The Villanovan Basketball Preview Magazine 2025-2026

from the SPORTS EDITORS

Dear ‘Nova Nation,

Villanova basketball is back! The men’s basketball program went through a full overhaul this offseason, while the women’s program also made a few changes. Some stars of last season are back on the Main Line, while others are fresh faces on campus. Here at The Villanovan, we are excited to see what this year has in store as we offer you this guidebook for the 2025-26.

In this year’s magazine, we bring you an exclusive look at new men’s head coach Kevin Willard and his return to the Big East Conference. Acaden Lewis looks to rewrite the script of the transfer portal era, joining Villanova’s starting lineup as a freshman. Jasmine Bascoe gears up to lead a team after a stellar freshman season. Tyler Perkins is the lone returnee for the men’s program. Father Rob breaks down his decision to become a Catholic priest. The women’s basketball managers share their TikTok stardom. We also have non-conference and Big East Conference previews included, as well as staff predictions and hot takes.

We would like to give a huge thank you to our staff writers at The Villanovan for their work in getting this magazine produced, especially over fall break. We also could not have done this without the help of The Villanovan editorial staff, who all designed parts of this 108-page magazine. Thank you to Mike Sheridan, Dean Kenefick, Danielle Whaley and the rest of the Villanova Athletics Media Relations staff for helping us set up interviews and gather photos. Last but not least, thank you to our advisors, Michael Bradley and Cat Coyle, for their willingness to keep this newspaper alive and thriving.

We hope you thoroughly enjoy this year’s Basketball Preview Magazine! See everyone in the Finn real soon.

Go ‘Cats!

Katie Lewis and Dylan Johnson

Co-Sports Editors

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Brooke Ackerman

Nicole Liddicoat

ASSOCIATE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Lauren Armstrong

NEWS EDITORS

Isabella Carlin

Emma Cote

Finn Courtney

OPINION EDITORS

Kailey Fahy

Zoe Schack

CULTURE EDITORS

Cali Carss

Sophie Latessa

SPORTS EDITORS

Dylan Johnson

Katie Lewis

DIGITAL EDITORS

Ciara Dursee

Natalie Zickel

COPY DESK CHIEF

Madeline Okenquist

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Erick Quezada

STAFF

CONTRIBUTERS

Billy Burgess

Sophia Cratty

Genna Cottingham

Megan Dussault

Jack Flannelly

Casey Healey

Owen Hewitt

Madison Hodges

James Haupt

Tessa Kleine

Jack McFadden

Sammie McKee

Zoe Manning

Eliza O’Neil

Scarlett Shafie

Mary Walker

John Zohlman

Special Thank You: Christina Lorino

ADVISORS

Michael Bradley

Cat Coyle

Oct. 19 vs. VCU (Exhibition)

Oct. 24 @ Virginia (Exhibition)

Nov. 3 @ BYU

Nov. 8 vs. Queens University of Charlotte

Nov. 11 vs. Sacred Heart

Nov. 15 vs. Duquesne

Nov. 19 @ La Salle

Nov. 25 vs. Old Dominion

Dec. 1 vs. Temple

Dec. 6 Big Five Classic

Dec. 9 @ Michigan

Dec. 13 vs. Pittsburgh

Dec. 19 @ Wisconsin

vs. Creighton

Jan. 7

@ Marquette Jan. 10

@ Providence Jan. 13

vs. St. John’s

Jan. 17 vs. Georgetown Jan. 21

@ UConn

Jan. 24 vs. Providence Jan. 30 vs. Seton Hall Feb. 4

@ Georgetown Feb. 7 vs. Marquette Feb. 10

@ Creighton Feb. 14

@ Xavier Feb. 17 vs. UConn Feb. 21 vs. Butler Feb. 25

@ St. John’s Feb. 28

@ DePaul March 4

Big East Tournament March 11-14

SCHEDULE

Oct. 24 vs. Towson (Exhibition)

Nov. 3 vs. Lafayette

Nov. 5 vs. Fairfield

Nov. 9 @ VCU (Toronto, Canada)

Nov. 16 @ James Madison

Nov. 22 vs. Temple

Nov. 25 @ La Salle

Dec. 1 @ West Virginia

Dec. 4 @ Georgetown

Dec. 7 Big Five Classic

Dec. 19 vs. Seton Hall

Dec. 22 vs. St. John’s

Dec. 29 @ DePaul

Jan. 1 vs. Creighton

Dec. 31 vs. DePaul

Jan. 4 @ Marquette

vs. Xavier

Jan. 8

@ Providence Jan. 11

@ UConn Jan. 15

vs. Butler

Jan. 18

@ St. John’s Jan. 24 vs. Providence Jan. 27 vs. DePaul

Jan. 31

@ Butler Feb. 4

vs. Georgetown Feb. 7

@ Xavier Feb. 11

@ Creighton Feb. 15

vs. UConn Feb. 18

vs. Marquette Feb. 22

@ Seton Hall Feb. 26

Big East Tournament March 6-9

WBB SCHEDULE

MBB: LAST SEASON RECAP

Villanova’s issue throughout the 2024-25 season was the same issue it had throughout Kyle Neptune’s three-year stint as head coach of the program: inconsistency.

Last year’s Wildcats were good enough to claw out a 73-71 win over No. 9 St. John’s at the Finneran Pavilion in February. However, they were also bad enough to ruin any credibility their good wins gave to their NCAA tournament resumé. Less than a week after the Wildcats played themselves onto the tournament bubble by beating the Red Storm, Villanova squandered a 14-point second-half lead against UConn, taking a 66-59 loss in Hartford, CT.

Any rehashing of Villanova’s season, which ended with a 21-15 record (11-9 Big East) and a College Basketball Crown berth, is doomed to feel more like a eulogy than a helpful guide for this season. Neptune’s dismissal after the Wildcats quarterfinal exit in March’s Big East Tournament and the ensuing deluge of player departures to the transfer portal means there’s not much to carry forward to Kevin Willard’s first season as head coach.

Villanova’s 2024-25 season started with a piece of bad news. Matt Hodge, a four-star in Nep-

By Owen Hewitt, Former Co-Sports Editor

tune’s incoming recruiting class, was deemed academically ineligible by the NCAA in November and was forced to redshirt. Hodge was recruited out of St. Rose High School in Belmar, NJ, but started high school in Belgium, transferring to St. Rose for his junior year. The NCAA took issue with his international credits. As a result, Hodge did not appear for the Wildcats all season and was forced to redshirt.

The Wildcats were also without star forward and offensive focal point Eric Dixon to start the season. After his sixth year on the Main Line, Dixon declared for the 2024 NBA Draft and competed in the Portsmouth Invitational, a pre-draft event for college seniors which is not sanctioned by the NCAA. Dixon’s suspension was initially three games, but was reduced to one after an appeal.

Villanova handled its business without Dixon in its opener, beating Lafayette, 75-63. Miami transfer guard Wooga Poplar scored 20 in his first game as a Wildcat.

As Dixon returned in the second game of the young season, Columbia handed Villanova arguably its worst loss in the Finn since Furman upset Villanova there in 2018. The Lions, who finished the season 12-15 overall and 1-13

in the Ivy League, posted a 90-80 win over Villanova. It was the first time Villanova had given up 90 points at the Finn since 2006.

With an early season dud behind them, the Wildcats got better. The combination of Dixon, who would finish the season as the leading scorer in men’s Division I basketball, senior guard Jordan Longino, Poplar and graduate transfer guard Jhamir Brickus jelled. Sophomore guard Tyler Perkins, who transferred from Penn in the offseason, proved reliable as a sixth man. Villanova finished its 11-game non-conference slate at 7-4, with a 68-60 win over No. 14 Cincinnati. But Villanova paired confounding losses with quality wins. Villanova lost a neutral site game to Virginia, 70-60, less than a month after longtime head coach Tony Bennett’s surprise retirement. It lost a second consecutive “Holy War” matchup to rival St. Joseph’s, 83-76, which kept the Wildcats out of contention for a shot at the Big 5 crown.

The most acceptable of its non-conference losses came in another neutral site game to Maryland, as Dixon missed a shot at the buzzer and the Terrapins escaped with a 76-75 win.

Villanova did manage to string together five wins in

non-conference play, the second time Neptune produced such a streak in his three seasons in charge.

The Wildcats faced an uphill, but not impossible, climb to an NCAA Tournament berth by the time they entered conference play. The Wildcats had not made a tournament in back-to-back seasons under Neptune and needed to perform well in conference play to avoid missing a third consecutive dance.

While Big East play had bright spots, conference play provided enough disappointments for the Wildcats that they needed to win the Big East Tournament to claim an automatic bid to the NCAA. Villanova continued to pair impressive wins with bad losses. It won a close game against No. 9 UConn at the Finn in February, 68-66, but lost its next two games, at St. John’s and Xavier. The Wildcats lost three Big East games by five points or fewer, including two to Georgetown.

Villanova entered the Big East Tournament at Mad-

ison Square Garden as the No. 6 seed, firmly on the outside of the NCAA Tournament bubble. It won its first-round matchup against lowly Seton Hall, but was dispatched in the quarterfinals by UConn, 73-56. Two days after the loss, Neptune was fired as head coach after going 19-14. He finished his three seasons as head coach with a record of 54-47.

Mike Nardi picked up the interim head coach tag for the Wildcats during their College Basketball Crown appearance. The

Wildcats played in the first season of the Crown, an alternative to the National Invitation Tournament operated by Big East broadcast partner Fox Sports.

Dixon, coming to the end of his sixth year at Villanova, opted to play in the tournament. Many of his teammates followed suit, and the team strung together victories over Colorado and Southern California before losing in overtime to Central Florida, 104-98, in the semifinals of the 16team tournament.

Dixon finished as the leading scorer in men’s Division I at 23.3 points per game and was named to the AP All-American Third Team. He finished his career with 2,314 points, surpassing Kerry Kittles as the all-time leading scorer for Villanova men’s basketball.

Perkins and Hodge are the only players who remain from last season’s roster. Perkins is expected to be an important piece for Willard’s team, while Hodge remains an exciting prospect who has yet to see the floor.

WBB: LAST SEASON RECAP

By Billy Burgess, Staff Writer

After the departure of star scorer Lucy Olsen at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, the 2024-25 Villanova women’s basketball team entered the year with uncertainty. The Wildcats ended the season with a 21-15 overall record, 11-7 Big East record and postseason run to the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT) semifinals.

Rather than rebuild quietly, the Wildcats reloaded and proved they were ready to compete. With standout performances from freshman guard Jasmine Bascoe and sophomore guard Maddie Webber, Villanova carved out the 21-win season capped by the WBIT run and plenty of momentum for the program’s future.

Bascoe was the revelation of the season, leading the team in scoring (16.2 ppg) and earning Big East all-Freshman and First Team all-Big East honors. Her composure, court vision and scoring ability as a rookie were essential to Villanova’s success. Bascoe quickly became one of the most formidable young guards in the conference.

Villanova opened the season at home with a convincing, 64-56 win over Wake Forest, led by Bascoe’s 18 points in her collegiate debut. After a narrow

road loss to Princeton, the Wildcats bounced back with home victories over Columbia and Penn. That gave them early momentum before heading to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament.

In the Bahamas, Villanova earned a statement win over Texas A&M before dropping back-to-back matchups to No. 16 North Carolina and Baylor. Returning home, the Wildcats secured a highlight win over Big 5 rival Saint Joseph’s, 81-65, with Bascoe scoring 26 points to lead the way. Losses to Temple and Fairfield preceded a 75-65 road win over Delaware.

A final non-conference home loss to James Madison, 7167, left Villanova at 6-6 heading into Big East play. Bascoe, Webber and junior forward Denae Carter were already stepping

into consistent roles in the rotation.

Big East play opened with a dominant, 71-57 home win over St. John’s, in which Bascoe scored a game-high 24 points. The Wildcats then dropped two straight, a onepoint heartbreaker at Seton Hall, 56-55, followed by a lopsided loss to No. 7 UConn.

Villanova bounced back with a road win at Georgetown, then fell at Marquette, 64-59, in a tight contest without Bascoe. She also missed the DePaul game, but Webber stepped up with 18 points to key a 66-55 win.

Bascoe returned during Villanova’s second matchup with St. John’s, dishing out eight assists, while Webber added 17 points in a 66-64 victory. Villanova then traveled to No. 6 UConn, where the Huskies once again overpowered the Wildcats with a decisive 100-57 victory. A home win over Xavier sparked a run of six wins in seven games, including victories over Marquette, Butler and Georgetown. The regular season closed

with a narrow loss at Providence, a tight win over Butler and a tough road defeat to No. 22 Creighton. At 11-7 in Big East play, Villanova locked in the fifth seed for the conference tournament.

In the Big East Tournament, the Wildcats faced Marquette for the third time, after splitting the regular season series, 1-1. Bascoe stepped up big with 22 points and 10 rebounds, leading Villanova to a 73-66 victory. That win set up a semifinal against No. 3 UConn, which had already handed Villanova two defeats. Despite a strong first half, the Wildcats fell, 82-54, to the eventual Big East champions.

While their Big East tournament run ended there, the Wildcats weren’t done for the season.

Earning a No. 4 seed in the WBIT, Villanova opened postseason play with a statement win over Boston College, as Bascoe dropped 24 points and Webber added six rebounds.

In the second round, Villanova traveled across town to face No. 1 seed Saint Joseph’s for

the second time that season and upset the Hawks behind a clutch defensive stand and 15 points from Bascoe.

The Wildcats returned home for a quarterfinal matchup against Portland, putting together a well-rounded effort on both ends of the floor and securing a 71-61 victory. The run came to an end in the semifinals against Belmont, with Villanova falling, 66-57, in a hard-fought contest. Webber led the team with 18 points, and Carter grabbed eight rebounds to close out the year. Webber built on her strong freshman campaign with

an even more impactful sophomore year, finishing second on the team in scoring (13.3 ppg) and earning second team AllBig East recognition. Carter was the team’s anchor in the paint, leading the Wildcats with 6.5 rebounds per game and providing key interior defense all year long. While the 21-15 record alone doesn’t tell the full story, it reflects the progress made by a team that began the year with instability and ended it with confidence for future success.

Head coach Denise Dillon’s ability to guide a new-look roster through growing pains and into the postseason spotlight once again proved her steady leadership and tactical savvy. Villanova will return a strong core this upcoming season, bringing added experience and confidence to build on the momentum from a promising 2024-25 campaign. With Bascoe and Carter leading a strong returning core, and young talent continuing to grow into their roles, the future remains promising for the Wildcats.

2025-26 MEN’S ROSTER

All photos courtesy of Villanova Athletics

Chris Jeffrey Freshman | Guard

Brooklyn, NY | 6’3’’

After decommitting from Maryland, Jeffrey is following Willard to Villanova to start his college career. He averaged 14 points, five rebounds and five assists per game while playing in the Elite Youth Basketball League circuit with Mt. Zion Prep. A four-star recruit in the top-60 of his class, Jeffrey brings physical power and strong potential to the court for his Villanova debut.

1

Zion Stanford

Junior | Guard

Philadelphia, PA | Temple | 6’6’’

Stanford crossed Philadelphia Big 5 borders, transferring to Villanova after two seasons in his hometown at Temple. A versatile guard, Stanford averaged 13.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game last season while shooting 45.5% from the field and 34.9% from three. Stanford had 11 points and four rebounds against the Wildcats in the 2024 Big 5 Classic.

2

Bryce Lindsay

R-Sophomore | Guard | Baltimore, MD | JMU | 6’3’’

Villanova is be Lindsay’s third school in three years, redshirting his first season at Texas A&M before transferring to James Madison. The sharp-shooting guard was the Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year. He averaged 13.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists on 45.5% shooting from the field and 40.8% from three.

4 Tyler Perkins

Junior | Guard | Lorton, VA | Penn | 6’4’’

One of just three players retained from Villanova’s 2024-25 roster, Perkins looks to increase his role on the team this season. Perkins pitched in as Villanova’s sixthman, earning three starts while averaging 6.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 25.8 minutes. His best performances had a contagious impact, as the Wildcats held a 9-1 record when Perkins scored in double-digits.

5

Devin Askew

Graduate

| Guard | Sacramento, CA | Long Beach State | 6’5’’

Askew joins the Wildcats for his sixth college season. Villanova is his fifth school, with previous stops at Kentucky, Texas, University of California and most recently, Long Beach State. He led the 49ers in 2024-25 with 18.9 points and 4.5 assists per game. He also averaged 4.6 rebounds. Askew’s scoring ability and depth of experience will make him an asset.

6

Tafara Gapare

Senior | Forward | Wellington, New Zealand | Maryland | 6’9’’

Villanova is Gapare’s fourth school, previously playing at UMass, Georgia Tech and Maryland. Following Willard and two Maryland teammates to the Main Line, Gapare brings both size and experience. In 2024-25, Gapare averaged 10.4 minutes, 3.4 points and 1.9 rebounds per game while making 32 appearances on the court for the Terrapins.

7

Malachi Palmer

Sophomore | Guard | Harrisburg, PA | Maryland | 6’6’’ Palmer transferred from Maryland and looks ahead to a promising sophomore season. He played in 22 games off the bench last season, averaging 8.4 minutes, 1.6 points and 1.4 rebounds per contest. In high school, Palmer hit the 1,000-point threshold at basketball powerhouse Mt. Zion Prep in Maryland. He was the No. 119 recruit in 2024.

14

Wade Chiddick

Senior | Guard | King of Prussia, PA | 6’4’’

Chiddick earned a spot on Villanova’s active roster for the 2024-25 season after serving as a practice player in 202324. He did not see any game action last season. A Villanova Presidential Scholar, he played high school basketball for Westtown School in West Chester, PA, earning the school’s Thomas Kaesemeyer Leadership Award & Scholar Athlete Award in 2022.

15

Malcolm

Flaggs

R-Sophomore | Guard | Chandler, AZ | Grand Canyon | 6’6’’ Flaggs arrives at Villanova after the beginning of his college basketball career has been inhibited by injuries. He redshirted his first year at Arizona State before transferring to Grand Canyon. He appeared in 11 games in 2023-24 before an injury shut down his season. Flaggs was forced to medically redshirt this past 202425 season.

17

Braden Pierce

R-Sophomore | Center | Woodstock, GA | Maryland | 7’0’’ Pierce follows Willard as after playing for Maryland in 2024-25 and redshirting his freshman season. Averaging 2.4 points and 2.4 rebounds over five games last season, Pierce had to redshirt the rest of the season due to a serious eye injury. In his final season at IMG Academy, he averaged a double-double in points and rebounds.

21 24 33 55

Nico

Onyekwere

Freshman | Center | Abuja, Nigeria | 7’1’’

Onyekwere arrives to the Main Line as a three-star recruit out of Long Island Lutheran. He was originally committed to Florida State but decommitted after its coaching change. During his senior season, he averaged 6.2 points and five rebounds across 15 games. He also collected 22 blocks on the season. Onyekwere spent part of his high school career in Europe.

Duke Brennan

Senior | Forward | Chandler, AZ | Grand Canyon | | 6’10’’

Brennan brings size and NCAA Tournament experience after two seasons at Grand Canyon and one at Arizona State. In 2024-25, he averaged 10.4 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. As a starter, he helped the Lopes win the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) title. He led with eight rebounds in the NCAA first round loss to Maryland.

Matt

Hodge

R-Freshman | Guard | Limburg, Belgium | 6’8’’

Hodge anticipates his first minutes for Villanova this season. He was forced to redshirt the 2024-25 season after he was denied NCAA academic eligibility. A four-star recruit out of St. Rose School in New Jersey, Hodge was ESPN’s No. 95 player in the class of 2024. He led St. Rose to a 2024 state title, averaging 17.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

Acaden Lewis

Freshman

| Guard | Washington, DC | 6’2’’

Lewis, a highly touted point guard, is expected to be impactful in his rookie season. According to 247Sports, Lewis is the No. 5 point guard in the Class of 2025 and the No. 35 player overall. In his senior year at Sidwell Friends School, he averaged 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. As a junior, he was Washington, DC’s Gatorade Player of the Year.

2025-26 WOMEN’S ROSTER

MD

Ntambue

All photos courtesy of Villanova Athletics

Kylee Watson

Freshman | Guard | Montreal, Canada | Crestwood Prep School | 5’9’’

Ntambue, one of two Canadians on the roster, will fill in as a backup point guard in her debut season with the Wildcats. During high school, Ntambue was part of the Canada Elite program, a member of the Under Armor Association. In a successful career at Crestwood Prep School, she earned First Team All-Star OSBA honors.

Graduate | Forward | Linwood, NJ | Notre Dame | 6’4’’

Watson played her first two seasons at Oregon, and the next two at Notre Dame before missing 2024-25 due to an ACL injury. As a starter for the Irish, she averaged 6.2 points and five rebounds in 2023-24. She had 6.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 33 games in 2022-23. Watson’s height and experience will make her an asset for the ‘Cats.

5

Ryanne Allen

Senior | Guard | Perkasie, PA | Vanderbilt | 6’1’’

Allen made an impact off the bench last season despite an early-season knee injury. She had 27 appearances in 2024-25 and averaged 4.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 15.7 minutes per game. In Villanova’s final regular-season home game, Allen showed her ability to thrive under pressure, sinking the buzzer-beater shot with four-tenths of a second left to seal a 56-54 win over Butler.

11

Jasmine Bascoe

Sophomore

| Guard | Milton, Ontario, Canada | 5’7’’

Bascoe is Villanova’s undeniable star, leading the team with 16.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game during her freshman season. Bascoe received First Team All-Big East honors and made the Big East All-Freshman Team. She starts as a sophomore with summer experience playing for Team Canada in the FIBA U19 World Cup.

12

Elise Bender

Freshman | Forward | Whitehouse, OH | Anthony Wayne High School | 6’1’’

Elise Bender arrives at Villanova with her twin sister, Brooke. She finished her high school career with a range of accolades, including First Team All-Ohio honors, Prep Girls Hoops Player of the Year, Toledo Blade Player of the Year, First Team All-District 7 and an Ohio Ms. Basketball nomination.

13

Brynn McCurry

Junior | Forward | Sparta, NJ | 6’1’’

McCurry is one of Villanova’s most anticipated returners after missing all of the 2024-25 season to an ACL injury. In her promising freshman campaign, she played in 28 games while averaging 2.7 points, 1.8 rebounds and 11.8 minutes, also tallying 42 assists and 12 steals across the season. She had a career-best six assists against Saint Joseph’s. McCurry hopes to make a strong comeback.

Brooke Bender

Freshman | Forward | Whitehouse, OH | Anthony Wayne High School | 6’1’’

Brooke Bender arrives at Villanova with her twin sister, Elise, after a successful career at Anthony Wayne High School, where she holds the record for three-pointers. She finished with many accolades, including First Team Northwest Ohio, Special Mention All-State and First Team All-District 7.

22

Kennedy

Henry

Freshman | Guard | Hockessin, DE | Westtown School | 6’0’’

Henry is shaping up for a promising freshman campaign as ESPN’s No. 78 ranked recruit in the class of 2025. In high school, she was a three-year MAPL first team honoree and earned three first team Prep State accolades. Henry was also nominated for the McDonald’s All-American game.

23

Kelsey

Joens

Junior

| Guard | Iowa City, IO | Iowa State | 5’10’’

Joens spent her first two seasons at Iowa State, where the Cyclones reached the NCAA Tournament both years. In 2024-25, Joens averaged five points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 35 appearances and 16 starts. In the NCAA first round, Joens helped Iowa State defeat Princeton, 68-63, going 2-2 from the field to record five points and four rebounds.

24 Dani Ceseretti

Sophomore

| Guard | Barrington, RI | 6’0’’

Ceseretti was a contributor off the bench for the Wildcats during her freshman season. In 2024-25, she averaged 9.2 minutes per game. Ceseretti totaled 25 points, 27 rebounds and 20 assists on the season. She landed some key shots from behind the arc during her 30 appearances on the court, showing potential for a greater role in the 202526 season.

25 43 44 45

Denae Carter

Senior | Forward | Philadelphia, PA | Mississippi | 6’0’’

Carter will be a leader as she returns for a fifth season of college basketball. In 2024-25, she started 35 games while averaging 8.5 points and a team-high 6.5 rebounds per game. Carter regularly led Villanova on the boards and scored in double-digits 16 times. Her defense and rebounding abilities will be key assets for the ‘Cats in the season ahead.

Annie Welde

Senior | Forward | Havertown, PA | 6’0’’

Welde, a native of the Main Line, enters her fourth year at Villanova. Last season, she appeared in five games for a total of 11 minutes. Welde has played in 16 total games during her time at Villanova. In a successful career at Cardinal O’Hara High School, Welde contributed to two state championships and earned 2022 all-State Third Team honors.

Maggie Grant

Senior

| Guard | Downingtown, PA | 6’0’’

Grant, a Main Line local, saw action in five games for the Wildcats last season for a total of 11 minutes. In 202324, she played in four games to contribute two assists and two rebounds after missing all of her freshman year due to an injury. During her high school career at Archbishop Carroll, Grant earned 2022 Second Team All-Catholic League honors.

Rachel Wirts

Sophomore

| Forward | Greenwood, IN | 6’3’’

Wirts had six appearances on the court as a freshman last season. She tallied a season-high three rebounds against Penn on Nov. 20, 2025. At Center Grove High School in Greenwood, IN, Wirts led her team in both points and rebounds. She also earned Academic All-Conference honors. Additionally, she was a member of the national runner-up AAU team.

The Main Line has been home to Villanova men’s basketball for a long and storied 106 years.

Villanova, a member of the Big East Conference, which it joined in 1980, was previously an independent program, as well as a member of the Eastern Eight Conference, from 1976-79. The Wildcats are also currently a part of the Philadelphia Big 5, along with Saint Joseph’s, Drexel, Penn, La Salle and Temple.

The program has won three national championships (1985 under head coach Rollie Massimo, and 2016 and 2018 under head coach Jay Wright), appeared in seven Final Fours and has 40 NCAA tournament appearances (tied for seventh alltime). Villanova also won the Big East Tournament six times and the regular season championship 14 times.

In 1920, the Wildcats took the court in Villanova’s oldest building, Alumni Hall, for their inaugural game against Catholic University, winning, 4340. Alumni Hall was their home court until they moved to Vil-

lanova’s Fieldhouse, now called John “Jake” Nevin Fieldhouse for the 50-year athletic trainer.

From 1920 until 1936, Villanova had three head coaches: Michael Saxe, Rube Cashman and Doc Jacobs. They combined for a record of 167122 (.578).

Before the start of the 1936-37 season, the Wildcats hired Alex Severance, a 1929 Villanova alum, as the next head coach. Severance was at the helm for 25 years, posting a record of 413-201 (.673). He led the Wildcats to the first-ever Final Four, where they lost to Ohio State, 53-36 and made four other NCAA appearances as well as two National Invitational Tournament (NIT) appearances.

Throughout Severance’s tenure as head coach, he coached Hall of Famers Paul Arizin and George Raveling, along with other notable players Tom Brennan, Bob Schafer and Joe Ryan. Severance stepped down as head coach after the 1961 season.

Villanova then hired Jack Kraft, who led the team

for 12 years and had a record of 251-106 (.703). Kraft led the Wildcats to six NCAA Tournament appearances, including the National Championship game in the 1970-71 season. Villanova held its own against a 28-1 UCLA team led by Hall of Fame coach John Wooden, losing, 6862. Howard Porter and Hank Siemiontkowski led the Wildcats squad, combining to average 39.3 ppg and 23.9 rpg.

In 1973, Villanova made a head coaching move that changed the program’s future: hiring former Stony Brook head coach Rollie Massimino. The Wildcats joined the Big East under Massimino, who led the team to three regular-season titles.

Massimino took Villanova to 12 NCAA tournament appearances and the program’s first national championship in 1985.

The year 1985 was a special one for the Wildcats, led by three future NBA players: Ed Pinckney, Dwayne McClain and Harold Pressley. The Wildcats posted a record of 25-10, going 9-7 in the Big East and earning

Photos Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

an eight seed in March. Villanova started the tournament in Dayton, Ohio, where it beat the University of Dayton and the University of Michigan to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. It went on to beat the University of Maryland and the University of North Carolina to reach the Final Four. The Wildcats traveled to Rupp Arena in Kentucky, where they defeated the then Memphis State before facing Big East foe Georgetown University in the final.

In the regular season, Villanova faced the Hoyas twice and lost both matches. Georgetown was a powerhouse, making it a classic David vs. Goliath matchup. The game is called the “perfect game,” as the severely underrated Wildcats shot 78.6% from the field and missed only once in the second half. Villanova beat the Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing-led Hoyas, 66-64, completing what some consider the greatest championship upset in college basketball history.

Massimino left Villanova in 1991 for University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). The Wildcats next hired Steve Lappas, who coached standout players in his time, such as Kerry Kittles, Alvin Williams and Tim Thomas. Lappas led the team to its first Big East Tournament championship in 1995, but never advanced past the first weekend

of the NCAA Tournament.

In 2001, Villanova made another pivotal coaching decision, hiring Massimino protégé Jay Wright, formally the head coach at Hofstra University. Wright got off to a rocky start, with the Wildcats posting a 52-46 record (.531) in his first three seasons. Villanova fans were unhappy and called for the young coach to be fired.

This marked the beginning of one of the greatest college basketball coaching careers. Wright led the Wildcats to 520 wins, 16 NCAA tournaments, four Final Fours, two national championships, eight regular season Big East championships and five Big East tournament championships and coached multiple NBA all-stars.

Wright’s two national championships ended in very different ways. In 2016, the Wildcats beat the University of North Carolina on a buzzer-beater three-pointer by Kris Jenkins. In 2018, Wright coached what is arguably the best Villanova team of all time, as it outscored opponents in the NCAA Tournament by an average of 17.7 points. Wright coached some of the greatest players to come through the Main Line in the 2000s, including future Hall of Famer Kyle Lowry, Allan Ray, Randy Foye and Scottie Reynolds. The 2010s were led by

Ryan Arcidiacono, Daniel Ochefu, Josh Hart, Darrun Hilliard, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Phil Booth, Eric Paschall and Kris Jenkins. Wright’s short tenure in the 2020s featured standout players Saddiq Bey, Justin Moore, Eric Dixon, Jermaine Samuels, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Villanova legend Collin Gillespie. Wright took the Wildcats to one last Final Four in 2022 before stepping down. He went on to pursue broadcasting as a college basketball analyst before announcing his decision in August 2025 to return to Villanova full-time as a special assistant to the president.

In 2022, Wright handed the reins to former assistant coach Kyle Neptune. Neptune struggled with the Wildcats, who were ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 every year but one. He never led the team to the NCAA Tournament, and was dismissed after a three-year tenure with a record of 54-47 (.535).

Last March, Villanova hired former Seton Hall University and University of Maryland head coach Kevin Willard, who has a career record of 335-249 (.574) and has reached seven NCAA tournaments. Willard looks to restore the program to the heights it reached under Wright and bring more championships to Villanova basketball.

The Villanova women’s basketball team was formed during the 1969-70 season under head coach Liz Cawley. In its inaugural season, Villanova finished with a record of 4-6. The following season, the Wildcats went 8-5, collecting their first-ever winning record.

In 1978, Harry Perretta began what would become a long and legendary career in Villanova women’s basketball history. He was hired to coach the recently formed Villanova women’s basketball team. Perretta was 22 at the time of his hiring, making him the youngest coach to lead a Villanova women’s varsity program. Perretta formerly coached at Lycoming College as a student assistant after suffering a career-ending ankle injury his freshman year. Through his 42 years with

Villanova, he earned the Big East Coast of the Year Award (1996), was named Philadelphia Big 5 Coach of the Year five times (1995, 1996, 2001, 2003 and 2004) and won the Carol Eckman Award (2020). Perretta took the team as far as the Elite Eight in the 2002-03 season and the Wildcats also made multiple appearances in the first and second round of the NCAA Tournament.

In 2007, Perretta was inducted into the Lycoming Athletic Hall of fame, and in 2011, he earned the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association Special Achievement Award.

On Oct. 30, 2019, Perretta announced that he would retire at the end of the 2019-20 season. This put him at 42 seasons of coaching at Villanova, tying him with Yvonne Kaufmann for

most seasons as head coach at a single school in NCAA women’s basketball history. Perretta finished with a 726468 overall record.

On March 27, 2020, it was announced that former Villanova star player Denise Dillion would take over as head coach. During her time as a Wildcat, Dillon became the 12th player in history to score 1,000 points and earned three All-Big East honors. She also served as an assistant coach from 1997-2001 before being named head coach of Drexel’s women’s team.

Dillon is currently a member of the Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame, the Villanova Wildcats Hall of Fame and the Delaware County, PA Hall of Fame. During her time at Drexel, she became the most successful coach since the

Photos Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

school moved to Division I in 1982. Dillon was named the 2005, 2009, 2018 and 2020 CAA Coach of the Year.

Once she moved back to Lancaster Ave, it took Dillon just two seasons at the helm to be named the Big East Coach of the Year in 2022. She led the Wildcats to a second place finish in the Big East and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. There, Villanova upset six-seeded Brigham Young University (BYU) in the first round in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Through her five seasons as head coach, Dillon has led Villanova to the NCAA second round, the Sweet Sixteen, WBIT championship game and the WBIT semifinals. She boasts an overall record of 442-262 and a 114-51 record with

Villanova.

Dillon also coached Villanova women’s basketball superstar, Maddy Siegrist. Siegrist played from 2018-23 at Villanova and is the Big East’s all-time leading scorer in women’s basketball. She was eventually selected third overall in the 2023 WNBA draft by the Dallas Wings.

Siegrist was named First-Team All-American (2023), Big East Player of the Year twice (2022, 2023), Big East Freshman of the Year (2020) and ThirdTeam All-American (2022).

On Jan. 20, 2023, Siegrist surpassed Shelly Pennefather for Villanova’s career scoring record, finishing with 2,896 career points.

During her time at Villanova (1983-1987), Pennefather amassed a career total of 2,408 points. She

was named Big East Player of the Year three times, and was a First-Team all-American selection in 1987. Pennefather helped lead Villanova to two Big East regular season championship titles and an NCAA Tournament first and second round appearance. In her senior year, the Wildcats were crowned both regular season and conference champions. Pennefather averaged 20.6 points per game as a Wildcat.

Following a short stint in Japan playing professional basketball, Pennefather became a nun with the Poor Clares order in Alexandria, Virginia. She is now known as Sister Rose Marie. This year will be the women’s basketball program’s 56th year competing as a team, and Denise Dillon’s sixth season as head coach.

FAST FACTS Kevin Willard

By John Zohlman, Staff Writer

Kevin Willard arrives at Villanova with a proven track record of building winning programs and coming off a Sweet 16 run with Maryland in 2024-25. Willard is an experienced bench leader who has seen coaching success in the NBA with the Boston Celtics and in college within the Big East and the Big Ten conferences. Hired as Villanova’s William B. Finneran Endowed Head Coach in March 2025, Willard brings a new vision to a program starving for postseason success.

Long Island Beginnings

Willard, a native of Huntington, NY, has hoops in his blood. He was a point guard at Western Kentucky from 1993-94. He then transferred to the University of Pittsburgh, where he played for his father, former head coach Ralph Willard, from 1994-97. As a coach’s son, Willard had a keen understanding of the game from his college days. This early exposure to high-level basketball gave Willard an advantageous perspective of the game that eventually helped form his own coaching philosophy.

Coaching Under Pitino

Willard began his NBA coaching tenure as an assistant under Rick Pitino with the Boston Celtics. In 2001, Pitino left Boston for Louisville to coach the University of Kentucky. Willard followed him to Kentucky, spending six years there learning college coaching.

Turning Programs Around

Willard earned his debut head

coaching position in 2007 at Iona College, where he took over the program and instantly rebuilt it. The Gaels were 21-10 by his third season, and had jumped to the NCAA’s Top 80 Rating Percentage Index (RPI) rankings. Willard rode his reputation to Seton Hall, which he took over in 2010. For 12 seasons, he turned Seton Hall into a regular postseason contender. He guided the program to the Big East title in 2016, shared the regular-season championship in 2020 and was the only coach

in program history with four straight 20-win seasons. Leading the Pirates through the 2021-22 season, he made seven appearances in the NCAA Tournament and was among the winningest coaches in Seton Hall history, racking up more than 200 victories.

Maryland Success

Willard’s most recent coaching stint took place at the University of Maryland, where he made an instant impact. In the 2022-23 season, the Terrapins went 22-13 and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. At the conclusion of the 2024-25, Maryland had been to the Sweet 16 and Willard was named NABC East District Coach of the Year.

Villanova Vision

A known recruiter, Willard takes over a Villanova program defined by championship expectations and fan base that never has been less than rabid. Willard’s relationship with the Big East (Villanova in particular, which he played against 25 times while at Seton Hall) has given him a rare perspective of not only the conference’s culture, but also of the competitive nature that drives it. Willard began his Villanova transformation with a reshaped coaching staff. Willard added former Rhode Island head coach David Cox, Ricky Harris and Maryland assistant Kevin Norris. Ashley Howard returned as the lone Villanova assistant from last season.

Personal Life and Leadership

Off the court, Willard describes himself as a family guy. He and his wife, Julie, have two sons, Colin and Chase. At his opening press conference at Villanova, Willard discussed his family’s difficult, collective decision to move to the Main Line. He also mentioned their excitement to be part of a smaller campus community. Willard’s coaching philosophy aligns with Villanova’s tight-knit community: as he mentors his players, he tends to form tight bonds with them and tries to instill a culture of accountability and growth.

Looking Ahead

As Villanova looks to the 2025-26 season, hopes are high. Willard’s resume says he’s more than capable of getting the Wildcats back near the top teams in the nation. The conditions are promising for Villanova basketball to retake its place among the nation’s elite: a fresh start, a seasoned coach and a roster teeming with talent.

FAST FACTS Denise Dillon

In March 2020, Villanova University named Denise Dillon as the next head coach of the Villanova women’s basketball team. Though the title of head coach was new to her that year, Dillon (‘96) was no stranger to the “Wildcat Way” on the court.

Pennsylvania Roots

Dillon attended Cardinal O’Hara High School in Springfield, PA, where she was a standout player for their girl’s basketball team. Dillon’s skill garnered attention from several collegiate programs, such as Penn State, Rutgers, Saint Joseph’s and Villanova. Ultimately, Dillon decided to walk down the Wildcat path, playing as a guard from 1992 to 1996. During her four years at Villanova, Dillion contributed to a cumulative record of 68-43.

Collegiate Stardom at Villanova

As a freshman, Dillon was named to the 1993 Big-East All-Rookie team. From 1994 to 96, she was awarded All-Big East honors, as well as selected to the All-Big 5 teams. In her final year of playing as a Wildcat, Dillion led Villanova to a Philadelphia Big 5 championship and in that same season, she scored the 1,000th point of her collegiate career, becoming only the 12th player to do so in the program’s history.

In 2004, Dillon was inducted into the Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame. In 2012, she was honored with induction to the Villanova Varsity Club, as well as the Delaware County Athletes Hall of Fame.

Dillon’s Road to Coaching

Much of Dillon’s choice to pursue coaching after graduation was motivated by a season-ending shoulder injury she suffered in her junior year. Unable to play for the rest of that season and forced to watch the game from the bench, Dillon was able to see the game from a new lens. Coupled with the elementary education degree she received from Villanova, Dillon was well prepared for the collegiate coaching world.

An Impact at Drexel

Under the mentorship of her former coach, Harry Perretta, Dillon joined her alma mater’s coaching staff as an assistant coach in 1997 and remained with the Wildcats for four years. In 2001, Dillon moved to an assistant coaching position at Drexel University. She was later offered Drexel’s head coach position in 2004, after serving as interim coach for the 2003-04 season.

While at Drexel, Dilion transformed the program

By Sammie McKee, Staff Writer

into a winning force, with 14 out of her 17 seasons as head coach being winning seasons. Dillon most notably took the Dragons to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009. Dillon received the CAA Coach of the Year Award in 2005, 2009, 2018 and 2020. Under her leadership, the Dragons captured three CAA regular season championships during the 2008-09, 2017-18 and 2019-20 seasons. In 2020, Dillon concluded her time as Drexel’s head coach being the winningest coach in Drexel women’s basketball history.

Dillon’s Coaching Philosophy

With a depth of experience to her coaching expertise, Dillon is renowned for her defensive strategy and notorious no-nonsense and no-whining coaching philosophy. The 2025-26 season marks Dillon’s sixth year with the Wildcats. She has ended her previous five seasons with 21-9, 24-9, 30-7, 22-13 and 21-15 records, respectively.

After ending the 2024-25 season fifth in the Big East conference and missing the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season, Dillon faces a pivotal year in the program’s progression. With a roster that lost only one to the transfer portal and anchored by key returners such as sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe and senior forward Denae Carter, Dillon will enter the 202526 season with a sense of stability. Led under her leadership the Wildcats will try for their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2023.

TYLER PERKINS

is ready to “be the leader” as a returning junior

By Genna Cottingham, Sports Columnist

Junior guard Tyler Perkins could never have imagined being only one of three returnees on the 202526 Villanova men’s basketball roster. This season, he keeps his spot on the Wildcats roster alongside redshirt freshman Matt Hodge and walk-on senior guard Wade Chiddick. Embracing his role as an upperclassman with 11 new teammates, Perkins is determined to be a leader on the transformed Villanova roster.

“It feels like just yesterday I was the freshman walking into the college team not knowing really anything, so it’s kind of flown by,” Perkins said. “But I’m the leader and the older guy now, and I’m ready for it.”

Perkins spent his first year of collegiate play at Penn. He entered the transfer portal in the Spring of 2024. Former Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune had eyes on Perkins’ versatile talent and connection to the Philadelphia area. Once the opportunity to become a Wildcat was presented to him, Perkins was enthralled with his new basketball destination.

“It’s Villanova basketball, it doesn’t really get better than that,” Perkins said. “Being at Penn my first year, I was still familiar with the [Philadelphia] area a little bit. I’m from Northern Virginia, so it’s not too far away. All those little things and the resources [at Villanova] are crazy. It’s second to none.”

Last season was Perkins’ first with Villanova. He did not receive the amount of playing time he wanted, averaging 25.8 minutes, 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Neptune described Perkins as Villanova’s “sixth man,” as he usually contributed off the bench, earning three starts.

Erick Quezada/Villanovan Photography

Now, under the leadership of new head coach Kevin Willard, Perkins is fighting for a spot on the starting roster. When Willard was named head coach at the end of March, he made it his mission to have a conversation with Perkins and Hodge to ensure their loyalty to Villanova basketball.

“I had a good talk with Coach Willard,” Hodge said. “He also recruited me in high school, so there was already a relationship between us. So, after our talk, it was pretty easy for me to just stay put.”

Hodge redshirted last season with Villanova after he was denied NCAA eligibility to play. Born in Belgium and a graduate of St. Rose High School in Belmar, NJ, Hodge is familiar with the rivalry among local Philly teams. Hodge’s high school coach, Brian Lynch, played for the Villanova basketball team from 1996-2000.

Although Perkins hails from Lorton, VA, he realized from the relationships he built with his teammates that Villanova has a reputation for curating players into elite athletes and people.

“Just stepping into the role of being a leader, I feel like I’ve learned from past guys, Eric Dixon and Jordan Longino,” Perkins said. “I was able to learn from them and listen to them, so now I feel like it’s my turn to be the leader on the team and show my experiences.”

Perkins attended the Landon School in Bethesda, MD. The school was not known for its basketball team, so Perkins had to make a name for himself.

His resourceful skill set soon came into fruition as he achieved over 1,000 points during his high school career. Perkins recalls putting in extra work during high school to get recruited. The Landon School did not have an extensive roster and basketball connections, like that of prep schools known for the sport, as with IMG or Mt. Zion Prep, where some of his teammates attended.

“Just stepping into the role of being a leader, I feel like I’ve learned from past guys, Eric Dixon and Jordan Longino,” Perkins said. “...Now I feel like it’s my turn to be the leader on the team and show my experiences.”

“It helped me a lot that [the Landon School] wasn’t really a basketball school,” Perkins said.

“There weren’t really too many basketball players, so I had to do a lot of things on the court. And, I feel like that’s translated here because I can rebound, I can defend, I can score, I can run a team. I feel like it’s definitely set me up.”

Despite not starting on an AAU until his sophomore year of high school, Perkins believes he finally took basketball seriously at age 15. While gaining recognition during tournaments nationwide, Perkins landed a spot on Penn’s roster.

For his rookie season, Perkins averaged 13.7 points per game. Perkins also shot 76% behind the free throw line as a Quaker.

Nearly two years ago, on Nov. 13, Perkins was able to score 22 points against

Perkins filled the role as Villanova’s “sixth man” in 2024-25. Erick Quezada/Villanovan Photography

his future Villanova teammates. The Wildcats fell, 76-72, in an upset to the Quakers.

Once he announced his commitment to the Villanova roster on April 14, 2024, Perkins realized he had to put in tireless work to succeed at his new school. He became an important contributor off the bench, as the Wildcats went 9-1 in the games in which Perkins scored in double-digits.

Now as a seasoned Wildcat, Perkins hopes to receive more playing time on his home courts of the Finneran Pavilion and the Xfinity Mobile Arena (formerly the Wells Fargo Center). With three rookies and nine transfer students added to the roster since the end of last season, Perkins’ experience makes him a leader by default for Villanova.

“I’ve been trying to tell [my new teammates] the standard and the way we do things here at Villanova,” Perkins said. “It’s a lot different, always being on time, and just the little things, playing hard and just doing what you can control and focusing on that.”

Perkins and Hodge, who have become close friends, now have high expectations of them from the legacy left by last year’s graduates, especially leading scorer Eric Dixon. Former Villanova players have taught them the attitude, work ethic and determination necessary to succeed in the Big East and beyond.

“Going up against Eric Dixon in practice every day, he was the leading scorer last year, so that helped a lot,” Hodge said. “He got me stronger, taught me a lot of tips on how to get the ball in the right positions scoring-wise, defense-wise, so a lot of learning.”

Continuing Villanova’s history of national success lies on the new team’s shoulders. Villanova elicits worldwide fans for its basketball team and has an elite

reputation in the NCAA to uphold. Perkins and the rest of the team are eager to commence the season. A pair of exhibition games against Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia are advantageous for players to showcase themselves in a game situation, and for Willard to assess his team before the regular season begins.

“I think the biggest thing I’m looking forward to is to see who really competes,” Willard said. “There’s a difference between competing in practice and competing against opponents. I think we have 12 guys that are really competing at a high level. I think our strengths are going to be our depth and our attitude.”

There are not as many home games this season at the Xfinity Arena, with just three on the regular season schedule. The Philly arena is set to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament at the end of March.

“But now, when we make that tournament, it’s definitely gonna be huge for us,” Perkins said. Teams who play home games in the arena are limited to only three regular season games.

As the days count down until the start of the season against BYU, the team is preparing to show the nation that Villanova basketball is back. For Perkins, it is not a matter of if, but a matter of when. After all, the Villanova attitude is what the team is known for, and now it is the responsibility of Perkins to maintain its prominence.

According to Perkins, playing alongside All-American Eric Dixon helped elevate his game and learn how to lead. Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

JASMINE BASCOE

Canadian sensation returns for her sophomore season

By Casey Healey, Staff Writer

Now that she’s back on the Main Line after a summer representing Team Canada, star point guard Jasmine Bascoe is preparing for her sophomore campaign with a new group of Wildcats. After averaging 16.2 points, 4.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game during her freshman season, Bascoe is looking to step forward this year and achieve the ultimate goal: an NCAA Tournament bid.

“I want to lead [the team] through anything that happens, whether they are older, younger, freshmen or transfers, doesn’t matter,” Bascoe said.

Last season, Villanova women’s basketball finished with an overall record of 18-14 and 11-7 in the Big East Conference. The ‘Cats finished fifth place overall in the Big East after being eliminated in the quarterfinals by the NCAA reigning champions, UConn.

Graham Sukup/ Villanovan Photography

Bascoe ultimately earned First Team All-Big East honors, a unanimous selection to the All-Big East Rookie Team, Philadelphia Big 5 Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Big 5. She also set the Villanova freshman record for steals in a season, with 66 total.

Bascoe returns after her fourth summer on the international stage. This year, she represented Team Canada in the FIBA U19 World Cup, hosted in Brno, Czechia. There, she competed alongside Canadian high school players and fellow NCAA players. Canada finished in fourth place after suffering losses to Spain and Australia.

The team spent an entire month together training, scrimmaging and competing. They traveled from Toronto to Portugal and eventually Czechia for the FIBA tournament.

“Those girls felt like my sisters in that month just because of how much we were fighting for every game, every practice,” Bascoe said.

During her time on Team Canada, Bascoe found herself taking on a leadership role. Now, she will take her experiences as a leader for her country’s team and bring it back to Villanova.

The Wildcats brought on several new additions this season, including four freshmen and two transfers. Despite head coach Denise Dillon having a largely new roster to work with once again, things are looking promising.

“We’ve connected really, really well off the court, so I think it’s helped kind of make a seamless transition onto the court,” Bascoe said. “This team is so different from last year, but in a good way.”

The latest group of Wildcats have set their standards high, as they will be looking to climb higher in the Big East rankings and ultimately reach the NCAA Tournament in March.

During nonconference competition on Nov. 9, the ‘Cats will travel to Toronto, Canada for a matchup with Virginia Commonwealth University. The team will even practice in Bascoe’s high school gym at Kings Christian Collegiate in her hometown of Milton, Ontario.

“I’m very excited,” said Bascoe. “I think it’ll be fun for everyone to get to just see a little of what I was doing before I was here.”

After a dominant freshman season, Bascoe feels prepared to take on the pressure and high expectations that come with being a sophomore and Villanova’s returning leading scorer.

“I think the demand has changed a bit, but at the same time, especially, for myself, being here last year, I kind of have that foundation set now,” Bascoe said.

Bascoe intends to up her game in terms of assists and finding new ways to score. Standing only at 5’7”, she is a smaller presence on the court compared to most. But last year, she showed off her ability to weave quickly through defenders, using speed to her advantage.

In the 2024-25 season, Bascoe led the team with an average of 4.5 assists per game. This season,

Point guard Jasmine Bascoe returns for her sophomore campaign after leading the Wildcats in scoring and assists in 2024-25. Graham Sukup/Villanovan Photography

she will be looking to further improve her ability to create plays as starting point guard.

“I want to be a great point guard for my teammates,” Bascoe said. “Continuing to facilitate for them is something that I’ve been harping myself on.”

Pressure from social media is inevitable for a well-known collegiate player. Now, more than ever, it is easy for one harsh post online to get inside an athlete’s head. In the last few years, online discourse surrounding women’s basketball has also increased in popularity.

For Bascoe, seeing her highlights posted on social media can be uplifting, but simultaneously, any small portion of negative commentary can be difficult to ignore. After establishing herself as one of the best players at Villanova and in the Big East, Bascoe knows that there will be a lot of eyes on her this season. In addition to that, she will be competing alongside other notable players in the conference, meaning that fans and foes alike are bound to talk about her online. Bascoe said she makes an effort to not let the opinions of strangers get to her head.

“For me, I don’t get affected by [social media] too much. I honestly think it’s funny,” Bascoe said. “It’s not something that really damages my mental state at all.”

Bascoe attributes a lot of her skills to the help

Bascoe met her idol, New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson, at “The Roommates Show” event on Sept. 17.

Courtesy of @jasminebascoe on Instagram

of her father, Shane Bascoe, who has served as her coach and mentor for her entire life. He coached Jasmine and her brother Josh, who competed for Bucknell men’s basketball and is now playing overseas in France. Bascoe’s father is one of the most familiar with her game, and helps her on aspects of it she may not even notice herself.

“[My dad] is my trainer when I’m not at Villanova, and he’ll even come down here and train me sometimes,” Bascoe said. “He’s someone I’ve always looked up to.”

Another of Bascoe’s idols is New York Knicks guard and Villanova alum Jalen Brunson. She grew up watching Brunson and the Wildcats win the 2016 and 2018 national championships, which partially inspired her own decision to attend Villanova.

On Sept. 17, Brunson and fellow “‘Nova Knick” Josh Hart visited campus for a special event and live recording of their podcast, “The Roommates Show.” Through the night, the duo brought various guests on stage, including Siegrist and Jason Kelce. The show also orchestrated a three-point contest among the Villanova men’s and women’s teams.

In addition to participating in the basketball showcase and contest, Bascoe had the opportunity to meet the star of the New York Knicks she had looked up to for so long.

“I was starstruck, but [Brunson] was so cool,” Bascoe said. “I still get chills thinking about it.”

Bascoe was impressed by Brunson’s casual nature in the presence of an awestruck fan.

“‘I’m just a normal guy, I goof off just like you guys,’” Bascoe said, remembering what Brunson told the team.

Bascoe hopes that the former Villanova point guard will be able to make it out to a game in New York when Villanova faces St. John’s on Jan. 24.

As Bascoe and the ‘Cats continue to prepare for their season beginning at the end of October, they will keep their goals in mind for when March arrives.

MALACHI PALMER BRADEN PIERCE TAFARA GAPARE

Ella Johnson/Villanovan Photography

MARYLAND MAIN LINE from to the

Meet the three former Terps who followed Kevin Willard to Villanova

By Katie Lewis, Co-Sports Editor

When Malachi Palmer first heard the news that his coach at Maryland, Kevin Willard, was taking a new job at Villanova, he was eager to start packing his bags for the Main Line.

But Palmer’s loyalty to the relationship he had built with Willard during his first year of college basketball wasn’t his only reason for leaving the Terrapins. His decision to attend Villanova also fulfilled a longtime aspiration: to compete at the Finneran Pavilion.

“It was a done deal as soon as I knew [Willard] was coming over here,” Palmer said. “Villanova is close to home, and I love Villanova basketball. It’s actually been one of my dreams to play at Villanova, so I’m happy to be a part of it.” Palmer became the first transfer player to join the 2025-26 Villanova roster. The sophomore guard posted his decision on April 6, just a week after Willard made his own move official.

Despite the proximity of Villanova to Palmer’s hometown of Harrisburg, PA, changing schools for his sophomore season inevitably brought newness and uncertainty. Adjusting from Maryland’s sprawling campus of more than 40,000 students to Villanova’s tight-knit community of less than 7,000 undergraduates was just one of the tasks ahead. But Palmer wouldn’t be heading to Villanova on his own. Eventually, he had two of his former Maryland teammates at his side: redshirt sophomore center Braden Pierce and senior forward Tafara Gapare.

Pierce posted his own commitment on April 17. Like Palmer, he joined the Wildcats with three years of NCAA eligibility. After redshirting his freshman year and suffering a season-ending eye injury in 2024-25, Pierce looks to play his first full year of college basketball at Villanova.

Willard’s support for Pierce’s potential to develop as a player, despite his limited time on the court, motivated him to transfer to Villanova. Willard first recruited Pierce, who hails from Woodstock, GA, as a three-star prospect out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL. That connection continued as Pierce decided to follow Willard to his new spot on Lancaster Ave.

“[Willard] encouraged me, and he made it known that he wanted me to come over here,” Pierce said. “I’m excited for what he’s going to do for this program.”

Pierce, a seven-foot-tall center, started off as a contributor off the bench at Maryland last season, averaging 2.4 points and 2.4 rebounds across five games.

But during one early-season practice, Pierce took a serious blow to his eye. The long recovery

process prevented him from getting back into action for the rest of the season. After last year’s injury, Pierce now wears protective glasses on the court, and he hopes to get a fresh start at Villanova while sticking with a coaching staff he already knows. It wasn’t until June 5 that Gapare became the third former Maryland player to transfer to Villanova. Unlike Palmer and Pierce, using the transfer portal and adapting to different surroundings is not a new experience for Gapare.

The New Zealand native has not only traveled continents to pursue basketball, but has spent each season of his career at a different school.

Gapare, a 6’9” forward, began his collegiate career at UMass. He then played for Georgia Tech as a sophomore. At Maryland last season, he averaged 3.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 10.4 minutes. While he was not a starter, Gapare appeared in 32 games for the Terps.

Maintaining his relationship with Willard’s staff and making the most of his final year of college ball were some of Gapare’s priorities when he transferred to Villanova. He was also impressed by Villanova’s championship legacy and enthusiastic following compared to the other three schools that he has attended. That difference immediately stood out to him when he arrived on campus.

“Right now I’m just embracing it and taking it all in,” Gapare said. “I’ve never really been at a blue-blood school like this, so I’m definitely embracing it.”

The omnipresence of the sport on Villa-

Pierce (center) and Palmer (second from the to Villanova for the 2025-26 season, following Ella Johnson/Villanovan Photography

Pierce, a 7'0'' center, dunks during Villanova's opening exhibition against VCU on Oct. 19. Ella Johnson/Villanovan Photography

nova’s campus and the school’s deep-rooted basketball culture was also a welcome change for Palmer.

The program’s legacy was especially palpable when the new members of this year’s team had, as part their introduction to Villanova basketball, NBA stars and former Wildcats Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart come to campus for their “Roommates Show” extravaganza on Sept. 18.

There, Palmer was able to experience for himself the legend of Villanova basketball that he admired while growing up in Pennsylvania.

“Everyone here just eats, sleeps and breathes basketball, and that’s all you can ask for from a basketball fanbase,” Palmer said. “I loved ‘The Roommates Show.’ That was awesome.”

Despite their familiarity with the coaching staff, the squad from Maryland relied on returning Villanova players to help adjust to some aspects of their new program. Due to the tremendous turnaround on Villanova’s roster, just three players remain from last season: redshirt freshman Matt Hodge, junior Tyler Perkins and senior Wade Chiddick. But to Pierce, the 2025-26 roster has, in some ways, a balanced dynamic.

“Having three guys from Maryland and three guys from [Villanova] has really made the transition easy,” Pierce said.

From Willard’s perspective, some familiarity with three of the players on his new roster was a boost as he assessed each player’s individual skill sets during summer and preseason training. He also

trusted his former Terrapins to acclimatize their teammates with his style of communication.

“They’ve really helped [the team] transition for what to expect from me and my personality,” Willard said. “Because sometimes that can be just as hard. Those guys have really been good at understanding when I’m really mad and when I’m not mad.”

In the new realm of the transfer portal, changing schools typically means leaving coaches, teammates, friends and familiar surroundings behind in favor of better basketball opportunities. But for the former Maryland players, the ability to maintain connections with their coaching staff, and especially with some of their teammates, while attending Villanova gave them a source of confidence that they could fit in and find success at their new school.

“It’s better than stepping in somewhere blindly,” Palmer said. “Knowing the coaching staff, and guys like Braden and Tafara, I know how to play with them. It’s been an awesome transition.”

Although none of the three started at Maryland last season, all earned minutes on the court during the Sweet 16 season. For Palmer, Pierce and Gapare, Villanova has the potential to be a next step up in their individual college basketball careers.

the left) were the first two players to transfer following Kevin Willard from Maryland.

According to Palmer, playing with his former teammates (Pierce and Gapare) has helped his transition after transferring to Villanova. Ella Johnson/Villanovan Photography

WATSON Kylee

A five-year journey to Villanova

Kylee Watson can’t help but laugh when she reflects on her time playing collegiate basketball. It has been a whirlwind five-year adventure that has taken her from Oregon’s misty mountains to Notre Dame’s golden dome, and finally back home to the east coast at Villanova.

Watson, a graduate forward, begins her sixth year of college basketball with the Wildcats this fall.

“I’m super grateful for everything that I experienced,” Watson said. “My college career was definitely crazy, and I have been to a lot of different places.”

Watson’s college basketball story began when she arrived at the University of Oregon as a freshman during the COVID-19 pandemic. Playing basketball during the pandemic shaped not just her first season, but also her perspective on the sport.

“I remember waking up, and we had to have six a.m. COVID testing every single day,” Watson said. “There was no one else on campus, so I got really close with my teammates. It’s sad because it’s almost like we were trauma-bonded in a way, but those are my girls for life.”

The cardboard cutouts in the stands, empty arenas, long stretches of isolation and being far from home forced Watson to be independent as a freshman.

“It was hard being across the country, away from my family,” Watson said. “The relationship I had with my teammates and coaches was so important. I learned a lot about myself, and I had to be independent and appreciate the little things.”

The adjustment was difficult for a Jersey girl who was suddenly 3,000 miles away from her hometown of Linwood. With her cousin being on the acrobatics and tumbling team at Oregon, Watson found some comfort in knowing a familiar face, but not having her parents close remained difficult.

“I had to learn and figure out a lot on my own,” Watson said. “Especially with the time difference, too. It would be, like, 8 or 9 p.m. over [in Jersey]

By Madison Hodges, Staff Writer

and my family would be asleep. So I had no choice but to figure it out on my own.”

Despite the difficult adjustment to college life during the pandemic, Watson was a contributor off the bench during her first season at Oregon. She played in 18 games, averaging 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.

Watson increased her role at Oregon during her sophomore season, as just one of three players to appear in all 32 games. She averaged 3.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest in 2021-22.

This independence served as a foundation for Watson as she transferred from the University of Oregon to Notre Dame for her junior season. It was in South Bend that her career really started to take shape.

“I loved my time at Notre Dame,” Watson said. “I was able to grow and learn, and was able to play next to some really talented players like Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo. I was able to grow my game in different areas, where maybe I’m not as ball-dominant, but I can figure out how to impact the game in other ways.”

Watson credits much of her development to the impact of Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey and the Irish coaching staff.

“I love Coach Ivey,” Watson said. “That coaching staff did a lot for me, especially during my time there, on and off the court. I have nothing but respect for them and that program and everything they have done for me.”

Grappling with the mental side of sports became crucial for Watson during her time at Notre Dame. During her senior year, in the ACC tournament semifinal against Virginia Tech, Watson tore her ACL. She was forced to miss out on Notre Dame’s 2024 Sweet 16 run in the NCAA Tournament.

Eventually, Watson turned the disappointment of a severe postseason injury into a moment of reflection.

“I was feeling good, and then that’s when I tore my ACL,” Watson said. “[But] it was a wake-up call in a way. It was a reset for me and I was able to watch the game from a different perspective, appreciate it more, and just really have joy for it instead of putting the stress and anxiety on it, and have it be fun.”

Watson’s recovery from the ACL tear was not easy. After her first surgery, Watson suffered another knee injury, setting back her return to the court and requiring her to get a second meniscus surgery.

“The second surgery was honestly a lot harder than the first time I tore my ACL,” Watson said. “I was feeling good, and I had made so much progress and was practicing again and then I was set back again. So, realizing that everything happens for a reason. I can either go into this feeling bad for myself, or understand the cards I was dealt, and what I can learn from this situation.”

Watson was sidelined for the entire 2024-25 season as she recovered from the ACL tear. But the medical redshirt year gave her an extra year of eligibility, and Watson was eager to extend her college basketball career.

After spending three seasons at Notre Dame and completing her undergraduate degree there, Watson decided it was time to come back home to the East Coast. She transferred to Villanova for her last year of eligibility.

“Out of high school, I had a great relationship with [Villanova],” Watson said. “I knew a lot of the girls here, and [2025 alumna] Maddie Burke is one of my best friends ever. But just being able to go home, have family and friends at games has been such a blessing already that I have gotten to experience [it]. And just being able to go home for family dinners and things like that has been amazing.”

Four seasons of college basketball on her resume and being “the old one” on the team has given Watson the opportunity to embrace a new kind of leadership role. She hopes to be one of the most vocal leaders on the team to positively influence her younger teammates.

“I have been able to play with and play against some great players,” Watson said. “Just from a leadership standpoint, I’ve seen what things have kind of worked from my experiences. I’ve played under two

different coaching styles, two different leadership styles and kind of taken what I’ve learned from both [colleges]. Being able to bring it [to Villanova] is something that I’m looking forward to.”

Leadership is something that runs deep in the Watson family. Her father, Tim Watson, played football at the University of Maryland and Rowan University, and went on to play professionally for the Seattle Seahawks. Her mother, Courtney Watson, played basketball at the University of Delaware. The influence of her parents, both successful athletes, shaped Watson’s own career.

“From a very young age, my mom and my dad had both coached me,” Watson said. “My mom coached me more on basketball, my dad was more on the football side, but they both have been amazing. Especially my dad, who is really into the mental aspect of sports…They definitely have taken a step back from the coaching side of things as I got older and [are] more [on] the supportive side.”

Now, Watson plans to take all the lessons she has learned from before and after her injury into her last season where she is healthy and eager to be back on the court. She is focused on being present, which is something she has incorporated into her pregame ritual.

“I will take three deep breaths and I’ll say present in between each deep breath,” Watson said. “Just to kind of bring me back where my feet are before the game, and not get so ahead of myself or think about things that are outside.”

From COVID testing lines and empty areas in Oregon to Notre Dame’s electrifying ener gy, to the familiar cheers of home at Villanova, Watson’s journey is one of resiliency and self-dis covery.

She has learned something new not only about the game but about herself from each stop along the way.

In the current period of men’s college basketball, starting lineups are often built on veteran transfers, not on inexperienced freshmen. However, on the Main Line, things are going off script.

The transfer portal has allowed programs to spend money on experience, which has allowed them not to rely on young freshmen like in years past. A player redshirting their freshman year has become almost the norm. After sixth-year graduate guard Devin Askew was sidelined indefinitely with a knee sprain, Villanova head coach Kevin Willard has turned to freshmen to take the reins of the starting lineup as the start of the season approaches on Nov. 3 against Brigham Young University in Las Vegas.

Acaden Lewis, a top-35 four-star freshman guard, is ready to step into the starting point guard role. The Sidwell Friends graduate originally chose Kentucky as his program of choice over UConn, North Carolina and Duke. He decommitted from Kentucky and eventually committed to Villanova.

“If I had hair, I wouldn’t have hair at the end of preseason,” Willard quipped at Villanova’s Media Day, when talking about starting a freshman at point guard.

Lewis says the chance to lead a program at a young age was why he ended up on Lancaster Ave. Villanova was on a short list of four schools that included St. John’s, Georgia and Miami, after he decommitted from Kentucky.

“Opportunity,” Lewis said. “That was the main reason. I just wanted a place where I had more opportunity to play right away and make a serious impact on the team.”

Lewis took hold of that opportunity in Villanova’s exhibition against Virginia Commonwealth University on Oct. 19, scoring a team-high 15 points. He flashed at the rim, at times rolling complex layups of the tips of his fingers.

“I thought Acaden played very well,” Willard said after the game. “I think one of the biggest things with young players is getting the casualness out of their game, and understanding that every possession is really important. I think that these guys are really talented. In college basketball, you can’t come down and just be casual. It has to have purpose on their every possession.”

It looked like he had spent multiple seasons on a college basketball court. Lewis originally connected with Willard and assistant coach David Cox during his sophomore year of high school when the two coaches were at Maryland. Sidwell Friends and the University of Maryland are roughly 30 minutes from each other.

“We have had a good relationship,” Lewis said. “I maintained communication with [Willard] and Coach Cox for three years, and I committed to Kentucky. I moved on from that situation and ended up coming on a visit [to Villanova]. They had the same message they had for me as a sophomore. You’re ready to play. So we’ll throw you in the fire.”

There is one thing that Lewis thinks separates him from the rest of his class. “Maturity,” Lewis said.

“Everyone’s gonna make mistakes, that’s gonna happen, but I think my poise doesn’t really falter. I’ll make a turnover, and next play, I don’t really worry about it.

Get right back to it and just learn from your mistakes. I think I’ve done a good job throughout my career because I wasn’t always the best.”

Despite just being a freshman, Lewis turned 20 in late October. He recognized the fact that he has not always been the number one high school guard, but he enjoys it.

“I was a late bloomer, even in high school,” Lewis said. “I’ve kind of been used to being overlooked. And I think that kind of could happen here, but I’m ready for the big moments. That is why I came here. Villanova’s a big-time basketball program. It’s a blue blood. So this is…this is serious basketball.”

In his senior year at Sidwell Friends, Lewis averaged 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. As a junior, he was named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the District of Columbia.

Lewis was coached by Eric Singletary, who has coached the program since 2008. Singletary is no stranger to the Villanova program, producing elite Wildcats such as Josh Hart (‘16) and Sadiq Bey (‘20), who both went on to the NBA.

“Coach Singletary took a lot from Coach [Jay] Wright,” Lewis said. “Attitude was one of the biggest things. They have a plaque that says ‘Attitude’ that you always tap before games here. At Sidwell, they said ‘attitude’ in the huddles and everything like that…Coach Singletary builds his young men really similar to how Coach Wright did it. He just wants grateful young men that are humble and just super hungry to get to the next level.”

Former Villanova head coach Jay Wright was also the last coach to lead Villanova to the NCAA Tournament. For the last three seasons, the program has failed to make an appearance in March Madness, win a Big East regular season title or a Big East Tournament title.

Lewis is aware of the program he is stepping into. He notices that Villanova is not ranked in the top five Big East programs in a majority of the preseason polls. The bar has been set for Villanova, and Lewis plans to use it to their advantage.

“We’re not top seven in some of the Big East polls,” Lewis said. “We’re not the guys everyone’s looking for and expecting to be at the top of the leaderboard.

We’re already the underdog, so I think we just will continue with that. Just be gritty. We’re gonna play fast. We’re gonna play together. We’re gonna move the ball, equal opportunity team.”

With the last three seasons of performances still reminiscent and possible rotations that include three firstyear Wildcats — Lewis, freshman guard Chris Jeffrey and redshirt freshman forward Matt Hodge — they are not Goliath, but rather David.

“It’s a little bit harder when you’re on top to not fall,” Lewis said. “I do think there will be some games where we kind of sneak guys. We won’t be top 25 all the time. We have St. John’s. We have UConn. We have teams like that in the Big East that, on any given night, if we beat them, we can be regarded as a top 25 team. When you’re a top 25 team, you want to maintain that. You want to keep your stock high. So for us, we’re already not top 25, so there’s less to lose. I guess you could say.” Lewis plans to prove his professionalism at a young age. He feels his workouts, diet and consistency are all paying off.

“I just want to prove that every night, I’m a problem,” Lewis said. “As a team, it’s not about going on a fivegame win streak because you have to win the first one, the second one, the third one and you have to win the fourth one. So just being 1-0 and staying humble.”

As the 2025-26 season begins to materialize, Lewis has humility as he prepares to get a large amount of minutes and a heavy workload.

“If you keep everything consistent, I think stuff’s gonna work out,” Lewis said. “So that’s my approach to the season. I haven’t really done anything. I see some [social media] posts that think I’ll be like the freshman of the year and all this, but I haven’t even touched the court. There’s still a chance I suck.”

Senior Spotlight: Ryanne Allen

By James Haupt, Staff Writer

From an extended injury to start the season to a buzzer-beater on Senior Night, Villanova women’s basketball senior guard Ryanne Allen is coming off a successful first year with the team. Battling multiple knee injuries while still making an impact on the court, Allen’s adversity has prepared her for the crucial role she will play as a senior.

Allen entered the transfer portal in May of 2024 after playing her first two years at Vanderbilt. She eventually decided to come to Villanova and return to the Philadelphia area, where she played high school basketball. She earned the Miss Pennsylvania Basketball honor in 2022, marking her as the best women’s hooper in the state that year. Her 1,423 points rank second all-time in Archbishop Wood history.

“When I decided to enter the transfer portal, I didn’t really know what to expect,” Allen said. “A lot of people talk about the transfer portal and say how crazy it is. I was anxious about it, but I also knew that I wanted something different. I wanted to find my love for basketball again and be happy again in the sport. When Villanova reached out, it just felt right coming back home.

Being close to home and being here, I definitely found my love for the game again. This coaching staff and this group of people, these past years have been great.”

In her first season with Villanova, Allen suffered an early knee injury that had her out for the first eight games. She made her debut as a Wildcat with limited minutes against Temple in the Big Five Classic on Dec. 6, 2024. It wasn’t until her third game back on the court that Allen was able to play fully, dropping four points, one assist and one block in 24 minutes against James Madison University.

Allen considers herself a do-it-all guard, filling a role that every team needs. With three years of college basketball behind her, she has developed her own game and is confident in her abilities to help the team win.

“I would say I’m a shooter,” Allen said. “I like to shoot a lot of threes. I’m a big team player. I want to do whatever the team needs me to do in order to be successful and win games.”

She finished the 202425 season with 27 appearances, averaging 4.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists per

game.

Allen heated up towards the end of the season, tying her career high of 17 points against Boston College on March 20 in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tourna -

-ment (WBIT). She also dropped 12 points against Portland in Villanova’s quarterfinal win. Allen earned more minutes each game of the postseason.

Despite missing some early action, Allen finished fifth overall on the team with 40 three-pointers made, shooting at a 29.1% clip. The game against Boston College also proved to be her best shooting night of the season, as she made three of her six attempts from deep.

“I think it took me a minute to find myself again and who I was in basketball, in this new system,” Allen said. “So, I think the injury, getting over that, and trying to figure things out was hard for me in the beginning of the year. But I think towards the middle, I started to get going. I started to feel like myself again. I let the game come to me, instead of trying to do too many things, and I think

that’s when my confidence built. I’m really excited just to be able to build off where I ended last season and take that into my senior year.”

The highlight of Allen’s

season came from an electric buzzer-beater against Butler that secured a 56-54 Villanova win on Senior Night. With the clock winding down, Allen grabbed a tough offensive rebound and scored a put-back layup with less than a second remaining. It capped off a tenpoint night for the guard and marked a turning point for her in the season.

From her injury struggles earlier in the year and adjusting to a new system, the buzzer-beater was a defining moment for Allen as a Wildcat. She won the game for her senior teammates and proved how far she and the team had come.

“Being able to pull out a win for the seniors at that point of the season, it was just fun,” Allen said. “We were all click -

-ing. We were going in the right direction. It was just a fun night to celebrate them, and get them a win in that fashion.”

Now, entering the 202526 season, Allen is looking to build off her strong finish last year and help lead a Villanova women’s basketball team with NCAA Tournament hopes.

Allen suffered yet another knee injury in practice this past September that has stalled her preparation for the upcoming year. It will be a battle, both mentally and physically, to overcome the setback of another injury and resume the progress that she had made at the end of last season. But Allen feels that the patience she learned from her last injury will help her as she makes her way back to the court.

“It’s definitely tough,” Allen said. “Senior year, first day back, and obviously got hit with this injury. It sucks, but I think this time around I was a lot better mentally. Just understanding that it happened and you can’t go back. So, what can I do right now to be back later in the season? Staying engaged during practice, being there for my teammates, helping them from the sidelines, being vocal, and doing whatever I can physically, like conditioning.”

Dealing with an injury is especially disruptive at the start of a season. Allen experienced it last year and now faces it again. She credits her Villanova teammates for providing support and motivation as she

reaches a full recovery.

“[My teammates] play a big role,” Allen said. “Especially when I first went down, they were there for me and telling me I’ll be back. [I’ve been] able to lean on them throughout the entire process of getting back.”

Despite the preseason setback, Allen is expected to return for the season opener

against Lafayette on Nov. 3. She has high hopes for herself and the team as a whole as the new season commences.

“I’m excited about this season,” Allen said. “We have some new players. Kylee [Watson], who I played with growing up. Kelsey [Joens], who is now my new roommate, she’s been great. But I think we’re a special group. Personally, I think I just want to play to the best of my ability. It’s my senior year, and I don’t have much to lose, so I just want to play with everything I’ve got. With the joy that I now have, and as a team, I think we can go far with this group.”

The Wildcats have a tight-knit squad with a mix of veteran experience and exciting newcomers as head coach Denise Dillon enters her sixth season at the helm.

“Off the court, we’re so close,” Allen said. “We have each other’s backs in an instant. When you have that off the floor, on the court, anything can happen. So it’s just translating that. But this is a special group of people. You don’t have many teams where everyone gets along off the floor. I’m excited that I’m with them for my last year.”

Allen and the Villanova women’s basketball team will showcase its 2025-26 team in November. The Wildcats have hopes for a return to the NCAA Tournament this season, and Allen hopes to play a major role in their success.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY LEARNING SUPPORT SERVICES, THE OFFICE OF HEALTH PROMOTION, STUDENT LIFE UNITAS: OFFICE OF BELONGING AND INCLUSION, AND THE UNIVERSITY COUNSELING CENTER

Here at OUR house:

We support our teams with positivity and respect players, coaches, referees, athletic officials, stadium personnel and other fans.

We welcome our opponents to the court and are gracious in victory or in defeat

We make Villanova proud with our enthusiasm and energy!

The Division of Student Life wishes you a great season!

By Nicole Liddicoat, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Before the first whistle, before the student section floods in a sea of blue and white, the cheerleaders are already there. They’ve run through stunts and put on finishing touches. When the game starts, their voices are the first thing that cut through

And if they weren’t there, you’d

The energy at a Villanova basketball game depends on more than baskets and buzzer-beaters. It depends on the pulse that keeps the crowd moving, the one that shouts through every timeout and echoes “Go ‘Cats!” when the stands fall quiet. That pulse belongs to the Villanova cheerleading team: 35 athletes whose jobs are not just to perform, but also to bring the game to life.

“Our number one job is to enhance the game day environment and atmosphere,” said head coach Jamie Brodie, who has led the program for 11

slows, or when the crowd thins on a late Sunday afternoon.

“I think the cheer team is so vital in all situations, but especially during a smaller attended game,” Brodie said. “When the crowd becomes dead or the environment becomes silent, it’s our job to start a cheer or do a dance to hopefully get the crowd involved.”

When the Pavilion goes still, the cheerleaders become the crowd. They are the first to celebrate every three-pointer and the last to let the noise fade after a timeout. Even a simple “Let’s go ‘Nova!” can shift the atmosphere. This is a cue for fans to join in, carrying through the bleachers until it becomes something collective.

seasons. “In basketball, our job is to create a positive, energetic, exciting space where we’re encouraging fans to positive ly cheer on the teams, wheth er it’s men’s or women’s.”

This year’s team is com posed of 31 women and four men, a mix of new faces and veterans who all share a commitment to the atmosphere Villanova basketball is known for. They’re the ones keeping the Finneran Pavilion loud when the game

That visible energy is the result of unseen hours of preparation. The cheerleaders practice multiple times a week for hours at a time, balancing those rehearsals with demanding course loads and community commitments. At the start of each season, every cheerleader masters close to 100 cheers and chants so they’re ready for anything that happens on the court. Every performance, chant and pyramid is designed to sustain that game day electricity.

Taylor Falcone, current junior captain, said that what fans see on the court is only a small piece of what it takes to create that excitement. Behind every perfectly timed chant is planning and teamwork.

“Most people in the stands don’t realize how much planning and teamwork goes into creating that game day energy,” Falcone said. “What fans don’t see are all the early mornings, late nights and game adjustments we make on the fly to keep the atmosphere exciting.”

Those adjustments often happen mid-game, depending on the score, the energy of the players or even how responsive the crowd is.

“We create multiple routines to perform during specific breaks of the games to keep the crowd excited and entertained,” Falcone said. “We love hearing the student section yelling back cheers with

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

us, because we love being part of ‘Nova Nation’s excitement.”

Each routine is carefully planned, from deciding which timeouts to perform during to selecting stunts that will make the biggest impact and coordinating with the Villanova dance team and Band to keep traditions alive. Behind the scenes, the team manages dozens of timeout routines and stunt sequences, performing skills that appear effortless to the crowd but require hours of preparation.

“We look at how many timeouts we’ll potentially have for performance and we create routines based around Villanova traditions,” Brodie said. “We perform all of our timeouts together with the dance team, showcasing different cheerleaders,

“Villanova cheerleading means the entire world to me,” she said. “The athleticism, passion and motivation that I share with my teammates is unmatched. I love being able to use the crowd, especially the student section, to make the Pavilion loud and energetic.”

For other members, the experience goes beyond performance; it’s rooted in pride for Villanova.

“I am so proud to represent what it means to be a part of the Villanova community through my position on the cheer team,” said senior Mia Schnapf, a four-year team member. “Basketball truly unites the Villanova student body and being a part of this experience is something I wouldn’t trade for the world.”

stunts, tumbling and cheers.”

That level of precision has transformed Villanova cheer into a main element of the basketball experience. They’re not just part of the show, they connect the fans, the players and the history of Villanova athletics.

The culture of balance and dedication is carried by the team’s captains: seniors Danielle Lopes and Sara Ledyard, and juniors Katharine Kusnirik and Taylor Falcone.

For Lopes, the basketball season embodies everything the team stands for.

That sense of unity and shared excitement is something echoed by junior Stephanie Kwong.

“There’s nothing like stepping onto the court or into the stands and seeing how dedicated Villanova fans are,” Kwong said. “Knowing that I can play a small part in making someone’s game day a great experience is such an amazing feeling.”

Still, basketball is only part of the Villanova cheer story. The team performs at football games, attends community events, runs clinics for youth and high

school cheerleaders and represents Villanova at the UCA College Nationals each January in Orlando.

Behind the smiles and stunts is the same level of athletic discipline seen in any collegiate sport.

“We’ve grown numbers, we’ve grown skill-wise, we’ve grown in appearances that we’ve done supporting philanthropies outside of Villanova,” Brodie said. “We’ve now developed youth, high school and middle school clinics, so we’re able to reach communities of athletes and get them involved and on campus.”

For most fans though, basketball is where that work shines brightest.

Cheerleading doesn’t just fill the silence, it transforms the game into a shared experience. Every fan who joins a chant, every player who hears that wave of noise after a big shot, all of it connects back to the cheerleaders’ presence.

That’s why Brodie says the team’s job is as much about positivity as performance.

“If you hear us say, ‘Make noise’ or ‘Let’s go ‘Nova,’ be loud, be excited,” she said. “Everybody does better when a space is positive.”

That energy is not meant to stay on the sidelines. Students and fans are encouraged to join in, clap along and chant with the team. The more voices that get involved, the bigger the impact and the more electric the Pavilion becomes.

Ask anyone on the team to describe Villanova cheer in one word, and you’ll likely hear the same answer Brodie gives: dedicated.

“They’re dedicated to their sport, their academics and to one another,” she said.

That dedication is what makes them so integral to Villanova basketball. The cheer team’s steady, loud and proud presence is what keeps Villanova basketball feeling, well, like Villanova basketball. Catch Villanova cheer in the Finneran Pavilion and Xfinity Mobile Arena this basketball season, and add your voice to the crowd. The team will bring the energy, ‘Nova Nation just has to answer.

Courtesy of @villanovacheer

By Zoe Manning, Staff Writer

The Villanova dance team is one of the most spirited and recognizable groups on campus and brings energy to every home football game, men’s and women’s basketball games and countless campus events throughout the year. From performing at Hoops Mania and Family Weekend to representing Villanova at the UDA College Nationals each January, the team is deeply woven into the fabric of the campus community.

Members of the team balance busy academic schedules with multiple weekly practices, demonstrating discipline, school spirit and dedication both on and off the court. It’s a difficult balance to find, but worth it to the dancers in order to live out a longtime dream.

“For as long as I can remember, dancing has always been my number one passion,” senior Jamie Carlin said. “In my college search, I knew I wanted to find a team that allowed me to succeed academically… while also allowing me to perform at a high level. The Villanova dance team was just that for me.”

Carlin remembers going to Villanova games when she was in high school. After meeting the coaches and dancers, she knew it was where

she wanted to be. Now serving on the VUDT social media team, Carlin helps run the Instagram and TikTok accounts, creating engaging content that expands the team’s reach to wider audiences.

Senior Victoria Fusaro started

call dances on the sidelines and make game-day decisions.

“[I wanted] that family-like bond that being a team creates,” Fusaro said. “Looking back, I’m extremely grateful for all the friendships and skills I’ve gained from being part of this team.”

Senior Abigayle Hardy serves as the team’s operations manager, helping to coordinate uniforms, logistics and sponsorships.

“[Being part of VUDT] allows me to combine two things I am incredibly passionate about: my lifelong love for dance with the amazing school spirit at Villanova,” Hardy said. “It is the perfect balance of athleticism, artistry and school pride.”

While each dancer brings their own unique story to the Vil-

Courtesy of @villanovadanceteam

dancing at the age of three and began competing at nine. By the time she was applying to colleges, she knew she wanted to continue dancing in a team environment. As the team’s senior captain, Fusaro helps lead practices,

lanova dance team, they all share a common commitment to excellence, teamwork and school spirit. The team practices three to four times a week, learning new choreography, refining technique and preparing for game

days. Beyond that, many members put in extra time outside of practice to review routines and perfect performance quality.

“It can be overwhelming to learn a new routine for every single game,” Carlin said. “Drilling our routines outside of practice allows us to focus on our performance quality and allows for productive and efficient practices.”

That dedication extends to every performance, from football and basketball games to everything in between.

“Everyone pushes each other to be their best,” Fusaro said. “We try to maintain a fun and motivating atmosphere during practices.”

The team’s culture, she added, centers on positivity and productivity. Carlin agreed

“Everyone is so focused on becoming the best version of [themselves],” Carlin said. “The commitment we have seen from everyone, from freshmen to seniors, has been incredible.”

When it comes time to take the floor, all of that hard work pays off. For many dancers, the best part of game days is seeing the crowd respond to their performance.

“We want to hype up the crowd, build momentum for our teams and create moments that make game days unforgettable,” Hardy said.

Over the years, the team has performed on some of the most well-known stages in college dance. One of Carlin’s favorite memories was performing on Good Morning America for the Big East Tournament, a full-circle moment after years of watching the show with her mom before school.

“In second grade, I even

made a dream board on career day saying I wanted to be on the show one day,” Carlin said. “Thanks to VUDT, I was able to make that a reality.”

Fusaro’ first performance at the Wells Fargo Center as a freshman remains unforgettable.

“I had never performed in front of that many people before,” she said. “Feeling the heat from the fire that is released when the MC announces each player…it was definitely a surreal moment.”

As the fall season wraps up, the team’s attention quickly shifts from the field to the court. After a busy football season, basketball season brings a new level of excitement.

“I think as a team we’re beyond excited to be back in the Finn and showcase everything we’ve been working on since last season,” Carlin said. “There’s truly nothing like the atmosphere of game day in the Finn, and the feeling is indescribable.”

Hardy added that this year feels even more special.

“There is noticeable new energy in the Finn this year,” she said. “We are ready to match that energy on the sidelines and bring the Finn back to the electric atmosphere it is known for.”

The team performs at both men’s and women’s basketball games, captivating fans during timeouts and halftime shows.

“We feel so lucky to perform in front of such a passionate crowd and represent Villanova,” Carlin said.

As basketball season gets underway, VUDT’s

energy and commitment help create the unforgettable atmosphere that fills the Finneran Pavilion each game day. Its dedication, teamwork and spirit make it more than just performers, as it is an essential part of what makes being a Wildcat so special. The dance team will make its first basketball season appearance on Nov. 8, performing at the men’s home opener against the Queens Uni-

Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

There are certain aspects of a Villanova basketball game that every fan expects to see. For longtime attendees, maybe it’s the beloved pre-game “Swag Surf.” For newcomers, it’s the excitement of watching a national championship-winning program take the court. Either way, fans come for basketball, and basketball they will get. But there’s one element of every

of cool.’”

The band is at every single home game and often travels with both the men’s and women’s teams to local games and any post-season play, including the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden, each season.

“We’re invested in both teams equally,” Sokolowski said. “Our support of the teams is seen as both a love and a

a given area will completely change how the audience hears you,” Kokolis said. “For example, it’s far easier to hear high pitched instruments like flutes, clarinets and even bells in the arena than, say the tuba or trombone, because of the shape of the ceiling [of the Finn].”

band performs around campus, including

In the past two seasons, Kokolis has taken on the informal role of “game operations,” for which he coordinates microphones with the audio staff, organizes memso that their performance will sound the best and have an ear for the small changes come

members, the band, led by Beth Sokolowski, is an integral part of Villanova basketball. And not just for the reason you’d think.

“A lot of the stuff we do, besides playing, involves being vocal,” senior and trombone player Michael Kokolis said.

“Whether it’s a simple cheer or little chants [we’ve come up with], it makes people turn their heads a little bit, like ‘Oh, that was kind

1842 Day, The Roommates Podcast or Family Weekend events, just to name a few.

The biggest difference? The drums. There are 15 drummers in the band, but unlike football or outdoor events, which feature a drum line, indoor basketball

A drum line features every member of the drum section — snares, bass, cymbals — you name it, they’re playing. But inside the confines of the Finneran Pavilion, there is one sole drummer playing the drum set, allowing that student to “uniquely establish grooves and style,” according to Sokolowski.

But it doesn’t just stop at the drums. There are significantly more ins and outs that become a factor when the band performs inside the Finneran Pavilion or Xfinity Mobile Arena, formerly known as the Wells Fargo Center.

“Where you place instruments in

from his dual passion of both music and sports. It also doesn’t hurt that he can play 15 different instruments.

“I’ve done my own research on [all of this], so that kind of also plays into how I got in here,” Kokolis said. “It’s the little stuff that, in an intense and high or fast paced situation, they’ll turn to me and I’ll have to have something to do. I’ll have to find a solution.”

But beyond the drum sets, the audio organization and playing the Villanova Fight Song at least three times in a given game, the members of the band have another title that they hold equally as much pride in: fans.

“We get really hype,” senior and Band President Gianna Pacilio said. “Especially because we’re all friends, and you’re with those friends…sometimes you get a little lost in it.”

Courtesy of Beth Sokolowski

Courtesy of Michael Kokolis

And that’s where finding the balance between being a fan and being a member of an organization with a job attached to it comes into play.

“I am definitely one of the more passionate fans in the band,” Kokolis said. “It’s Villanova basketball. It’s so fun, but at the same time….when you’re at the game, with your instrument in hand, you kind of understand…‘I’ve got a job to do,’ and that automatically just clicks in your mind.”

For the members of the band, it’s become nothing short of a subconscious.

“The second that horn goes off for a timeout, you switch from watching to playing, and it’s just kind of an automatic thing,” Kokolis said. “I don’t have time to go to the bathroom or talk to my friends, it’s just, ‘All right, we got to play now.’”

took to Twitter.

“We were tweeting at the athletic director, like, ‘Hey, get us to go,’” Pacilio said. “It was all the way in Indianapolis, not a lot of people are traveling to go watch them, so we thought if we could be there it would make a huge difference. And we were right.”

With the exception of the family and friends section, the band members were the only Villanova fans in the stands.

“When we were there, we were cheering for them so loud, we wanted them to win so bad,” Pacilio said.

The Wildcats went on to defeat the Nittany Lions, 58-53, and secure a spot in the WBIT championship.

“I think this goes for a lot of games [in general],” Pacilio said. “If our

this game?’ But at the same time, we’ll break out a Let’s go ‘Nova’ chant, or just something to get the crowd going. Or on the flip side, if the team gets on a roll, we get louder, then they get on more of a roll, and we get even louder. It’s a really cool domino effect to watch when that does happen.”

These ups and downs have been especially apparent since Jay Wright retired at the end of the 2021-22 season. Since Wright’s retirement, the men’s team has been under the leadership of Kyle Neptune, and have missed the NCAA tournament the past three seasons.

But now the men’s team, which only returns two players from the 2024-25 roster, is led by head coach Kevin Willard. With the newfound leadership comes a new era of Villanova basketball, and Sokolowski

By Brooke Ackerman, Co-Editor-in-Chief

While fans get to pick and choose which games to attend, the band is a constant for both the men and women’s teams.

In some games, the band seeks to keep the crowd engaged, in others the band is tasked with getting the crowd engaged, and in some unique instances, the band is the crowd.

During the 2023-24 season, the women’s basketball team was headed to Indianapolis to take on Penn State in the semi-final round of the WBIT, more than 600 miles from Lancaster Avenue.

After being on the sidelines for their entire season, the band was determined to make it to the game to cheer on Denise Dillon and her squad. So members

energy was not there, I feel like sometimes, the student section, especially with the new freshmen, they don’t really know how the games work, or what to cheer… we kind of get that started, along with dance and cheer. It’s a huge part of our role.”

But the band’s role doesn’t just stop there. It also is busy, even if members are cheering in a packed Finneran Pavilion, especially if the Wildcats are down.

“We kind of have this understanding that no matter what the situation is, part of our job is bringing up the spirit and the vibes in the arena, no matter how bad the situation is,” Kokolis said. “There were some games last season where we were down by a lot and it’s, like, ‘How much longer is left in

and her band are hopeful for what is to come.

“Jay [Wright] decided to move in a different direction, and the program moved in a different direction [as a result],” Sokolowski said. “That happens all the time with basketball programs, but now a new coach feels like a new opportunity…[the band] is unapologetically optimistic. They want the best for every team every year.”

Regardless of what players are on the court, what the leadership on the sidelines looks like, or how many tallies are in the win column for the 2025-26 season, the band promises one certainty: they will perform, cheer and bring the energy for each team and each game, all season long.

Luck Of The Lottery

Villanova: a name famous for basketball excellence. However, before you can be in the student section, you first have to secure a ticket.

Whether you’re a first-year, transfer or just looking to show more school spirit, consider this your crash course on Villanova’s basketball lottery. What are points?

Points are primarily used for regular season, Big East conference tournament and postseason men’s basketball tickets. They also occasionally apply for major women’s basketball games. Points increase your likelihood of winning the lottery. If you’re lucky, a ticket will show up in your app within 48 hours of game time and prove all your work for points has paid off. How are points calculated?

Nearly every other sports’ game or event on campus is worth 30 points, 40 if you scan your ticket at least 30 minutes before the start. If you enter a lottery but don’t win, you’ll receive a consolation prize of 40 points. You can also lose 40 points for winning a lottery and not attending. It’s important to note that if you fail to attend three men’s basketball games when awarded a ticket, you’ll be removed from all future lottery sets for the season. Don’t worry, though, you can always transfer an unneeded ticket or cancel it through the app (allowing it to go to a student on the waitlist).

What do I do if I don’t receive points for a game I attended?

By Scarlet Shafie, Staff Writer

If you’re missing points from a game, you can submit an appeal through the “Nova Students” app. You can find this under the “More” tab. Note: You are only eligible to have your points adjusted up to two weeks after the game.

Now to turn to the app where it all happens:

1. Download the App

Download the “Nova Students” app. This is your main hub for all things Villanova Athletics. Check Events to browse upcoming games and head to Lotteries when it’s time to enter ticket drawings.

2. Join An Active Lottery

Stay up to date with upcoming sporting events by following @novastudentlife and @novasports on Instagram and by checking your email regularly. Lotteries tend to open the week of each game and close a few days before tip-off.

3. Wait In Anticipation

Once you’ve entered an active lottery, you’re free to forget about it, or start brainstorming who you’ll ask if you don’t win.

4. Check Your App and Emails

If you win, you’ll get an email as well as a notification from the app congratulating you. Now you can breathe a sigh of relief and start planning your game-day outfit.

5. Celebrate or Search for a Spare

This is usually when the

frantic group chat texts begin. If you’re not sure where to start your search, asking a friend is always a great move. Student organization and club threads (like GroupMe chats) are also safe bets. If you happen to be one of the lucky few with an extra ticket, this is the perfect place to spread the word.

6. Transfer?

After the lottery closes, there’s a short window where ticket transfers are allowed. The “Nova Students” app displays a countdown time showing how much time remains in the transfer period. Once a ticket is transferred to you, it’ll appear in your own app.

7. Secure Your Transport

If a game is in Philadelphia, there are plenty of ways to get there. One option is the Student Involvement bus, which runs during every non-break game and departs from the Law School parking lot. You can sign up through villanovatix.com.

Another option is the SEPTA, which takes about an hour and a half each way. A student favorite, though, is traveling by personal vehicles or student-organized buses. No matter how you get there, travel safely and cheer loudly.

8. Enjoy

Your mobile ticket will always be in the “Nova Students” app. Just click “View Card.” And with that, you’re officially a Villanova basketball expert. Happy basketball season, Wildcats.

Basketball season is upon us, and every student will soon be vying for a spot in the Finneran Pavilion or at the newly named Xfinity Mobile Arena. The lottery system can be a convoluted process where sometimes luck just is not on your side.

There’s no sugarcoating it: not getting a ticket is disappointing, especially when it can feel like the whole campus is getting on buses (or the SEPTA) and leaving you behind to watch the game from afar in an empty Connelly Center.

But not getting a ticket doesn’t have to be the end of your fun. There are plenty of other ways to watch the game and replace the experience of actually being there.

Stay In Your Dorm

That’s right, sometimes it can be just as simple as getting together all your equally unlucky friends and putting the game on in someone’s dorm. Bonus points if someone has an apartment with a TV, or a projector that can cast the Wildcats on a wall.

Watch In Conn

Ok, it’s not ideal, but I can guarantee that if Villanova is playing, at least some of the Conn TVs have the game on for you. Get your gameday Wawa

and settle in to experience every play right alongside everyone at the game.

Book A Classroom

If you really can’t sit in Conn for one more minute of your week, I get it. Luckily, there are countless classrooms available to book around campus where you and some friends can project the game onto a much bigger screen than any computer or TV. These rooms would also give you the space to make watching the game feel like more of an event. A second space, even if it’s not the basketball court, will help you feel a bit of the sense of community the student section provides.

Go Out On The Main Line

If you are over 21, campus isn’t the only place one can watch the game. The Grog Grille and Kelly’s Taproom both put Villanova games on and are great places for students to enjoy basketball in a fun environment surrounded by other classmates and Villanova fans alike.

Get Into Philly

Not getting a ticket doesn’t mean you can’t still get into Philly for some basketball excitement. Again, if you are over 21, there will undoubtedly be sports bars in the city show -

ing the Villanova game. Both sites of Misconduct Tavern (one by Rittenhouse and one in Logan Square) are great, spacious bars with tons of TVs showing the hottest games. Another popular sports bar, Cavanaugh’s Rittenhouse, is also very easy to get to on the SEPTA. Get geared up in your merch and take over from the city schools.

Go To The Arena Anyway

If you’re looking to get closer to the stadium complex during those elusive Xfinity Arena games, you can always trek down with the game-goers and watch from any of the venues enveloped in Xfinity Live. There are countless options within the complex, and then you can still hang around the tailgate and soak up the student section excitment before retreating across the parking lots at the start of the game.

And if all else fails… there is always someone out there who is looking to get rid of their ticket. Student groupchats will, without fail, light up in the days between tickets going out and a gameday with people both looking for and offering theirs. Ask around, and you’re a shoe-in to get into the game, even with bad lottery luck.

KEVIN WILLARD

Charting The Path To Men’s Basketball Success

By Katie Lewis, Co-Sports Editor

Willard speaks to the Finneran Pavilion crowd alongside Jalen Brunson at “The Roommates Show” on Sept. 17. Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

Kevin Willard stood on the hardwood floor of the Finneran Pavilion on Sept. 17, gazing up at the roaring crowd before him. Willard was familiar with the arena’s reverberating energy and packed stands. But that was the first time he was able to fully absorb the passion of Villanova’s basketball fanbase as a member of the school community himself.

Willard officially introduced himself to fans during the live podcast taping of “The Roommates Show,” hosted by Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson, to mark the start of the 2025-26 Villanova basketball season.

“I took it all in, because, to be honest, you don’t usually get to take it in when you’re coaching,” Willard said. “I hate to say it, but you don’t even realize the fans because you’re very focused on what you’re doing. So, to see the fanbase in a really fun way, with Josh and Jalen and those guys up there, it was exciting.”

Willard visited Villanova’s campus dozens of times during his tenure as Seton Hall’s head coach from 2010-2022. As he begins his new role at Vil-

lanova, Willard takes on what he considers a crucial responsibility. He aims to carry on the legacy and winning standards constructed by his predecessor, Jay Wright, a former Big East rival.

“I saw it firsthand for 12 years: the way this program was built, and the way that Jay [Wright] built it,” Willard said. “I want us getting back to playing a little bit faster, playing a little bit more energetic. And then, obviously, getting back to being a very tough, physical defensive team.”

Willard has witnessed the evolution of Villanova basketball from the perspective of an opponent, beyond the reign of Wright. Last November, he faced former head coach Kyle Neptune as Maryland played Villanova in the Empire Classic in Newark, NJ. The Terrapins came away with a sliver of a victory, 76-75.

For Willard, that game was just one win among 27 wins, adding up to Maryland’s Sweet 16 run in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. At the time, he was unaware of the extra significance of beating Villanova: he was competing against his future program, and a team with even a few of his future players.

Willard is just as accustomed to facing severe criticism from fans as he is to walking into arenas of cheering supporters. His drama-filled departure from Maryland received enormous backlash from Terrapins devotees, stemming largely from his several viral press conference comments during the NCAA Tournament and seemingly sudden exit. Villanova announced Willard’s hiring as head coach on March 30, 2025. It came just three days after Maryland’s final loss to the eventual champion, the University of Florida, in the Sweet 16.

Willard had no choice but to leave the Maryland mess behind, as an even heavier task awaited him at Villanova: putting together a competitive roster that, when completed, featured 11 new Wildcats.

“Getting all these guys that have played so many different styles to buy into one style is something that we’re really trying to focus on, but it’s hard,” Willard said. “You’ve got to be patient.”

Navigating the rapidly moving transfer portal, Willard immediately set to work on building

Willard answered questions at an introductory press conference on April 11, 2025, following his hiring as the next head coach of Villanova men’s basketball. Courtesy of Villanova Athletics

his team. He started with encouraging some Maryland players and recruits to follow him to the Main Line. Redshirt sophomore center Braden Pierce was the first to announce his transfer to Villanova, just a week after Willard’s hiring. He cited his trust in Willard’s leadership and energetic coaching style as reasons for his decision to transfer.

“On offense, he’ll let you play,” Pierce said. “A lot of coaches like to stick to the system, but [Willard] is not going to tell you there’s a shot that you can’t take. He’s super intense. It’s a great style to play.”

Junior guard Tyler Perkins, the only returning Wildcat who earned minutes on the court last season, was also motivated to stay by Willard’s impressive coaching resume and high-speed style.

“When we played [Maryland] last year, I was able to see firsthand the energy and passion

Willard led the Wildcats to their first win of the season, a 70-51 exhibition victory over VCU on Oct. 19. Ella Johnson/Villanovan Photography

of their players and coaching staff,” Perkins said. “I felt like I complemented their playing style. So, it was really a no brainer [to play for Willard].”

For Willard, creating a successful new team was not only about recruiting the right players. He arrived at Villanova with the support of four former Maryland assistant coaches and two former Maryland staff members.

“One of the things people always ask me is, ‘What’s the biggest part when you switch jobs?’” Willard said. “And for me, it’s keeping your staff. Because in the era of the transfer portal, if I had to teach 13 kids and six new coaches a system, I couldn’t do it. So, staff continuity to me is really important.”

The only former Villanova assistant coach to stay on Willard’s staff is Ashley Howard. His connection to Villanova goes back to his assistant role from 2013-18 and return in 2023. But Howard’s deeply-rooted Philadelphia basketball connections, as the former head coach at La Salle and former assistant at Drexel, make him an even more essential member of the staff.

the most of his guaranteed time with players and still making the effort to build strong relationships within the team.

“You really only have these guys for nine months, for the most part,” Willard said. “So you need to make sure that you’re investing in them, and that they’re investing in your program and working hard, and having the most fun doing it.”

Although early-season games will be crucial opportunities to build chemistry and assess the team in a real-game setting, Willard is optimistic about his new squad’s potential.

“I think we did a really good job of bringing really good kids in here that wanted to be at Villanova, wanted to play at Villanova,” Willard said. “So I think they’ve all done a really good job of blending in. It hasn’t been Villanova versus Maryland.”

“That’s why I took this job, it’s a phenomenal job with an unbelievable history,” Willard said. “Being part of that family, being part of that culture, is something that I’ve really enjoyed.”

As players adjust to their new environment, Willard is also slowly integrating himself in the Villanova community. The campus that used to represent intense Big East opposition is now becoming a new home.

“I’ve known Ash [Howard] forever,” Willard said. “I thought keeping Ash was very important, knowing how tight this community is. Ash has been [at Villanova] for so long, and he knows all the things that go on that need to be handled. He’s been great.”

Every college coach is relatively new at handling the demands of the transfer portal and Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) era as NCAA rules continue to evolve. But Willard’s situation entering the 2025-26 season required more adjustment than most, as he led both a new program and a team full of new players. Willard’s strategy involves making

“I’ve always enjoyed that part of being a coach, just being part of the campus community is one of the best parts of my job,” Willard said. “I love walking through campus to go get a cup of coffee and talking to the students.”

The road to the Big East Tournament in March will be a long one as the Wildcats strive to build their new identity. But Willard highly anticipates his return to Madison Square Garden, which he calls his “Mecca.” However, this time, he will rep Villanova’s blue-and-white.

“That’s why I took this job, it’s a phenomenal job with an unbelievable history,” Willard said. “Being part of that family, being part of that culture, is something that I’ve really enjoyed.”

Entering her sixth season as the head coach at Villanova, Denise Dillon is very used to dealing with change.

Dillon took over the position in March 2020, following Harry Perretta’s retirement after 42 seasons at the helm of the program. Dillon started her time at Villanova in a pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season. She had players get unexpected extra seasons of eligibility when the NCAA granted athletes waivers for the 2019-20 pandemic season in 2021. She adapted to the NCAA’s adoption of Name, Image and Likeness policies and a rule that allowed players to transfer once without a redshirt penalty in 2021.

Dillon further adjusted when the NCAA allowed players to transfer as many times as they wanted without penalty in 2024, and is now adjusting to June’s landmark House settlement that has paved the way for institutions to engage in direct revenue sharing with student-athletes.

“Now that I’m in year six… we’re on the other side of it being new and fresh,” Dillon said. “But, [the NCAA makes] it exciting and they keep you on your toes in this ever-changing world of college athletics.”

The rate of change in college athletics is much faster than it was when Dillon was a three-time all-Big East guard under Perretta from 1993 to 1996. More has changed in the landscape of college sports in five seasons at Villanova than during the 17 seasons Dillon spent as the head coach at Drexel, where she was promoted from an assistant coach in 2003.

At Drexel, where she amassed a 329-211 record, Dillon dissected her time into four or five year cycles. In the current era of college sports, she has cut down the length of her rotations to two years.

“I have a tendency that I’m shifting…of breaking things down into a four, five year cycle,” Dillon said. “Now we’re on the second half of that, with, ‘Okay, what does the next four or five [look like]?’ I’ve broken it down to, ‘What’s the next two years look like?’”

The Wildcats were particularly burned by the newfound freedom of player movement in college sports off-season before last, when two-time all-Big East guard Lucy Owlsen transferred to Iowa. Olsen’s departure sparked a domino chain of departures, which also included forward Christina Dalce, who was named Big East Defensive Player of the Year in her final season with the Wildcats. Olsen and Dalce carried more than 28% of Villanova’s scoring production in 2023-24. By that measure, Villanova was one of three Big East schools hit hardest in the portal, with only Seton Hall and Marquette losing more production.

Villanova felt the impacts of production loss, as the Wildcats finished with a record of 21-15 in 2024-25. Last season’s win percentage, .583, was the worst of Dillon’s five seasons at Villanova. The team ended with fewer total wins (17) in 2020-21, but carried a better win percentage due to playing fewer games in the pandemic-shortened season.

This season, Dillon and her staff have the benefit of slightly more consistency. Villanova is returning 43.8% of its scoring from last season for 2025-26, thanks in large part to the return of sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe. Bascoe had a breakout freshman season for the Wildcats last season, averaging 16.2 points and earning an all-Big East nod.

Dillon also retained senior forward Denae Carter, who averaged 8.6 points and 6.5 rebounds in her second season with the ‘Cats last year. Carter, a Philadelphia native, transferred to the Main Line prior to the 2023-

Olivia Pasquale/Villanovan Photography

Erick Quezada/Villanovan Photography

24 season after two seasons at Mississippi State, but redshirted her first season at Villanova. Senior guard Ryanne Allen is also entering her second season as a Wildcat. Allen averaged 4.8 points in 15.8 minutes per game after transferring from Vanderbilt prior to last season.

The team has also gotten an offseason lift from two returners who have made limited impact in the box score. Senior forward Annie Welde and senior guard Maggie Grant combined for 22 minutes last season, but Dillon said their impact on the team’s chemistry was just as important as anything they could do on the court.

“I give them so much credit, being here for four years,” Dillon said. “That solidifies what Villanova’s about. They understand what the culture’s about and, just, teaching some of the young ones. Great appreciation there, because it is always about the team and the selflessness, and they carry it.”

Veteran leadership from Welde and Grant combined with a higher percentage of returning production from Bascoe and Carter lends itself to early-season optimism about what Villanova can be.

“Having some key players back with some of that continuity and chemistry, great additions, can make for a good year,” Dillon said.

Dillon’s task each year she’s been at Villanova has been to reinvent her own coaching strategies to accommodate the talent that the Wildcats can field. That yearly transformation serves as a tool to get the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament, which is the program’s goal every year.

“You have to reinvent to the group that you have, that current team, those individuals,” Dillon said. “So, not staying set in your ways or stubborn about it. You want to make sure that you’re compromising, you meet halfway. I think I have adjusted a little faster in that sense, year-in, year-out.”

Reinvention has worked better some years than others for Dillon. The team is still hunting for its first trip back to the NCAA Tournament since current Dallas Wings forward Maddy Siegrist led the team to the Sweet 16 in 2023. The Wildcats have spent the last two Marches playing in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), a relatively new NCAA-run equivalent to the men’s National Invitation Tournament. Olsen led Villanova to a runner-up WBIT finish in 2024, and the team made the semifinals last season.

Though success in the WBIT is nice, Dillon says she is motivated to get her team back into the NCAA Tournament for the third time in her career.

“Everybody wants to go, but only, you know, 68 of us can go,” Dillon said. “So, what are we going to do to make that happen?”

A key focus for Villanova’s staff this year is getting off to a good start. It took a few games for the Wildcats to find their identity last season, which might be expected when relying on a freshman, Bascoe, for offensive production. Villanova was 6-6 by the time it started conference play last season, with losses to Temple, Fairfield and James Madison, among others.

Thanks to the return of key pieces this season, Dillon knows a little more of what the team should look like when it opens its season against Lafayette on Nov. 3. Dillon believes that tests in the non-conference portion of Villanova’s schedule should prepare the Wildcats well to compete in their Big East slate.

The non-conference schedule includes three games against teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season in Fairfield, Princeton and West Virginia, as well as James Madison, which was among the first four left out of the Tournament field.

“You’re going to learn each and every day, but it can’t be by not showing up [or] coughing up a winnable game,” Dillon said. “With the non-conference schedule that we put together, if we’re committed and we’re ready to go, then we will be ready for Big East play.”

For this season, Dillon’s reinvention will be about how to play with size. Dillon’s primary need she addressed in the portal was height in her frontcourt. She landed graduate forward Kylee Watson, who is listed at

6’4”. Watson averaged 6.2 points and five rebounds in her senior season at Notre Dame before tearing her ACL in the 2024 ACC Tournament. She sat out the 2024-25 season, but is poised to make her return with the ‘Cats this season.

Villanova has played a “five out” offense since the departure of Siegrist, keeping all five players out on the perimeter to clear the lane and look for high percentage shots close to the basket or open three-pointers. Dillon has been thinking about how to adjust her offense to accommodate the talent she brought in through the portal.

“It’s playing to their strength as opposed to just keeping them out on the perimeter where, maybe, they don’t need to be guarded,” Dillon said. “Making some tweaks to the system that work in the favor of these players, especially in the post.”

The Wildcats have also deemed health as a crucial factor this season. Multiple players on Dillon’s team have significant injury histories. Junior forward Brynn McCurry is returning from an ACL tear last season, while Allen spent time sidelined throughout last season as well.

Even more so than other years, the Wildcats will be better off if they can avoid the injury bug.

“Availability is the unknown,” Dillon said. “When you have veteran players, with the experience, you can make adjustments and be prepared a little bit faster. If they’re out there, good things, and we can plug and play with some others. But, if we’re relying on these young ones for significant time, it could take a little longer.”

Injuries or not, Villanova retained a little bit more continuity from last year on its coaching staff. Bronagh Power-Cassidy, who suited up for the Wildcats last season as a graduate transfer from Holy Cross, returned to the Wildcats as a graduate assistant. Power-Cassidy is one of four former players on the coaching staff at Villanova, including Dillon. The Wildcats brought on Brooke Mullin this offseason as the assistant director of basketball operations, and Director of Basketball Operation Mimi Riley is in her 11th season on staff.

Dillon credits the strength of the women’s basketball community to her old coach, Perretta, and Joe Mullaney, who is entering his 30th season as an assistant.

“Fourty-two years, Harry was here,” Dillon said. “That doesn’t happen in sports anymore. You don’t see people as lifers at a university, in any position. So, him establishing that piece and the relationships he built with his players, is special. That’s something I wanted when I was at Drexel, and it’s certainly something I want to carry on here at Villanova.”

Dillon has a long way to go to build a web of connections as Perretta, but bringing Power-Cassidy, who spent one season with the Wildcats, back on staff is a good start.

“She’s been really good for our young ones,” Dillon said. “Some of them played with her last year, so she can have those conversations to help them along the way.”

As a former player, Dillon sees herself as a steward of the Villanova women’s basketball community that Perretta helped to establish.

“[Perretta] was incredibly successful, but it wasn’t just the number of wins that he had,” Dillon said. “His success, I think, is measured in those relationships and what was established here.”

Those kinds of relationships are harder to come by in the current era of college sports, where a player is less likely to remain with the same coach for four years. Still, Dillon is trying to mentor and impact the young women who come through her program, however briefly. For Dillon, the relationships she builds with her players is why she’s in coaching to begin with.

“Reminding yourself why you chose it, or it chose you, to be a coach at this level,” Dillon said. “To impact [and] be a part of people’s lives, and just recognizing it might be for a shorter period of time. That can sometimes be upsetting because there’s nothing better than the relationships you build thereafter with your graduates. You talk about weddings and families… It’s about the people.”

Nova Nation 101:

A Guide To Being The A+ Wildcat

By Cali Carss, Co-Culture Editor

If you couldn’t tell, Villanova is a basketball school. And with that, the responsibilities of the student fanbase are taken very seriously. “Nova Nation” is known around, well, the nation for being a dedicated and passionate student section. We show up at each game, whether in the Finneran Pavilion or in the Xfinity Mobile Arena (“Wells,” if you’re a stickler for the past), and cheer on the Wildcats, no matter what.

Here are all the hits you can expect to be part of at a Villanova game:

1. The starting players’ entrances—get ready for the game and get loud.

2. The opposing team’s entrance—stand up and turn around at your seat. Jeer loudly, even if it feels over the top.

4. The Villanova fight song— sing along with the band with all of your might. Bonus points if you actually have more than two lines of the lyrics memorized.

5. Getting caught on the Jumbotron—it’s an unfortunate rite of passage to be caught on the Jumbotron when you least expect it. Whether mid-bite or cheer just let it happen and take comfort in the fact that the camera will move on soon.

Some elements of Villanova fan culture might be confusing, or even straight up odd, to new students at first, but it only takes one or two games to really get into the groove.

Our best advice for the time being, though? Know the chants.

It’s also important to know that the men’s games aren’t the only times to shore up your basketball knowledge.

Our fanbase is amazing because each student wants to, and gets to, be a part of it, no matter how they show up. This year, the strength of our student fans is particularly important as we usher in a host of new players on both the men’s and women’s teams and a brand-new men’s head coach. So keep the excitement going during this new era for Villanova basketball. Let’s do this, Wildcats.

3. Free throws—send our players some extra good luck and seal their successful shot with a “Whoosh, go!” (if you ever figure out the timing) and distract the opposing players by waving your hands around and shouting.

The Villanova women’s basketball team regularly has lottery games scheduled in the “Nova Students” app that Villanovans can take advantage of for more chances to show their school spirit. The women’s team always does ‘Nova Nation proud at the Finn and beyond, so go support!

long history of athletic prowess and monumental championship success. As winter approaches and basket ball season is upon us, excitement erupts around campus. From an early morning Up-Ryes Bagel run on the way to Xfinity Mobile Arena to the hum of the crowd when Eric Dixon sinks a free throw (we miss you already, Dixon), basketball season is an unstoppable favorite season for Villanovans.

While we can’t control what the school’s athletes do on the court, we can choose how we show up and show out. For freshmen entering their first tailgate, it’s daunting to say the least. You want to make sure you show up with style and enough warmth to get you through standing outside the stadium for three hours.

Cracking the code to this optimal look can be tricky. Even as a junior, I struggle to find the right balance between comfort and chic. Let me help you sort out the ideal wardrobe to consider during the months of basketball festivities. Color Conscious.

Villanova bleeds blue and white. A simple pairing of the colors will never do you wrong. The best part is that our school colors are the most versatile. Mix darkwash denim blue jeans with a white tee and neutral jacket over top. Take out your vibrant blue Adidas sambas as your statement piece. Thrift a grungy bomber jacket from

ist. It is expensive to keep a solid rotation of unique gameday outfits. There’s no need to worry, because you can keep it simple and stylish. My favorite styles are ones that begin with your favorite pair of slacks and a basic shirt. A staple ensemble that you can always count on. Then the fun starts: accessorizing to your liking. Throw on a scarf, puffer coat, high rise suede boots and chunky jewelry for a touch of femininity. The options? Endless. It is a com pletely free game (no pun intended). Be practical.

The biggest mistake you can make is showing up to a game at Xfinity without two pairs of socks, at least three layers and a wool hat for those frigid winter nights. Take my word for it: there’s nothing worse than being cold and uncomfortable when you’re trying to have fun with your friends. Bundling up will never ruin an outfit. If anything, it elevates it. Layers add dimension, texture and an unlimited amount of freedom with what you add. Jackets alone can include suede, leather, denim, trench and barn. Each brings its own unique character. Throw on a large wool sweater with matching gloves and

wool scarves that can be worn in

cotton hat to keep your ears warm, nothing beats finding an essential warming device for the outdoor pre-game events. My favorite attractive hack last basketball season was fingerless gloves. Shockingly, they worked wonders, and I could still show off my fresh manicure

Always represent a “V.”

I saved the best piece of advice for last: Villanova gear. Easy to find on Etsy or simply in the bookstore on campus, these items will always work when you’re cheering on the ‘Cats. This may sound obvious, but it’s always worth the mention. These spirited items never go out of style. Sweaters with “Villanova” written across the front or bomber jackets with an embroidered “V” on the pocket are exactly the kind of pieces I’ll be hunting for this season.

Father Rob: The Perspective of Basketball’s Chaplain

By Dylan Johnson , Co-Sports Editor

It was 1997, and Rev. Robert P. Hagan, O.S.A. (‘87 CLAS), then a criminal defense attorney, had just won a huge court case and sat down in his recliner to watch Jeopardy.

The question was “Quotable Quotes” for $200, and the host of the show, Alex Trebek read it.

“Who authored the phrase, ‘Give me chastity, but not yet?’” Trebek read.

The answer was St. Augustine, the Catholic saint who inspired Villanova University’s core values.

“I can’t get away from this guy,” Hagan thought.

Not long after that moment, Hagan decided to leave practicing law behind after seven years.

“When I was a senior in high school, my father had passed away of a brain aneurysm when he went to bed in his 40s,” Hagan said. “He never woke up the next morning. While that was hard on my mom and my family, it was one of the great gifts that my dad could ever have given me, and that was an appreciation for the shortness of life.”

Without hesitation, Hagan told his firm he was making the change to become an Augustinian priest, and off he went to school.

In 2003, Hagan was ordained into the priesthood in the St. Thomas Church on Villanova’s campus. He was immediately asked to join Villanova Athletics as the Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance. It also happened to be at the same time that the former chaplain of the men’s basketball team, Father Bernard Lazor, O.S.A., was retiring after 25 years in the role. Hagan was asked to take the role by former men’s basketball head coach Jay Wright and former football head coach Andy Talley. He accepted their offer to become the next chaplain of both teams.

“I had season tickets to the Sixers and to Villanova basketball,” Hagan said. “ I was really wrestling with the things that I was going to have to give up in my life. And I can remember looking up to God, walking out of Houston after we won that championship in 2016, and thinking humbly about all the things that I thought I was going to be giving up for God to pursue my life as an Augustinian. What did He do? He put me on the bench for a couple of national championships.”

In 2004, he was promoted to his current role of Senior Associate Athletic Director, while maintaining his role as chaplain.

Courtesy of Villanova University

“It’s been an incredible gift in my life that I never could have anticipated,” Hagan said. “But you just try to follow where you think God’s leading you.”

Every men’s basketball game, Hagan can be seen zoned in on the game from the corner of the Villanova bench with his hands interlocked, hunched over, with his arms on his legs. He is there to support every Wildcat.

“I think particularly in this NIL world that we’re all living in now, people almost treat them like they’re robots, and they’re not,” he said. “In a lot of cases, they’re still teenagers or certainly young adults who have fears, they have failures, they have problems at home, they get injured.

“In a lot of cases, they’ve never sat on the bench since third grade. And now they’re surrounded by all this superior talent. Your playing time gets cut. Your points and your stardom can be dimmed. And so what it is, it’s a very humbling experience.”

Hagan has been with the team for the 2009 Final Four, as well as 2016 and 2018 national championships, but he also has been with the team through tough seasons. He gets a chance to be alongside them for those times that are difficult to navigate.

“You have an opportunity to walk with these young men through a very challenging time in their life,” Hagan said. “You have to draw upon those values like patience, perseverance, humility and gratitude when things go

well. And you don’t have to do it by yourself.”

Hagan is in the third year of a four-year term as Prior Provincial of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova. He oversees more than 150 Augustinian brothers across the world, many of whom are in the United States at educational institutions such as Merrimack College, Malvern Prep and St. Augustine Prep. A select number of Augustinians are also located in Japan.

“I do a fair amount of travel now for the role,” Hagan said. “In the role as Prior Provincial, I visit our various communities, and I’ve had an opportunity to connect with the order in terms of the worldwide governance that we have.”

Hagan recently visited Rome for the province’s general chapter meetings. During three weeks of meetings, the province elected its new prior general. Hagan understands he could have ended up anywhere in the world, but he was fortunate to return to his hometown and alma mater for his entire life. Hagan talks very little about his accomplishments, but rather about the people who helped get him there.

“I think everybody has a calling,” Hagan said. “You want to listen to your heart and understand that we’re called to do more than just jobs, to more than just take a paycheck. You want it to be something that you’re passionate about, that you love. Then you’re on fire, and then it’s not just a job.”

Courtesy of Villanova University

Courtesy of Aidan McGovern

of Villanova women’s basketball THE BACKBONE

By Brooke Ackerman, Co-Editor-in-Chief & Megan Dussault, Staff Writer

The 2025-26 Villanova women’s basketball roster has 14 players listed. Over the course of the season, fans, students and the greater Villanova community will begin to learn the players’ names, their stats, watch them in the Finneran Pavilion and even tune into nationally-televised games.

But there’s a second roster of nine students who form the backbone of the team: the women’s basketball managers.

Comprised of seniors Sarah Augustine, Alexander Albrecht, Olivia Barry, Koly McGowan, juniors Jenna Garzone, Folasayo Aiyebo, sophomore Riley Donahue and freshman Sofia Keith and Abby Ferry, these nine Villanova students don’t get the title of “student-athlete,” yet commit their college experiences to Villanova athletics.

“People don’t really realize that it usually takes up at least five hours of your day,” Augustine said. “But it’s something fun to do, something good to procrastinate my work…and I wouldn’t change [this experience] for anything else.”

But without a doubt, the star of the show is head manager, Rachel Grace, who strictly goes

RG3, who has Down syndrome, has been with the women’s basketball team since she graduated college in 2019. Since then, she has become an integral part of the Villanova basketball community.

“The players are kind of like my sisters because I only grew up with brothers,” RG3 said. “Like, Maddy Siegrist, we are good

friends. I am going to be at her wedding next year.”

While RG3 remains a friend to the players and managers alike, the other managers refer to her as their “boss” — a role she takes very seriously.

“My job is being the head manager of the basketball team,” RG3 said. “I fill up water bottles, I say the names for drills, I also throw out the basketballs. And I hype them up, support them.”

In addition to her managerial roles, RG3 assigns each player and manager a nickname. J Money, Falcon, the Plug — you name it, RG3 has thought of it.

“I usually [come up with the nicknames] through my head,” RG3 said. “Sometimes I use a nickname generator.”

She can also be spotted from the stands before every game doing her custom handshakes with each Wildcat on the team. For the new players, RG3 is sure to “compromise” with them to decide on a handshake that works best for both parties.

Beyond RG3’s unique role with the Wildcats, the other nine managers also tirelessly work behind the scenes to ensure that everything from practices to pre-game warmups to off days operates as smoothly as possible.

“We go up to the gym and set up the stat sheet,” Donahue said. “You have to write everyone’s names down, and then throughout practice, when they do live drills, you take their stats and then you run the clock for them. And if someone falls, you clean it up, things like that, and anything else [they need].”

Whether it’s helping with drills, doing their laundry, allowing the team to get a few extra shots up or even something as simple as filling their water bottles, the managers are the ultimate “yes” men and women for the team. It’s a standard that has been set for years, with past managers laying the groundwork for today’s efforts.

“Our group chat is literally named ‘What

Would Maggie Boyle Do?’” Augustine said. She explained that during the 2024-25 season, alumna Maggie Boyle, who served as the head manager, would spend more hours on campus with the team than she would at her own apartment. “She was so committed, but that wasn’t the experience [the current seniors] wanted for our last year at Villanova, so we decided to break up some of the responsibilities. But [Maggie] could do it all.”

Now, the nine current students have broken down tasks with each manager taking on a role that suits them best.

Barry, a senior, has specifically leaned into her role as a content, social media and graphics manager. The position was created during her sophomore year when Barry started working with the team at the start of the 2023-24 season.

While nine concussions sidelined Barry from seeing the court as a player, her love for basketball, coupled by her love for social media, made her the perfect fit for the job. Since then, Barry’s role has only become more important as the landscape of social media and college athletics continues to shift.

“If one video goes viral, or if one personality catches on completely, it can project your career in a completely different way,” Barry said. “So it only can

help your career at the end of the day, to be super forward, be super proud of the [Villanova] fan base, and interact with the community, because the more people you get supporting you, the more people will follow, the more people will be interested and the more that happens. Every video, every interaction that you have on social media really matters.”

Along with creating content for the athletes and for the team’s social media platforms as a whole, Barry is also in charge of the TikTok account for the women’s managers, which has become one of the “playful” aspects of her job.

“It’s supposed to be fun,” Barry said. “I want all the managers to be having fun and having more fun in practice than just staring at stat sheets. Recording ourselves and being silly, it’s really all we want to do.”

For the managers, their page means more than just team content. Their videos show their connectivity as a group, and provide a platform for the managers to connect with the greater Villanova community. Plus, spending that much time together has allowed the managers to build a team of their own.

“[The managers] are definitely one little happy family,” Augustine said. “Our group chats are always flowing with different TikToks, different memes. It’s kind of fun to have a little outside group and just [have] friends all around [Villanova].”

But the sense of family that has been created isn’t just for the 10 managers. It’s for the 24 people that make up the Villanova women’s basketball team.

Players and managers alike take trips together, share meals on campus and visit one another during semester breaks. They have become friends beyond the confines of the Davis Center or Finneran Pavilion.

“Coming in my freshman year, I was so scared of everyone,” Augustine said. “But they genuinely take in all the managers as their own team. They take us in as family, no matter who you are. If you’re a part of the team, you’re a part of the team.”

Photo courtesy of Sarah Augustine

Men’s Non-Conference PREVIEWS

Brigham Young University Nov. 3

By James Haupt, Staff Writer

Villanova is opening up its season in style at the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena on Nov. 3. Villanova will play Brigham Young University at 9:30 p.m. EST in the first game of a double-header. The series begins with Florida, the reigning NCAA champions, taking on Arizona. The Cougars are coming off a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA tournament. BYU was eventually defeated by a tough Alabama team, 113-88. It was a successful season for BYU, which finished, 26-10, with a 14-6 record in the Big 12 conference and its third Sweet 16 run in franchise history. The Cougars lost two of their key starters this offseason, along with several key rotation players. Their biggest loss was freshman guard Egor Demin, whose outstanding freshman year made him the eighth pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. He averaged 10.6 points, 5.5 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game for BYU. BYU’s outlook has improved with the recruitment of the consensus number one recruit in the 2025 class, AJ Dybantsa. The freshman forward is the highest-rated recruit and the first-ever five-star to sign with the Cougars. He will immediately slot in as one of their most impactful players in all of college basketball. In addition, the Cougars are returning senior Richie Saunders. Last year, Saunders led the team with 16.5 points per game, shooting 51.8% from the field and 43.2% from three. The Wildcats are 2-1 all-time against the Cougars, winning the last meeting during the 1984-85 national championship season, 91-61.

University of Michigan Dec. 9

By James Haupt, Staff Writer

One of Villanova’s toughest non-conference matchups will take place on Dec. 9, as it travels to play Michigan University at the Crisler Center. Michigan is coming off its first season under head coach Dustin May. The Wolverines had a 27-10 overall record and 14-6 conference mark and won their first Big 10 Tournament championship since 2014. Michigan reached the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, where it lost to Auburn, 78-65. The Wolverines look poised to have an even better outcome in their second year with May. However, Michigan will be losing its seven-footer, Danny Wolf, who dominated last season with 13.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. The Wolverines picked up top-ranked big man transfer, Yaxel Lendeborg. The 6-9 forward averaged 17.7 points and 11.1 rebounds with University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and looks to be a reliable fill-in for Wolf. Among those returning is senior guard Roddy Gayle Jr. He started 25 games last season and averaged 9.8 points. Michigan also recruited five-star guard and McDonald’s All-American Trey McKenney. The freshman has a 6-9 wingspan and was named Mr. Basketball in Michigan. The Wildcats the 4-2 edge all-time. In the last matchup, Villanova defeated Michigan, 63-55, in the 2022 Sweet 16.

University of Pittsburgh Dec. 13

By Jack McFadden, Staff Writer

In a renewed rivalry series that will continue into the 2026-27 season, Villanova will take on a former Big East foe, the University of Pittsburgh. The game will take place at home in the Finneran Pavilion on Dec. 9 (4:30 p.m.), with the return game taking place in Pittsburgh next season. Pitt currently leads the all-time series at 33-32, dating back to when the two teams were members of the Eastern Eight Conference. The last time the teams met was in 2013, where the Panthers took down the Wildcats, 73-64. Pitt is led by eighth-year head coach Jeff Capel, who made his first NCAA Tournament second round appearance in March 2023. Capel has led the team to a record of 34-30 (16-25 Atlantic Coast Conference) in the last two seasons. The Panthers ended last season with a loss to Notre Dame in the first round of the ACC Tournament. Pitt is without last year’s leading scorer, guard Jaland Lowe (16.8 ppg), who transferred to Kentucky. Pitt is also without two of its star seniors from last year, Ishmael Leggett and Blake Hinson. However, the Panthers are returning sophomore forward Papa Amadou Kante, senior forward Cameron Corhen, sophomore guard Brandin Cummings and sophomore forward Amdy Ndiaye. The team also added Roman Siulepa, a highly-recruited freshman forward from Australia.

University of Wisconsin Dec. 19

By Jack McFadden, Staff Writer

On Dec. 19, Villanova will take on Wisconsin in game two of Milwaukee Hoops Showdown double-header. marking the third time in program history that the teams have met. The series is tied at 1-1 all-time. The last time these two teams faced off was in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament, when the Badgers defeated the Wildcats, 65-62. Last season, Wisconsin’s leading scorer was current Utah Jazz guard John Tonje (19.6 ppg). Tonje, a unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten and Second-Team All-American, was a Naismith Player of the Year Semifinalist. Wisconsin’s second-leading scorer was sophomore guard John Blackwell, who averaged 15.8 points, five rebounds and two assists per contest last season. Blackwell returns for his junior campaign. He is projected to be joined by returning seven-foot junior forward Nolan Winter, senior guard transfers Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde, along with sophomore forward transfer Austin Rapp. Greg Gard will be heading into his 11th season as head coach. Gard has an overall record of 213-117 (117-77 Big 10) and has taken the Badgers to seven NCAA Tournaments in nine seasons. In the last six seasons, he has guided his team to two Big 10 championships (2020, 2022).

1st Annual: Villanova Challenge Preview

By Dylan Johnson, Co-Sports Editor

Villanova men’s basketball will host a new three-team event, dubbed the “Villanova Challenge,” during its non-conference season at the Finneran Pavilion.

The multi-team event (MTE) comprises Villanova, Duquesne, Sacred Heart and Queens University of Charlotte.

Villanova will face off against each of the three schools within a 10-day period. The other three teams will also compete against one other.

An MTE made up of three teams must be completed within 10 days of the start of the event.

The NCAA allows only one team per conference to play in the same MTE, and a team may only play in the same event once within a four-year period.

Teams that participate in a three-game MTE can play up to 28 regular-season contests, plus the additional games from the event, for a total of 31.

It will be the first time in program history that Villanova faces Sacred Heart or Queens.

Villanova’s first game in the MTE is on Saturday, Nov. 8 against Queens (7 p.m., ESPN+).

It is the team’s first home game after the Wildcats start the season in Las Vegas against Brigham Young University (BYU).

The 2025-26 season will be Queens’ first as an officially recognized Division I program.

On July 1, the school officially became a Division I university after a four-year transi-

tion period. Queen’s men’s basket ball joined the Division I ASUN Conference in 2022. The Royals finished last season with a 20-15 overall record and an 11-7 ASUN Conference record.

Queens will have 10 of its 19 players entering their first year of collegiate basketball.

Graduate guard Chris Ashby is back for another season. He was second in scoring last season for the Royals, averaging 12.7 points per contest.

On Nov. 11, the Wildcats will face off against Sacred Heart in the second game of MTE (7 p.m., ESPN+). The Pioneers begin the MTE on Nov. 7 against Duquesne.

Sacred Heart finished the 2024-25 season with a 15-18 record and a 10-10 MAAC Conference record. This season, the Pioneers were voted third in the MAAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll while collecting two first-place votes.

The Pioneers are returning their second-best scorer and rebounder in redshirt senior Anquan Hill. Hill averaged 12.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last season.

Villanova will end its play in the MTE against Duquesne on Nov. 15 (8 p.m., truTV). The alltime series is currently tied, 25-25.

It will be the first time since March 21, 1994 that the two teams share the same court. Villanova won the previous meeting, 82-66, in the National Invitational Tour-

nament (NIT). The Wildcats went on to win the NIT that season.

The Dukes went 13-19 overall last season with an 8-10 record in the A-10 Conference under the direction of Dru Joyce in his first season as head coach. In 2023-24, Duquesne made its first March Madness appearance since 1977.

Duquesne is returning redshirt sophomore guard Jake DiMichele.

DiMichele’s season ended after seven games last year due to plantar fasciitis. Before the injury, he averaged 10.9 points and 50% from the field per game.

Redshirt senior guard Maximus Edwards is also returning for the Dukes. Edwards averaged 8.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 43.7% on field goals per contest. Each game in the MTE is crucial for Villanova’s standing in the NET rankings, a statistical ranking system that is used in determining what teams make the NCAA Tournament. Last season, the Wildcats suffered critical losses to Columbia University, Saint Joseph’s and Virginia in their non-conference schedule.

PREVIEW: MBB BIG 5 CLASSIC

By Owen Hewitt, Former Co-Sports Editor

Villanova is looking to claim its first Big 5 Classic title since the federation of the five area schools which play Division I basketball added Drexel and moved to a new format in 2023.

The Wildcats will play three Big 5 games this season, traveling to La Salle on Nov. 19, hosting Temple on Dec. 1. The Big 5 Classic tripleheader at Xfinity Mobile Arena (formerly the Wells Fargo Center) is on Dec. 6.

The Philadelphia Big 5 schools (originally Penn, La Salle, Saint Joe’s, Temple and Villanova) have competed amongst each other for the city’s collegiate championship since 1955. Drexel, which did not join Division I until 1974, was incorporated into the competition in 2023. Villanova holds the most Big 5 titles, shared or whole, with 29 championships since 1955.

Until 2023, the Big 5 title went to whichever school held the best record in its four games against the other Big 5 schools, or was shared in the case of a tie. To reinvigorate the competition, the Big 5 moved to a pod format with a championship game in 2023. Big 5 teams now play three Big 5 games per season.

St. Joe’s enters this season as back-to-back defending champions of the Big 5 Classic and the only school to win the tournament since it was reformatted. Villanova finished sixth in the first Big 5 Classic in 2023-24, losing the fifth-place game of the tripleheader to Drexel, 57-55, at the Wells Fargo Center, now Xfinity Mobile Arena. The Wildcats fared better in 2024-25, beating Temple, 94-65, in the third-place game.

However, this year’s pod brings changes for Villanova. In each of the past two seasons, Villanova has been able to preserve its “Holy War” rivalry with Saint Joe’s, losing to the Hawks twice in pod play. This year, Villanova and Saint Joe’s have been split up. The Wildcats will not see the Hawks unless the two teams face off in the Classic’s fifth, third or first-place game at Xfinity Mobile.

Scouting the Explorers

Villanova will see a different Atlantic 10 foe in La Salle, which played conference mate St. Joe’s for the Big 5 title last season. Villanova will travel to 20th and Olney for the first time since the 2014-15 season to open Big 5 play against the Explorers on Nov. 19.

After longtime Big 5 coach Fran Dunphy retired at the end of La Salle’s 2024-25 campaign, the Explorers were left with holes to fill. La Salle hired Darris Nichols away from Radford to step in as head coach in March, and Nichols spent much of the offseason retooling his roster.

Junior guard Eric Acker is the only Explorer returning from last year’s team, which finished 14-19. The other 16 Explorers are new, which makes it especially hard to predict how the team will fare. Manye come from low-major programs or NAIA schools, with three following Nichols from Radford.

Redshirt junior forward Jerome Brewer Jr. is set to make an impact in the Explorers’ frontcourt, transferring from McNeese State. Current North Carolina State head coach Will Wade recruited Brewer, a Camden native, to McNeese from Texas A&M-Commerce. Brewer did not appear for McNeese last season, taking a medical redshirt due to a preseason injury. Brewer averaged 13.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in his sophomore season at Texas A&M-Commerce. With one of the weaker rosters in the Big 5, the new-look Explorers have work to do if they wish to reach the Classic’s title game.

Scouting the Owls

Junior guard Zion Stanford will get a chance to see his old team in his first season as a Wildcat when Villanova hosts Temple at the Finneran Pavilion on Dec. 1. The Wildcats thumped Stanford’s Temple team in the Classic’s third-place game last season.

Stanford was far from the only transfer portal departure for head coach Adam Fisher. The team lost its six best scorers from last season, including all-conference guard Jamal Mashburn Jr., who led the American in scoring last season, with 22 points per game.

Entering his third season at Temple, Fisher brought in eight transfers to bolster his team in 202526. Fisher brought in junior guard Gavin Griffiths from Nebraska and senior guard Derrian Ford from Arkansas State. Both were highly touted recruits out of high school but struggled to find success at their first and second schools. Senior guard A.J. Smith averaged 11.5 points for a 24-win team at College of Charleston last season. None of Fisher’s additions indicate that the Owls will be any better than last season’s 17-15 record. Still, Villanova will have to take care of the Owls to put itself in the Big 5 title game.

Women’s Non-Conference

PREVIEWS

Virginia Commonwealth

Nov. 9

By Dylan Johnson, Co-Sports Editor

Villanova will leave the United States to take on Virginia Commonwealth in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on Nov. 9 (2:00 p.m. EST). VCU finished last season with a 12-19 record and 6-12 in the Atlantic 10. It came after a 26-6 record the season prior, which was the first time the program had single-digit losses since 2008-09. The Rams’ season ended in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament with a 50-48 loss to La Salle. The last time the two teams met was in the first round of the first inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament. The Wildcats defeated the Rams, 75-60. The two teams have only played twice in program history. Currently, the all-time series is tied, 1-1. The Rams are led by Beth O’Boyle, who is entering her 11th season as head coach of the program. She guided VCU to an Atlantic 10 Tournament title in 2020-21 and has only had three losing seasons with the program. Senior guard Mary-Anna Asare will return to lead the team this season. Last season, Asare led the team in scoring, averaging 16 points per contest as well as 4.2 rebounds. She was named to this season’s Preseason All-Atlantic 10 First Team. VCU’s leading rebounder last year, Mykel Parham (10.5 rpg), will not return due to graduation. The Rams only have four seniors on their roster entering the season. VCU acquired senior forward transfer Tyrielle Williams from McNeese State. There she averaged 6.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. The game overseas highlights Asare and Villanova sophomore Jasmine Bascoe, who are both from Canada.

West Virginia University

Dec. 1

By Tessa Kleine, Staff Writer

Princeton University

Nov. 12

By Tessa Kleine, Staff Writer

Villanova women’s basketball will take on Princeton for the second consecutive season on Nov. 12 (7:00 p.m.) at the Finneran Pavilion. Princeton handled Villanova its first loss of the season last year, 70-61, in a close game at the Jadwin Gym in Princeton, NJ. Starting point guard Ashley Chea led all scorers with 17 points. Chea, now a junior, returns this year for the Tigers. She was the Tigers’ top three-point threat (59 threes) while leading the team in assists (103). Six other players are returning for the 2025-26 campaign, including senior guard Madison St. Rose. Her season was cut due to an injury Size and athleticism in the frontcourt will come from 6-1 junior Fadima Tall and 6-2 senior Taylor Charles. Tall led the Tigers in rebounds last season, averaging 6.3 rebounds on top of 10.6 points per contest. Princeton is bringing in only two freshmen from the class of 2029: Sarah Lessig and Grace O’Sullivan. The Tigers have lost starters Parker Hill and Tabitha Amanze, as well as Adaora Nwokeji, Amelia Osgood, Paige Morton and Katie Thiers. Together, the five were responsible for 22.2% of the team’s rebounds. Head coach Carla Berube is entering her seventh year in the position with a 121-25 record (83%). The Tigers have produced consistency under Berube, reaching six straight NCAA Tournaments, earning four total, three consecutive, Ivy League Championships (2019, 2022, 2023, 2024) and posting a 21-8 record and 12-2 Ivy League record in 2024-25.

Villanova will face West Virginia University on Dec. 1 at the Hope Coliseum (7:00 p.m.). Villanova has an edge in the overall series history against the Mountaineers, 18-12. However, in the most recent matchup in 2019, Villanova fell, 64-57, to WVU coming off a five-game win streak. Last season, WVU finished with a 25-8 record with a 13-5 Big 12 Conference record. Mountaineers head coach Mark Kellogg enters his third year at the school, ranking as the seventh-winningest active Division I women’s basketball, holding a career record of 495-136 (.784). In his first two years, he led the team to back-to-back 25-win seasons. The Mountaineers made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling No. 12 University of North Carolina, 58-47. WVU has lost two strong guards this season, including Kyah Watson and honorable mention All-America guard JJ Quinerly, who averaged 20.4 ppg. Auburn transfer Sydney Shaw averaged 11.4 points per game last year and is expected to make up for the losses. Senior guard Jordan Harrison will return after averaging 13.7 points along with a team-best 148 assists. Harrison was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team.

PREVIEW: WBB BIG 5 CLASSIC

By Eliza O’Neil, Staff Writer

The Big 5 Classic features six NCAA Division I teams in Pennsylvania that compete for Philadelphia’s collegiate championship. Drexel, La Salle, Penn, Saint Joseph’s, Temple and Villanova will play to determine this season’s top area team.

Last season, Villanova first played against Penn at the Finneran Pavilion, winning, 80-64, on Nov. 20. Its next game on Dec. 1 also took place at the Finn, and it beat Saint Joseph’s, 81-65. On Dec. 6, the Wildcats competed in and hosted the first Big 5 Classic women’s championship game, where they fell, 76-62, to Temple.

Each team competes in pods, where the teams are divided into two groups for a round-robin style play. For the 2025 Big 5 Classic, Villanova is in a pod with La Salle and Temple, which differs from 2024, when Villanova competed against Drexel and Penn.

The ‘Cats will begin the tournament on Nov. 22, facing Temple, the 2024 Big 5 Class Champions,

at home. Following this game, the Wildcats will travel to the John E. Glaser Arena to take on La Salle on Nov. 25. The Classic triple-header will take place at the Finneran Pavilion, this year on Dec. 7.

Drexel is coached by Amy Mallon, who was previously an assistant coach at Villanova from 1995-96. Last season, Mallon led Drexel to an overall record of 17-13 and a conference record of 12-6 in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).

La Salle is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Explorers have been coached by Mountain MacGillivray since 2018. Last year, they went 10-23 overall, with a conference record of 3-15.

Penn, a member of the Ivy League, went 15-13 last season with a 6-8 conference record.

Mike McLaughlin has coached the Quakers since 2009, leading them to a third place conference finish during the 2024-25 season.

Temple is coached by Diane Richard, who is going on her fourth season as head coach. The Owls went 20-11 overall last year and 13-5 in the American Athletic Conference.

The final Big 5 team, Saint Joseph’s, is a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. Last season, the Hawks went 24-10 overall and 12-6 in conference. They are coached by Cindy Griffin, an alumna who played in college.

Villanova lost to Temple in the inaugural women’s Big 5 Classic championship game last season. The Wildcats will once again host the Classic on Dec. 7. Dylan Johnson/Villanovan Photography

Men’s Conference

PREVIEWS

Seton Hall University

By Eliza O’Neil, Staff Writer

Villanova men’s basketball will open up conference play against Seton Hall on Dec. 23 (7:00 p.m., Peacock) at the Prudential Center.

It will be new Villanova head coach Kevin Willard’s first game against the team he led from 2010-22.

The Wildcats will later host the Pirates at the Finneran Pavilion on Feb. 4 (6:30 p.m., Peacock).

Willard led the Pirates to one Big East championship (2016) and one shared Big East regular season title (2020). Seton Hall had a disappointing 2024-25 season, going 7-25 overall and 2-18 in the Big East last year under head coach Sheehan Holloway.

The Wildcats lead the all-time series against Seton Hall, 86-44. Villanova swept Seton Hall last season, winning both games, 79-67 and 59-54, in the regular season and triumphing, 67-55, in the first round of the Big East Tournament.

Holloway took over in March 2022. Holloway is a Seton Hall alumnus who played on the team from 1996 to 2000. Before coaching for the Pirates, he coached Saint Peter’s University and took the No. 15 seed to the Elite Eight in 2022. At the helm of Seton Hall, Holloway led the team to the 2024 NIT championship.

The Pirates are expected to be led by senior forward Stephon Payne III, a transfer from Jacksonville University. Last season, he averaged 8.4 ppg and 6.3 rpg, while making 53.2% of his field goal attempts. Payne started 23 of the 28 games he played in.

Sophomore transfer guard Adam Clark from Merrimack College ranked fifth in the nation in total steals (85) and steals per game (2.7) last season.

DePaul University

By Genna Cottingham, Sports Columnist

DePaul men’s basketball had an overall record of 14-20 last season. Finishing tenth in the Big East, the Blue Demons managed to get past the first round of the conference tournament in March. After beating Georgetown, 71-65, DePaul advanced to the second round, and lost, 81-85, to No. 2 Creighton.

Chris Holtmann enters his second season as the head coach of the Blue Demons in 2025-26. Holtmann replaced former coach Tony Stubefield after spending seven seasons as Ohio State’s men’s basketball head coach.

Both of the Villanova and DePaul matchups last season ended in a win for the Wildcats. At the Finneran Pavilion on Jan. 4, the Wildcats defeated the Blue Demons in a strong offensive showing, 100-56.

A month later, the Wildcats traveled to Chicago to defeat DePaul again. The second time around was a much tighter game, but Villanova won, 59-49.

The Blue Demons have lost two stars on the roster to graduation. A native of Chicago, forward Troy D’Amico averaged six points per game and shot 87.2% from the line. Isaiah Rivera also graduated after averaging 10.8 points per game last season.

DePaul brought five freshmen and four transfer students to the roster. Rookie center Fabian Flores stands at 7-2. Freshman guard Kruz McClure is a powerhouse from Westerville, Ohio.

The entire DePaul roster for the 2025-26 season stands at 6-3 or taller.

Villanova is scheduled to play DePaul on Dec. 31 (6:00 p.m., FS1) and away in Chicago at Wintrust Arena on March 4 (8:00 p.m., Peacock).

Men’s Conference PREVIEWS

Butler University

By Jack Flannelly, Staff Writer

In 2024-25, Butler posted a record of 15-20 (6-14 Big East), marking the seventh time in the last eight seasons that it failed to win 10 games in conference play. Butler ended its season with a loss to Boise State, 100-93, in the second round of the College Basketball Crown tournament. Butler must replace four starting players who accounted for a majority of its scoring. The lone returning starter is junior Finley Bizjack, who averaged 10.3 points per game and shot 43% from three-point range last season.

The Bulldogs bring in four freshmen this year, all ranked by 247Sports among the top 140 prospects of their class. The first is guard Azavier Robinson, listed at No. 99. The other three are forwards Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor, Jackson Keith and Jack McCaffery, who are all ranked between Nos. 118-132.

Junior center Drayton Jones (South Carolina State) and senior center Yohan Traore (SMU) are two transfers, both listed at 6’11’’, who will help address Butler’s rebounding needs. Each averaged more than five rebounds per game last season.

Butler adds two more key transfers: graduate forward Michael Ajayi (Gonzaga) and graduate guard Yame Butler, who averaged 13.6 points at Drexel.

Thad Matta is entering his fourth season as Butler’s head coach with a 47-53 record.

Butler is ranked No. 72 in the country in the KenPom ranking, a data-based ranking system that has a reliable reputation across college basketball.

The Bulldogs will look to return to their success of the early 2010s, when they reached back-to-back national championship games and boasted a career record of 24-16 in the tournament.

Villanova is 19-7 all-time against Butler. The Wildcats will travel to Indianapolis to take on the Bulldogs on Jan. 3 (Noon, TNT/truTV) and then host the Bulldogs on Feb. 25 (7:00 p.m., FS1).

Creighton University

By John Zohlman, Staff Writer

The first season of a new era begins for Creighton men’s basketball. Longtime star Ryan Kalkbrenner is off to the NBA, and the Bluejays will be without one of their most dominant twoway players in recent memory. Creighton also lost several other highly influential players: Steven Ashworth, Jamiya Neal and Pop Isaacs.

Now, Creighton’s frontcourt will lean on the transfer of junior forward Owen Freeman from Iowa to hold down the post. Sophomore forward Jackson McAndrew is set for an increased role as Creighton’s highest returning scorer (7.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg). Junior forwards Jasen Green and Isaac Traudt also return after receiving substantive minutes last season.

In the backcourt, Creighton will look to veteran transfers, senior guards Nik Graves and Josh Dix, to run the point and score. Graves, who comes to Omaha from Charlotte, has potential to be the team’s floor general, and Dix brings shooting and experience after averaging 14.4 points per game last year for Iowa. There’s depth and a lot of upside, in the backcourt with young guards, including sophomore guard and Miami transfer Austin Swartz. Sophomore guard Blake Harper arrives after a breakout season at Howard, where he averaged 19.5 points per game.

On paper, Creighton’s roster is filled with more questions than answers. The mesh of transfers and role-shifting returners won’t be smooth. But head coach Greg McDermott has never been afraid of reinvention. If Freeman can stay healthy, McAndrew can take the next step, Graves and Dix provide stability in the backcourt, then the Bluejays should compete for a top-half Big East finish and be right on the cusp of another NCAA Tournament berth.

Men’s Conference

PREVIEWS

Marquette University

By Casey Healey, Staff Writer

Marquette men’s basketball and head coach Shaka Smart are coming off a strong 2024-25 campaign. The Golden Eagles finished with a 23-11 overall record and 13-7 record in the Big East.

The Golden Eagles also reached the NCAA Tournament, where they were defeated by New Mexico in the first round, 75-66.

Villanova fell to then-ranked No. 10 Marquette, 87-74, last season on Jan. 24. The Wildcats also upset the No. 16 Golden Eagles at the Wells Fargo Center, 81-66, in a late but unsuccessful push to make the NCAA Tournament.

This year, Marquette will lose three graduating seniors. But the team did not add any players from the transfer portal, a rarity in this era of college basketball. Smart has instead expressed the importance of developing young players all four years, pledging to do things “our way.”

The Golden Eagles lost two players via the portal: sophomore forward Luke Jacobson and junior forward Al Amadou.

Star guard Kam Jones, now graduated, was named a Wooden Award All-American. Last season, Jones averaged 19.2 points per game, 5.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds.

This will be Smart’s fifth season with Marquette, following a short stint as head coach at Texas. In each of his five seasons so far, Smart has led the team to an NCAA Tournament.

This season, the Golden Eagles will be looking to make up for multiple impactful players lost and continue Smart’s streak of NCAA Tournament bids.

Villanova will travel to Marquette on Jan. 10 (2:30 p.m., TNT/truTV) and then host the Golden Eagles at the Finneran Pavilion a month later on Feb. 10 (7:30 p.m., TNT/truTV).

Providence University

By Casey Healey, Staff Writer

Kim English returns for his third season as Providence’s head coach. Despite English being the first Friar head coach to win 20 games in his first season, the Friars finished last season with a losing record of 12-20 overall and 6-12 record in the Big East. After making a first round exit to nine-seed Butler in the 2024 Big East Tournament, the Friars will be looking to make some adjustments heading into the new season.

English added six new players from the transfer portal to make up for the eight that left during the offseason. The new additions come from a wide range of programs including Drexel University, Florida State, Vanderbilt, University of Central Florida (UCF), the University of Connecticut and Georgia Tech.

Graduate guard Jason Edwards (Vanderbilt) arrives at Providence after being named to the All-SEC Third Team during the 2024-25 season. The Friars also obtained redshirt senior guard Corey Floyd Jr. from top Big East contender Connecticut.

Other important additions to the Providence roster include freshman guard Stefan Vaaks and 7’1’’ freshman forward Peteris Pinnis.

While the freshmen bring size and depth to the team, Providence will have some familiar faces in sophomore guard Ryan Mela and sophomore forward Oswin Erhunmwunse. Last year, the pair was selected to the Big East All-Freshman Team. Mela and Erhunmwunse are expected to make an impact as they return for their sophomore seasons. In 2024-25, Erhunmwunse led the team in field goal percentage (72.3%), rebounds (179) and blocks (52). Last year, Villanova split with Providencne.

Villanova will Providence on the road on Jan. 13 (6:30 p.m., FS1) and home on Jan. 30 (7:00 p.m., FS1).

Men’s Conference

PREVIEWS

St. John’s University

By Madison Hodges, Staff Writer

St. John’s had a strong 2024-25 season, ending 31-5 overall and dominating the Big East with an 18-2 conference record. Led by head coach Rick Pitino, the Red Storm went on to win the Big East championship, their first season title in 25 years, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

One of the team’s only conference losses during the 2024-25 season was to Villanova, 73-71, at the Finneran Pavilion.

The Red Storm has made major roster additions, bringing in four new freshmen and seven transfers. This offseason, the Red Storm lost a key player in leading scorer, RJ Luis Jr. He decided to forgo his remaining college eligibility and enter the NBA Draft.

With Luis in the NBA and others having graduated or transferred, Pitino had some work to do during the offseason as he seeks to defend the Big East championship title. The new members of the team include 6’4’’ freshman guard and four-star recruit Kelvin Odih. He is ranked 66th in the class of 2025 and averaged 19.1 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game at La Salle Academy in 2023.

Another addition is transfer guard/forward Bryce Hopkins, who spent three years at Providence and was its leading scorer, averaging 17 points per game last season. Another notable transfer is 6’11’’ junior center Handje Tamba. He averaged 10.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game during his time at Milligan and was named the Appalachian Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Redshirt junior Dylan Darling is another transfer. Darling averaged 19.8 points and 5.7 assists per game at Idaho State.

These new additions, combined with the four returners, will help support returning forward Zuby Ejiofor. Ejiofor was the Red Storm’s second leading scorer, averaging 14.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

Villanova is set to take on St. John’s on Jan. 17 at the Xfinity Mobile Arena and then again on Feb. 28.

Georgetown University

By Sophia Cratty, Staff Writer

This season, Villanova and Georgetown first meet on Jan. 21 at the Finneran Pavilion (7:00 p.m., Peacock). The Hoyas will later host the Wildcats for their final home game on Feb. 7 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. (Noon, TNT/truTV).

Villanova men’s basketball was swept, 2-0, by Georgetown last season. Last year, Georgetown pulled off a 75-73 victory, courtesy of a Jayden Epps layup in the final seconds. It was the first time since 1993 that the Hoyas swept the Wildcats in the regular season. The loss shut down Villanova’s chances at making the NCAA Tournament. Still, Villanova holds the all-time series advantage, 51-47.

Last season marked major improvements for Georgetown, which has struggled in the Big East in recent years. The Hoyas finished with an 18-16 record, going 8-12 in the Big East, a step up from its 2-18 record the preceding season.

Still, Georgetown enters a rebuilding phase after losing key players Micah Peavy, Thomas Sorber and Epps. Georgetown could potentially struggle this season without last year’s top scorers. Sorber’s season was cut short due to injury, but he averaged 14.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. He was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 15th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but will miss the season due to an ACL tear.

Junior guard Malik Mack and sophomore forward Caleb Williams are expected to play larger roles in the 2025-26 season. Mack, the third-leading scorer for the team, averaged 12.9 points and a team-high 4.3 assists per game.

Meanwhile, a squad of rising sophomores — Julius Halaifonua, Kayvan Mulready, Seal Diouf and Jayden Fort — are poised to make a difference this season if they can earn meaningful minutes.

Men’s Conference

Xavier University

PREVIEWS

By Jack Flannelly, Staff Writer

The Musketeers enter the 2025-26 season with a total of just three returnees from last year’s roster and a new head coach. Xavier (22-12, 9-7 Big East) ended the 2024-25 season tied for fourth in the Big East and earned a spot in the NCAA tournament as a No. 11 seed.

Richard Pitino is set to start his first season at the helm of the Musketeers after departing from New Mexico, where he led the Lobos to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances.

Former head coach Sean Miller departed the program at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season to become the University of Texas’ next head men’s basketball coach.

Pitino brought in 11 transfers this offseason: four seniors, one junior and six sophomores.

Montana transfer senior Malik Messina-Moore averaged 12.6 points and senior transfer Isaiah Walker, who averaged 10.8 points at Belmont, aim to bring experience to this young Xavier team.

The bulk of the scoring this season is expected to come from two sophomore transfers: All Wright, who averaged 15.5 points at Valparaiso last year, and Gabriel Pozzato, who averaged 14.9 points at Evansville.

The lone Lobo to follow Pitino is sophomore Joven Milicevic. Milicevic averaged 11.8 points last year and is hoping to continue his success at Xavier.

Villanova will look to continue its dominance against Xavier with an all-time record of 35-9 in the series. The Musketeers are unranked going into the season.

Villanova will take on the revamped Xavier team on Feb. 17 (6:30 p.m., FS1) in Cincinnati and March 7 (Noon, TNT/truTV) at the Finneran Pavilion.

University of Connecticut

By John Zohlman, Staff Writer

University of Connecticut men’s basketball finished third in the Big East conference with a 14-6 record and an overall record of 24-11. UConn advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, where it lost to the 2025 national champion, the University of Florida, in a close 77-75 battle.

This season, the Huskies are ranked No. 4 on the AP Preseason Poll, returning with more depth and experience in their lineup. Three returning players — redshirt senior forward Alex Karaban, junior guard Solo Ball, and senior center Tarris Reed Jr. — will play key roles in the success of the team. Last year, Karaban was UConn’s only returning starter from the 2024 championship team. He was the Huskies third-highest point scorer (14.3 PPG) and was the second leader in assists (2.8 APG). Ball was the Huskies second-highest scorer (14.5 PPG) and Reed Jr. led the Huskies in rebounds (7.3 RPG).

Two of the key contributors to UConn’s success in the 2024-25 season, Liam McNeely and Hassan Diarra, departed the program this year. McNeely, the Big East Freshman of the Year, led the team in points (14.5 ppg) and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets as the No. 29 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Diarra led the team in assists (5.7 apg) as well as steals (1.6 spg).

Head coach Dan Hurley will return for his eighth season with UConn. Hurley will integrate three transfer players onto the 2025-26 roster: junior guard Silas Demary Jr. (University of Georgia) red-shirt senior guard Malachi Smith (Dayton) and graduate guard Alec Millender (IU Indianapolis).

The Wildcats will travel to Mansfield, CT on Jan. 24 (12:30 p.m., FOX) to play the Huskies at Gampel Pavilion and host them at the Finneran Pavilion on Feb. 21 (5:30 p.m., TNT/truTV).

Women’s Conference PREVIEWS

Seton Hall University

By Eliza O’Neil, Staff Writer

In the 2024-25 season, Villanova women’s basketball lost to Seton Hall, 56-55, on a buzzer beater on Jan. 1 at the Finneran Pavilion. It was the lone meeting between the two teams.

Last season, the Pirates went 23-10 overall and 13-5 in the Big East. Their season ended in the Big East Tournament with a second round loss to No. 23, Creighton, 73-44.

Anthony Bozzella, a Seton Hall alumnus, has been the head coach of the women’s team since the 201314 season. Under Bozzella’s leadership, Seton Hall has played in the postseason nine times, twice in the NCAA Tournament and has an overall record of 230-152.

The Pirates are led by junior guard Savannah Catalon, who started in all 24 games she played in the 2024-25 season. Catalon averaged 13.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 steals last season and was named Big East Player of the Week once and MBWA Division I Player of the Week Honorable Mention twice.

Another asset to the team will be sophomore guard Jada Eads. Last season, Eads started in 24 out of 29 games played and averaged 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists. Eads was the first Seton Hall freshman to be named All-Big East First Team and was named to the Big East All-Freshman Team, as well as Big East Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week. She was also named MBWA Division I Player of the Week Honorable Mention twice.

Villanova leads the all-time record against Seton Hall, 22-11. This season, the Wildcats will open Big East play against Pirates on Dec. 19 at the Finneran Pavilion (7:00 p.m., ESPN+). Villanova will conclude regular season conference play with a road game against Seton Hall on Feb. 26, (7:00 p.m., Peacock).

DePaul University

By Genna Cottingham, Sports Columnist

DePaul women’s basketball had a lackluster 2024-25 season. The Blue Demons finished 13-19 and earned the last spot in the Big East Tournament, with an 8-10 conference record. The team was knocked out in the first round, 73-80, by Xavier on March 7.

Head coach Jill Pizzotti enters her first season in the official role after serving as the interim head coach in 2024-25. Pizzotti was a member of the DePaul coaching staff for the previous 14 seasons. She has prior head coaching experience, leading Saint Louis for 10 seasons.

Villanova defeated DePaul twice last season. The first matchup was on Jan. 15 at the Finneran Pavilion. The Wildcats won, 66-55. Less than a month later, the Wildcats traveled to Chicago, IL and defeated DePaul again, 62-56.

Last season, the Blue Demons were led by Jill Pizzoti, who stepped up from an assistant position after former head coach Doug Bruno was forced to miss the season due to health issues. At the conclusion of the season, Bruno announced his retirement from coaching after 39 years at the helm.

Senior forward Meg Newman is one of their strongest returners, along with junior Shakara McLine. They averaged 12 and 17 points per game last season, respectively.

DePaul lost several key members to graduation and the transfer portal. However, rookie guard Gina Davorija may be a new star on the Blue Demon roster. She averaged 22 points per game in her senior season of high school.

Villanova is scheduled to play DePaul on Dec. 29 at the Wintrust Arena (7:00 p.m., ESPN+) and again on Jan. 15 in the Finneran Pavilion (2:00 p.m., ESPN+).

Women’s Conference PREVIEWS

Butler University

By Jack Flannelly, Staff Writer

Butler finished the 2024-25 season tied for eighth in the Big East, posting a record of 16-18 (5-13 Big East).

Austin Parkinson is entering his fourth season as Butler’s head coach and has a 4254 record (.438).

The Bulldogs have a nearly brand new roster, having lost nearly all of their statistical contributors from last season. The one key returner is sophomore guard Lily Zeinstra, who averaged 7.6 points in 2024-25 as a freshman.

Butler brings in twin transfers, junior guard Nevaeh and redshirt sophomore guard Saniya Jackson, from Valparaiso University, where each averaged more than nine points per game. The Jackson twins have played together since their elementary school days and are set to bring their chemistry to Indianapolis.

The Bulldogs also added junior guard Kennedy Langham from Samford University, who averaged 11.1 points per game. The last notable transfer is junior forward Caroline Dotsey from the University of Maine, who averaged 9.7 points per game.

Three additional transfers are expected to contribute, along with a few incoming freshmen who will look to earn playing time.

Butler is set up with a relatively easy non-conference schedule. The team faces no AP Preseason Top 25 teams as they try to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1995-96 season, their only appearance in school history.

The Wildcats have an 18-6 record against the Bulldogs since 2006, losing only once in the last nine matchups.

Villanova will host Butler on Jan. 18 (2:00 p.m., ESPN+) and visit Butler on Feb. 4 (7:00 p.m., ESPN+).

Creighton University

By John Zohlman, Staff Writer

Creighton women’s basketball ended the 2024-25 season with a 26-7 record, finishing second in the Big East and making it to the NCAA Tournament.

In his 24th season, head coach Jim Flanery is now forced into a total rebuild after five starters from last year’s team all graduated.

Creighton says goodbye to main cogs in high-scoring guards Lauren Jensen (17.4 ppg) and Morgan Maly (15.1 ppg), as well as Molly Mogensen (4.3 apg), who ran point for the Bluejays last year.

To fill that void, Creighton will lean on Tara Dacic, a 6’2” freshman forward from Serbia. The Bluejays may also look for a jolt up front with the tandem of Dacic and Avery Cooper, a 6’1” freshman forward from Illinois. In the frontcourt, the team is counting on a bigger role from graduate transfer forward Grace Boffeli, who posted averages of 17.8 points and 9.5 boards last year for Northern Iowa.

The backcourt boasts high hopes from the highly touted freshmen group, which also includes the twin guards Neleigh and Norah Gessert, both from Omaha’s Millard West High School. The twins, both 6’0”, have elite potential as four-star recruits with an ESPN ranking of over 90. Guards Kendall McGee and Ava Zediker (also ESPN-rated 92) provide depth among freshmen.

Creighton has no returning starters, which means the Bluejays success and late season relevance will depend largely on how fast this new lineup can come together to Flanery’s motion-heavy offense.

The Bluejays want to shake up an already unsettled Big East, and with a strong base, they have potential to win some big games in February and March.

Villanova will host Creighton on Jan. 1 (Noon) and then travel to Nebraska on Feb. 15 (5:00 p.m.).

Women’s Conference PREVIEWS

Marquette University

By Jack Flannelly, Staff Writer

After a successful 2024-25 season, Marquette women’s basketball will be looking to remain a top competitor in the Big East. The Golden Eagles finished last season with an overall record of 21-11 and 12-6 record in the Big East. Villanova and Marquette split during the regular season. Marquette defeated Villanova, 64-59, at home, then traveled to the Finneran Pavilion, where it lost, 53-65.

The Golden Eagles fell again to the Wildcats, 73-66, in the Big East quarterfinals and earned a Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) bid. Marquette’s 2024-25 season ended with an 8076 loss to James Madison in the WBIT second round.

Head coach Cara Consuegra will begin her second year leading Marquette. Last season, she earned Big East Co-Coach of the Year honors in just her first year. She led Marquette to a fourth-place finish in the Big East, despite being picked to finish 10th in the preseason.

New freshmen include guards JJ Barnes and Kam Herring.

Consuegra also added one player from the transfer portal, junior guard Jordan Meulemans, from Butler. Meulemans redshirted her third season at Butler due to a knee injury, but placed fourth in the Big East in three-point percentage (42.4%) during her sophomore year.

Marquette returns junior forward Skylar Forbes, who led the team in points last season, averaging 15.5 per contest. Forbes also led in three-point field goals (49) and free throws made (120). Also returning is graduate guard Lee Volker, who was second to Forbes in points per game (15.8) and leads in total field goals made (160).

Villanova will face Marquette in a road game on Jan. 4 (4:00 p.m., Peacock). The Wildcats will then host the Golden Eagles on Feb. 22 (3:30 p.m., Peacock) at the Finneran Pavilion.

Providence University

By Casey Healey Staff Writer

Providence women’s basketball head coach, Erin Bath, returns for her third season at the helm. A former assistant coach at Michigan and North Carolina State, Bath was hired as head coach in 2023. Last season, she led the Friars to an overall record of 1319, finishing 6-12 in the Big East.

Providence’s 2024-45 season came to an end after it lost to Georgetown, 58-56, in the first round of the Big East Tournament. The Friars defeated Villanova, 63-56, in the two teams’ only matchup last season.

The Friars added four players from the transfer portal for the upcoming season, including one sophomore, one junior and two graduate students.

Graduate forward Tenisia Brown comes from Fairleigh Dickinson. Brown is a two-time All-NEC First Team honoree and was named NEC Defensive Player of the Year.

Bath also recruited a large class of five freshmen: forward Austeja Babraitis, guard Princess Moody, forward Ashley Dinges, guard Olivia Rodrigues and guard Riley Hamburger.

The Friars lost key players Olivia Olson and Grace Efosa to graduation. Efosa led the team in scoring last season with 13.4 points per game and an All-Big East Second Team honor. Olson, the second-leading scorer with 11.1 points per game, earned an Honorable Mention.

The Friars have significant talent and scoring production to replace with the loss of Olson and Efosa, and the new transfers will be expected to make an immediate impact.

Villanova will travel to Providence on Jan. 11 (Noon, truTV) and then host the second game of the regular season at the Finneran Pavilion on Jan. 27 (7:00 p.m., ESPN+).

Women’s Conference PREVIEWS

St. John’s University

by Madison Hodges, Staff Writer

St. John’s concluded its 2024-25 season with a 16-15 overall record and a 5-13 Big East record. Under head coach Joe Tartamella for the 14th year, the Red Storm will look to improve in this season. The Red Storm lost eight players, including leading rebounder Phoenix Gedeon (4.8 rpg), and leading scorers Lashae Dwyer (13.4 ppg) and Ber’Nyah Mayo (11.2 ppg). However, returning players, such as senior guard Skye Owen and senior forward Kylie Lavelle, both averaged 7.7 points per game last season. Another returnee, senior guard Jailah Donald, will contribute depth as a veteran.

With many players leaving, Tartamella had to do some work over the offseason to rebuild the team. The Red Storm landed freshman forward Kyla Hayes, who averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game at Cardinal O’Hara High School in Tonawanda, NY. She also had two 30-point games and finished in double figures in all 27 games as a junior.

Tartamella also landed five transfers, including junior guard Beautiful Waheed, who averaged 14 points and 5.2 rebounds at Wabash Valley.

Another notable transfer is sophomore forward Sa’mya Wyatt from Austin Peay. She averaged 12.8 points per game, had a season-high of 26 points against Indiana State last year, and was named ASUN Freshman of the Year.

With six new additions, Tartamella and the Red Storm look to rebuild and bounce back. This gives the team a fresh start and an opportunity for young and veteran players to build chemistry and define the program’s new identity.

Villanova will first take on the Red Storm at the Finneran Pavilion on Monday, Dec. 22 and again on Saturday, Jan. 24 at the Carnesecca Arena.

Creighton University

By Sophia Cratty, Staff Writer

Villanova women’s basketball will square off against Georgetown on Dec. 4 (7:00 p.m., Peacock) at McDonough Arena. The Wildcats will host the Hoyas on Feb. 7 (2:00 p.m., ESPN+) at the Finneran Pavilion. Villanova swept Georgetown, 2-0, last season.

Last season, Georgetown struggled, finishing 12-19 overall and 4-14 in the Big East. Villanova leads the all-time series against Georgetown, 26-10.

This season, Georgetown enters a rebuilding phase after losing key contributors Kelsey Ransom, an All-Big East First Team honoree, and Ariel Jenkins. Ransom averaged 20.4 points a game last season and served as the Hoyas offensive focal point. Jenkins was dominant in paint, averaging a double-double in points (11.4) and rebounds (10) across the season.

With their absences, Georgetown needs other roster members to step up this year.

This includes 2025-26 returnees senior guard Victoria Rivera and sophomore guard Khadee Hession. Rivera averaged 10.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per contest last season. Hession showed talent early in collegiate, being named to the All-Big East Freshman Team last year. She averaged 8.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 84% on free throws.

The Hoyas brought in seven transfers and one freshman this offseason, including graduate guard Laila Jewett from Central Florida (UCF). In her junior year, she started in all 29 games for UCF, averaging 8.3 points, 3.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds.

If Georgetown can establish chemistry within their new team and find offensive consistency, it could challenge Villanova.

Women’s Conference PREVIEWS

Xavier University

By Jack Flannelly, Staff Writer

Xavier is coming off the 2024-25 season finishing last in the Big East, going 7-24 overall and 1-17 in conference play.

Despite being the lowest-ranked team in the conference, Xavier pulled an upset over No. 6-seed DePaul in the first round of the Big East Tournament and put up a strong fight against No. 3 seed Seton Hall.

Billi Chambers is entering her third season as Xavier’s head coach with a record of 8-51 (.136).

Xavier had significant roster turnover, including five players who appeared in all 31 games last season and entered the transfer portal. The Musketeers return their leading scorer, junior Meri Kanerva, who was their only double-digit scorer, averaging 11.2 points per game.

Mya Moore, a senior transfer from Cleveland State, averaged 12.7 points per game.

Transfers Mariyah Noel and Audia Young bring high-level experience to Xavier, having played at Mississippi University and Auburn University last season.

Savannah White, the most notable transfer, averaged 6.9 points and 5.8 rebounds last year in her junior year at Indiana State University.

Since 2006, Villanova has held a 22-1 record against Xavier and looks to continue that dominance this year.

The Musketeers aim to reverse years of underperformance and return to a winning record, having failed to reach 10 wins since the 2018-19 season and going without a winning season since 2015-16. Villanova will host Xavier on Jan. 8 (11:30 a.m., ESPN+) and visit Xavier on Feb. 11 (6:30 p.m., ESPN+).

University of Connecticut

By Sammie McKee, Staff Writer

The University of Connecticut women’s basketball team enters the season ranked No. 1 on the AP Preseason Poll. Last year, the Huskies dominated Big East Conference play with an undefeated record, 18-0, and finished the season with a 37-3 overall record.

UConn took down defending national champion South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament final. With the win, the Huskies captured their 12th national title, ending a nine-year championship hiatus for the program.

Entering his 41st season with the Huskies, head coach Geno Auriemma will integrate a freshman class ranked sixth in the nation by ESPN as he looks to replicate one of the most decorated seasons in UConn women’s basketball history.

UConn will be without star graduate guard Paige Bueckers, who was selected by the Dallas Wings as the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Last season, Bueckers led the Huskies in points with 19.9 and assists with 4.6 per game, while finishing second in steals and blocked shots. Bueckers was the 2025 recipient of the Wade Trophy and was named Big East Player of the Year for the third time.

Key returners for the Huskies include sophomore forward Sarah Strong, senior guard Azzi Fudd and junior guard KK Arnold. During her breakout freshman season, Strong led the Huskies in rebounds (8.9), steals (2.3) and blocks (1.6). Fudd led the team in three-point percentage (43.6%) and was named the 2025 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player.

The Huskies will welcome two transfers to the 2025-26 roster: Serah Williams, a senior forward from the University of Wisconsin, and Kayleigh Heckel, a sophomore guard from the University of Southern California.