2014-15 Villanova Wildcats - Blue Ribbon Analysis

Wright is extremely comfortable with what he calls “a really mature group... we don’t really have to push them because they’re self-motivated.” The first seven members of Villanova’s rotation all played key roles on last year’s team, and the coach liked what he saw of his two freshmen during summer drills. 

The question is whether the Wildcats can deal with heightened expectations and the knowledge that opponents will zero in on them this season. 

“We know the key is for us to be able to grind like we did last year,” he said. “We’ve got everybody back basically. So we need to keep these guys fresh and then we need to get them at the latest point possible, ready for a grind, because last year the grind was from the summer all the way through.” 

The team’s three oldest players — Pinkston, Hilliard and Arcidiacono — have combined for 265 starts and have the talent, experience and wisdom to guide the younger players through any rocky patches. Still, the ’Cats don’t have a tremendous amount of depth; they carry just 10 scholarship players. To expect Villanova to have the same good fortune regarding injuries as last year might seem a little far-fetched. 

So while they may not match their 29-5 record from last year, the Wildcats enter the new season as the favorite to again win the regular-season Big East championship with a goal of going deeper into the postseason.

Joe Juliano, 2014-15 Blue Ribbon

BLUE RIBBON ANAYSIS:
BACKCOURT    A-
BENCH/DEPTH B-
FRONTCOURT  B+
INTANGIBLES  A-