After profiling two teams with solid futures in DePaul and Providence, a third young group with a bright outlook is next.
A 13-19 record is not the first thing that comes to mind when one pictures Villanova basketball, but neither is the set of circumstances that hovered around the Main Line this past season. With a team that turned out to be much younger than initially expected, Jay Wright and the Wildcats struggled, yet managed to find themselves toward the end of the season despite a handful of close losses that could very well have been wins in any other year.
When I spoke to Wright at Big East media day in October, he mentioned that the newcomers would have be thrown into the fire to make up for the huge losses of Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes and Antonio Pena; who combined were responsible for guiding 'Nova Nation to a Sweet 16 and a Final Four before two consecutive early exits at the hands of St. Mary's and George Mason, respectively. It ultimately proved to be a task much taller than most anticipated.
Junior guard Maalik Wayns, who I was most critical of as a potential face of the team, proved me wrong very early in the season. After serving as an apprentice behind Fisher and Scottie Reynolds for his first two seasons, the Philadelphian averaged nearly eighteen points per game and almost five assists a contest as well. Sadly, Wayns has decided to take his talents to the next level by entering June's NBA draft. Had he stayed in school one more season, Wayns could very easily be an All-American.
Wayns' backcourt partners also had breakout seasons, as junior Dominic Cheek (12.5 points per game) positioned himself to be the next team leader; while sophomore James Bell provided clutch shots at various points in the season reminiscent of former Wildcat role player Dwayne Anderson, he of the buzzer-beater in the Big East tournament against Marquette in 2009, just before Villanova advanced to the Final Four two weeks later. Freshmen Darrun Hilliard and Ty Johnson also saw significant time as the latest pieces to Wright's notorious "four quick" set that is just as much fun to talk about as it is to watch.
Up front, Villanova has size that fans on the Main Line have not been accustomed to seeing over the last few years in the form of Mouphtaou Yarou and sophomore-to-be Jayvaughn Pinkston. Yarou could be a double-double per night player as the Benin native enters his senior season, and should finally fulfill the mounds of potential he has shown through his first three campaigns. After receiving a second chance last season following an on-campus incident that got him dismissed from the team two years ago, Pinkston impressed to the tune of nearly ten points and just over five rebounds per contest. If 6-9 big man Markus Kennedy sees more minutes, he too can be a force to be reckoned with as well. Picture a poor man's combination of Jared Sullinger and DeJuan Blair in the Big East, and Kennedy will be the first man who pops up.
Villanova's wealth of underclassmen makes for a small recruiting class, but one of the two commitments secured by Jay Wright will make an impact right away. Ryan Arcidiacono, a homegrown 6-4 shooting guard, was talked about from the day he gave a verbal commitment in October of 2010. Ranked 64th in the nation by Rivals.com, his sharp shooting will help offset the loss of Wayns even as he recovers from a back injury that cost him his senior season. As a junior at Neshaminy High School outside Philadelphia, Arcidiacono averaged over 20 points and five rebounds on a team he left as the program's all-time leading scorer.
Prior to last season, the last time Jay Wright had no seniors in his rotation resulted in a Sweet 16 appearance in 2008. Villanova backed it up with a Final Four the following year. Last season only yielded thirteen wins, but this coming campaign is one where success should make its way back to the Main Line sooner rather than later.
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