Villanova Senior Tyler Perkins Lands On Another Preseason Watch List

Returning for his third season with the same program, Villanova guard Tyler Perkins is part of a rare club in this era of college athletics. He’s also one of the best players in the Big East, selected to the league’s preseason first team after claiming third-team and most improved player honors last year.

The steadily-expanding expectations don’t stop there for Perkins: the 6-foot-4, 212 pound senior landed on the preseason Jerry West Award watch list, given annually to the NCAA’s best shooting guard. Perkins will face an uphill battle to win the award, as players on national championship frontrunners like  UConn’s Braylon Mullins, Duke’s John Blackwell and Florida’s Denzel Aberdeen will likely get the most attention… but the fact that Perkins’ name is included among the nation’s 20 best shooting guards is a testament to how far he’s come since arriving on the Main Line.

Perkins transferred to Villanova ahead of the 2024-25 season after spending his freshman year as a starter with Penn. He served as the Wildcats’ sixth man that year, then averaged 13.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game last year — all while playing excellent defense. Back healthy from offseason shoulder surgery, Perkins should be in line for an excellent senior season, and with the NCAA’s new five-in-five eligibility model, he might have one more season in the tank after this year.