From one Wildcat to another. After decommitting from Kentucky earlier in April, a top recruit has chosen his new school: Acaden Lewis, a guard from Washington D.C., committed to Villanova on Thursday. The move came after a flood of transfers committed to Kentucky, closing his chances of playing meaningful minutes as a freshman. So, who will be joining Lewis at Villanova? What are the Wildcats’ chances of competing in the Big East and eventually making the NCAA Tournament? Let’s dive in.
NEWS: Top-35 recruit Acaden Lewis, a former Kentucky signee, has committed to Villanova, he told @On3Recruits.
The 6-2 senior is one of the best point guards in the country. https://t.co/G3cvFPxUsW pic.twitter.com/zc44sGOPsu
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) May 1, 2025
Acaden Lewis, Kentucky Decommit, Chooses Villanova
Who Will Join Acaden Lewis at Villanova?
With Kevin Willard taking over as head coach, he needed to reconstruct his entire roster. So far, he has been able to put together a solid unit. Acaden Lewis marks the top high school recruit for Villanova, but he has found another four-star guard and three-star center to cover some of the scholarships and establish a young core. High school recruiting has become increasingly less important for programs hoping to win a national championship (unless they get several top recruits like Duke). However, finding young high school players is a good strategy for a program looking to reestablish itself.
In the transfer portal, Willard has yet to bring in any top recruits. However, he has filled out the roster with a complement of solid talent. Devin Askew has had a strong career at some smaller programs after originally attending Kentucky. Bryce Lindsay is a promising young player from Baltimore who averaged 13.4. points per game at James Madison. Zion Stanford won’t have to travel far from Temple. He also averaged about 13 points per game and still has two years of eligibility. Overall, he has filled out the roster well, but they likely hope to grab one more good player in the portal.
What is Villanova’s Ceiling?
With the current roster makeup, for better or worse, Lewis is set up to be one of the stars of the show for Villanova. Like most freshmen in a power conference, it will take him time to adjust to the gameplay. However, once he establishes himself, he will have the opportunity to be a good college player. Kevin Willard recruited elite talent at Maryland, including a potential lottery pick in Derik Queen. However, this team will be all about fit. How well will each player commit to playing their roles? We have seen coaches put together a roster in a similar fashion and have immediate success. It all depends on the personalities of the players.
The Big East is nothing like they were back in the late 2000s and early 2010s, but it is still one of the best four conferences in college basketball. UConn has retooled incredibly well. Creighton and Marquette have elite coaches as well, who have proven their success. St. John’s has a completely new roster, but that roster is full of some of the best talent in the transfer portal, including North Carolina transfer Ian Jackson. Rick Pitino will have the Red Storm competing for a national championship.
There isn’t a spot for Villanova at the top right now. The Wildcats and Xavier, under Richard Pitino, will be teams to watch in the future. However, next year, an NCAA Tournament berth is in reach, but not a Big East title. After the disappointing seasons since Jay Wright’s retirement, Wildcat fans would be happy with an NCAA Tournament berth. For now, Villanova will celebrate adding Acaden Lewis and hope he can return the Wildcats to former glory.
Photo credit: © Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
