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New Year’s Resolutions: Villanova Wildcats

Ryan Arcidiacono

Over the course of the holiday week, we at College Basketball Talk will be detailing what we believe will be the New Year’s Resolutions of some of the nation’s most talented, most disappointing, and thoroughly enigmatic teams. What can we say, we’re in a giving mood.

Who else made Resolutions? Click here to find out.

WHAT DOES VILLANOVA PROMISE TO DO MORE OF?: Receive more production from Ryan Arcidiacono.


  • Why it will happen: For the amount of time that sophomore guard Ryan Arcidiacono is on the floor -- better than 30 minutes per game, which is the most on the team -- Villanova needs to start receiving more production from him. There is no doubt that he’s the floor leader and does the little things, but that doesn’t change the fact he’s shooting a mere 35.4% FG and 23.9% 3PT. However, if we are to go by history, Arcidiacono should get better in Big East play. He averaged 11.9 ppg and made double the amount of free throws per game (3.6 to 1.8) last season. Villanova is rolling right now thanks in large part to James Bell, JayVaughn Pinkston, and Darrun Hilliard, but a better Arcidiacono makes the offense that much more dynamic.
  • Why it won’t happen: Arcidiacono’s role on the team isn’t to be a scorer; that’s the aforementioned three players’ job. However, he needs to be more efficient on the offense end. His eFG% (effective FG%) is a poor 43.4%. Averaging 9.0 ppg is fine considering his role, but the amount of shots he’s taking to reach this number makes him inefficient on offense. For his shortcomings on offense, Arcidiacono is a true menace on defense. That counts as “production,” right? It may not come on offense, but Arcidiacono still plays a critical role for Villanova.

WHAT DOES VILLANOVA SWEAR THEY WILL DO LESS OF?: Shoot fewer three-pointers.


  • Why it will happen: It’s not earth-shattering to state Villanova takes a ton of three-pointers. Their rotation consists of just one player taller than 6-foot-7 and, as a result, they rely heavily on shooting from the perimeter. 46.8% of their FGA attempts are from three, which ranks fifth in the nation. Having the three-point shot be such a large part of the offense isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but that’s only if a team hits a high percentage of the shots. Look no further than yesterday’s game against Syracuse. Villanova came out on fire, hitting five three-pointers in the first 8:25 of the game, but then went cold going 5-24 the rest of the way, resulting in a relatively easy win for Syracuse. For the season, they are shooting 32.6% 3PT. Aside from Josh Hart, there isn’t a Wildcat shooting better than 40% 3PT. Living and dying by the three is a scary proposition. Expect Jay Wright to go inside more and more during Big East play, especially since Villanova is shooting 54.7% 2PT (19th nationally).
  • Why it won’t happen: With little presence in the post, Villanova will continue to be a jump-shooting team. Daniel Ochefu is the only true threat to score in the paint. James Bell and Darrun Hilliard have both attempted more three-pointers than shots inside the arc, even though they are each combining to shoot a mediocre 35% 3PT. It is easy to critique Villanova’s offensive ability. Ultimately, they hang their hat on the defensive end where they allow a mere .90 points per possession. If the strong defensive play continues, the Wildcats will be able to get away with -- in most games -- relying on three-pointers.

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