Villanova Men's Basketball
Villanova Reaction: A Tale of Two Halves; KenPom, NET Updates
Villanova Men’s Basketball escaped with a win in their Big East home opener against DePaul on Wednesday, Dec. 31, waking up from a 25 minute shooting slump with enough time remaining to erase a double digit deficit and prevail 71-66.
A barrage of threes in the final ten minutes helped the Wildcats (11-2, 2-0 Big East) snap out of their Christmas cookie-induced reverie, as head coach Kevin Willard described it with a characteristic dose of sarcasm. While Villanova made just 34.5 percent of their shots on the evening, they went 6-for-7 from beyond the arc during that late push.
Those offensive struggles also contributed to a slump in both the NET rankings and KenPom ratings, which place the Wildcats at No. 25 and No. 27, respectively.
As one might expect from a game where the Wildcats entered as a heavy favorite but went on to struggle mightily, there was plenty of consternation from fans during the game… but a win cures most ailments, hand-wringing struggles turning into praise for their grit. Here’s what fans and media had to say about the nail-biting win.
Kevin Willard talks about Villanova's free throw shooting issues
"Eat too much Christmas cookies your free throws go to sh*t" pic.twitter.com/UgHgvdoQdf
— Villanova Enthusiast 😺 (@NovaKnowsBall) January 1, 2026
This view only makes me think of one thing:
A win tonight against DePaul and going 11-2 into 2026, would be the best start to a season since the 2017-18 season.
Villanova/DePaul at 6:00 on FS1 pic.twitter.com/CgmxTajzk2
— NovaAlerts (@AlertsNova) December 31, 2025
Is Bryce Lindsay one of the best shooters in Villanova history?
— Villanova Enthusiast 😺 (@NovaKnowsBall) January 1, 2026
PSA to Nova #Villanova #NovaNation pic.twitter.com/OeesyFdPii
— MainLineWillard (@NovaNationV) January 1, 2026
DePaul coach Chris Holtmann had a quick word with the officials before heading to the locker room. I'd guess he pointed out the foul discrepancy:
DePaul 12 fouls, Villanova 5 fouls https://t.co/L78UzrJ4it
— Aaron Bracy (@Aaron_Bracy) January 1, 2026
Devin Askew, who was 1-7 from the field, dropped in a three-pointer off the dribble to give Villanova its first lead of the game since the early minutes of the first half.
Villanova leads, 59-58, with 4:40 left to play.
— Dylan Johnson (@bydylanjohnson) January 1, 2026
Yeah what the hell are we doing here? Team looks out of sorts.
Can’t get a bucket and can’t get a stop. Not a good combo.
DePaul on a 17-2 run.
— Nova Starting 5 (@NovaStarting5) December 31, 2025
Lindsay sinks a three. Acaden Lewis steals a pass but can’t finish on the other end. Wildcats still trail 30-28.
— Griffin Floyd (@GriffinFloyd62) December 31, 2025
4 time in the 1st half that #Villanova has had a scoring drought of over 2 minutes
— David Malandra Jr (@DaveMReports) December 31, 2025
I asked DePaul coach Chris Holtmann what changed for the Blue Demons after leading by 10 before losing 71-66 to Villanova.
“Lindsay got loose a couple times. … He’s a heckuva player. That was the biggest difference.”#BigEastHoops pic.twitter.com/rPkzO6z0bl
— Aaron Bracy (@Aaron_Bracy) January 1, 2026
Perkins ties it with a three, and the Finn is rocking. 56-56 with just under six minutes to play.
— Griffin Floyd (@GriffinFloyd62) January 1, 2026
Good programs make 3s and free throws when it matters.
DePaul made 3s and free throws all game. As soon as it became clutch time, they started to miss. Villanova hasn’t missed.
Again — doesn’t matter who plays or coaches, this program doesn’t win these games.
— Lawrence Kreymer (@kreyme8) January 1, 2026
I asked #DePaul Coach Chris Holtmann about some of his coaching battles against Kevin Willard & now having Willard back in @BIGEASTMBB pic.twitter.com/DlGCZkcDPs
— David Malandra Jr (@DaveMReports) January 1, 2026
Sloppy first 30 minutes, great last 10 minutes. We lose this game easily the last few seasons. Butler on Saturday. Happy New Years Nova Nation #Villanova #NovaNation
— MainLineWillard (@NovaNationV) January 1, 2026
Deep breath 😮💨. Escaped with a W. But, a win is a win is a win (even if it’s ugly). I hope this young team learns that they cannot take a night off against ANYONE in the Big East. Every game is a fight in this conference. Big matchup against Butler at Hinkle on Saturday
— Sidelines Villanova (@SSN_Nova) January 1, 2026
10 offensive rebounds and 2 second chance points that came from the FT line…
This sums up how we are playing right now— 🅰️RAY (@ARayfor3) January 1, 2026
