Villanova Securing Visits for Camden Guard; UConn Target Royal

Villanova Men’s Basketball is courting a pair of transfers from power conference programs, with Devin Royal (Ohio State) visiting campus on Monday, April 13 and D.J. Wagner (Arkansas) set to arrive the following day.

Early reports tied Royal to UConn, but it seems Villanova remains in play for the 6-foot-6 rising senior, who averaged 13.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game for the Buckeyes last season. He’s undersized for a four-man and averaged just 0.2 blocks per game last season, but he brings strength and physicality to the paint and has enjoyed success at the highest level of Division I. With the Wildcats securing the commitment of power forward Kwame Evans Jr., Royal could fit into small ball lineups or rotate to the three, adding physicality on the perimeter. Royal ranked as the No. 52 overall recruit in his graduating class.

Wagner, another rising senior, averaged 23.6 minutes per game for a Razorbacks team that made the Sweet Sixteen, starting 19 of 35 games and contributing 7.4 points and 2.4 assists per game. He stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 190 pounds. He also has local ties, attending Camden High School: both his father and grandfather played in the NBA, and Wagner earned the No. 4 spot in the ESPN Top 100 as a recruit. 

Wagner enjoyed his best seasons as a freshman and a sophomore, with Arkansas’ star-studded freshman class starting to supplant him this past season. Experience is one of the most important assets for a point guard and with NBA bloodlines, Wagner has plenty of it. That could make him a top-notch facilitator on the Main Line.

Villanova has at least nine spots open on their roster heading into next season. Click here for more transfer portal news.