2014-15 Villanova Wildcats - Projected Starters

15 - PG - RYAN ARCIDIACONO 

(6-3, 195 lbs., JR, #15, 9.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.1 spg, 31.1 mpg, .395 FG, .345 3PT, .703 FT, Neshaminy HS/Langhorne, Pa.). 

After Arcidiacono enrolled as a freshman, Wright wanted him to get the full effect of the college game, so he looked past the youngster’s turnovers, shot selection and first-year mistakes as long as he remained aggressive. The result of this baptism by fire came last season when Arcidiacono, while taking fewer shots, making fewer 3-pointers and dropping from being the Wildcats’ second-leading scorer to their fourth, was as valuable as anyone on the team. 

Arcidiacono was an ideal floor leader. He hit some big shots when needed, like a clutch 3-pointer in the win over then-No. 2 Kansas. He knocked down 10 free throws and handed out 11 assists against zero turnovers in an overtime win at Marquette, and scored a season-best 21 in a double-overtime thriller at Providence. Meanwhile, Arcidiacono’s ball handling was off the charts. In addition to cutting his turnovers by 50 percent, he nearly doubled his assist-to-turnover ratio from 1.24 to 2.46. 

“We never want our freshmen to be tentative,” Wright said. “He had some great games and looked horrible sometimes, but that’s what we wanted him to be. Last year, we wanted him to take that aggressiveness and add some intelligence, some good decision-making. His scoring went down a little bit, but his assists went up because of the way people played him.” 

Arcidiacono toured with the Italy B national team during the summer, competing with U25 players for some games in China. He said the experience “gave me a different view of my game and the way I play.” 

4 - SG - DARRUN HILLIARD 

(6-6, 215 lbs., SR, #4, 14.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.3 spg, 29.1 mpg, .486 FG, .414 3PT, .718 FT, Liberty HS/Bethlehem, Pa). 

Hilliard, an honorable mention all-conference choice who shared Big East Most Improved Player with fellow Wildcat Daniel Ochefu, is an impressively versatile player right down to the fact that he shoots left-handed but threw baseballs and footballs as a right-hander in high school. He can spot up for the 3-ball, drive to the hole and fill a lane on the fast break. He averaged 15.1 points in Big East play, and shot better from three (.447) and from the line (.764) in conference action. 

Of course, being a senior for Wright means added responsibilities this year for Hilliard, a nice, articulate young man whom the coach wants to be more demanding and aggressive. 

“He’s such a quiet, giving, most unselfish person,” Wright said. “His whole personality is about pleasing others and helping others. Our goal with him is to make him a little bit more aggressive offensively and in terms of his personality, demanding of his teammates. He’s got a great mentality for leadership. He doesn’t have a great personality for leadership, but we’re working on that.” 

Hilliard posted a team-high 30 games in double figures, with four games of 20 points or more, last season. He led the team in 3-point shooting and was second in 3s made with 70. He does tend to get a little loose with the basketball; he committed a team-high 76 turnovers last season, and needs to tighten up that part of his game. 

“He and our assistants have put in a lot of extra work on the court and in the film room and you see the results,” Wright said. “He only scores when he feels we need it and he feels other guys are struggling. We want him to do it all the time.” 

3 - SF - JOSH HART

(6-5, 205 lbs., SO, #3, 7.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.9 apg, 21.4 mpg, .500 FG, .313 3PT, .677 FT, Sidwell Friends HS/Silver Spring, Md.). 

Hart revved up his motor early in his freshman season and rarely let up on the gas. His basketball intelligence enabled him to adapt to the college game quickly, and he proved to be a terror in the Wildcats’ transition game and relentless on the offensive boards. He posted a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds in his second game. 

But after averaging 10.1 points in his first 17 games, he ran into the freshman wall and scored just 39 points in his next 11. He recovered and averaged 14.5 points in Villanova’s first two postseason games before going scoreless in the season finale against UConn. 

Wright expects great things from Hart, one of three potential fifth starters for the Wildcats as the season begins. 

“He’s so smart that with all the trials and tribulations a freshman goes through, every time he hit a bump, you’d explain it to him and he would just say, ‘OK,’ ” Wright said. “He would get it and move on.” 

22 - PF - JayVAUGHN PINKSTON 

(6-7, 235 lbs., R-SR, #22, 14.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.9 spg, 27.1 mpg, .521 FG, .258 3PT, .744 FT, Bishop Loughlin HS/Brooklyn, N.Y.). 

After being suspended in his first season at Villanova for his role in an off-campus altercation, Pinkston has matured as a person and much-appreciated teammate as well as a stronger, better-conditioned athlete who began his career at 260 pounds (120kg) and is now 25 pounds lighter. 

Now Wright wants to see Pinkston ratchet up his leader skills after a season that saw him tie for the team lead in rebounding and finish second in scoring and field-goal percentage. He remained persistent on the offensive boards and went to the free-throw line almost six times per game. 

“I think he’s become very comfortable in his skin as a person and now he’s definitely comfortable at Villanova and with the team,” Wright said. “I think he does have the charisma to be a very good leader. He’s got the respect of his teammates. When he was younger, as much as he would bring to us on the floor, off the floor his immaturity would affect us because everybody respected him. Now he’s come full circle.” 

Pinkston does the dirty work inside with a variety of moves in the low post. His midrange jumper gradually has gotten better but still could be more consistent. He stepped up his rebounding last season, something that Wright would love to see again. 

23 - C/PF - DANIEL OCHEFU 
(6-11, 245 lbs., JR, #23, 5.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.5 bpg, 21.7 mpg, .594 FG, .554 FT, Downingtown East HS/Baltimore, Md.).
Ochefu became much more comfortable on the court and gave Villanova more than blocked shots at one end and the occasional dunk at the other. He showed a knack for working inside for baskets; during one 15-game stretch, he missed only 10 shots in 55 attempts for an .818 percentage. 

But the most head-turning facet that he unveiled was his passing ability. Against Seton Hall, he fashioned a line of 10 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. 

“I just love seeing my teammates score and making them happy, really. I couldn’t care less about myself,” Ochefu said after that game, to which his coach replied, “I would like to see him score more, but he’s the most unselfish player we have". 

“I really expect him to have a breakout year this year because he just keeps getting better and better; I saw it in the summer,” Wright said. “His confidence and his skill level are building. We’re going to use him almost like a point forward. We’ve got to allow him to make plays because he’s good at it.”