From: November 19, 2022
The first couple of weeks of the Kyle Neptune era in Villanova have been interesting to say the least. Sitting at 2–2, the Wildcats aren’t where they thought they would be. They went on the road to Temple in a rivalry game, and ended up losing by six to the Owls. Up until that day, Villanova was riding a seven game win streak against their in-state rival. Villanova shot 28 percent from three (28!). Last night in East Lansing, they shot 28 percent again from the three. I don’t know if it is a rhythm or a chemistry thing, but Villanova better figure out the perimeter shooting if they want to return to the dance for yet another deep run.
From: AP
The separating factor between Kyle Neptune and other first year head coaches are the returning talent on the roster. Villanova returns a lot of scoring from last year, including Eric Dixon, Caleb Daniels, and Brandon Slater. Speaking of returning talent, Justin Moore came back to the program after tearing his achilles in that Elite Eight matchup against Houston last year. This Wildcats team needs a spark, and getting their best player back should probably do the trick. Moore is by far the most talented player on the team, and is aiming to be back around the start of Big East conference play. Neptune is going to need to let his star guard knock the rust off for a couple games, but after that he should be able to lean on Moore to win games for Villanova down the stretch.
Another big piece the Wildcats are missing is their lead recruit from the 2022 class, Cam Whitmore. Whitmore looks like a classic Villanova player, a 6’ 7” forward who can do pretty much anything on the court. Although he fits the mold of the Villanova model, Whitmore is also uber athletic for his position and is dynamic in both the half court and transition. The freshman is out with a thumb injury for an undisclosed time, and Neptune desperately needs this kid to get back on the court. In order for Villanova to continue their Big East excellence, Whitmore will need to make a difference for this team, and I imagine he carves out a starting role once he returns.
Although Villanova has not been able to come out of the gates hot, I do not see a reason to worry about this team. Kyle Neptune is a Villanova guy, he has learned under Jay Wright, and he will be able to right the ship. Getting Justin Moore and Cam Whitmore back should help, and I expect the Wildcats to return to form once Big East play begins, ending up near the top four or five in the conference.