City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin) &
Ari Rosenfeld (@realA_rosenfeld)
--

(Ed. Note: This article is part of our 2016-17 season coverage, which will run for the six weeks preceding the first official games of the year on Nov. 11. To access all of our high school and college preview content for this season, click here.)

~~~

2016-17 Villanova Wildcats Primer
Coach: Jay Wright, 16th season (354-241, .596)
Last Year: 35-5 overall, 16-2 Big East; lost Big East tournament championship (Seton Hall, 69-67), won NCAA Tournament championship (North Carolina, 77-74)

If you’re reading this, you likely don’t need much of a reminder how the 2015-16 season went for Villanova. Like in the two before it, the Wildcats rolled through the Big East, putting together a two-loss conference record that echoed both 2013-14 and 2014-15. Seton Hall pulled the upset in the Big East tournament final, with Isaiah Whitehead’s 3-point play in the final 20 seconds serving as the difference-maker, but all that seemed to do was make Villanova even more focused for March Madness, where they were given the No. 2 seed in the South regional.

The Wildcats stormed through the NCAA Tournament’s first three rounds with an average margin of victory of of 24 points, then downed region No. 1 seed Kansas by five in the Elite 8 to reach the Final Four in Houston. That’s where they put on one of the more dominant showings in tourney history, destroying West No. 2 Oklahoma 91-51 in the Final Four, the biggest margin of victory ever in the national semifinal. Finally, it was Kris Jenkins who played hero on the biggest stage of all, delivering the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to defeat North Carolina and bring home the program’s second-ever national championship, simultaneously raising the bar for all Wildcats teams to follow.

Key Losses: PG Ryan Arcidiacono (12.5 ppg, 4.2 apg), F/C Daniel Ochefu (10.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg)

Undoubtedly, the driving force of the team the last four years was Arcidiacono, who was voted to be a team captain during his freshman season and became one of the rare four-timers, proving to be the heart and soul of Villanova’s resurgence and rise to national power over his quartet of years at the Maine Line institution. His statistical numbers (1,604 points, 535 assists) show his longevity, but most important is the school-record 117 wins that he and Ochefu accumulated during their time there. And his intangibles were off the charts, emphasized by his dives over courtside seats and media tables to try to keep possessions alive. There might not be a player who defines Villanova basketball more than Ryan Arcidiacono, and replacing him is certainly Wright’s toughest task.

Ochefu, a Maryland native who spent most of his high school years at the Westtown School, took slightly more time to adjust to the college game, but by his upperclassman years was every bit as instrumental a piece to his team’s success. His per-40 minute numbers (17.2 ppg, 12.9 rpg) were off the charts, but the fact is that Villanova was beating teams too badly to warrant him playing 30-plus minutes night after night. A terrific rim-protector and finisher, Ochefu made other teams think two (if not three) times about attacking the paint and set the pace defensively for the ‘Cats.

New Faces: F/C Dylan Painter (Fr./Hershey, Pa.), SF Eric Paschall (RS-Soph./Fordham/St. Thomas More, Conn.), F/C Omari Spellman (Fr./St. Thomas More, Conn.)*

Perhaps the biggest offseason news to emerge from the Main Line, other than Hart’s decision to spurn the NBA and return to school, was the NCAA’s ruling that Spellman, a five-star recruit, would be ineligible for the 2016-17 campaign. Due to confusion surrounding when exactly Spellman started high school, the skilled post prospect will be forced to redshirt, though he is allowed to practice with the Wildcats all season.

Spellman was expected to compete for the starting center position, and in his absence, Painter’s spot as Reynolds’ backup is now solidified. While he’ll be playing a bigger role than originally expected, Painter appears to have the requisite size and skill to provide quality minutes off the bench. Standing at 6-foot-10, with a refined low post game and range out to the 3-point arc, the Hershey product is seemingly a perfect fit for Wright’s system. Though he doesn’t have the athleticism or perimeter game of Spellman, a series of strong performances on the team’s trip to Spain indicate Painter is fully capable of contributing immediately.

Paschall was actually a member of last season’s national championship team, though he was forced to watch his team’s run from the sidelines upon transferring to the Main Line after one season at Fordham. The New York native was able to accomplish a lot in his lone season in the A-10, leading the Rams with 15.9 points per game and being named the conference’s Rookie of the Year before deciding to transfer upon the firing of head coach Tom Pecora. Now eligible to play for Villanova, the 6-foot-7, 250-pound wing brings a bit of a different look to Wright’s lineup. A capable 3-point shooter, Paschall is at his best going downhill, using his strong handle and brutish strength to work his way to the rim where his athleticism and frame allow him to finish consistently. Wright has also spoken leading up the season about how important Paschall will be defensively, as he has the foot speed to guard on the perimeter but can also play minutes at the ‘4’ due to his strength down low.

Starting Frontcourt: F Kris Jenkins (13.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg), F/C Darryl Reynolds (3.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg)

The hero of the national championship game, Jenkins now has to follow up on the greatest shot in NCAA Tournament history for an entire year -- no easy task. But the 6-6, 235-pound Gonzaga (D.C.) product has stayed steady as his role has grown larger and larger over his three seasons on campus, shooting .370 from 3-point range as a freshman, .372 as a sophomore and then .386 as a junior; heading into his senior year, he’s 178-for-469 (.380) from beyond the arc. Jenkins has that stereotypical “next shot” mentality that all great gunners have, and there’s no reason to think he won’t fill his role perfectly yet again.

Reynolds has big shoes to fill as he steps into the starting spot vacated by Ochefu, but he’s shown the ability to step up when his name was called upon. When Ochefu missed four games in the middle of the conference season last year with an injury, Reynolds averaged 7.3 ppg and 9.0 rpg, and followed that up with a 14-point, six-rebound effort against DePaul. The 6-8 Lower Merion product isn’t the offensive weapon that Ochefu was, but he’ll provide a more-than-capable interior presence who will run the floor and finish at the rim.

Starting Backcourt: PG Jalen Brunson (9.6 ppg, 2.5 apg), PG Phil Booth (7.0 ppg, 2.1 apg), SG Josh Hart (15.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg)

If anybody is going to step up and fill Arcidiacono’s shoes, it’s going to have to be Hart, who has a chance to put himself in the NBA draft lottery next spring in his final year on campus. The 6-5 wing guard, a preseason AP First Team All-American, has steadily improved his numbers across the board each year he’s been in a Wildcats uniform, from 7.8 ppg as a freshman to 10.1 as a sophomore and then leading the team in scoring last year, adding in 1.9 apg and 1.2 spg as proof of his well-rounded abilities.

Booth, a 6-2 junior, could be the team’s breakout player, especially he’s playing to the level of his 20-point outing in the national championship game. After playing through a knee injury his entire sophomore year, he’ll look to return to the form of his freshman year, when he knocked down 48.5 percent of his 3-point attempts off the bench.

Bench: SF Mikal Bridges (6.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg), F Tim Delaney (DNP), SG Donte Divincenzo (1.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg), F/C Dylan Painter (DNP), SF Eric Paschall (DNP)

What’s helped make Villanova such a powerful squad these last three years especially has been the depth and versatility Wright has had at his disposal. This year is no different, as the five scholarship players the Wildcats have on the bench could potentially be a top-25 starting lineup in their own right.

Another breakout candidate this year is Bridges, the third-year sophomore and a Great Valley alum who grew stronger and stronger as his redshirt freshman season went on. An incredibly versatile wing who began his high school career as a point guard and then blossomed to 6-7, Bridges can effectively defend four positions, put up a ridiculous individual offensive rating of 125.2 according to KenPom and is a better shooter than his freshman year 3-point percentage (.299) would indicate. Of the five players on the bench, Bridges and Paschall are the two that are guaranteed big minutes.

Likely also carving out a nice role on the perimeter is Divincenzo, who saw action in 10 games as a true freshman before a foot fracture cost him the rest of the season -- just enough time to get his feet wet and still qualify for a redshirt injury waiver. The super-bouncy 6-4 guard from Salesianum (Del.) won’t be the team’s first (or second, or third) offensive option when he’s on the court, but the two-time Delaware prep Player of the Year is a more-than-capable scorer as well as defender, averaging 22.9 ppg and 9.0 rpg as a senior at Sallies.

The real wild card is Delaney, a stretch-forward from Pitman (N.J.) who missed his entire freshman season with two hip surgeries. Now back and approaching full health, the 6-9 forward will see time if he can knock down shots and prove to be a capable defender. With the other options available to Villanova in the frontcourt, don’t expect Delaney to carve out too big of a role just yet.

Three Games to Watch
1. @ Purdue (Nov. 15). No offense to Lafayette, the Wildcats’ season opener on Nov. 11, but it’ll be in this trip to West Lafayette (Ind.) where Villanova gets its first true test of the season. The No. 15 team in the AP Preseason Poll, Purdue is coming off a 26-9 season and NCAA Tournament appearance, though Arkansas-Little Rock pulled the 12-5 upset with an 85-83 2OT win. The Boilermakers return an imposing front line in 7-2 junior Isaac Haas (9.8 ppg in only 14.3 mpg) and 6-9 sophomore Caleb Swanigan (10.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg), plus 6-7 junior Vince Edwards (11.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg) out on the wing. This will be a big test for Reynolds, Paschall and Painter, though Villanova does have the weapons on the perimeter to cause some real mismatch problem for Matt Painter’s squad.

2. vs. Xavier (Jan. 10) The “new” Big East has solidified itself as a legitimate high-major conference, and the emergence of the Wildcats and Xavier as national powers might be the biggest reason why. The teams split their season series last year, with each side defending its home court, and both enter the season ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll. Back for the Musketeers are leading scorer Trevon Blueitt (15.1 ppg) and NBA point guard prospect Edmond Sumner (11 ppg, 3.6 apg), who suffered a scary head injury after a hard fall early in last year’s matchup at the Pavilion. While the defending champs enter the season as the Big East favorites, the Musketeers are talented, deep, and well-coached, and have every intention of giving the Wildcats a serious run for the conference title.

3. vs. Virginia (Jan. 29) The return game of a home-and-home series between two of the nation’s top programs, this is a big opportunity for the Wildcats to secure a quality non-conference win late in the season. Last year’s ACC runner-ups, the Cavaliers defeated Villanova 86-75 on their home floor, though this year’s tilt will be played at the Wells Fargo Center. Gone to the NBA is ACC Player of the Year Malcolm Brogdon (18.2 ppg), but the eighth-ranked Cavaliers return star point guard London Perrantes (11 ppg, 4.4 apg, 48.8 3P%) and bring in a talented five-man freshman class, including Friends Central product De’Andre Hunter. Expect an interesting clash of styles, as Tony Bennett likes to slow the game down with his pack-line defense while Wright’s squads tend to get out and run in transition.

Three Keys to Success
1. Don’t get cocky. Han Solo’s wise words to Luke Skywalker aboard the Millennium Falcon are just as important for the Wildcats, who have been the national darlings of the college hoops world for the last few months. It’s not easy for anybody to stay completely as focused and hungry after the endless accolades, honors and experiences bestowed upon the team -- like a parade through downtown Philadelphia and a visit to the White House -- but Jay Wright and his staff will do their best to keep everybody grounded and humble. It’s going to have to be a complete team effort to stay locked in and ignore all the questions and storylines that will still echo last year’s championship; it’ll be tough for all of them to go more than a few days without being asked about either that magical night in April or its follow-up act next spring.

2. Man in the middle. Though he only averaged 24 minutes per game -- usually because Villanova was blowing teams out so badly they didn’t need him to play more -- Ochefu had an enormous impact on Villanova’s success, both as a high-level rim protector who made opponents re-think every drive as well as (eventually) a go-to offensive option in the post with his reliable hook shot. His tournament numbers (11.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg, .698 FG% in 28.7 minutes) during the championship run bear that out. Now, Reynolds and Painter will have to team up to get as close as possible to that standard, especially on defense, where they have to set the tone for the Wildcats on that end of the floor.

3. Brunson’s turn. Coming out of Adlai E. Stevenson HS (Ill.), Brunson wasn’t recruited to Villanova to be just another cog in the Wildcats’ rotation. No, the 5-star prospect was brought to the Main Line to be a star. And after spending his freshman year starting alongside Arcidiacono, occasionally busting out for big games (25 vs. Temple, 22 vs. Penn) but generally playing second fiddle, this is now his year to become one of the top options for ‘Nova. He doesn’t have to be a do-everything leader like Arcidiacono was, with a senior class that will provide plenty in that category, but this is the year he needs to start making his voice heard as well as re-establishing himself as a legitimate NBA prospect.