Villanova Men's Basketball 2017-18 Season Preview
Austin Krell
As you look up and down the roster of this year's Villanova Wildcats, there is one GLARING issue, or so it would appear to the uneducated eye. This team has no seniors to lead the way back to the NCAA tournament and fight for a second national championship in three years. The Cats were pretty good two years ago. But, they really started to click late in the season, and they took off from there. An upset loss to the Seton Hall Pirates in the Big East tournament championship made the Wildcats hungry. The loss arguably fueled them to one of the most efficient-scoring, defensively-effective tournament runs in the history of the tournament. They absolutely blew out four of their five opponents on their way to the NCAA championship game. The defensive intensity and sustained efficient offense all culminated in, as we will never forget, the greatest shot in NCAA tournament history -- Kris Jenkins' game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to win the national championship.
The team looked even better for the majority of last season, with their first loss of the season coming about fifteen games into the season. But, Kris Jenkins was a less efficient sniper as a senior than he was a junior. The complete reliance of under-sized Darryl Reynolds at center was a glaring issue. And Josh Hart carried the load offensively for the majority of the season. While last year's Wildcats finished with a better record than the team that one the championship previously, they could not compete with the deeper, bigger, more aggressive teams they were bracketed with in the early rounds of the tournament. As a result, they were upset in the second round.
Now, Josh Hart is in the NBA, and Kris Jenkins is fighting for an NBA training camp invitation. Darryl Reynolds is playing overseas. This year's team has not one senior. But, they have a TON of experience. Junior point guard Jalen Brunson, red-shirt junior guard Phil Booth, and red-shirt junior forward Mikal Bridges all contributed immensely to Villanova's championship run 2 seasons ago. Red-shirt sophomore guard Donte DiVincenzo and red-shirt junior forward Eric Paschal were also on the roster for the championship season, but were unable to play due to injuries and NCAA transfer rules.
So, no seniors, no problem. The experience is there. The question is, can these guys, most of whom played a secondary role while Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins, and Ryan Arcidiacono were still on the team, take big steps up and play primary roles?
Point guard Jalen Brunson has been a go-to guy since his very first college game. Last year, with a little more experience, he was arguably the second best player on the team, behind Josh Hart. Now, with Hart gone, Brunson has the keys to the Ferrari. Can he navigate the offense smoothly around the windy roads of a college basketball season, or will he crash? Keep in mind that, with the role he has now as a leader of this team, and with an upcoming NBA draft class that is not necessarily point guard rich, Brunson's play this season could dictate whether he is making millions of guaranteed dollars as a first round pick on an NBA team next year, or if he is fighting for a roster spot and minimal guaranteed money as a second round pick or an undrafted free agent. There is also the potential that Brunson could play himself out of even entering the draft and opt for a senior season at Villanova. He will be looking for every opportunity to raise his draft stock and lead this team to victories. And I believe he will ball out. The question is, will he use the wisdom he's been gifted from Hart, Arcidiacono, and Jay Wright and be patient, or will he force things and possibly hurt his team? His size may be a concern in the NBA, but his skills are there. He will have his best season as a Wildcat.
Forward Mikal Bridges is another guy with immense NBA potential. He has the body and defensive presence to be an NBA first round pick. But, his skills need much evolution to make him a high pick in this summer's draft. Last year, he forced turnovers in full-court defense and got layups and dunks off of those fast breaks and quick cuts to the basket in the half-court. He also made a very impressive 39% of his three-pointers. Even with those attributes, his offense comes off of passes. He is largely a catch-and-shoot shooter. The rumor is that Mikal spent the summer working on creating his own shots, and apparently improved that area of his game immensely. If it's true, and it shows this season, not only will Mikal be headed to the NBA making a nice chunk of guaranteed dough, but he will form one of the best dynamic guard-forward combos in college basketball. If he can take off with Jalen Brunson and lead the team, they will be right back in the late rounds of the tournament.
Guard Phil Booth is looking to come back from a knee injury that limited him to less than five games last season. The defensive combo-guard was the hero for Villanova in their championship battle with UNC, scoring a career-high 20 points off the bench. If Booth can come back and play a fully healthy season and improve his perimeter shooting a bit, Villanova's starting back court will be very strong.
Guard Donte DiVincenzo had his ups and downs throughout last season. Confidence was an issue for him. But, towards the end of his freshman campaign, things started to click for him, and he made strong contributions in every game, including a highlight reel put-back tip-in at the buzzer to beat a strong University of Virginia team at the Wells Fargo Center. His athleticism is elite, but his shooting and play-making ability are largely a function of his confidence level. If he can stay confident in his abilities and pick up where he left off at the end of last season, he will be a very strong contributor to this team.
Forward Eric Paschal has the tools to be a difference-maker on this team. His athleticism is unrivaled by anyone on the roster. His shooting is streaky. He could be really good, he just has to put it all together, all while gaining a better grasp on coach Jay Wright's system. There were many times last season when Paschal would be subbed in and out within a few minutes because he was having trouble figuring out Jay Wright's system, and he would either cost the team or he would just be ineffective. With another summer and a year of experience under his belt, I expect Paschal to improve immensely from last season. He should be a very strong big guard or undersized forward off of the bench.
Red-shirt freshman center Omari Spellman is the big story line for this season. With Darryl Reynolds manning the middle last season, scoring and defending the basket were the Wildcats' achilles heel. While Spellman is not that much taller than Reynolds, he is wider, stronger, and MUCH more skilled. It's hard to tell exactly what Omari will be without ever seeing him play a game live, but if he is as good as advertised, he will make the Wildcats exponentially better. He will have some growing pains as a freshman, but with a red-shirt year of experience, he will have an advantage over most freshmen.
Freshman forward Jermaine Samuels is another huge story line for this season. He is extremely athletic, and has a defined skill set. He can do a little bit of everything. But, he needs to develop that defined skill set to make himself very good at everything in his tool box. He is a freshman, so he has time to develop, but he will need to make strides throughout the season. Expect some slow growth at first, but with experience and practice, he will have grown a lot from the beginning of the season to the end. Even as a true freshman, Samuels will add depth to the bench this season. But, he is a much bigger piece of the long-term puzzle than he is the short-term.
It is unclear whether or not freshmen forward Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree and guard Collin Gillespie are red-shirting this season. Gillespie, an unranked 3-star recruit from the Main Line area is a long-term project. I do not expect him to be a contributor this season. Cosby-Roundtree is a bit more prepared for college basektball than Gillespie, but still needs a lot of work and is a long-term project as well.
Overall, this Wildcat team, although without a single senior on the roster to lead the way, has the potential to continue the success of the last two seasons. Even without seniors, Villanova has leadership and experience in Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Phil Booth. Although it's unknown who the team's star(s) will be, Jay Wright's culture revolves around selfless, starless, team basketball. He does not look for NBA-bound superstars. So, it's not like Villanova ever relied on a single superstar to make things work, anyway. This year's team could potentially be better than last year's, for the Wildcats possess the size and depth off the bench that it lacked last season. That lack of size and depth, despite the presence of Hart and Jenkins, killed them in the tournament. With last year's holes filled, there should be minimal drop off from last year's team, with the possibility of just as much success or even more than the last campaign. It all depends on how Omari Spellman can impact the paint on both ends of the court, if Phil Booth can remain healthy, and if Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges can rise into the spotlight. If there is a positive answer to each of those "ifs", this team will be right in the mix for a national championship. If there is a negative answer to each of those "ifs", the team will regress, in which case, the focus will be next year.
Projected starters: PG- Jalen Brunson, SG- Donte DiVincenzo, SF- Phil Booth, PF- Mikal Bridges, C- Omari Spellman
Projected record: 24-7; with a Big East tournament championship, as expected: 27-7
As you look up and down the roster of this year's Villanova Wildcats, there is one GLARING issue, or so it would appear to the uneducated eye. This team has no seniors to lead the way back to the NCAA tournament and fight for a second national championship in three years. The Cats were pretty good two years ago. But, they really started to click late in the season, and they took off from there. An upset loss to the Seton Hall Pirates in the Big East tournament championship made the Wildcats hungry. The loss arguably fueled them to one of the most efficient-scoring, defensively-effective tournament runs in the history of the tournament. They absolutely blew out four of their five opponents on their way to the NCAA championship game. The defensive intensity and sustained efficient offense all culminated in, as we will never forget, the greatest shot in NCAA tournament history -- Kris Jenkins' game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer to win the national championship.
The team looked even better for the majority of last season, with their first loss of the season coming about fifteen games into the season. But, Kris Jenkins was a less efficient sniper as a senior than he was a junior. The complete reliance of under-sized Darryl Reynolds at center was a glaring issue. And Josh Hart carried the load offensively for the majority of the season. While last year's Wildcats finished with a better record than the team that one the championship previously, they could not compete with the deeper, bigger, more aggressive teams they were bracketed with in the early rounds of the tournament. As a result, they were upset in the second round.
Now, Josh Hart is in the NBA, and Kris Jenkins is fighting for an NBA training camp invitation. Darryl Reynolds is playing overseas. This year's team has not one senior. But, they have a TON of experience. Junior point guard Jalen Brunson, red-shirt junior guard Phil Booth, and red-shirt junior forward Mikal Bridges all contributed immensely to Villanova's championship run 2 seasons ago. Red-shirt sophomore guard Donte DiVincenzo and red-shirt junior forward Eric Paschal were also on the roster for the championship season, but were unable to play due to injuries and NCAA transfer rules.
So, no seniors, no problem. The experience is there. The question is, can these guys, most of whom played a secondary role while Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins, and Ryan Arcidiacono were still on the team, take big steps up and play primary roles?
Point guard Jalen Brunson has been a go-to guy since his very first college game. Last year, with a little more experience, he was arguably the second best player on the team, behind Josh Hart. Now, with Hart gone, Brunson has the keys to the Ferrari. Can he navigate the offense smoothly around the windy roads of a college basketball season, or will he crash? Keep in mind that, with the role he has now as a leader of this team, and with an upcoming NBA draft class that is not necessarily point guard rich, Brunson's play this season could dictate whether he is making millions of guaranteed dollars as a first round pick on an NBA team next year, or if he is fighting for a roster spot and minimal guaranteed money as a second round pick or an undrafted free agent. There is also the potential that Brunson could play himself out of even entering the draft and opt for a senior season at Villanova. He will be looking for every opportunity to raise his draft stock and lead this team to victories. And I believe he will ball out. The question is, will he use the wisdom he's been gifted from Hart, Arcidiacono, and Jay Wright and be patient, or will he force things and possibly hurt his team? His size may be a concern in the NBA, but his skills are there. He will have his best season as a Wildcat.
Forward Mikal Bridges is another guy with immense NBA potential. He has the body and defensive presence to be an NBA first round pick. But, his skills need much evolution to make him a high pick in this summer's draft. Last year, he forced turnovers in full-court defense and got layups and dunks off of those fast breaks and quick cuts to the basket in the half-court. He also made a very impressive 39% of his three-pointers. Even with those attributes, his offense comes off of passes. He is largely a catch-and-shoot shooter. The rumor is that Mikal spent the summer working on creating his own shots, and apparently improved that area of his game immensely. If it's true, and it shows this season, not only will Mikal be headed to the NBA making a nice chunk of guaranteed dough, but he will form one of the best dynamic guard-forward combos in college basketball. If he can take off with Jalen Brunson and lead the team, they will be right back in the late rounds of the tournament.
Guard Phil Booth is looking to come back from a knee injury that limited him to less than five games last season. The defensive combo-guard was the hero for Villanova in their championship battle with UNC, scoring a career-high 20 points off the bench. If Booth can come back and play a fully healthy season and improve his perimeter shooting a bit, Villanova's starting back court will be very strong.
Guard Donte DiVincenzo had his ups and downs throughout last season. Confidence was an issue for him. But, towards the end of his freshman campaign, things started to click for him, and he made strong contributions in every game, including a highlight reel put-back tip-in at the buzzer to beat a strong University of Virginia team at the Wells Fargo Center. His athleticism is elite, but his shooting and play-making ability are largely a function of his confidence level. If he can stay confident in his abilities and pick up where he left off at the end of last season, he will be a very strong contributor to this team.
Forward Eric Paschal has the tools to be a difference-maker on this team. His athleticism is unrivaled by anyone on the roster. His shooting is streaky. He could be really good, he just has to put it all together, all while gaining a better grasp on coach Jay Wright's system. There were many times last season when Paschal would be subbed in and out within a few minutes because he was having trouble figuring out Jay Wright's system, and he would either cost the team or he would just be ineffective. With another summer and a year of experience under his belt, I expect Paschal to improve immensely from last season. He should be a very strong big guard or undersized forward off of the bench.
Red-shirt freshman center Omari Spellman is the big story line for this season. With Darryl Reynolds manning the middle last season, scoring and defending the basket were the Wildcats' achilles heel. While Spellman is not that much taller than Reynolds, he is wider, stronger, and MUCH more skilled. It's hard to tell exactly what Omari will be without ever seeing him play a game live, but if he is as good as advertised, he will make the Wildcats exponentially better. He will have some growing pains as a freshman, but with a red-shirt year of experience, he will have an advantage over most freshmen.
Freshman forward Jermaine Samuels is another huge story line for this season. He is extremely athletic, and has a defined skill set. He can do a little bit of everything. But, he needs to develop that defined skill set to make himself very good at everything in his tool box. He is a freshman, so he has time to develop, but he will need to make strides throughout the season. Expect some slow growth at first, but with experience and practice, he will have grown a lot from the beginning of the season to the end. Even as a true freshman, Samuels will add depth to the bench this season. But, he is a much bigger piece of the long-term puzzle than he is the short-term.
It is unclear whether or not freshmen forward Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree and guard Collin Gillespie are red-shirting this season. Gillespie, an unranked 3-star recruit from the Main Line area is a long-term project. I do not expect him to be a contributor this season. Cosby-Roundtree is a bit more prepared for college basektball than Gillespie, but still needs a lot of work and is a long-term project as well.
Overall, this Wildcat team, although without a single senior on the roster to lead the way, has the potential to continue the success of the last two seasons. Even without seniors, Villanova has leadership and experience in Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Phil Booth. Although it's unknown who the team's star(s) will be, Jay Wright's culture revolves around selfless, starless, team basketball. He does not look for NBA-bound superstars. So, it's not like Villanova ever relied on a single superstar to make things work, anyway. This year's team could potentially be better than last year's, for the Wildcats possess the size and depth off the bench that it lacked last season. That lack of size and depth, despite the presence of Hart and Jenkins, killed them in the tournament. With last year's holes filled, there should be minimal drop off from last year's team, with the possibility of just as much success or even more than the last campaign. It all depends on how Omari Spellman can impact the paint on both ends of the court, if Phil Booth can remain healthy, and if Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges can rise into the spotlight. If there is a positive answer to each of those "ifs", this team will be right in the mix for a national championship. If there is a negative answer to each of those "ifs", the team will regress, in which case, the focus will be next year.
Projected starters: PG- Jalen Brunson, SG- Donte DiVincenzo, SF- Phil Booth, PF- Mikal Bridges, C- Omari Spellman
Projected record: 24-7; with a Big East tournament championship, as expected: 27-7
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