Villanova celebrates its Big 5 Classic title on Saturday, December 6, 2025. The Wildcats have been one of the few bright spots in the Big 5 this season so far. (Photo: Aaron Bracy)
By AARON BRACY
Big5Hoops.com
December 29, 2025
With conference play set to kick off this week for most of the Big 5, now is a good time to pause and grade how each team has performed to this point. There have been some highlights, notably Villanova and Penn, but overall it has been mediocre—at best—for most of the city’s Division I basketball teams to this point in the season.
So, let’s take a look at each school, ranked in order from my highest grade to lowest.
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Villanova
Record: 10-2
Grade: A–
Best wins: 90-63 vs. Penn on 12/6 in Big 5 title game; 64-56 at Seton Hall on 12/23
Worst loss: 89-61 at Michigan on 12/9
Good stats: 46.6% FG; 37.1% 3PT
Bad stats: 69.0% FT; 43.5% opponent FG
Leaders: Bryce Lindsay 16.6 ppg, 44.2% (38-86) 3PT; Acaden Lewis 12.3 ppg, 5.0 apg; Duke Brennan 12.0 ppg, 11.4 rpg; Matt Hodge 10.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg; Tyler Perkins 10.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg.
Bright spots: Lindsay has been incredible from the opening game, showing no signs of intimidation after transferring from JMU. He has formed a formidable inside-outside punch with Brennan, the Jack Scheuer VGH Award winner who has been one of the best rebounders in the country. Lewis, the heralded freshman point guard, has been as advertised.
Bracy’s take: I expected Kevin Willard to return Villanova to its spot as a regular NCAA tournament team and one that can get to the second weekend—or further. But I didn’t think it would happen this season. Thus far, the Wildcats have proven me wrong and are squarely in the NCAA tournament as of today. The offense has been outstanding all season, and the defense has been getting better of late. If not a return to prominence this season, there certainly are promising signs that the Wildcats are headed there soon.
Up next: Host DePaul at 6 pm on Wednesday
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Penn
Record: 6-6
Grade: B
Best wins: 83-74 vs. St. Joe’s on 11/17; 84-68 at Drexel on 11/21
Worst losses: 77-60 vs. Hofstra on 11/30; 70-69 at Rutgers on 12/20
Good stats: 44.6% FG; 39.0% 3PT
Bad stats: 68.7% 3PT; 45.3% opponent FG
Leaders: Ethan Roberts 18.00 ppg; TJ Power 14.8 ppg, 7.7 rpg; Michael Zanoni 11.7 ppg, 40.0% 3PT (24-60)
Bright spots: Roberts was sensational in Big 5 play until getting injured in the Big 5 Classic title game. He has not played since, missing the last three games. Power has been very good in spots and gives Penn a player that will create problems in the Ivy League. Zanoni has shot the ball extremely well from long range. There have been some promising spurts from Quakers youth, particularly freshmen Jay Jones and Dalton Scantlebury and sophomore Alex Massung.
Bracy’s take: The Quakers are headed in the right direction under first-year coach Fran McCaffery. With a healthy Roberts, this team could finish in the top four in the Ancient Eight and earn a spot in Ivy Madness after being picked seventh in the preseason poll.
Up next: Host NJIT at 2 pm on Wednesday in final nonconference game
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Temple
Record: 8-5
Grade: C+
Best wins: 90-63 vs. La Salle on 11/11; 81-76 vs. Hofstra on 11/19
Worst loss: 70-69 vs. St. Joe’s on 12/6 in the Big 5 third-place game
Good stats: 8.6 turnovers/game; 73.6% FT; 18.5 free throws/game; 37.5% 3PT
Bad stats: 44.3% opponents FG; 71.4 opponents ppg
Leaders: Derrian Ford 17.8 ppg, 43.9% FG, 36.2% 3PT; Aiden Tobiason 15.1 ppg; Jordan Mason 11.2 ppg; Gavin Griffiths 10.0 ppg, 38.0% 3PT
Bright spots: Ford has been outstanding and has been on another level from opponents. Tobiason continues to impress in his second year in the program and has been a diamond in the rough find by coach Adam Fisher. Griffiths has rebounded from two off years at Rutgers and Nebraska to play like the player who was ranked No. 20 nationally by 247 Sports coming out of high school.
Bracy’s take: The Owls have been a little better than average, but their schedule hasn’t really been good enough to fully assess them. They were picked ninth of 13 teams in The American preseason poll, but I expect them to finish in the top half of the conference. That said, this program’s pedigree, based on the legacy of John Chaney and Harry Litwack and its place as one of the winningest programs in college basketball history, is such that more should be expected than topping out in the top half of the conference—for Owls fans and for Philadelphia and Big 5 basketball fans. This is not about the current coaching staff and players but more about university decision makers who need to answer this question: What do we want Temple basketball to be?
Up next: Open conference play at Charlotte at 7 pm on Tuesday
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Drexel
Record: 6-7
Grade: C+
Best wins: 75-71 vs. Old Dominion on 11/23
Worst loss: 84-68 vs. Penn on 11/21
Good stat: 32.9% opponents 3PT
Bad stats: 34.5% 3PT; 64.5% FT
Leaders: Shane Blakeney 12.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg; Kevon Vanderhorst 11.2 ppg
Bright spots: There have been flashes from Blakeney, Vanderhorst, Victor Panov, Josh Reed, and others of being the next Drexel player to take a leap in development, following in the footsteps of departed Kobe MaGee (Florida State), Cole Hargrove (Providence), Jason “Deuce” Drake (Indiana), and Yame Butler (Butler).
Bracy’s take: The Dragons get more leeway from me than any other Big 5 school after losing the aforementioned four players to Power 5 conference schools through the transfer portal after last season. Coach Zach Spiker and staff have shown the ability to develop players within their program, and I am still waiting to see who will be the player or players this season to make that leap. To be competitive in the tough Coastal Athletic Conference, Drexel will need two or more players to become consistent high-end conference players.
Up next: Open CAA play at Charleston at 7 pm on Monday
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La Salle
Record: 4-9
Grade: C
Best win: 69-64 vs. Drexel in Big 5 Classic fifth-place game
Worst loss: 90-63 at Temple on 11/11
Good stats: +4.6 rebounding margin
Bad stats: 29.5% 3PT; 14.0 turnovers/game
Leaders: Jaeden Marshall 12.8 ppg; Jerome Brewer Jr. 9.4 ppg
Bright spots: Freshman Ashton Walker has shown promise, averaging 8.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, and 3.5 apg.
Bracy’s take: Let’s start with the injuries. La Salle has had just five players (Marshall, Walker, Eric Acker, Rob Dockery, and Edwin Daniel) play in all 13 games this season. It has been hard to find consistency and rhythm with the constant lineup shuffling, particularly with point guard Truth Harris missing eight contests. Still, I expected more from La Salle. The Explorers have lost to sub-A-10 conference teams Merrimack, LIU, High Point, and Penn. They were blown out at Temple and embarrassed at Michigan (102-50 on 12/21), though the Wolverines have been blowing everybody out. I never thought this La Salle team would be a factor in the Atlantic 10 this season, but I did think the Explorers would be a sneaky competitive team that could pull off some upsets. Now, I am not seeing that. The Explorers have really struggled offensively, making it hard to envision those upsets happening.
Up next: Host George Mason at 2 pm on Wednesday
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Saint Joseph’s
Record: 8-5
Grade: D
Best wins: 70-69 vs. Temple on 12/6 in the Big 5 Classic third-place game
Worst losses: 94-59 at Virginia Tech on 11/12; 83-74 at Penn on 11/17; 68-62 vs. Coastal Carolina on 12/22
Good stats: 77.1% FT
Bad stats: 27.4% 3PT
Leaders: Deuce Jones 15.8 ppg; Jaiden Glover-Toscano 15.0 ppg, 38.0% 3PT; Derek Simpson 10.8 ppg; Dasear Haskins 9.8 ppg
Bright spots: Glover-Toscano has had some strong games (23 points against Lafayette, 25 vs. Coppin State, and 29 vs. Arcadia). Khaafiq Myers has brought energy and solid point guard play when called upon.
Bracy’s take: Last Tuesday’s shocking news that Jones is no longer part of the program just continued the disarray that has befallen the Hawks since Billy Lange’s surprise resignation in September. Even with Jones, St. Joe’s did not look like a good basketball team, with the exception of a really good stretch in the first half and early second half at Syracuse and, of course, Jones’ buzzer beater after a great play call by coach Steve Donahue in the win over Temple. Donahue was dealt a tough hand, but he hasn’t played the hand very well. The rotations have been all over the place, and the Hawks continue to fire away from long range in spite of being one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the country. Defense also has been an issue, as St. Joe’s is surrendering more than 71 points per contest versus a schedule that KenPom ranks as 334th of 365 teams in NetRtg. At the outset of the season, I thought this Hawks team could push for a top four spot in the A-10 and, if all went well, be in the mix for the conference tournament title. Now, ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI) gives St. Joe’s a less than 0.1% chance of winning the conference. The Hawks enter league play with more questions than answers.
Up next: Open A-10 play at 4 pm Wednesday at Saint Louis
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Bracy Sports Media Podcast: For more on the Big 5 and Philadelphia sports, listen to the latest edition of the Bracy Sports Media podcast.
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Big 5 Hoops Spaces Show: For more on the Big 5, listen to the Big 5 Hoops Spaces Show on Sunday, December 28, 2025, where I was joined by Jake Copestick and Kyle Morello of the Big 5 Podcast.
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Aaron Bracy has covered sports in Philadelphia for nearly three decades for various publications and as a freelancer for the Associated Press. His first book, A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003–04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks (Brookline), can be ordered HERE. He is working on his second book, which will chronicle the memorable 2000–01 season of Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. It will be published in April 2027. Follow Bracy on social media HERE. Contact him at bracymedia@gmail.com.