Villanova Wing Malachi Palmer Continuing to Grow | Meet the Wildcats

This is one in a series of stories introducing the Villanova Wildcats’ 2025-26 roster.

Villanova guard Malachi Palmer spent his freshman year of college at Maryland under the guidance of head coach Kevin Willard. He followed Willard to the Main Line via the transfer portal this offseason, and provides the Wildcats with a 6-foot-6, 212 pound presence who can do a little bit of everything.

Palmer averaged 8.5 minutes per night across his 22 games played during the 2024-25 season, taking 22 of 39 shots from three-point range and converting on 27.3 percent of them. Averaging 1.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in that limited action, Palmer should see a bigger role this season as he continues to develop.

An excellent defender, Willard said that Palmer has the frame and athleticism to defend most positions: during the Wildcats media day, he said he’s played Palmer at the four in practices. 

Key Reserve

A four-star recruit out of Maryland’s Mt. Zion Prep, alma mater of fellow Villanova guard Chris Jeffrey, Palmer was a volume scorer in high school. His playing time at Maryland would suggest more of a three-and-D profile, although there weren’t many minutes to go around on a team talented enough to make the Sweet Sixteen.

After watching the Wildcats practice this summer, CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein kept Palmer out of his projected starting lineup for Villanova, but that doesn’t mean he won’t pick up plenty of playing time. 

Palmer checked in for 30 minutes during the preseason game against VCU, more playing time than all but two of the Wildcats’ starters, then entered the starting five against Virginia with Bryce Lindsay nursing an illness. He racked up 13 points against the Cavaliers but needed 17 shots to do so. Certainly a volume scorer when given the leeway to do so, working on his shooting will help take Palmer’s game to the next level.

With injuries to Zion Stanford and Devin Askew to begin the season, the Wildcats are short at guard, which should mean more minutes for Malachi Palmer. With the team fully healthy, he might serve as the seventh man after Bryce Lindsay. Palmer’s performance, like much of this young Villanova roster, should contain a mix of promising flashes and rookie mistakes.