Villanova Film Room: 4-Star Acaden Lewis’ Natural Savvy

Villanova Men’s Basketball picked up a commitment from one of the top players in the class of 2025 on Thursday, May 1, bringing in 6-foot-2, 180 pound four-star point guard Acaden Lewis. Philadelphia Sports Now took a look at video of his performance in games to gauge what he’ll bring to the Wildcats.

Already 19 years old — he’ll turn 20 before the start of next season — ESPN ranks Lewis as the No. 31 player in his class, a talented lead guard whose vision and scoring touch will help him earn minutes from day one even if he doesn’t step right in as a starter.

A natural lefty shot, Lewis remains capable with his off hand, often driving into traffic and then finishing with his right. He displays excellent feel on layups, tossing up floating bankshots from a distance.

Don’t Trust the Stats!

Some of those plays won’t fly with the increased athleticism of the college game. Indeed, it didn’t always work out for Lewis in high school as he posted a 37.2 shooting percentage, making 32.8 percent of shots from beyond the arc across the nine games listed on MaxPreps during his senior season. Sidwell Friends played 30 games during the 2024-25 season, so there are major holes in the counting stats you’ll see cited: accurate high school record keeping depends on if someone is physically present to do the job.

Per MaxPreps (again, with more than two-thirds of the games missing, take it with a grain of salt), Lewis averaged 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.2 turnovers per game as a senior. Passing could use some work, but assists hinge on teammates making shots… not always a given at the high school level. Watching film, Lewis displays excellent vision, driving to collapse the defense before kicking a pass outside or even threading passes into the paint.

As with his layups, a cavalier approach can cause mistakes, but aggression is an excellent trait in point guards when utilized properly. Lewis’ defense doesn’t leap off the page, but he’s a strong athlete: the tools are there. Already possessing excellent natural talent, Lewis has the ability to patch the holes that currently exist in his game with continued hard work and commitment.