Villanova's (l-r) Tyler Perkins, coach Kevin Willard, and Bryce Lindsay address reporters after Wednesday's 71-66 win over DePaul on Wednesday. (Photo: Aaron Bracy)
By AARON BRACY
December 31, 2025
Big5Hoops.com
VILLANOVA, Pa. – Kevin Willard called timeout to try and figure things out with the Wildcats down 10 points and an NCAA tournament resume-busting loss staring them in the face.
To that point, DePaul had frustrated them at both ends of the court. To see Villanova struggle a bit on defense wasn’t all that surprising considering that has been a bit of an issue all season, though not of late. The bigger shocker was the funk the hosts were in on the offensive end.
You also have to give some credit to the Blue Demons. Though a perennial bottom-dweller in the Big East, DePaul has looked better under second-year coach Chris Holtmann. While they haven’t quite turned the corner, DePaul no longer is the walkover win they once were in recent years.
Still, a home loss to DePaul would be an eyesore for Villanova on Selection Sunday, not to mention knock the Wildcats out of consideration for a spot in the Associated Press Top 25 when the newest poll comes out on Monday.
So, Willard scrapped Villanova’s defensive strategy for a new one. And the Wildcats’ shooters tried a new approach. Both worked brilliantly, as the Wildcats dominated the final 11 minutes to escape the Pavilion with a 71-66 New Year’s Eve win on Wednesday night.
Villanova improved to an impressive 11-2 overall and 2-0 in the Big East.
How did the Wildcats do it?
-First, it was their defense. DePaul was giving Villanova all kinds of trouble with a high ball screen pick-and-roll, with Blue Demons guards regularly getting downhill into the painted area for easy layups or lobs for dunks due to a breakdown in coverage.
Willard switched from man-to-man to a 2-3 zone. The Blue Demons couldn’t run the pick-and-roll offense, and their zone offense was not as effective.
“We have been a really good pick-and-roll defense; sometimes coming back out of Christmas break you’re just not as sharp,” Willard said. “You gotta give Chris and their staff credit. They just kept running the same play. We had to take that away. They were just getting too many easy layups.”
It was a savvy move by an experienced coach.
-Second, Villanova’s shooters got unleashed after being held in check for the first 29 minutes.
It was ironic that I bumped into Saint Joseph’s great Mark Bass at the La Salle game earlier on Wednesday because Bass gave me a tutorial on how shooters can get free when explaining how he helped Pat Carroll. Much of what Bass told me was about pace and how it helps a shooter. (If you’re inclined to learn more, you can find Bass’s tutorial on pages 108-110 in Chapter 21 of A Soaring Season: The Incredible, Inspiring Story of the 2003–04 Saint Joseph’s Hawks.)
Pace is exactly what Bryce Lindsay changed after that timeout. He hit consecutive 3’s during an 8-0 run that pulled the Wildcats within 50-48 and then drained another with just under four minutes left that put Villanova ahead 64-60. By then, it was pretty clear that the Wildcats were going to pull this one out.
For Lindsay, it was all about changing his pace.
“I just ran a little harder,” he said.
It was a savvy move by a relatively inexperienced player.
In the end, Lindsay finished with 19 points, tying Tyler Perkins for the team high.
-The Wildcats won despite another off night from the free-throw line, hitting just 67.7 percent while missing 10 of 31 foul shots. Four of those misses belonged to Duke Brennan, whom Willard and the Wildcats staff are continually working with in practice to try to improve from there. The other six were from players who Willard joked overindulged over Christmas.
“Sometimes you eat too much Christmas cookies your free throws go to shit,” he joked.
The Wildcats could do some laughing and smiling after this one thanks to some key adjustments with 11 minutes remaining that turned a potentially ugly loss into yet another win in this so-far feel-good season on the Main Line.
—
–George Mason 80, La Salle 75: My day began at Glaser Arena, where La Salle welcomed arguably the best team in the Atlantic 10 to Olney Avenue.
The Explorers welcomed point guard Jaden Johnson to the fold after he missed the first 13 games due to injury, and there was a noticeable difference in La Salle’s play.
La Salle led for much of the contest and was up by 10 points with 11:23 to play before Mason’s experience, talent, and execution took over down the stretch. Still, there was a lot to like from the Explorers in this one. They looked more like the team I expected at the beginning of the season, one that I thought could give fits to Atlantic 10 teams this season. I never thought this was a team that would finish in the top half of the conference, but I did think they would pull off some upsets. After a 4-9 nonconference run, my opinion shifted. After Wednesday, I have more hope for the Explorers.
Johnson’s presence made a difference.
“It was huge,” La Salle coach Darris Nichols said. “He can get the ball in the paint. Having him back was really good.”
Johnson finished with four points and five assists in 26 minutes. Jerome Brewer led the Explorers with 21 points.
—
In other games on Wednesday, Drexel fell to 0-2 in the CAA with a 65-53 loss at UNC-Wilmington. The Dragons had a rough offensive night, shooting 32.7 percent (18-55) from the field, 17.9 percent (8-28) from three-point range, and 63.2 percent (12-18) from the free-throw line.
Penn wrapped up nonconference play with an 80-61 win over NJIT at the Palestra. The Quakers used a 22-2 run to open the second half and take control, turning a two-point game into a double-digit lead. Michael Zanoni scored 23 points; AJ Levine had 19 points, five rebounds, and four assists; and TJ Power added 13 points and 11 rebounds. Ethan Roberts missed his fourth straight game due to injury.
Saint Joseph’s was routed in its A-10 opener at Saint Louis, losing 102-79. The Billikens shot 63.3 percent (38-60) from the field, including 59.4 percent (19-32) from three-point range.
—
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.