Villanova Guard Devin Askew Becoming a Key Cog

Point guard and sixth man Devin Askew averaged 7.8 points per game for Villanova through the first 16 games of the season, a 27-point burst against Sacred Heart boosting that rate significantly.

Since the Wildcats’ Jan. 13 trip to Providence, he’s cleared the 20-point barrier in three of five games, leading Villanova in scoring in two of them. Now in his sixth and final year of college basketball, Askew’s veteran presence and ability to rotate in seamlessly off the bench gives the Wildcats a major boost on both sides of the ball — a boost they’ve needed as they adjust to the slog of Big East play.

After their Jan. 30 win over Providence, Villanova head coach Kevin Willard attributed part of Askew’s recent hot streak to his full recovery from an offseason injury. While Askew managed to make it back for the Wildcats’ season opener against BYU, early reports indicated he could miss much of November.

“He had a really bad injury, then missed two months. I think when you miss two months of basketball and you try to come in and play high-level basketball, kids are kids,” Willard said. “They’re going to try and come back and do what they always do. What I’m trying to get Devin to do is play off of his strengths more to start, and just go off that.”

That delayed start meant Askew, a transfer from Long Beach State, needed extra time to learn a new system — one that Willard expected him to run before his injury paved the way for Acaden Lewis’ ascension. Willard said that Askew, a former five-star recruit and member of the ESPN Top 100 in the class of 2020, is learning how to make his talent fit in with the Wildcats.

Coming Into His Own

“I think he’s starting to realize how good of a shooter and a scorer he is, how much pressure he can put on defenses, and then he can play off of that,” Willard said. “Two months of not playing or practicing, especially in September and October, he missed the two most important months as you’re trying to learn a new system, new offense, then get thrown into the fire. It’s just taken a little bit of time.”

Askew said that Willard’s trust helps him recognize his shooting ability.

“I’ve got a great coach, he tells me to let it fly,” Askew said. “I feel really good out there. But just like always, I’ve still got some work to do, still gotta get better.”

When Askew joined the Wildcats on April 25, 2025, their roster was already beginning to take shape. With players like Bryce Lindsay, Malachi Palmer, Chris Jeffrey, Zion Stanford and Braden Pierce already committed alongside returning players Tyler Perkins and Matt Hodge, the youth movement was in full swing. Willard said that Askew’s personality, especially his maturity, stood out when he made his campus visit.

“Huge. That’s why I brought him here. This is the type of player he is. When you go into the portal, you have to really evaluate, watch film and see what he has,” Willard said. “When he was on his visit, I think the best part about it is I just loved his maturity. He’s a terrific, terrific person. I think he’s getting rewarded for being a hard worker and a terrific person.”