Eastern University has entered an agreement to buy nearly half the Valley Forge Military Academy property, which is less than a mile from the Christian university’s St. Davids campus in Delaware County.
The planned purchase, announced by Eastern on Tuesday, includes 33.3 acres encompassing the football stadium, track, and athletic field house, as well as multiple apartment buildings that will be used to house students. Eastern had been leasing the athletic properties from the academy since 2021. The purchase also includes additional fields, buildings, and a pickleball court, the school said.
The academy announced in September that it planned to close at the end of the 2025-26 academic year amid declining enrollment, financial challenges, and lawsuits over alleged cadet abuse, but that its college would continue to operate on the main campus. The boarding school announced last month it would go virtual after Thanksgiving and resume in-person classes on the 70-acre campus in January.
Eastern’s current campus is 114 acres, so the addition of the Valley Forge property will substantially increase its footprint.
“For Eastern, expanding our campus through this new property is a pivotal step in EU’s growth and vision for a flourishing future,” said Eastern president Ronald A. Matthews. “… We will be able to provide the space for our expanding student body to call Eastern’s campus ‘home.’”
The sale is subject to approvals and regulatory requirements and is expected to be completed over the next five months, the school said.
“Valley Forge Military Academy & College has enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with our neighbors at Eastern University for many years,” academy president Col. Stuart B. Helgeson said in a statement.
Eastern’s enrollment has continued to grow over the last six years, reaching nearly 10,000 students this fall, up 14% from last year. The growth is largely fueled by its low-cost, online “LifeFlex” programs, including a $9,900 master of business administration. But on-campus enrollment also has been rising in part due to the addition of new athletic and arts programs, the school said. Its football team is competing in the NCAA Division III championships on Saturday.
Emmett, the Kensington restaurant serving modern Levantine cuisine, has found itself on a coveted list: Esquire’s Best New Restaurants. It is the only Philadelphia establishment recognized on the list. The 30-seat restaurant is already perpetually busy, but since the list was announced Dec. 1, chef-owner Evan Snyder, 33, has seen an uptick in reservations on OpenTable.
He had been sitting on the news — or at least, some suspicion of it — for the last two weeks, since he received an invitation from Esquire for the list’s unveiling party in New York. The list was compiled by editor Jeff Gordinier and writers Joshua David Stein and Amethyst Ganaway; Stein was responsible for Emmett’s inclusion. He visited twice this past year and in Emmett’s segment of the article praised its rye tartlet filled with American wagyu tartare, sesame madeleine with baharat butter, corn agnolotti with tahina, and duck breast.
The rye-wagyu tartlet at Emmett, 161 W. Girard Ave., in Philadelphia, Pa., on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
Snyder was particularly delighted by Stein’s focus on these menu stalwarts. “The tartlet and madeleine are staples that will probably never come off the menu, as well as the dry-aged duck, which we age for 21 days, quite a bit longer than most people age ducks. The agnolotti with tahina is a set that changes micro-seasonally. These are all the things he enjoyed,” said Snyder.
Sesame Madeleines with Ras al Hanout butter at Emmett, 161 W. Girard Ave., in Philadelphia, Pa., on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
Emmett, named after Snyder’s 2-year-old son, opened Jan. 28, after he had run the concept as a pop-up for two years prior.
The outside of Emmett, 161 W. Girard Ave., in Philadelphia, Pa., on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
Snyder is most thrilled that the recognition gives his team “a shine.”
“It’s the most important thing to me that [my team] is proud of what they’re doing and where they work.”
The region is experiencing a classic Philadelphia early winter storm — a touch of ice and snow, rinsed away by plenty of ice water.
Some light freezing rain, sleet, and random snowflakes were reported across the region around daybreak Tuesday, and several school districts in Chester and Montgomery Counties opted for two-hour delays.
Small accumulations of freezing rain, under a tenth of an inch, were measured in the Doylestown and Pottstown areas.
For the record, the National Weather Service in Mount Holly reported that the city recorded its second official “trace” of snow, defined as a trained spotter’s sighting at least one flake at Philadelphia International Airport.
That duly noted, Philly’s chances for its first measurable snowfall of the season remained minimal or less.
“It’s cut and dried,” said Tyler Roys, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.
Quite wet, actually. As temperatures rise quickly above freezing, plain, old liquid rain, possibly heavy at times, is expected to persist into the afternoon throughout the region.
PennDot anti-icing crews have been mobilized, said spokesperson Krys Johnson, but they are also clearing leaf-clogged drains to mitigate road flooding.
The precipitation should shut off well before the peak afternoon commuting period. However, it appears that the meteorological winter, which began officially Monday, is going to get off to a livelier start than last year’s.
“We’re changing the script already,” said Roys, noting another storm threat later in the week. “It’s definitely an active start.”
NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has the odds favoring below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation in the Northeast in the Dec. 7 through 15 period.
What time will any snow and ice change to rain?
The changeover to rain should proceed quickly, forecasters say, and it should be raining everywhere by midmorning.
Winds are from the east, and that is importing warm air off the ocean, where sea-surfaces temperatures off Atlantic City were in the upper 40s on Tuesday morning.
How much for Philly?
For Philly, Johnson’s reading of the forecast — “A chance of one snowflake” — was essentially correct. In fact, from King of Prussia eastward, said Roys, “You’re looking at nothing.”
What is the outlook for the rest of the week?
The weather community divides the seasons into tidy three-month increments, with Dec. 1 as opening day for winter.
It will feel that way, with temperatures several degrees below normal into the weekend, with daytime highs Tuesday and Wednesday mostly in the 30s and lows in the 20s.
A wild card would be the arrival of an Arctic front Thursday morning, said Roys, which might set off snow squalls in parts of the region.
Another winter storm is possible on the weekend, however computer guidance has been showing just about everything and not much, said Zach Cooper, a weather service meteorologist in the Mount Holly office.
A Pottstown man who shot an officer in the leg with his own firearm during a scuffle last year was sentenced Tuesday to 22½ to 45 years in state prison.
William Ciccoli Jr., 43, showed little emotion as he learned his fate, shaking his head as Montgomery County Court Judge Thomas DelRicci handed down his sentence.
The judge told Ciccoli he was shocked by his “lack of remorse and accountability.”
“We all saw the video, yet you claim the ‘gun went off,’” DelRicci said. “It went off because of the defendant’s actions. No other reason.”
After the hearing, Ciccoli denied pulling the trigger on Cpl. Anthony Fischer’s sidearm as they grappled inside Ciccoli’s apartment in November 2024.
“If I disarmed him, my prints would’ve been on that gun,” he said. “I just feel sorry for my family for what has happened, that is all.”
When pressed, Ciccoli said he feels sorry for Fischer, but insisted that he did not shoot him.
Ciccoli’s attorney, Frank Genovese, said he wasn’t surprised by the sentence, which he said he would appeal.
In June, a jury convicted Ciccoli of assault on a law enforcement officer and related crimes, but acquitted him of attempted murder, ruling that he did not intend to kill Fischer when he fired the gun.
Fischer went to Ciccoli’s home on Chestnut Street to respond to a report of a domestic-violence dispute between him and his girlfriend, prosecutors said. While speaking with the officers, Ciccoli became combative and fought with Fischer.
During the scuffle, Ciccoli wedged his hand into the holster on Fischer’s hip and pulled the trigger on his department-issued .40-caliber handgun, according to bodycam footage played during Ciccoli’s trial in June. During the video, Fischer yells “he’s going for my gun,” shortly before a single gunshot rings out.
The shot struck Fischer in his leg, nicking his femoral artery and causing severe injuries that the officer said still prevent him from moving without pain.
District Attorney Kevin Steele, who prosecuted the case, said Tuesday he appreciated that the judge “recognized the seriousness of the case.”
“I think it’s very important for everyone to understand that if you try to disarm a police officer, if you shoot at a police officer you’re going to jail for 20 years,” Steele said, adding that Ciccoli’s repeated profession of innocence is “nonsense.”
“This is a guy that’s not taking accountability for his actions,” Steele said. “We’re here because of his actions.”
Blackfish BYOB’s 19-year run in Conshohocken will end New Year’s Eve. Chef-owner Chip Roman said the decision to close the restaurant did not come from financial strain or burnout.
He said he, his wife, Amanda, and their four children are doing well, and business on Fayette Street is good.
Why then?
Chip Roman (second from left) at a 2014 tribute dinner for chef Georges Perrier (center) with fellow chefs (from left) Nicholas Elmi, Pierre Calmels, Kevin Sbraga, and Al Paris.
“It’s hard to put into words. I’ve always felt that I’m here for a bigger purpose, like there’s more for me to do rather than cook,” he said in an interview Tuesday. “I could probably go on for another 20 years, but I don’t feel like that’s my ultimate calling. If I don’t follow what’s in my head and my heart, I’m going to regret it. On paper, it’s really stupid, but you only live once.”
Roman, 46, grew up in Fishtown, attended culinary school at Drexel University, and worked for Marc Vetri at Vetri Cucina and Georges Perrier at Le Bec-Fin. At 22, he arrived on Fayette Street in Conshohocken to take over a restaurant called Maya Bella, where he set up a catering business before opening Blackfish in fall 2006.
For his review in early 2007, Inquirer critic Craig LaBan praised Roman for brightening the rooms with “a vaguely nautical air” and “producing a stellar bistro-plus menu full of clever surprises, from foie gras streaked with cinnamon oil to seafood flavored with spruce.”
Chip Roman (left) with fellow chef Josh Lawler on a fishing trip off Ocean City in 2011. Roman enjoyed cooking his catch at his restaurants.
Over the years, Roman opened Blackfish locations at the Jersey Shore, a BYOB in Chestnut Hill called Mica, and a bistro in Center City called the Treemont. A dedicated fisherman, he would cook his catch at his restaurants. He also was a partner in Tradestone Confections, a candy business.
He said that he began thinking about a post-chef career after his father, Charles, died in February.
Roman has real estate investments and said he can always return to a kitchen if he misses the work. He feels pushed toward a different path. “Whatever there is, it’s putting all these opportunities in front of me and leading me down certain paths,” he said. “I’m starting to see clues. I’d be a fool not to explore it.” He emphasized that he is fortunate — “God’s given me a lot of blessings,” he said — and believes it is time to give something back.
Roman acknowledged that stepping away from Blackfish when the business is healthy makes him feel “crazy,” particularly when so many restaurateurs close under duress. “That’s not my situation.” Roman said he has watched others stay too long in a role that no longer fits them, and he wants to avoidthat.
In a Facebook post, he and his wife wrote: “This is not a decision I made lightly — this restaurant has been a defining part of my story, my work, and my heart. What made Blackfish truly special was never just the food or the space. It was you — our guests — who showed up year after year, celebrating milestones, sharing meals with loved ones, and trusting us with your most important moments.
“And it was our extraordinary staff, past and present, whose talent, dedication, and passion brought Blackfish to life every single day. They are the soul of this place, and I am endlessly grateful for everything they have given.”
Andy Chan, a Philadelphia Highway Patrol officer who suffered a devastating brain injury in a motorcycle crash while on his way to work six years ago, has died.
Chan, 48, was riding through Northeast Philadelphia one evening in January 2019 when an elderly driver unintentionally struck him on the 3300 block of Rhawn Street. He was thrown about 20 feet, police said, and was critically injured.
Chan, a 24-year veteran of the force, was in a prolonged coma and was hospitalized for weeks on a ventilator. In the years since, his injuries have required around-the-clock care, with family, friends, and colleagues in the Philadelphia Police Department regularly at his side.
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 announced Chan’s death on Tuesday. The cause of death was not immediately clear.
“Andy died a hero and we will always remember and honor his sacrifice,” the union wrote on Facebook.
Andy Chan was thrown from his highway patrol motorcycle and critically injured in a crash on the 3300 block of Rhawn Street on January 3, 2019.
Chan, a father of three, grew up in Chinatown and had always dreamed of being a highway patrolman. His family recalled how he watched with awe when the leather-clad officers approached his parents’ restaurant on their motorcycles.
He decided, they said, that would be him one day.
“That was the only place he strived to be in,” his wife, Teng, said years ago.
After becoming a Philadelphia police officer in 1996, he was first assigned to the 39th District, working as a bike cop. Eight years later, he was promoted to the elite highway unit.
He took such pride in his work that when he walked into police headquarters, instead of yelling, “Hi,” he would shout, “Highway!”
And even when he met Teng nearly two decades ago, he introduced himself as such: “I’m Highway.”
Chan and his partner, Kyle Cross, were among the first officers who responded to the Amtrak crash in 2015 that left eight people dead and nearly 200 injured. Cross, in an earlier interview, recalled how Chan kept his composure as he sought to rescue survivors from the wreckage.
“What I remember from Andy was his poise — he stayed so calm, he really just led the way,” Cross recalled. “I followed his lead.”
Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel, in an email to the department Tuesday morning, described Chan as “larger than life, not because of what he did, but because of who he was.”
“He was the kind of officer whose reputation reached every corner of this Department and City; not because he sought attention, but because his work, his character, and his heart made him impossible to forget. Andy represented the very best of who we are and what we aspire to be: skilled, humble, kind, and unfailingly courageous,” Bethel wrote.
“Andy,” he said, “will forever remind us of why this work matters.”
Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Since Chan was injured, police and community members have gathered each December to support his family and raise money for his recovery. Supporters will continue to gather in his honor this year, on Dec. 12 at Craft Hall at 4 p.m., for the sixth annual Andy Chan Block Party.
The third annual men’s Big 5 Classic returns to Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday. The event will feature the teams from the Division I Philadelphia schools, a tradition that has been around for more than 70 years.
The Villanova women are in the championship for the second consecutive year on Sunday at Finneran Pavilion in the women’s Big 5 Classic.
Here’s a look at the men’s and women’s Big 5 brackets:
Men’s bracket
Fifth place: Drexel vs. La Salle, 2 p.m. Saturday
Third place: St. Joseph’s vs. Temple, 4:30 p.m.
Championship: Penn vs. Villanova, 7:30 p.m.
All games will be broadcast on NBC Sports Philadelphia. The championship features two teams that are seeking their first Big 5 crown in the new format. This also is the teams’ first appearance in the championship game.
Both teams have first-year coaches, with Kevin Willard at Villanova and Fran McCaffery at Penn, and both won pod games by double digits to earn a spot in the final.
The men’s side tips off on Saturday for the third straight year, but there is one change in the matchups. For the first time since the format debuted, St. Joe’s will not be in the championship to defend its crown.
St. Joe’s will play Temple in a rematch of the 2023 title game for third place. St. Joe’s beat Drexel on Nov. 8 to begin pod play, setting up a showdown with Penn. The Quakers’ 83-74 upset win sent them to their first Big 5 championship game.
Temple returns to the third-place game for the second consecutive season. Coach Adam Fisher’s team defeated La Salle, 90-63, but was unable to beat Villanova in what essentially was a semifinal game. The Wildcats outscored the Owls by 17 in the second half for a 74-56 victory.
La Salle will take on Drexel in the fifth-place game . The Explorers lost to St. Joe’s in the championship last season but lost both of their pod games, to Temple (90-63 on Nov. 11) and Villanova (70-55 on Nov. 19) this season.
Drexel coach Zach Spiker uses a timeout to draw up some plays for his team against St. Joe’s on Nov. 8.
Drexel is in the fifth-place game for the third consecutive year after being added to the Big 5. The Dragons lost to St. Joe’s (76-65 on Nov. 8) and Penn (84-68 on Nov. 21) in pod play.
Women’s bracket
Fifth place: Penn vs. La Salle, noon Sunday
Third place: Drexel vs. Temple, 2:15 p.m.
Championship: St. Joe’s vs. Villanova, 4:30 p.m.
Temple entered the season on a mission to defend its Big 5 championship. Those aspirations were dashed after the Owls’ 88-58 loss to Villanova on Nov. 22 in a rematch of last year’s final.
Now the Wildcats will be playing in the main event on Sunday (all games on NBC Sports Philadelphia+ and the NBC Sports app) after losing a year ago. They will play St. Joe’s, which is a year removed from a third-place finish. The Hawks earned their way to the championship game after defeating Penn, 74-53, on Nov. 24 and beating Drexel, 57-55, five days later.
Temple’s loss to Villanova sends it to the third-place game against Drexel. The last time the teams played was Nov. 23, 2024, and the Owls won, 52-43.
Temple’s Tristen Taylor drives against Villanova’s MD Ntambue on Nov. 22.
The Dragons beat Penn, 72-55, on Nov. 3 and had the two-point loss to St. Joe’s on Saturday.
The first game of the day will feature La Salle and Penn. The Explorers are 5-2 but have yet to win a Big 5 pod game in the two seasons of the new format for the women. La Salle has lost its four pod games by an average of 17.8 points, and both of its losses this season are by double digits.
Quinta Brunson wants you to dig into your pocket to make free field trips possible for Philadelphia students.
The actor, writer, and comedian — along with Philadelphia School District officials and the leader of the district’s nonprofit arm — announced the “Quinta Brunson Field Trip Fund” on Tuesday.
District teachers and administrators will be able to apply for money for field trips by completing a short application subject to evaluation by an independent, internal group of educators. Field trip grants will be made twice a year.
“They opened my world, sparked my creativity, and helped me imagine a future beyond what I saw every day,” Brunson said. “Going somewhere new shows you that the world is bigger and more exciting than you believe, and it can shape what you come to see as achievable. I’m proud to support Philadelphia students with experiences that remind them their dreams are valid and their futures are bright.”
“Abbott Elementary” star Quinta Brunson watches the Phillies play the Atlanta Braves during a taping of the show in Philadelphia in August.
Every Abbott Elementary season has featured a field trip episode, including visits toSmith Playground, the Franklin Institute, and the Philadelphia Zoo. Brunson’s fund “will remove the financial barriers that too often limit our children’s access to these enrichment opportunities,” officials for the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia said.
The GivingTuesday launch kicked off with an unspecified donation from Brunson herself.
Kathryn Epps, president and CEO of the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia, said getting students out of their classrooms is crucial.
“We are honored to partner with Quinta to expand these experiences for children in Philadelphia’s public schools, helping them to envision and realize any future they desire,” Epps said.
Tony B. Watlington Sr., Philadelphia School District superintendent, said he was grateful to Brunson.
“We want our students to venture out and bridge what they’re learning in the classroom to engaging, real-world learning experiences,” Watlington said. “This commitment to equitably expanding opportunities for students to have experiences outside of their classroom will help accelerate student achievement and we are becoming the fastest improving, large urban school district in the nation.”
The Flyers will be without their top goal scorer for some time.
Tyson Foerster will miss two to three months with an upper-body injury, the team said Tuesday. The Flyers did not disclose the extent of the injury he suffered Monday in a 5-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. A source told The Inquirer on Tuesday that the team is hopeful that the injury won’t require surgery and can be treated through rehab.
Flyers coach Rick Tocchet did not have an update postgame but said, “I hope it’s not long. Obviously, he’s a big part of our team.”
Foerster scored during a five-on-three, sending the puck past Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry from the left faceoff circle. His 10th goal of the season evened the score and broke a tie with Trevor Zegras atop the Flyers’ goal-scoring leaderboard.
But less than a minute later, with the Flyers still on a five-on-three power play after Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang was called for high-sticking when the goal horn went off, Foerster took a pass from Zegras for a one-timer atop the left circle.
Foerster appeared to suffer an injury as he shot the puck on goal. He skated off, holding his right shoulder, and went down the tunnel.
Injury update: Flyers forward Tyson Foerster will be out 2-3 months with an upper-body injury. https://t.co/l3FPNFUGC2
“That’s tough. He’s such a big part of the team, the locker room, everything,” forward Travis Konecny said. “So, yeah, I mean, it’s definitely difficult.”
Added Noah Cates, who, along with Konecny, plays on a line with Foerster: “Yeah, [it stinks]. Seeing a teammate, or anyone, go down, and obviously just such an important part of our team, our core, just special teams, everything like that, so, yeah, just kind of messed with our lineup. … But everyone’s got to be ready and ready to play with everyone.”
The 23-year-old winger has been off to a fast start, despite missing four games with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot by Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly on Nov. 1. He has six goals in the last seven games and 13 points across 21 games this season.
“His release of his shot is really elite … but when he gets that puck in the slot or these prime areas, his release, really, it’s an elite shot, so I give him a lot of credit,” Tocchet said Saturday before the Flyers defeated the New Jersey Devils, 5-3. Foerster did not score in that game.
The winger had surgery in the offseason after a right elbow injury he picked up during the World Championships became infected. After some initial concern, he did not miss any game action and returned in time for opening night.
Foerster also has had issues with his right shoulder in the past. In November 2021, he dislocated his right shoulder while diving for a puck on a five-on-three power play for Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. He had shoulder surgery and missed 4½ months. Foerster also suffered a broken tibia in February 2021.
With the Flyers already having a roster spot open after defenseman Adam Ginning cleared waivers Monday afternoon and was assigned to the Phantoms, speculation swirled that Alex Bump would be called up to make his NHL debut.
But a source tells The Inquirer the Flyers were always more likely to recall a veteran from Lehigh Valley. The Flyers officially recalled Carl Grundström on Tuesday night. Grundström played one game this season with the Flyers on Nov. 8 against Ottawa after being acquired in a trade that sent Ryan Ellis’ contract to the San Jose Sharks. Originally drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs, the 28-year-old has 76 points in 293 career games split between the Flyers, Sharks, and Los Angeles Kings. He has six goals and 15 points in 19 games with Lehigh Valley this season.
The move signals that Nikita Grebenkin likely will get a chance to show what he can do while playing in a top-nine role. The 22-year-old Grebenkin, who has mostly played on the fourth line this season and has been in and out of the lineup, has one goal and three points in 16 games this season.
There should be a call-up for Bump at some point this season. The winger has four goals and 16 points in 20 games with Lehigh Valley this season. Although he had a slow start and hasn’t scored a goal since Nov. 14, Bump has three goals and 13 points in his last 12 games.
“The moment that it really clicked for him was after the second Wilkes-Barre game. I challenged him in a different way,” Phantoms coach John Snowden told The Inquirer in mid-November, referencing Bump’s fifth game of the season.
“We all know that he has the offensive ability — he can hold onto the puck, he can beat you one-on-one, he can score with his shot, he can beat you with a pass, he’s got all those qualities. But the one thing that he was lacking was the abrasiveness in playing inside of contact and getting guys on your back and in finishing hits when it’s time to finish a hit, and valuing the defensive side of things.
“All those little things that are going to create more offensive opportunities for him, we need to get those better.”
It took 2½ minutes for Acaden Lewis to, for all intents and purposes, end a Villanova–Temple game Monday night at Finneran Pavilion that mostly had been a sloppy rock fight for the first 25 minutes.
The Villanova freshman, in foul trouble for the bulk of the first half, hadn’t yet made his mark on a game that was sending the winner to the Big 5 Classic championship game.
In a flash, that changed. The Wildcats, in the third year of the current Big 5 Classic format, finally will play for a championship in a City Series the program had long dominated. They beat Temple, 74-56, largely because of Lewis’ steady hand and a short sequence that changed the game.
First, Lewis got to the basket and finished a layup through contact. His three-point play cut a four-point Temple lead to one with 15 minutes remaining. Then he stripped Temple’s Gavin Griffiths and fed Devin Askew for a three-pointer.
After a Temple miss, Villanova’s Duke Brennan, the nation’s leading rebounder, grabbed one of his game-high eight rebounds and found Lewis, who got the ball up court quickly and into the hands of Tyler Perkins, who hit one of his game-high five three-pointers en route to his 19-point night.
Timeout Temple. Tide turned. Lewis got a hockey assist on the next Villanova possession, then grabbed the ensuing Temple miss, brought the ball up the court, and found Brennan rolling to the rim for two easy points. Villanova’s lead was only six with 12 minutes, 20 seconds to play, but Lewis was rolling, and it was only a matter of time before the game got out of Temple’s reach.
Tyler Perkins led Villanova with 19 points against Temple on Monday night.
Lewis finished with 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting to go with eight assists, five rebounds, and two steals. He played 24 minutes, was a plus-25, and didn’t turn the ball over.
Monday’s stat line came on the heels of Lewis’ 20-point outburst in Villanova’s win over Old Dominion last week. He has averaged 6.4 assists over Villanova’s last five games.
Lewis, a top-35 recruit in the 2025 class, was benched in Villanova’s season-opening loss to nationally ranked Brigham Young. His decision-making and defense in his college debut weren’t good enough. But he has responded over the last four weeks with maturity and poise.
“He’s been playing at an extremely high level ever since the BYU game, and I think he just keeps getting a little bit more comfortable with guys out there and what he’s doing,” Villanova coach Kevin Willard said. “He’s been great.”
Lewis said he’s feeling more comfortable. He sees it in his ability to take care of the ball and not turn it over. He had four turnovers apiece in victories over Sacred Heart and Duquesne, but followed those outings up with two turnovers vs. La Salle, one vs. Old Dominion, and zero Monday night vs. Temple. His defense has improved, too.
“Man, is he good,” Temple coach Adam Fisher said. “I got to watch him in high school and stuff. He’s just so smooth as a freshman, and I think you see Coach Willard’s teams through the years, his personnel gets better. So I think what you’re seeing from Lewis right now, and the Lewis come February and March is going to be even better.
“And right now, he’s pretty freakin’ good. All five guys got to guard him, his ability to pick you apart. He can guard, he’s got great length, and he disrupts the game.”
Even if he’s not realizing it in the moment.
“I honestly have no clue,” Lewis said when asked about the impact of the aforementioned sequence that changed the game. “I kind of got lost in the game.”
Acaden Lewis (right) fueled a Villanova run that helped put Monday’s game against Temple on ice.
Villanova, with Lewis on the bench for the final 10 minutes of the first half, looked lost offensively at times. Temple’s trio of guards — Aiden Tobiason, Derrian Ford, and Jordan Mason — who combined for 41 of Temple’s 56 points, did a good job disrupting Villanova’s flow. But Villanova finally put together an extended stretch of good defensive play, an area that has been of concern to Willard lately.
Willard said he was happy at halftime despite Villanova leading by just one, 29-28. The Wildcats outscored the Owls, 45-28, in the second half. They outrebounded Temple (4-4), 43-24, overall.
Villanova had nine turnovers in the first 21 minutes of the game, but not another the rest of the way largely because of Lewis, who drained a three-pointer for good measure (or practice) after the final horn sounded.
The Wildcats are 6-1 and have KenPom’s No. 1 team, Michigan (7-0), which is ranked No. 3 in the Associated Press poll, on Tuesday. It will be a litmus test type of game for a team that currently has no real signature win on its resumé.
First up, though, is a date Saturday with Penn (5-3) in the championship of the Big 5 Classic.
“Where we’re trying to get this program back to, you got to learn how to win games that matter,” Willard said. “To play Penn for the Big 5 championship … learning how to win championships, especially in today’s world where you have 13 guys who are all brand-new, it’s a good opportunity for us to learn and see what it’s all about.”
Big 5 Classic matchups set
Fifth-place game: Drexel vs. La Salle, 2 p.m.
Third-place game: St. Joseph’s vs. Temple, 4:30 p.m.
