexibility.
Although this year's Villanova roster has more depth, a gap still appears to separate the Wildcats from reigning Big East champs St. John's. This Nova team should still finish in the top half of the Big East and make the NCAA tournament. The improved depth should also keep this team fresher come tournament time.
Featured Image: Chris Jones-Imagn Images
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