Roster Notes:
Here’s a key stat to keep an eye on: Villanova made 326 threes last year (seventh in the nation), accounting for 35 percent of their total made field goals last year. Hilliard and Ennis accounted for 137 of those made threes, or 42 percent of Nova’s total made threes.
There’s a gap here that the Wildcats must fill, but it’s not as if Jay Wright isn’t accustomed to replacing great talent with great talent waiting for their time to shine.
Arcidiacono is the constant for Nova, averaging between 10-12 points and 3-4 assists per season since he first joined the team as a freshman. The reigning Big East co-Player of the Year will be expected to carry a bit more of the load, but he’s ready to do that, spending this summer in playing for one of Italy’s national teams for the second summer in a row.
Always cool under pressure, Arcidiacono should be able to step his game up a bit more, but even that isn’t all the necessary.
Another Nova player made some waves this offseason as incoming freshman Brunson turned heads as he won the MVP award in the FIBA Under-19 World Championships. Brunson dropped 30 points on Greece in the semifinal and added 14 points, seven assists and five rebounds in the title game. As Ricky O’Donnell of SBNation puts it, Brunson’s going to be a problem for teams.
Brunson has the hype and the talent while Arcidacono has the experience and the leadership. This leaves the Wildcats with Hart and Booth to contribute. One of them could be a starter but both will be important in whatever role they are in. Both shot extremely well from beyond the arc and should see expanded playing time this year as they help replace Ennis and Hilliard.
It’s the frontcourt that appears to be a bit of a question mark for Nova as Ochefu returns but there isn’t much behind him in terms of production and size. Jenkins will likely be paired with Ochefu in the starting lineup, giving the Wildcats a smaller look overall but still having a rim protecting, shot blocking presence in the paint.
Beyond that, this appears to be a rather small team for Nova with nobody other than the 6-foot-11 Ochefu being taller than 6-foot-9 (freshman Tim Delaney). Look for some of the freshman to get their chance to prove his worth down low spelling Ochefu both as a way to conserve the senior center’s energy but also to help instill a new post player once he finishes up his career.
An interesting name to watch here is Mikal Bridges, a 6-foot-7 freshman who redshirted last season. He has size to play the four or the five if needed and if he can have an impact in the post, he’ll get some run this season.
The roster may appear to be a bit thin, but one thing Wright has done an amazing job with as a coach is finding players to step up and contribute. He doesn’t need high-profile recruits, he gets players that fit his system and makes it work. In a way, he’s like a younger, east coast version of Bo Ryan in that sense.
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