Miyakawa: Villanova One of Teams Hit Hardest By Transfers

Of ten players with eligibility remaining, Villanova Men’s Basketball has at least four set to enter the transfer portal… and according to college basketball analyst Evan Miyakawa, they’re one of the hardest-hit teams: point guard Acaden Lewis ranks the second most valuable player who intends to transfer.

The rising sophomore could slide down the rankings as the offseason continues: the transfer portal only officially opened on April 7 following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, so other players with better metrics could yet declare their intention to transfer. However, Miyakawa’s metrics state that based on Lewis’ production during his first season of college basketball, he would’ve ranked as the fourth-most valuable transfer last year: the Wildcats are losing a major talent regardless, one who should take a leap season as he continues to adjust to college basketball.

Miyakawa bases his ratings on how a player’s on-court presence impacts his team’s offensive and defensive efficiency, calculating points scored above or below the league average per 100 possessions.

Of the 3,046 players in Division I to play at least 500 possessions this past season, Lewis ranked No. 216 per Miyakawa’s calculations: he averaged 12.2 points, 5.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game, setting Villanova freshman records in each of the latter two categories. Fellow Wildcats transfer Bryce Lindsay held the No. 495 spot in Miyakawa’s rankings, posting a better offensive rating. However, his defense weighed him down, ranking only slightly above league average.

The Wildcats’ other two transfers, Braden Pierce and Zion Stanford, didn’t meet the 500-possession minimum.

For a related story, Acaden Lewis also declared for the NBA Draft: here’s how he compares to other top talents.