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  • What did Villanova learn in its loss to No. 1 UConn? The game truly is ‘four quarters.’

    What did Villanova learn in its loss to No. 1 UConn? The game truly is ‘four quarters.’

    It would be unfair to call Wednesday night’s Big East clash between Villanova and No. 1 Connecticut anything other than what it ultimately was: a litmus test for the Wildcats.

    Villanova may sit in second place in a demanding Big East, but in Wednesday’s game against UConn, the Wildcats once were again looking up at a Geno Auriemma-coached Huskies program, which entered Finneran Pavilion undefeated with 27 wins.

    Technically, make that 43 regular-season games, if you consider the Huskies haven’t lost since last February when, as the No. 1 team in the land, they suffered a four-point upset against then-No. 19 Tennessee.

    Is Tyler Perkins Villanova’s new Josh Hart? He might be close enough.

    A perennial power team in a power conference, Villanova wasn’t just playing the women wearing the Huskies’ deep blue on the other side of the floor; it was playing to prove itself against UConn’s stature, its reputation.

    And, if we’re being honest, the result of UConn’s tens of millions in NIL funding, ready for distribution.

    Villanova coach Denise Dillon approaches UConn coach Geno Auriemma following Wednesday’s game between the two at Finneran Pavilion.

    In her six years as head coach, Denise Dillon has never made concessions for her team after it came up short against UConn, time and time again.

    But if she wants this year’s Wildcats to dance far into March, their performance has to match what was on display in the first half on Wednesday night. And look a heck of a lot better than a second-half fallout that resulted in an 83-69 loss.

    “Honestly, give them credit. [UConn] stuck to their game plan,” Dillon said. “I think we let up on what we needed to do … miss a possession here or there, they’re going to take advantage.

    “And that’s what happened.”

    Villanova’s Ryanne Allen (left) is held back by UConn’s Sarah Strong during their game on Wednesday. Strong finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

    Don’t sleep on the Wildcats

    Villanova (21-6, 14-4 Big East) looked like a true contender in the first eight minutes. The Wildcats held a one-point lead at the first television timeout with 4 minutes, 38 seconds remaining and went into halftime up three.

    It marked the only time UConn (28-0, 17-0) has trailed at halftime this season and one of its longest deficits, with the Wildcats ahead for 16:10 of the first half, compared to just 2:09 for the Huskies.

    “How we started the game was unacceptable,” said UConn guard Azzi Fudd, who finished with a team-high 25 points. “We need to be able to start the game strong, play the full 40, and not take the game or a team for granted. I think they proved we cannot overlook anyone.”

    One player UConn certainly couldn’t overlook was Jasmine Bascoe, who had a game-high 26 points and was a rebound shy of a double-double. She got help from Denae Carter (21 points) and freshman Kennedy Henry, who finished with nine, but played one of her best games of the season.

    Big 5 hoops: Why Kevin Willard doesn’t mind a Villanova shot clock violation, predicting award winners, and more

    “If it weren’t for my two girls [Fudd and forward Sarah Strong], she’d be the best player in the Big East, hands down,” said Auriemma, who lauded Bascoe’s performance. “Just an amazing talent, and she made it really tough for us tonight.”

    Villanova’s Jasmine Bascoe signals one of her four made three-pointers in Wednesday’s game against UConn.

    Lessons learned

    The reason UConn is No. 1 — besides having one of the most dominant players in women’s college basketball in Strong — is an ability to grind out wins.

    Speaking of Strong, while she finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds, the Wildcats frustrated the sophomore enough that by the third quarter, she was in danger of fouling out. She kept her composure and aided the Huskies in outscoring Villanova, 46-29, in the second half.

    Strong and Fudd did what they do, but in the end, turnovers were the Wildcats’ undoing; UConn scored 28 points off 26 Villanova turnovers.

    Villanova’s Denae Carter has her shot blocked from behind by UConn’s Serah Williams.

    “We talked about it, even at the end of the first quarter,” Dillon said. “I said, ‘Imagine if we’d got 8-10 more shots off in that period, what a difference it could make.’ We just have to focus our attention on taking care of the basketball.”

    Before the game, ESPN bracketologists had Villanova as a bubble team, projected as the No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Judging by last night’s performance, it feels like a pretty fair assessment.

    “The goal is to get to the [Big East] championship game and [get into] March Madness,” Dillon said. “We’re preparing for that every day. We talk to our players about our practice plan, which is to prepare to face a UConn; and if they train that way, you’re going to have a lot of success along the way.”

    On Wednesday night, the Wildcats came close to the type of success that could have landed them in Top 25 polls this time next week.

    That didn’t happen.

    Villanova honors alumni and coach Harry Perretta during its win over Georgetown

    But the consolation? They did more than enough to impress a storied coach who has firsthand experience of what success looks like.

    “They’re a team that will be in the tournament, I think,” Auriemma said. “They’re really well coached. Denise [Dillon] does a tremendous job. You know, this felt like one of those old-school Big East games tonight where you have to grind it out, and that’s usually what it’s like when you play here.”

    Up next

    Villanova will remain in town in preparation for Marquette at the Finn on Sunday (3:30 p.m., Peacock). The Golden Eagles (16-10, 10-7) are coming off a 71-56 Valentine’s Day loss to UConn and will look to snap a three-game losing streak.

    It’s Huskies week in Philly

    On Saturday, Villanova’s men host No. 5 UConn (24-3, 14-2) at Xfinity Mobile Arena (5:30 p.m., TNT). The Wildcats (21-5, 12-3 Big East) are on a six-game winning streak and are looking to avenge a 75-67 overtime loss against then-No. 2 UConn on Jan. 24.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Villanova athletics right here!
  • Villanova continues ‘growing up in front of everybody’s eyes’ with OT win at Xavier

    Villanova continues ‘growing up in front of everybody’s eyes’ with OT win at Xavier

    Acaden Lewis did a little bit of everything to lift Villanova to a 92-89 overtime victory over Xavier in Cincinnati on Tuesday.

    Lewis had 21 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and four steals, including one that sealed the win in the final seconds of the game. Villanova (21-5, 12-3 Big East) improved to 7-1 on the road in the Big East.

    “I think we’re just built for [overtime],” Lewis told reporters. “We’ve been on the road. We’ve had seven road wins after this game. So I think we’ve been through the fire. We’ve been in some far games. We played the first game of the year [against] BYU in Las Vegas. It was with no other games around. So, we’re used to it at this point. We’re growing up in front of everybody’s eyes. And I think we’re getting really good on the road for that reason.”

    Big 5 hoops: Why Kevin Willard doesn’t mind a Villanova shot clock violation, predicting award winners, and more

    Lewis is averaging 12.7 points and leads the Wildcats in assists (5.3).

    Duke Brennan had 10 points and 13 rebounds for his 12th double-double of the season. He is two double-doubles shy of tying Michael Bradley’s single-season program record.

    In overtime, Villanova outscored Xavier, 11-8, and outrebounded the Musketeers, 5-4. Lewis and Bryce Lindsay had nine of the 11 points.

    Bench lifts Villanova

    Xavier (13-12, 5-9) opened the game on an 11-2 run that forced Villanova coach Kevin Willard to call a timeout. Willard took out Matt Hodge, Brennan, and Lindsay. He replaced them with Devin Askew, Malachi Palmer, and Braden Pierce.

    Villanova quickly spun off a 17-7 run over the next six minutes to take a lead. It spun into a 28-13 run.

    Askew scored back-to-back three-pointers during the run.

    “Coming into the game, we didn’t get any stops,” Lewis told reporters. “Starting five was out there, kind of, lackadaisical. They were running the speed of the game kind of got to us. And we didn’t really respond. Chris [Jeffrey] came in, Dev [Askew] came in, a bunch of guys came in and just changed the whole game. Got more stops, got us in the rhythm. And then going back in and help guys that start to get into a rhythm as well. And I think [the starters] just kept that same pressure.”

    Duke Brennan, shown during a game on Feb. 10, had his 12th double-double of the season against Xavier on Tuesday.

    Lindsay shows improvement

    After scoring double digits in 13 of his first 14 games of the season, Lindsay has struggled. He went from averaging 16.9 points over the first 14 games to just 6.4 over the last 10.

    Against Xavier, Lindsay finished with 15 points, shooting 5-for-11 from the field and 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. It was his fourth double-digit performance in the last 11 games.

    “There’s a reason he started,” Willard told reporters. “I have tremendous confidence in Bryce, and he’s been putting the work in. He’s just been in a little bit of a slump, and it’s good to see him get out of it.”

    Lewis echoed Willard’s thoughts on Lindsay’s performance.

    “That’s great to see,” Lewis told reporters. “I’m proud of [Lindsay]. It’s not easy to go through big slumps like this when you’re playing on national TV. And everyone expects so much out of you. So for him to just keep his head down, stick to it, and keep working … I mean, that’s what happened.”

    Is Tyler Perkins Villanova’s new Josh Hart? He might be close enough.

    Up next

    Villanova returns home after two road games to face No. 5 UConn at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday (5:30 p.m., TruTV/TNT). UConn won 75-67 in overtime on Jan. 24 in Storrs, Conn.

    The last time Villanova hosted UConn, it upset the No. 9 Huskies, 68-66, on Jan. 8, 2025.

  • Villanova women ‘ready for battle’ in rematch with top-ranked UConn

    Villanova women ‘ready for battle’ in rematch with top-ranked UConn

    The Villanova women’s basketball team has many reasons to feel confident entering the final three games of the regular season.

    The Wildcats (21-5, 14-3 Big East) are riding a six-game winning streak and have a solid grasp on second place in the Big East standings. During last week’s road trips, they took care of Xavier on Wednesday, 78-38, and Creighton on Sunday, 74-64.

    And back on its home floor on Wednesday night, Villanova will face No. 1 Connecticut for the second time this season (7 p.m., Peacock).

    What’s it like to face one of Geno Auriemma’s UConn teams? Ask Villanova’s Denise Dillon.

    The Huskies (27-0, 16-0), coached by Norristown-raised Geno Auriemma, continue to loom over the conference and the nation. For Villanova coach Denise Dillon, Wednesday’s matchup will be a chance for the team to show how it has progressed this season. Most of all, it will be a mental test for the Wildcats as much as a competitive one against the nation’s top program.

    “I always say, ‘If you want to be the best, you got to play the best,’” Dillon said. “And we have them here in our conference in UConn. … With UConn, there is no room for error. You have to be sharp, focused, and ready to battle.”

    UConn coach Geno Auriemma, who grew up near Philadelphia, brings an undefeated team into Finneran Pavilion on Wednesday.

    Seeking improvement

    The last time the top two teams in the Big East faced off, the Huskies sent the Wildcats home with a 99-50 loss on Jan. 15. According to Dillon, the humbling defeat was a dent in the team’s confidence. An upset loss to St. John’s followed two games later, forcing the team to reevaluate its standards.

    “[The team] didn’t like how they handled [the loss to UConn],” Dillon said. “They didn’t like how the game went for us and didn’t even like how we responded thereafter. We got some wins after, but we weren’t playing very good basketball, and we weren’t where we needed to be. So I think that lesson was certainly felt and learned, and now here’s another opportunity to see how much we have grown.”

    Top-ranked UConn routed Villanova, but there were still plenty of lessons to learn

    Dillon also was pleased with the team’s mental composure in its most recent win at Creighton. Despite trailing by three at halftime, Villanova’s offense surged in the second half for a double-digit win. Sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe led the way with 21 points, and freshman guard Kennedy Henry had 17.

    “It was a huge win for us,” Dillon said. “The first half was a little shaky because it was three-point game, and in that second half, we settled in, played our game, and took care of business. … I think Jasmine did a great job in the second half of just directing, of settling in the team, and making plays for others.”

    Bascoe’s leadership will continue anchoring the team on Wednesday night. Dillon also has high expectations for Henry, who led Villanova with 12 points at UConn.

    “Kennedy’s a stat-filler,” Dillon said. “She’s doing it on both ends of the floor. I think she impacts the game immensely. She’s smart enough to know that [UConn is aware] what she did the first time, so they’re going to do what they can to counter it. And that’s the beauty of the game, you want to find different ways that you can impact, and I know Kennedy is going to be on point to do that.”

    Villanova guard Kennedy Henry (22) was the team’s leading scorer in the first matchup vs. UConn.

    Stopping Strong

    The Huskies are led by 6-foot-2 sophomore forward Sarah Strong, who averages 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds. Strong dropped 24 points in the January matchup.

    Strong has been a force for the Huskies against Big East and national opponents, leading the conference in scoring and field-goal percentage. Alongside Strong, the Huskies are stacked with versatile players, including second-leading scorer Azzi Fudd (17.8 points per game) and assists leader KK Arnold (4.6 assists per game).

    UConn forward Sarah Strong (21), driving against Villanova’s Denae Carter on Jan. 15, is the Big East’s leading scorer.

    “It’s a big task when all [of UConn’s] players are a threat, an option out on the floor,” Dillon said. “[Strong] is getting a touch every possession, so it’s just recognizing where her spots are, where she wants to get these looks, and trying to force her to catch a little bit farther out. So it’s not just a clean shot or burying us in the paint, just being more active with where those looks are coming.”

    While Villanova will aim to limit Strong’s shooting, generating offense against UConn’s signature full-court press also will be a challenge. UConn allows just 50.5 points per game, the lowest average in the nation.

  • Villanova wins fifth straight in conference play following a convincing road rout of Creighton

    Villanova wins fifth straight in conference play following a convincing road rout of Creighton

    A double-double performance from Duke Brennan and Villanova now has 20 wins this season.

    The senior forward finished with a team-high 21 points and added 12 rebounds to lead the Wildcats in an 80-69 road defeat of Creighton in Omaha, Neb., on Saturday.

    Brennan collected his 11th double-double of the season, and is now second all-time in program history behind Michael Bradley’s 14 during the 2000-01 season. Villanova (20-5, 11-3 Big East) never trailed, avenging a January loss to the Bluejays (13-12, 7-7).

    “Duke’s been great,” said Villanova head coach Kevin Willard. “You can’t talk enough about Duke. I mean, [he’s] just taking his time, having some big finishes and again the guards [are] finding him.”

    It also marks a five-game win streak for Villanova, which earned its first 20 wins in the first 25 games for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

    Tyler Perkins scored 17 points, marking his ninth consecutive game with double-digits. Perkins also hauled in 11 rebounds in what was his second double-double of the season.

    Perkins is now averaging 17.9 points per game over his last nine games. He is averaging a team-high 13.5 points per contest this season, averaging 44% from the field and 37% on three-pointers.

    Big 5 roundup: Why Kevin Willard doesn’t mind a Villanova shot clock violation, predicting award winners, and more

    “I think [Perkins] had six points off offensive rebounds, big tip backs,” Willard said. “There was one late in the second half that was monstrous as [Creighton was] making a run. They cut [it] to seven, pushed it back up to nine, which was unbelievable. I think he’s starting to really settle into who he is as a player and he keeps getting better.”

    First-half defense smothers Creighton

    Villanova was able to hold Creighton’s offense to 10 points through the first 13 minutes of the game. The Bluejays’ starting lineup had just five points, and Austin Swartz had five points off the bench.

    Villanova took a 25-10 lead over Creighton with seven minutes left in the first half. Creighton was 4-for-18 from the field at that point.

    Villanova also scored 12 points on eight first-half turnovers by the Bluejays.

    I think we started off really good and were just really solid,” Willard said. “I think at our place we got caught up on switches a couple times and they took advantage of it. I thought we were really solid and just guarded our man really well.”

    Creighton finished the first half with 27 points, and its starting lineup had just 13 combined points as the Bluejays shot 34.4% from the field and 27.3% from beyond the arc.

    Plenty of points in the paint

    Villanova’s offense dominated under the basket. It scored 48 of its 80 points inside the paint, 30 of them coming in the first half.

    The Wildcats shot 3-for-11 on three-pointers in the first half and finished the game 6-for-21. Villanova entered the game averaging 27.4 three-point attempts per game. Additionally, the Wildcats attempted 44 two-point field goals, entered the game averaging 31.6 per contest, which ranked 308th in the nation.

    Strong day from the bench

    Villanova had 25 points from its bench, with 13 coming from Devin Askew and 10 from Malachi Palmer, who shot a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc.

    Askew has averaged 9.8 points off the bench this season, but has had five double-digit performances through conference play.

    Palmer has recently begun to get more time on the court. He has scored double digits on the bench in three of his last four games, including a career-high 15 points against Seton Hall on Feb. 4.

    Up next

    Villanova stays on the road, traveling to Xavier (13-12, 5-9) on Tuesday (6:30 p.m., FS1). It will be the first time the two teams meet this season. Villanova leads the all-time series, 35-9.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Villanova athletics right here!
  • Big 5 hoops: Why Kevin Willard doesn’t mind a Villanova shot clock violation, predicting award winners, and more

    Big 5 hoops: Why Kevin Willard doesn’t mind a Villanova shot clock violation, predicting award winners, and more

    Every once in a while, Kevin Willard loves when the shot clock expires before a Villanova shot attempt.

    There really is a time and place for everything.

    “Everyone will say, ‘You’re nuts,’” Willard said Tuesday night after Villanova rallied late to beat Marquette. “It takes 30 seconds; it sets up our defense. The worst thing you can do is come down and jack up a shot with 2 seconds on the shot clock, long rebound, your defense isn’t set. I’d rather have a shot-clock violation, set my defense up, have them work for 25 seconds, and then take 30 seconds and the game’s over.”

    Villanova has taken its share of violations in the second half of victories this season. There were two during a 12-point win over Seton Hall on Feb. 4 while the Wildcats held leads of 14 and 12 inside of five minutes. They took one vs. Providence up by 19 points with four minutes left. They took one vs. Butler while ahead by 12 with 2½ minutes to go. And they had three during their Big East opener on Dec. 23, when they built a big lead over Seton Hall on the road and won by eight.

    To be clear, there were no such violations during Tuesday’s win. So how did we get to this topic? Willard was asked after the game about tempo and whether he thought the team could play a little faster. The Wildcats are ranked 337th by KenPom’s adjusted tempo metric and 296th in average possessions per game (68.4).

    Villanova survived a scare from Marquette, but there are concerns. One in particular? Poor foul shooting.

    Willard, who has the Wildcats at 19-5 overall and 10-3 in the Big East entering Saturday’s game at Creighton, is a passionate talker of tempo. He went on a mini rant about the subject in April at his introductory news conference at Villanova. He focuses on defensive tempo, he explained then, the amount of time it takes for an opponent to get off a shot. On the offensive side, the difference between shot speed from top to bottom is only a matter of a few seconds, he said.

    “You know the difference between the 20th fastest team and us?” Willard asked Tuesday. “1.6 seconds.”

    By average number of possessions, the difference between Villanova at 297th and the 100th-ranked team (Miami) is just four possessions.

    Freshman point guard Acaden Lewis is charged with setting Villanova’s tempo on offense.

    “I have a young team, and when we get up I’m going to control the ball and take the air out of the ball,” Willard said. “That’s one of the reasons why our tempo is so low is if you watch any time we’ve gotten up more than 12, I’ve taken the air out of the ball and we have run the clock down. One of the easiest ways to lose leads is to take quick shots.

    “I think we play pretty fast. It’s not like he walks the ball up,” Willard said, pointing to freshman point guard Acaden Lewis. “It’s not like we’re ever walking the ball up. It’s 1.6 seconds. Everyone gets stuck on that tempo s—.”

    Is Tyler Perkins Villanova’s new Josh Hart? He might be close enough.

    Award season approaching

    Less than a month of regular-season basketball remains, so it feels like a good time to round up who could win Big 5 awards.

    Let’s start with the coaches. The easy answer here is Villanova sweeping. Willard is on his way to stopping the three-year NCAA drought on the men’s side. Denise Dillon has her fifth 20-win season in six years as Wildcats coach. But those are the obvious answers partially because they coach teams that entered the season with at-large NCAA Tournament chances.

    But how about Mountain MacGillivray, the La Salle women’s coach? The Explorers went 4-15 in the Atlantic 10 last season. They’ve nearly doubled that total so far in 2025-26 and still have five games left. And what about Adam Fisher? The Temple men’s coach had to rebuild another roster in the offseason and has the Owls at 7-4 in the American Conference and in the mix. Or Steve Donahue, who stepped into a weird situation at St. Joseph’s, got off to a slow start, and has the Hawks in fourth place in the A-10?

    La Salle’s Ashleigh Connor is guarded by St. Joseph’s Rhian Stokes on Jan. 28.

    As for player of the year on the men’s side, Villanova’s Tyler Perkins and Lewis have good arguments, as do Penn’s Ethan Roberts, Derek Simpson of St. Joe’s, and Temple’s Derrian Ford. On the women’s side, it might be Villanova sophomore Jasmine Bascoe’s award to lose. But La Salle’s Ashleigh Connor is having a great season, as is Drexel’s Amaris Baker and Gabby Casey of St. Joe’s.

    La Salle’s loyal baseball community restored the program. Now it’s time to get it ‘back on the map.’

    Dillon’s Wildcats on the bubble

    The Villanova women won by 40 Wednesday night at Xavier and Bascoe reached the 1,000-point plateau in less than two full seasons. The Wildcats are rolling. They’re 13-3 in the Big East and firmly in second place, two games clear of Seton Hall in the loss column.

    But they’re also firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble. ESPN’s latest bracketology had the Wildcats as a No. 10 seed and in the “last four byes” group. The projected field capped just six spots behind them.

    Villanova coach Denise Dillon with her star guard, Jasmine Bascoe.

    Like the men, the women are in Omaha, Neb., this weekend. They play a Creighton team on Sunday that they already beat by 10 at home. It’s not a great time to have a slip-up, because after that it’s the annual home game vs. No. 1 UConn, which is undefeated and already beat Villanova by 49. Just two games are on the schedule after that: a home game vs. fourth-place Marquette and a road showdown at Seton Hall. Then comes the conference tournament.

    It’s crunch time for the Cats.

    Speaking of the NCAA Tournament

    We’ve mentioned a few times in recent weeks that the Villanova men are closing in on locking up an at-large NCAA Tournament bid. The Wildcats are at 99.1% to make the NCAA Tournament, according to Bart Torvik’s analytics site.

    Since we last took stock of the Big 5 men’s teams, a few more got on the positive side of .500 in league play, which brings a better possibility of running the table come conference tournament time.

    What’s Torvik’s math — which is based on thousands of simulations — for the rest of the pack?

    • Penn: 10.1%
    • Drexel: 3%
    • Temple: 2.9%
    • St. Joe’s: 2.6%
    • La Salle: 0.1%

    The Big 5’s streak of no men’s teams looks like it’s ending. Just don’t count on Villanova having any company at the dance.

  • Is Tyler Perkins Villanova’s new Josh Hart? He might be close enough.

    Is Tyler Perkins Villanova’s new Josh Hart? He might be close enough.

    In the rotunda of the Finneran Pavilion late Tuesday night, the longest tenured Villanova player paused to crane his head toward the ceiling, toward the national championship, Final Four, and Big East championship banners that hang there in V formation, like a flock of birds in flight. On this Wildcats team, he’s the one whose name is called last in the pregame introductions.

    He’s the one everyone knows a little better than everyone else on the roster. For a program once accustomed to having its stars stay for three years, four years, sometimes even five, it has to be jarring that Tyler Perkins, a junior who transferred from Penn in 2024, is the closest thing to a keeper of that flame.

    “I take pride in it,” he said. “Last year, I was able to learn a lot about this place from guys like Eric Dixon, Jordan Longino, guys who have been here for three years, five years. I was able to pick their brains. Just walking these halls, looking at these banners, it makes you hungry. You want to bring it back to this place.”

    The whole idea of a player recognizing and appreciating a particular program’s history and culture seems quaint in this era of college basketball. It certainly doesn’t have the pull and power that it once did.

    Tyler Perkins (right) is interviewed by Andy Katz after Villanova’s 77-74 win against Marquette at the Finneran Pavilion on Tuesday.

    Now, paying players is an above-board course of action, athletes pass through the transfer portal like it’s an open doorway, and the story that played out at the Pavilion on Tuesday, in Villanova’s 77-74 victory over Marquette, showed just how much everything has changed.

    Perkins pretty much saved the Wildcats, now 19-5 and on track for their first NCAA Tournament appearance in four years, from losing a Big East game to a lesser opponent. He scored a team-high 22 points, hit three late three-pointers to help ’Nova quickly wipe out a nine-point deficit, grabbed six offensive rebounds, and blocked a three-point attempt by the Golden Eagles’ Adrien Stevens on the game’s final possession.

    Villanova survived a scare from Marquette, but there are concerns. One in particular? Poor foul shooting.

    It was the kind of performance that a savvy upperclassman — Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, Collin Gillespie, Dixon — once would have delivered for Villanova … except in this case, the savvy upperclassman is a kid who has been on campus less than two years, and he was having a lousy defensive game until he snuffed Stevens’ shot at the end.

    “Once he figures out he can affect the game without shooting or having to shoot, that’s when he’s going to take a monster step,” Wildcats coach Kevin Willard said. “And he’s starting to get there. He is.”

    Willard is so certain that Perkins will become a great player that, after the Wildcats’ win over Seton Hall last week, he didn’t back away from comparing him to Hart — a first-team All-American and a national champion at ’Nova, a nine-year NBA vet and an invaluable piece of a New York Knicks team that could reach the Finals.

    Villanova and Notre Dame finalizing a deal to open 2026-27 basketball season in Italy

    During Tuesday’s postgame media availability, Willard playfully chided Perkins for his mostly poor defense against Marquette, then pointed out that Hart’s all-around game is what made him such a headache when Willard, while at Seton Hall, was coaching against him.

    “I tell the story all the time,” Willard said. “One of the last times we played against him, I called timeout, and I cursed out my team. I was like, ‘Can somebody please stop Josh Hart?’ And he hadn’t taken a shot. He hadn’t taken a shot, and they’re all looking at me like, ‘Well, he’s not shooting.’ He’s got three steals. He’s got four offensive rebounds. He’s got five assists. And he didn’t take a shot. That’s why he’s in the NBA.

    Villanova coach Kevin Willard believes Tyler Perkins shares many of the same qualities as former Wildcats guard Josh Hart.

    “He” — he tipped his head to the right, toward Perkins — “can do that. He just has to figure it out at times, ‘I don’t need to shoot the ball to be out here and be effective.’ Because he does so many other things.”

    Perkins has met Hart just once — last September, when Hart and Jalen Brunson returned to campus to record an episode of their podcast, The Roommates Show. Their on-paper profiles are practically identical. Both are from the Washington area.

    They are about the same height (6-foot-4) and roughly the same weight (210-215 pounds). The biggest difference, at the moment anyway, might be that the conditions that allowed Hart to develop over his four seasons at Villanova, from 2013 to 2017, are harder to replicate. These days, it takes a welcoming atmosphere; a rewarding athletic, academic, and social experience … and, of course, a big, fat check.

    Make no mistake: The money is and will be the major motivator for keeping a promising basketball player on any campus. A program that wants to keep a star into his senior season is going to have to pony up accordingly. But those first two factors still matter some, at least some of the time, and apparently to Perkins.

    “I don’t really care about all the extra stuff that’s going on in college basketball right now,” he said. “I find joy in playing the game, and I felt like this place was the most comfortable place for me to play.”

    Imagine the comfort he’ll feel a year from now, two years from now, three, if he can stand inside the Pavilion, look up at that ceiling, and see a banner he helped to hang.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Villanova athletics right here!
  • Villanova and Notre Dame finalizing a deal to open 2026-27 basketball season in Italy

    Villanova and Notre Dame finalizing a deal to open 2026-27 basketball season in Italy

    An audience with the Pope?

    Villanova and Notre Dame are finalizing an agreement to open the 2026-27 men’s and women’s basketball seasons with a doubleheader in Rome, sources told The Inquirer.

    CBS Sports was first to report the news Tuesday night.

    A contract has not been signed, and some logistics are still being worked out, but the schools are working toward that point, sources said. According to CBS, the schools received a special waiver to play the games on Sunday, Nov. 1, despite the college basketball season officially starting a day later.

    The games will be played at the Palazzetto dello Sport, which seats 3,500 people for basketball, according to CBS.

    This video screen grab shows Pope Leo XIV wearing a Villanova hat gifted to him during a meeting with an Italian heritage group.

    The contests are likely to give Villanova an audience with arguably the school’s most famous graduate. Pope Leo XIV is a 1977 Villanova alumnus formerly known as Robert Prevost. Notre Dame, meanwhile, is the largest Catholic university by endowment.

    ‘How absurd is that?’: Pope Leo XIV, once just a Villanova student named Bob, is a Wildcats basketball fan

    The game gives Villanova’s men’s team another power-conference opponent on its nonconference schedule. The Wildcats will host Michigan and Wisconsin and also play at Pittsburgh during their nonconference slate next season.

  • Villanova survived a scare from Marquette, but there are concerns. One in particular? Poor foul shooting.

    Villanova survived a scare from Marquette, but there are concerns. One in particular? Poor foul shooting.

    Acaden Lewis toed the free-throw line with 3 minutes, 35 seconds left in the second half Tuesday night and Villanova trailing Marquette by three. The freshman point guard released the first of two attempts and watched as it failed to reach the rim. The second attempt was only mildly better and clanked off the front of it.

    Just over a minute later, he was back at the line after being fouled on a drive. The deficit still was three.

    In this moment, it would be Tyler Perkins who inspired the winning plays in Villanova’s 77-74 victory. They were visible all night in Perkins’ clutch three-pointers, his game-winning block, and a key steal as he finished with a team-high 22 points.

    But his night also included a moment of leadership, a junior making sure a freshman could forget what had just happened.

    “Tyler came up to me and was just like, ‘You’re built for these moments,’” Lewis said.

    “I just relaxed and shot them.”

    Both free throws went in. Lewis cut Marquette’s lead to one. The tide was starting to turn, and Villanova (19-5, 10-3 Big East) rode the wave and avoided a bad loss to a struggling Marquette team.

    A Villanova free throw misses the hoop during the second half against Marquette on Tuesday.

    That is the thing about free throws. They giveth and taketh. Lewis described his two misses as “uncharacteristic,” but he is shooting 60.5% for the season, and the Wildcats entered Wednesday ranked 285th in the country and 10th among 11 Big East teams in free-throw percentage (69%).

    They made their last six free throws and won the game at the line over the final 2 minutes, 10 seconds. But they were in a tight game against an inferior opponent largely because they were 12-for-25 before the closing minutes.

    Villanova and Notre Dame finalizing a deal to open 2026-27 basketball season in Italy

    Sensing a pattern

    Villanova’s win against Georgetown on Saturday didn’t have to be as hard as it was. Fourteen missed free throws made it nervy. The fans who were at Finneran Pavilion on Tuesday night know the issues well. They gave a Bronx cheer to freshman Chris Jeffrey when he made a pair of free throws midway through the second half.

    It is worth mentioning that the struggles are abnormal for a program that consistently has resided at the top of the conference and near the top of the country in free-throw percentage for much of the last decade. But it is not particularly relevant context, given that Kevin Willard is in his first season coaching an entirely new team.

    Still, what gives?

    “Everyone is in there every day,” Willard said. “It’s not like we’re not doing it. I think it’s a little mental right now. I think we miss one, and it’s like we got a little bit too much negative emotion right now on the free-throw line. I’ve got to change that somehow.”

    Villanova coach Kevin Willard calls out instructions during the first half against Marquette on Tuesday.

    How does one change a mentality this late in the season?

    “We’ll get there,” Willard said. “If we can improve our free-throw shooting and make a couple layups in the first half, it’s a completely different game. We held them to 32 points [in that first half], we should’ve had 44 points, and it’s a different type of game.”

    Willard was flanked in his postgame news conference by Lewis and Perkins. He turned to Lewis and mentioned that the freshman shoots around 200 extra free throws after practices and noted that Perkins, who is shooting 75% for the season, never misses in practice.

    “I have a lot of confidence in these guys that as we go through February and get into March that we’ll make them,” Willard said.

    Villanova recruited Devin Askew in high school. Six years and five schools later, he’s fueling the Wildcats.

    Lindsay’s slump continues

    Bryce Lindsay made his first shot Tuesday night, a three-pointer less than three minutes into the game.

    It had to, at least briefly, feel like the weight of the world was off his shoulders. Lindsay entered the night having made just 15 of his previous 64 attempts from three-point range (23.4%) over Villanova’s last 10 games since the calendar turned to 2026. The sharpshooting redshirt sophomore guard was a big reason behind Villanova’s strong start to the season, but he has reached double figures just four times in the last 11 games. That initial attempt Tuesday night was his only make on six three-point tries. He went scoreless Saturday afternoon at Georgetown.

    Villanova guard Bryce Lindsay dribbles past Marquette’s Chase Ross during the second half Tuesday.

    “He’s going to get going,” Willard said. “It’s a little mental. I talked to the team earlier, before the game, about staying in the moment. Talking to each other and not worrying about the past, not worrying about the future, just trying to stay in the present. Sometimes it’s hard when you’re not playing well to kind of stay in the moment.

    “I have a lot of confidence in Bryce. He’s in the gym with me every day working. He’s going to get it. I thought he had some good opportunities tonight. When you’re struggling the way he’s struggling, sometimes you just need one, get a good bounce, bank one in. I told him to sleep on the other side of the bed tonight. Sometimes you’ve just got to try something different.”

    Something different, like starting sixth man Devin Askew and giving Lindsay a different look off the bench?

    “No,” Willard said. “He’s still doing a lot of other things, and people have to guard him.”

    Lindsay did affect the game in positive ways despite only scoring four points. He was plus-8 and had three rebounds and four assists, including a key pass to the corner for a Matt Hodge three-pointer with 4:20 left in the game.

    Willard said he likes Askew coming off the bench as a “security blanket.”

    Speaking of which … it was Askew who made two free throws with 11 seconds left that gave Villanova a three-point lead and forced Marquette into a desperation three-point attempt.

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Villanova basketball right here!
  • Villanova honors alumni and coach Harry Perretta during its win over Georgetown

    Villanova honors alumni and coach Harry Perretta during its win over Georgetown

    While 70 of the Villanova women’s basketball alumni attending Saturday’s game vs. Georgetown spanned decades of program history, most of them had a common experience: playing for former coach Harry Perretta.

    Perretta, who led the Wildcats for 42 years, stood in front of a long line of alumni during the halftime ceremony. It was a moving moment, Perretta said.

    “It’s great to come back on alumni day because you realize how many people [who] you’ve met over 42 years,” Perretta added. “That’s what made it even more special to me. Any honor that I get is always associated with my former players and my assistant coaches, because they’re the ones [who] really did it. I just happen to be the common thread.”

    Surrounded by his family and former women’s player Maddy Siegrist (left), former Villanova women’s coach Harry Perretta waves to the crowd during a halftime ceremony in his honor.

    Former players walked onto the court in the order of their graduating class. Perretta was there on double duty, and he also announced the game for ESPN+, leaving the broadcast booth to receive an honor set to become a display inside the Finneran Pavilion.

    Ryanne Allen continues to provide a spark off the bench for Villanova

    “The turnout here is a testament to the type of coach [Perretta] was and the way he treated players,” said Laura Kurz, a 2009 graduate and former assistant coach to Perretta. “So much of that has to do with Harry, his legacy, and this sisterhood that he created here. Looking back, I learned so much from him. There were definitely tough times, but in the end, it was all a very rewarding experience.”

    Following the ceremony, the alumni watched Villanova finish a 67-55 victory over Georgetown.

    Bridging generations

    Perretta, who coached the Wildcats from 1978 to 2020, took the team to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances. He is the winningest coach in Villanova men’s and women’s basketball history with 726 victories.

    Kathy Razler, a 1985 graduate, has maintained her longtime connection to the program as a season-ticket holder. Razler has stayed in touch with Perretta and former teammates since their run to the Final Four in the 1982 AIAW Tournament, the predecessor to the women’s NCAA Tournament.

    Former Villanova coach Harry Perretta led the team for 42 years.

    “It’s so great to see the number of people that continue to come back, and everybody knows that’s because of Harry,” Razler said. “Harry was the connector between all of us. Harry wasn’t always easy, but we all knew that we were going to benefit in the long run from what he requested us to do, and the hard work we put in.”

    Past to present

    Villanova coach Denise Dillon, who played for Perretta from 1992 to 1996, credited her former coach for influencing her coaching style. Dillon replaced Perretta following his retirement in 2020.

    Acaden Lewis scores career-high 26 points as Villanova beats Georgetown

    “I think you always teach what you were taught, how you learned the game,” Dillon said. “That’s why I’m in coaching. I had great coaches all the way up the line, and the best in Harry through my college career. It was so intentional how he taught us team basketball and individual development, and most importantly, just about life. … I’ve definitely taken that [coaching philosophy] and passed that along to every player that comes through the program.”

    Villanova guard Jasmine Bascoe drives to the basket against Georgetown’s Khia Miller during the second half of their game on Saturday.

    For Michele Eberz, a 1995 graduate, attending alumni day was essential, as Villanova basketball runs in the family. Her husband, Eric, is a 1996 alumnus of the men’s program.

    Recently, their daughter, Alexis, a senior at Archbishop Carroll, signed to play for the Wildcats next season.

    “From when I played to now, there’s just been enormous attention on women’s basketball and women’s sports in general,” Michele Eberz said. “They’re filling seats like never before. I’m just so proud of my daughter to have the opportunity to not only get a tremendous education here [at Villanova], but to also play under the roof of the Finneran Pavilion.”

    Villanova’s Kennedy Henry passes the ball around Georgetown forward Brianna Scott during the first half on Saturday.

    Up next

    With the win over Georgetown, Villanova (19-5, 12-3 Big East) remains in second place in the Big East. On Wednesday, the Wildcats will visit Xavier (6:30 p.m., ESPN+).

    Follow the Inquirer’s complete coverage of Villanova athletics right here!
  • Acaden Lewis scores career-high 26 points as Villanova beats Georgetown

    Acaden Lewis scores career-high 26 points as Villanova beats Georgetown

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Acaden Lewis finished with a career-high 26 points to guide Villanova to an 80-73 road victory over Georgetown on Saturday.

    Lewis was the only Wildcat to score a field goal in the final ten minutes of the game, when he dropped back-to-back three-pointers to separate Villanova (18-5, 9-3 Big East) from Georgetown. It was his fifth 20-point outing this season. Lewis also contributed six assists and is now averaging 5.3 per game.

    Villanova shot 28-for-57 (49.1%) from the field, including 10-for-29 (34.5%) in three-pointers.

    Junior guard Tyler Perkins added 15 points, marking his seventh straight game with double digits. He is averaging 17.4 points over his last seven games.

    “I think [Lewis is] really growing up as the season progresses,” Villanova coach Kevin Willard said. “I have the utmost confidence in him. He’s progressing the way you want any freshman point guard to progress. And he had it going tonight, and he had been making great plays. He’s been getting everybody involved, which has been great. And then tonight, we need him to score.”

    Lewis also contributed six assists. He is now averaging 12.4 points and 5.3 assists per game.

    “I’ve actually seen it, like, my little freshman,” Villanova forward Duke Brennan said. “At the start of the year, seeing him in those big-time games, sometimes he wasn’t feeling it. And now we get out of here, and he’s ready to go, ready to score. I’ve been seeing his growth and stuff like that, but he’s always been capable of that.”

    Junior guard Tyler Perkins scored 15 points, marking his seventh consecutive game with double digits. He is averaging 17.4 points over his last seven games.

    Brennan continues to dominate

    Brennan posted his 10th double-double of the season, totaling 13 points and 13 rebounds (six offensive). It is the most double-doubles by a Villanova player since Jeremiah Robinson-Earl had nine during his freshman season in 2019-20.

    “Oh, goodness. I mean, I’m pretty banged up and bruised up,” Brennan said when asked about the physicality of the Big East. “Just keep on getting in and covering, and we know every single game coming up is going to be physical. So, knowing that, preparing for that, is allowing me to come out ready to go.”

    Kevin Willard wants to push Villanova into the future — without casting Jay Wright into the past

    He is now averaging a team-high 10.7 rebounds per game, which ranks second in the Big East. Brennan is fifth in the country and leads the Big East with 98 offensive rebounds.

    First-half paint defense

    In the first half, Villanova struggled to limit Georgetown’s paint scoring. At one point, Georgetown shot 63% from the field to make it competitive against a high-scoring Villanova offense.

    Georgetown had 16 first-half points in the paint. However, in the second half, Villanova limited Georgetown to four points in the paint through the first 14 minutes. The Hoyas finished with 10 paint points in the back half.

    Free throws

    Willard simply said “free throws” when asked about what the team can improve upon.

    Villanova had its worst performance from the line in recent years. On Saturday, the Wildcats shot a season-worst 14-for-28 from the charity stripe.

    Kevin Willard said Villanova needs to improve on its free-throw shooting.

    The free throw misses almost ended up being costly in the final four minutes of the game. Georgetown kept the margin within four points, and Villanova could not gain much separation.

    Historically, Villanova has been one of the best free-throw shooting teams in the country. The Wildcats led the league in free-throw percentage from 2021 to 2023.

    Up next

    Villanova returns to Finneran Pavilion on Tuesday to face Marquette (8-15, 3-9) for the second time this season (7:30 p.m., TNT/truTV).

    The Wildcats won the previous meeting in January, 76-73.