{"id":52222,"date":"2023-08-03T08:00:14","date_gmt":"2023-08-03T12:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=52222"},"modified":"2023-08-02T20:03:27","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T00:03:27","slug":"villanova-wildcats-preview-2023-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2023\/08\/03\/villanova-wildcats-preview-2023-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Villanova Wildcats Preview 2023-24"},"content":{"rendered":"

Villanova did not live up to their recent success of the past, but the\u00a0<\/span>Wildcats<\/span><\/a>\u00a0look to have a better year this season. After acquiring some good pieces in the\u00a0<\/span>transfer portal<\/span> and retaining key assets, they have the makings of a top-25 team. In particular, it is a big year for <\/span>Kyle Neptune<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, as he must lead this Villanova team successfully.<\/span><\/p>\n

Villanova Wildcats Preview 2023-24<\/span><\/h2>\n

Where They Succeeded Last Season<\/span><\/h3>\n

Eric Dixon’s Development<\/span><\/h4>\n

Eric Dixon<\/span><\/strong><\/a> proved to be one of the best bigs in the conference this past season. He led the Wildcats in scoring with 15.4 points a game and had good shooting splits with 49\/38\/79 last season. Dixon dominated all season and made impressive strides as a scorer and offensive engine for the Wildcats. He also grew defensively, with 21 blocked shots and 18 steals. Dixon was a ray of light for a Wildcat team struggling to generate points consistently. His decision to return for his final year legitimizes Villanova’s chances to make a run in the Big East. Dixon is one of the best players, giving Villanova reliable leadership and offense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Assist-to-Turnover Ratio<\/span><\/h4>\n

While it was not the best assist-to-turnover ratio in Villanova’s history, it was still good.\u00a0<\/span>Villanova<\/span><\/a> had 377 assists to 343 turnovers. Maintaining a positive ratio comes down to solid decision-making and sound fundamentals. The Wildcats were a disciplined team throughout the season. Even though they had players with less playing experience and had moments of poor play, they generally kept a level head. That allowed them to generate more assists than turnovers as a team. They ran their offense and got shots off because they got more buckets than turnovers, a key to keeping a team consistent.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where They Struggled<\/span><\/h3>\n

Shooting and Offense<\/span><\/h4>\n

Villanova did not have a great year on the offensive end. They averaged 69.6 points a game, eighth in the <\/span>Big East<\/span><\/a>. Therefore, they struggled to get buckets in big moments and did not have a great flow offensively. More importantly, their offensive woes came down to poor perimeter shooting. Their three-point shooting percentage was 33.4%, seventh in the conference. Their shooting and struggles offensively led to a 17-17 record last season.<\/span><\/p>\n

Justin Moore’s Health<\/span><\/h4>\n

Justin Moore<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is a productive and successful guard for the Wildcats. With\u00a0<\/span>his Achilles injury<\/span><\/a> in the 2022 Elite 8, Moore missed many games this season. Villanova did not have an experienced point guard, and that leadership gave them a chance to succeed in 2022. He <\/span>only played<\/span> 13 of their 34 games, and the Wildcats were 7-6 in <\/span>the contests<\/span><\/a>\u00a0that he played. To put it in context, he was Second Team All-Big East in 2022, so his health is crucial for Villanova’s success.<\/span><\/p>\n

Returning Players<\/span><\/h3>\n

Dixon and Moore are returning to Villanova, two of their three leading scorers from a year ago. They also brought back <\/span>Mark Armstrong<\/span><\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>Jordan Longino<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, and\u00a0<\/span>Chris Arcidiacono<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, who were significant pieces for the Wildcats a year ago.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n