Villanova Film Room: Tyler Perkins is Up for a Challenge

This is one in a series of stories reviewing film for each player on Villanova Men’s Basketball’s 2026-27 roster. 

Tyler Perkins drew comparisons to Villanova great Josh Hart throughout the 2025-26 season, and the analogy perhaps applied best during the Wildcats’ season-ending loss to Utah State in the NCAA Tournament. With Matt Hodge down for the year with an ACL tear, the 6-foot-4 Perkins had to play more like a power forward than his listed position of guard.

The matchup didn’t do Perkins any favors, especially against a talented Utah State offense predicated on ball movement from experienced guards. The Big East All-Defensive honoree attacked the challenge like he does any other, putting on a high intensity performance: one play that stood out came midway through the second half as he careened through traffic, navigating around a pair of Aggies in order to contest a floating jumper.

Whether staying in pursuit on switches or staying low and hand checking on isos, Perkins doesn’t let opposing offenses take anything for granted. His tenacious play continued on the other side of the ball, where Perkins established himself as a go-to option as the game hung in the balance, nailing two tiebreaking shots and a go-ahead floater in the second half; he also kicked out to Bryce Lindsay for the assist on another go-ahead triple.

An intelligent (if unspectacular) passer, Perkins averaged 1.6 assists to 0.8 turnovers per game as a junior, a mark that should only improve with another year of experience to draw on.

Playing to His Strengths

Earlier games like the Wildcats’ home win against Marquette — before Hodge’s injury forced Villanova to scramble for new solutions — showed Perkins cashing in on catch-and-shoot opportunities from three. He’s streaky from beyond the arc, making 66 of 179 (36.9 percent) of his attempts on the year after missing 28 threes in a row during his sophomore season.

With that said, he’s probably still underrated as a shooter as evidenced by his clutch performance against Utah State. Inside the arc, Perkins plays like a classic Villanova guard, backing down the defense in a manner that would make Jay Wright proud. He also isn’t afraid to mix things up, displaying his athleticism at the rim on a putback against Marquette and adding 5.4 rebounds per game for a team that desperately needed help on the glass. 

A last thought to consider with Perkins is that he underwent shoulder surgery at the end of the season despite never appearing on the Big East injury report. Playing healthy instead of gutting it out should give his performance another boost during the 2026-27 campaign.