Villanova Wildcats: Are They The Team To Beat In The Big East?

The Villanova Wildcats look to build of their surprising 2013-14 campaign this upcoming season.

Villanova returns four starters and a key reserve from a team that went 29-5 and reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament, bowing out to the eventual national champion Connecticut Huskies. Head coach Jay Wright also brought in two of the more promising incoming freshmen in 6’3″ combo guard Phil Booth and 6’7″ wing Mikal Bridges.

It is kind of remarkable what Wright, one the best coaches in country, did last year when considering the Wildcats won just 33 contests from 2011-13. Villanova also won the inaugural Big East regular season crown with a 16-2 record – both of the Wildcats’ conference losses were to Creighton while their other regular season loss was to Syracuse. The Wildcats’ biggest regular season wins were against Kansas and Iowa State.

Wright, 52, is in his 13th season at Villanova and has compiled a 285-149 record. He has led the Cats to one Final Four appearance (2009) and two regular season conference championships. Villanova has made nine NCAA tournament appearances with Wright at the helm, reaching the Sweet 16 four times and the Elite Eight twice.

Villanova returnees, led by 6’7″ senior forward JayVaughn Pinkston, accounted for 77.9 percent of its scoring — 78.0 points a game — which ranked second in the Big East and 30th in the nation — and 79.9 percent of its rebounding from last year .

Pinkston is one of two returning players, along with Darrun Hilliard, to average at least 14.0 points a game. Pinkston, who produced two double-doubles, averaged 14.1 points and 6.1 rebounds last year. He shot 52.1 percent from the field while also grabbing 2.2 offensive rebounds per game. The second team All-Big-East selection, whose range extends to the three-point line, is very strong and athletic which causes opposing interior players problems.

Hilliard, a 6’6″ senior, led the team in scoring 14 times last season and averaged 14.3 points along with 3.6 rebounds a game. Hilliard will be joined in the Wildcats three- guard starting lineup by 6’5″ sophomore guard Josh Hart (7. 8 PPG, 4.4 RPG) and 6’3″ junior point guard Ryan Arcidiacono (9.9, 3.5 APG).

Hilliard is one of the best shooters in the conference and has the ability to create his own shot off the dribble as well as knock down three-pointers on a consistent basis – he shot 48.6 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from beyond the arc. Hilliard also excels on the defensive end, tying for the team lead with 43 steals while also blocking 17 shots.

Arcidiacono, on the other hand, is an excellent distributor who needs to improve his outside shooting to truly be an offensive threat. He shot only 39.5 percent from the floor and knocked down 34.5 percent of his three-pointers though he does have the ability to carry the scoring load on occassion. Arcidiacono turned the ball over just 48 times all season while collecting 37 steals.

Hart, one of the best freshmen in the conference last season, will likely take 2013-14 All-Big East first team selection James Bell’s starting spot. The athletic Hart likes to get out in transition and is a good finisher at the rim as well as a solid rebounder and defender. He shot 50 percent from the field.

Junior Dylan Ennis and Booth will also see time in the Wildcats backcourt.

Ennis, the older brother of Toronto Raptors’ 2014 first round draft pick Tyler Ennis, is a strong playmaker and scorer but struggles with his shot. He averaged 5.1 points and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 35.3 percent from the field and 30.1 percent from long-range. Ennis played at Rice prior to transferring to Villanova and was named to the Conference USA 2011-12 All-Freshman Team, after setting a school freshmen record with 144 assists. He also averaged 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds to go along with 37 steals and 21 blocks that season.

Booth can play both guard positions but is considered to be the Wildcats’ point guard of the future due to his excellent ball-handling and nifty passing skills. He also has a solid shooting stroke. Booth, rated as the 92nd best prospect in the class of 2014 by ESPN, was named the 2013-14 Baltimore Prep Player of the Year after averaging 19.0 points and 6.0 rebounds a game as senior at Mount Saint Joseph in Baltimore.

The 6’11” Daniel Ochefu, who will join Pinkston as a starter in the front-court, needs to step up his offensive production. Ochefu has grown his game significantly since coming to Villanova and possesses terrific hands and is a very good passer. He also has excellent instincts on the defensive end which helps him to be in position to block shots and rebound the ball. Ochefu averaged 5.7 points, while shooting 59.4 percent from the floor. He also tied for the team lead with 6.1 rebounds and swatted away a team high 51 shots.

Sophomore Kris Jenkins and Bridges will also see significant time in the frontcourt. Jenkins is a wide body who can operate inside or on the perimeter. He is gifted offensively and has a nice shooting stroke from long-range. Jenkins, who needs to be more consistent, averaged 4.1 points a game and shot 37.0 percent from beyond the arc last season.

Bridges, the No.82 prospect in 2014 by ESPN, has intriguing athleticism and is very versatile as he can play multiple positions. He possesses a smooth jumper with excellent range and is expected to become a very competent defender. Bridges, from Malvern, Pa., averaged 18.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.4 blocks and 1.6 steals per contest as a senior at Great Valley High School.

Sophomore forward Darryl Reynolds will provide front-court depth. Reynolds is a 6’8″, high-energy player who can block shots, rebound and defend. He also runs the floor well and is a capable finisher at the rim. Reynolds appeared in 21 games and averaged 1.0 rebound a game while playing just 3.3 minutes per contest.

Strengths: Backcourt, Defense, Playmaking and Rebounding

Weaknesses: Turnovers, Three-point shooting, Height, Frontcourt scoring.

Analysis: The Wildcats have one of the best starting backcourts in the conference and are always solid defensively. Villanova ranked first in the conference in scoring defense and 78th in the nation, allowing 66.5 points a game. The Cats’ doled out 15. 4 assists a game, which ranked 23rd in the nation, and committed 11.6 turnovers a game.

The key for success will be the Wildcats’ willingness to share the basketball and the development of Ochefu as well as the two freshmen.

Last year, Villanova doled out 15.4 assists a game (23rd in the nation) which led too many good looks – the Wildcats shot 45.3 percent from the floor.

According to Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan, Ochefu has been busy this summer working on his game. Sheridan said that Ochefu has put on muscle and worked on his foot work as well as his free-throw shooting. So, it is not out of the realm of possibly that Ochefu will average close to 10 points a game.

If all the pieces fall into place the question then becomes can the ‘Cats’ match their win total from last year?

It looks like the Big East is theirs for the taking but Georgetown is much improved while St. John’s has perhaps the best backcourt in the conference. Villanova should win at least 25 games and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they won 29 or 30 contests.

Villanova has a favorable nonconference schedule with its toughest games being played in New York City. The Wildcats will play VCU on Nov. 24, and either Michigan/Oregon on Nov. 25, in Brooklyn as part of the Barclays Classic. They will also play Illinois in New York on Dec. 9.

In addition, Villanova hosts a rebuilding, yet very talented Syracuse on Dec. 20. The Orange lost senior C.J. Fair along with freshman Tyler Ennis and sophomore Jerami Grant. But they brought in two talented freshmen who are expected to contribute immediately in Kaleb Joseph and Chris McCullough. The Orange also returns Trevor Cooney, B.J. Johnson, Michael Gbinije and DaJuan Coleman.