Tyler Perkins a Perfect Fit for Villanova | Meet the Wildcats

This is one in a series of stories previewing each member of the 2026-27 Villanova Men’s Basketball roster.

Tyler Perkins earned the Big East’s Most Improved Player award and a third team selection on the all-conference squad after putting up 13.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game during the 2025-26 season. The year prior, Perkins played plucky defense as the Wildcats’ sixth man while working through extended shooting slumps.

Offseason shoulder surgery hasn’t had any adverse effects on his play so far, as Perkins is averaging 19 points through a pair of preseason games… and Villanova’s current roster construction should suit Perkins’ talents much better than last season’s. He had to play the three for much of last season because of the Wildcats’ lack of size and, although he played bigger than his 6-foot-4, 212 pound frame, a chance to guard players closer to his own size should help Perkins’ play take another leap and have him in the conversation for another all-conference selection. To that point, he landed on the preseason first team at the Big East Media Day.

A Natural Villanovan

While Perkins’ combination of effort — head coach Kevin Willard praises him as one of the hardest workers he’s ever coached — and talent at the guard position makes him a natural fit for Villanova, he began his college career ten miles to the southeast at Penn, where he broke into the starting lineup as a true freshman. That effort could have an even greater impact on the Wildcats than Perkins’ play on the court does: he made his Main Line debut during the 2024-25 season, Kyle Neptune’s last as head coach, and Willard has credited Perkins for the role he played in maintaining the team’s culture through the subsequent coaching change.

Even more exciting for Wildcats fans, Perkins might not have finished developing as a player and teammate. The NCAA’s new five-in-five eligibility model could help him stay at Villanova through the end of the 2027-28 season, and Willard has already stated his intention to retain this year’s group of seniors.