City of Basketball Love

By Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)

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(Ed. Note: This article is part of our 2023-24 season coverage, which will run for the six weeks preceding the first official games of the year on Nov. 6. To access all of our high school and college preview content for this season click here.)

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There wasn’t just one but two Villanova freshmen who drew plenty of preseason buzz prior to the start of last year.

While Mark Armstrong didn’t join the Wildcats with the same amount of hype as five-star classmate Cam Whitmore, who was selected in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, there were still plenty of expectations laid onto the 6-foot-2 combo guard from St. Peter’s Prep in New Jersey.

He was ranked No. 62 nationally and as the top player in New Jersey by 247Sports. He even had his name pop up in some preseason mock drafts as well.

That might have been a little ambitious, but he showed flashes of brilliance at times during his freshman campaign.

“It was a great experience just to go out there and have the Villanova logo on my chest and play for my brothers out there,” Armstrong said. “I just learned from all the older guys who played before me, learned from the coaches and coming back here now, I’m going to be ready.”

Armstrong played in 34 games as a freshman, including seven starts and averaged 5.3 ppg, 1.0 apg and 2.0 rpg in 19.9 minutes per contest to make the Big East All-Freshman team.

Even if there was a learning curve, he carved out a role immediately off the bench for the Wildcats and gained valuable experience his Villanova coaches and teammates believe will carry into this season.

“The thing about freshmen coming in college basketball at the highest levels, it’s just tough,” Villanova second-year coach Kyle Neptune remarked on Armstrong’s freshman season. “There’s so much to learn. … A freshman has to learn a new system then learn what is to be in college basketball. That’s tough. 

“It’s the speed, the physicality, the high-level coaching that you’re going against. It’s a completely different deal from high school. So I think last year, he did a great job, just kind of thrown out there in the fire and he had to just react in those moments. I think he did a good job and this year, I think he’s gotten that under his belt now and I think he's primed to have a big-time year.”

Armstrong leaned on some of the upperclassmen last season: Chris Arcidiacono, Justin Moore, Brandon Slater, Caleb Daniels, whoever else’s brain he could pick.

He said things started to click for him about half way through the season.

“College is different all around on and off the court,” Armstrong said. “I felt like being here with my teammates, they helped me along the way, really just getting better everyday.”

“Watching more film, talking to the coaches and talking to the older guys. That’s all what Villanova is about, bringing it together as a team and really learning off each other and making something big out of it.”

With Moore injured through the team’s first 20 games, the Wildcats went through most of their season without much experience at the point. Arcidiacono started the team’s first 20 games. Jordan Longino (eight starts) and Armstrong both joined him in the backcourt at times.

In the spurts when Armstrong played well, it was clear he could definitely add a dimension to the Wildcats’ backcourt that was missing. He showed some of that this summer when he averaged 12.4 ppg and 2.6 apg for the U.S. U-19 World Cup team that went 5-2 for a fourth place finish at the World Cup.

The Wildcats are excited for what he can bring to the table in Year 2.

“Mark’s grown a lot,” Arcidiadcono said. “Being able to play a lot last year and be a guy that we relied on helped him and he’s coming out really strong in the summer, fall right now, being a good leader and he’s being a playmaker for everyone. He’s seeing the floor really well and as always he’s just been an athlete, so he’s going to be a tough matchup for anybody on any given night.”

Even while on the sidelines last season, Moore did his best to coach the young guard. He said he thinks sharing the floor together will allow him to teach Armstrong even more this season. 

“He’s a great player, athletic, smart and can really get downhill and make plays.” Moore said. “He’s going to be great for us. I think having one year under your belt, getting your confidence up is big for him.”

Armstrong’s physical tools are traits that stand out. He has top-end speed as well as athletic ability both laterally and vertically. There are very few who can match up with him from that standpoint.

The big thing for Armstrong in his sophomore season will be to figure out how to harness that into production at the point guard spot.

“I think he’s done a great job this preseason so far of making decisions,” Neptune said. “It’s hard with a guy who can go so fast. You’ve gotta make decisions at high-warp speeds and he’s as fast as they come. He hasn’t slowed down, but the game has slowed down for him, and he’s starting to make really good decisions.”

Armstrong said he wasn’t sure yet what type of role he’d play for the Wildcats this season. He said his focus this preseason was defense and rebounding. Harping on the fundamentals brings back flashbacks of some of the Wildcats’ floor generals of the past.

The Wildcats’ rotation is a bit of guesswork right now from the outside looking in. Washington State transfer T.J. Bamba adds to the backcourt, and Moore is back to full health for his final season. The feeling is that Armstrong will play a big role, making plenty more contributions than his work on the defensive end and the glass.

“Just play hard, coming in and trying to be the best version I could be,” Armstrong said was the mindset he brought with him from St. Peter’s Prep last season.

Villanova is excited to see what that might look like.