Villanova Preview: First Glimpse of the Willard Way vs VCU

Villanova Men’s Basketball will take the court for the first time this season when they host VCU at the Finneran Pavilion at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 19.

This game marks the first of Kevin Willard’s tenure as Villanova head coach, and will give insight into the playing style he expects out of the Wildcats this season. With that said, the Wildcats will miss a pair of key contributors: Devin Askew, a veteran point guard expected to run the offense, and versatile wing Zion Stanford, a physical 6-foot-6 presence who can do a bit of everything.

Other key contributors for the Wildcats are freshman point guard Acaden Lewis, senior forward Duke Brennan, returning guard and defensive standout Tyler Perkins (the only player on the current roster to record a point with Villanova last season), and redshirt freshman forward Matt Hodge, who missed all of last season owing to an eligibility issue.

With Willard well known for his demanding coaching style, expect a strong effort from the Wildcats in this game, even if it is a preseason tune-up. That said, Willard noted at the Wildcats’ media day that the team won’t play as fast he typically expects them to with Askew on the sideline.

This game won’t have a telecast, but fans can tune in to Villanova Student Radio online at wxvu.org or at 89.1 FM in the immediate area in order to follow along.

Scouting the Rams

On the other side of the court, this game will feature two faces familiar to the Wildcats and fans of Philadelphia area basketball: forward Jordann Dumont, who spent two years with Villanova as a redshirt and then a reserve option, and head coach Phil Martelli Jr., whose father coached St. Joseph’s Men’s Basketball for more than three decades. The young Martelli played with the Hawks for four seasons, helping them to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.

VCU won the A-10 last season and made the NCAA Tournament as a result, but Martelli Jr. needed to replace more than half the roster as a result of transfers and graduations.

Martelli Jr., who spent the last two seasons at Bryant, took the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament last season. The Rams saw five players selected to some form of preseason award team, including Second-Team All-A10 members like forward Barry Evans (13.3 points/6.8  rebounds/2.7 assists last season), Oregon transfer Jadrien Tracey (6.9 points/2.8 rebounds/1.7 assists), and LSU transfer Tyrell Ward, who missed all of last season but put up 9.1 points and 2.3 assists per game during his sophomore season.

Ahmad Nowell, a Philly native and Imhotep Charter graduate, transferred in from UConn after receiving limited playing time as a true freshman, but earned a Third-Team All-A10 nod this preseason; 6-foot-4 point guard Brandon Jennings earned an All-Defense selection.