Villanova coach Kyle Neptune has seen many changes in his roster, including departures of Justin Moore (left, out of eligibility) and Brendan Hausen (transferred). (Photo: Aaron Bracy)
By AARON BRACY
October 28, 2024
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At Villanova, expectations are always high. Two national championships (2016 and 2018), two additional Final Fours (2009 and 2022), and a .725 winning percentage in 21 seasons under Jay Wright will do that.
So, missing the NCAA tournament while finishing barely above .500 overall (35-33) and exactly .500 in the Big East (20-20) in the last two seasons under coach Kyle Neptune since Wright’s surprise retirement after the 2022 season doesn’t meet the high bar of the program. Neptune understands this.
“We have to acknowledge that wasn’t up to Villanova standards,” Neptune said on the Bracy Sports Media podcast in late June, referring to last season’s 18-16 record that included a 10-10 mark in the Big East. “As the head coach, I have to take responsibility for that. We have a great program with an unbelievable tradition. We want to be better, that’s first and foremost. We’re looking forward to getting back to playing Villanova basketball.”
Building Success?
Before looking forward, it’s worth taking a look back. Wright established a program that not only expected to win but did so with regularity at the highest level in college basketball. However, people might forget, or might not know, that success did not come immediately for Wright. In fact, the Wildcats not only didn’t make the NCAA tournament in Wright’s first three seasons at the helm, but they also didn’t even have a winning record in the Big East in any of those three seasons.
What Wright was doing in those first three seasons, though, was building a winner. He made the Big Dance in his fourth season, and then went on an unprecedented run at Villanova, making 15 of 16 NCAA tournaments and winning 60 of 68 Big 5 games during the most dominant stretch by a Big 5 team ever.
Of course, times are different today with Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal, so quicker turnarounds are possible, though not as easy as it might seem. Still, there should be acknowledgement and understanding that winning isn’t easy and, usually, doesn’t happen overnight.
Could Neptune be building success after a slow start like Wright?
Better Talent
That question of building success will be answered in the near future in a crucial third year for Neptune and the Wildcats program. What can be answered now is the question of whether Villanova has the most talent in Neptune’s brief tenure—one that never was going to be easy following in the footsteps of a Hall of Famer and, arguably, the best coach in college basketball in the previous two decades. The answer to that is an unequivocal yes.
“We’re extremely excited about the pieces we added,” Neptune told us in June. “We’re excited about the roster and can’t wait to get started.”
The Wildcats brought in size, scoring, and shooting via the transfer portal with the additions of 6-foot-11 forward Enoch Boakye (Fresno State), 5-11 point guard Jhamir Brickus (La Salle), 6-9 guard Kris Parker (Alabama), 6-4 guard Tyler Perkins (Penn), and 6-5 guard Wooga Poplar (Miami).
There has been a cohesiveness to the group not seen last season with Villanova’s portal additions due to the familiarity with each other through local connections, competing against each other, or getting to know each other on previous recruiting visits.
“Having guys that know each other, whether it’s knowing each other because you competed against each other or knowing each other because of a personal relationship, I think it’s a huge leg up,” Neptune told Big5Hoops.com in a phone interview following Big East media day on October 23.
Additionally, Villanova’s four-player freshman class of 6-8 wing Matthew Hodge, 6-2 point guard Aleksandar Gavalyugov, 6-6 forward Josiah Moseley, and 6-8 forward Malcolm Thomas provides talent and depth—and building blocks for the future.
“That is an unbelievable core of guys to build around,” Neptune said. “We’re really excited about the future and the impact those guys are going to make on our program moving forward.”
Returning Talent
Villanova got a huge boost in late May when Eric Dixon withdrew from the NBA draft and announced his return to the Main Line for his fifth season of eligibility, granted to players in Dixon’s class due to COVID-19. The 6-foot-8 forward has amassed 1,499 points and 724 rebounds in his Wildcats career. He was selected to the Big East’s Preseason First Team following a 2023-24 campaign in which he averaged 16.6 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Dixon not only is motivated to go out on a high note as a team, but he’s also eager to show NBA scouts more versatility in his game in response to feedback he received during the NBA scouting process. With Boakye as a true center, Dixon is likely going to be less of a back-to-the-basket player and will show off more aspects of his game, benefitting both the Wildcats and the player.
“His leadership ability but also his ability to get better, he’s shown consistently he’s gotten better every year in college,” Neptune said. “We’re looking forward to him expanding his game.”
Villanova’s coach is also extremely high on the prospects of a breakout season for senior Jordan Longino, who is finally healthy after an injury-plagued career. A 6-5 guard, Longino averaged 6.6 points last season and could be a sparkplug for scoring off the bench this season.
“Jordan Longino being healthy for the first time is a storyline people haven’t talked about enough,” Neptune said. “He’s had some unfortunate luck. Now having a true offseason for the first time, we’re really excited for him, for sure.”
New Assistant Coach
A key, but maybe overlooked addition by some this offseason was Villanova hiring Jamie Young as an assistant coach. Young brings 24 years of experience as an NBA assistant, including the last 20 with the defending champion Boston Celtics, to the Wildcats bench. Not only will Young help to install NBA actions that will be key for Dixon and the rest of the players, but he brings an outsider’s perspective that could serve as a big benefit for Neptune and his staff.
“This is a big-time person, a person of character, a great example for our guys, not to mention his wealth of knowledge at the highest levels of basketball,” Neptune said. “We’re definitely excited.”
Same Goals
While the faces have changed, on the court and on the sidelines, the goals for Villanova remain the same as under Wright. Ask any Wildcats player or coach their expectations for the season, now or during Wright’s tenure, and you will hear a response that they want to get better every day and be the best Villanova basketball team by the end of the season. It’s a cliché, sure, but it has been a successful one for the program in the past.
Obviously, this is a hugely important season for Neptune and Villanova. A third straight NCAA tournament miss will only turn up the heat on the coach. That is something that is understood and goes with the territory. (I laid out how Villanova can make the NCAA tournament recently HERE.) Reviews for Villanova’s prospects this season have been mixed. The Wildcats were picked 7th of 11 teams in the Big East preseason poll. Some respected national voices, like the Field of 68, aren’t overly impressed by Villanova. But KenPom has ranked Villanova No. 20 overall in the preseason and fourth in the Big East, behind UConn (5), Creighton (12), and St. John’s (19).
Can the Wildcats be a Big East factor and NCAA tournament team this season? That will play out in the next five months. Fans and media, of course, will be talking about it regularly on social media, in chat rooms and tap rooms, and in the stands at the Pavilion.
Neptune and the Wildcats—you guessed it—will just be focused on getting better every day.
“We’ve never really been the team and program that talks about rankings and personal accolades,” Neptune said. “We’re more about getting better each day and focusing on what we can do to be the best Villanova basketball team we can be. If you’re picked first, you can’t go into a game and say, ‘Hey man, we’re picked first so we should win.’ And if you’re picked last, if you go against the best team and outplay them that day, you’re going to win. It really doesn’t matter. A lot of people say it gives you motivation. If you’re only gaining motivation by what other people have to say, you’re not going to have that inner drive.
“We have to strive to get better each day. Thinking or worrying about anything else doesn’t help you.”
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Aaron Bracy has been covering Philadelphia sports since 1996. His byline regularly appears on Associated Press stories. Follow Bracy on X: @Aaron_Bracy and like his Facebook and Instagram pages. His book on the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s men’s basketball team is expected to be published on March 1, 2025. Read a summary and preorder it by clicking HERE. Contact him at aaron@big5hoops.com.