2020–21 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team

2020–21 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball
2K Empire Classic champions
Big East regular season champions
NCAA tournament, Sweet Sixteen
ConferenceBig East Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 11
APNo. 18
Record18–7 (11–4 Big East)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaFinneran Pavilion
Seasons
2020–21 Big East men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 18 Villanova 11 – 4   .733 18 – 7   .720
No. 19 Creighton 14 – 6   .700 22 – 9   .710
UConn 11 – 6   .647 15 – 8   .652
St. John's 10 – 9   .526 16 – 11   .593
Seton Hall 10 – 9   .526 14 – 13   .519
Providence 9 – 10   .474 13 – 13   .500
Xavier 6 – 7   .462 13 – 8   .619
Georgetown † 7 – 9   .438 13 – 13   .500
Marquette 8 – 11   .421 13 – 14   .481
Butler 8 – 12   .400 10 – 15   .400
DePaul 2 – 13   .133 5 – 14   .263
† 2021 Big East tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll

The 2020–21 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team represented Villanova University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by head coach Jay Wright in his 20th year, the Wildcats played their home games at the Finneran Pavilion on the school's campus in the Philadelphia suburb of Villanova, Pennsylvania. However they did not play at Wells Fargo Center due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 18-7, 11-4 in Big East Play to finish as regular season champions. However, star guard Collin Gillespie suffered a season-ending MCL tear with a single game left in the regular season and were upset in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament by Georgetown. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they defeated Winthrop and North Texas, despite the loss of Gillespie and Justin Moore in the first round game, to advance to the Sweet Sixteen where they lost to the eventual champions Baylor.

Previous season

The Wildcats finished the 2019–20 season 24–7, 13–5 in Big East play to finish tied for first place. As the No. 2 seed in the Big East tournament, they were slated to play DePaul in the quarterfinals, but the Tournament was cancelled at halftime of the first game of the quarterfinals due to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the rest of the NCAA postseason.[1]

Offseason

Departures

Name Number Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Notes
Tim Saunders 12 G 6'4" 200 Senior Del Mar, CA Graduated
Saddiq Bey 41 F 6'8" 216 Sophomore Largo, MD Declared for the 2020 NBA draft; selected 19th overall by the Brooklyn Nets[2]

Preseason

The Wildcats were picked to win the Big East Conference in the coaches' poll, receiving nine first-place votes and a total of 99 points.[3] Collin Gillespie and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl were selected to the Preseason First Team All-Big East, while Justin Moore was selected to the Preseason Second Team All-Big East.[4] Villanova was considered one of the favorites to win a national title after returning most of its roster from the previous season, and was ranked third in the preseason Associated Press poll.[5]

Roster

2020–21 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
G 1 Bryan Antoine 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg) So Ranney School Tinton Falls, NJ
G 2 Collin Gillespie Injured 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Sr Archbishop Wood HS Huntingdon Valley, PA
F 3 Brandon Slater 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 211 lb (96 kg) Jr Paul VI Catholic HS Centerville, VA
G 4 Chris Arcidiacono 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 196 lb (89 kg) So Perkiomen School Langhorne, PA
G 5 Justin Moore 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) So DeMatha Catholic HS Fort Washington, MD
F 10 Cole Swider 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 225 lb (102 kg) Jr St. Andrews School Portsmouth, RI
F 12 Trey Patterson 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Fr Rutgers Preparatory School Somerset, NJ
G 13 Kevin Voigt (W) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 193 lb (88 kg) Jr Massapequa HS Massapequa, NY
G 14 Caleb Daniels 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 210 lb (95 kg) RS Jr St. Augustine HS
Tulane 		New Orleans, LA
G 20 Kevin Hoehn (W) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Sr Morristown HS Morristown, NJ
F 21 Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Sr Neumann–Goretti Catholic HS Philadelphia, PA
F 23 Jermaine Samuels 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Sr The Rivers School Franklin, MA
F 24 Jeremiah Robinson-Earl 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 230 lb (104 kg) So IMG Academy Kansas City, KS
F 43 Eric Dixon 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 260 lb (118 kg) RS Fr Abington HS Willow Grove, PA
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: November 27, 2020

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Regular season
November 25, 2020*
9:30 pm, ESPN 		No. 3 vs. Boston College
2K Empire Classic semifinal 		W 76–67  1–0
  18 – Robinson-Earl   10 – Robinson-Earl   7 – Gillespie  Mohegan Sun Arena (0)
Uncasville, CT
November 26, 2020*
9:30 pm, ESPN 		No. 3 vs. No. 18 Arizona State
2K Empire Classic championship 		W 83–74  2–0
  28 – Robinson-Earl   12 – Moore   4 – Daniels  Mohegan Sun Arena (0)
Uncasville, CT
November 28, 2020*
8:00 p.m., ESPNU 		No. 3 vs. Virginia Tech
Hall of Fame Tip Off 		L 73–81 OT 2–1
  25 – Gillespie   9 – Robinson-Earl   4 – Gillespie  Mohegan Sun Arena (0)
Uncasville, CT
November 30, 2020*
 Saint Joseph's
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		Finneran Pavilion 
Villanova, PA
December 1, 2020*
5:30 p.m., ESPN2 		No. 12 vs. Hartford
Bubbleville 		W 87–53  3–1
  15 – Moore   10 – Tied   5 – Moore  Mohegan Sun Arena (0)
Uncasville, CT
December 3, 2020*
 Temple
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		Finneran Pavilion 
Villanova, PA
December 6, 2020*
1:00 p.m., ESPN 		No. 12 at No. 17 Texas
Big East/Big 12 Battle 		W 68–64  4–1
  19 – Tied   12 – Samuels   3 – Tied  Frank Erwin Center (2,506)
Austin, TX
December 11, 2020
5:00 p.m., FS1 		No. 9 at Georgetown W 76–63  5–1
(1–0)
  18 – Tied   8 – Moore   6 – Tied  Capital One Arena (0)
Washington, DC
December 14, 2020
7:00 p.m., FS1 		No. 7 DePaul
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		Finneran Pavilion 
Villanova, PA
December 16, 2020
7:00 p.m., FS1 		No. 7 Butler W 85–66  6–1
(2–0) 		 18 – Tied   6 – Samuels   5 – Gillespie  Finneran Pavilion (0)
Villanova, PA
December 19, 2020*
9:00 pm, FS1 		No. 7 Saint Joseph's W 88–68  7–1
  25 – Robinson-Earl   8 – Samuels   6 – Robinson-Earl  Finneran Pavilion (0)
Villanova, PA
December 23, 2020
7:00 p.m., FS1 		No. 5 at Marquette W 85–68  8–1
(3–0) 		 22 – Gillespie   7 – Robinson-Earl   5 – Daniels  Fiserv Forum (0)
Milwaukee, WI
January 2, 2021
2:00 p.m., FS1 		No. 4 at Xavier
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		Cintas Center 
Cincinnati, OH
January 5, 2021
7:00 p.m., FS1 		No. 3 at DePaul
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		Wintrust Arena 
Chicago, IL
January 8, 2021
9:00 p.m., FS1 		No. 3 Marquette
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		Finneran Pavilion 
Villanova, PA
January 13, 2021
6:30 p.m., FS1 		No. 3 at Xavier
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		Cintas Center 
Cincinnati, OH
January 15, 2021
9:00 p.m., FS1 		No. 3 at No. 25 Connecticut
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		Gampel Pavilion 
Storrs, CT
January 19, 2021
9:00 p.m., FS1 		No. 3 Seton Hall W 76–74  9–1
(4–0) 		 22 – Gillespie   9 – Samuels   7 – Moore  Finneran Pavilion (0)
Villanova, PA
January 23, 2021
2:30 p.m., FOX 		No. 3 Providence W 71–56  10–1
(5–0) 		 15 – Tied   10 – Samuels   6 – Gillespie  Finneran Pavilion (0)
Villanova, PA
January 28, 2021
9:00 p.m., FS1 		No. 3 at Connecticut
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		Gampel Pavilion 
Storrs, CT
January 30, 2021
3:00 p.m., FOX 		No. 3 at Seton Hall W 80–72  11–1
(6–0) 		 23 – Robinson-Earl   5 – Tied   11 – Gillespie  Prudential Center (0)
Newark, NJ
February 3, 2021
9:00 p.m., CBSSN 		No. 3 at St. John's L 59–70  11–2
(6–1) 		 16 – Daniels   17 – Robinson-Earl   6 – Gillespie  Carnesecca Arena (0)
Queens, NY
February 7, 2021
2:30 p.m., FOX 		No. 3 Xavier
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		Finneran Pavilion 
Villanova, PA
February 7, 2021
2:30 p.m., FOX 		No. 3 Georgetown W 84–74  12–2
(7–1) 		 32 – Samuels   6 – Robinson-Earl/Samuels   5 – 3 tied  Finneran Pavilion (0)
Villanova, PA
February 9, 2021
9:00 p.m., FS1 		No. 5 DePaul
Postponed due to COVID-19 issues 		Finneran Pavilion 
Villanova, PA
February 10, 2021
9:00 p.m., FS1 		No. 5 Marquette W 96–64  13–2
(8–1) 		 27 – Robinson-Earl   11 – Gillespie   3 – Tied  Finneran Pavilion (0)
Villanova, PA
February 13, 2021
5:00 p.m., FOX 		No. 5 at No. 19 Creighton L 70–86  13–3
(8–2) 		 21 – Moore   7 – Robinson-Earl   3 – Tied  CHI Health Center Omaha (2,544)
Omaha, NE
February 20, 2021
1:00 p.m., FOX 		No. 10 Connecticut W 68–60  14–3
(9–2) 		 20 – Gillespie   11 – Robinson-Earl   3 – Swider  Finneran Pavilion (0)
Villanova, PA
February 23, 2021
8:00 p.m., CBSSN 		No. 8 St. John's W 81–58  15–3
(10–2) 		 17 – Daniels   9 – Samuels   5 – Gillespie  Finneran Pavilion (0)
Villanova, PA
February 28, 2021
12:00 p.m., CBS 		No. 8 at Butler L 61–73  15–4
(10–3) 		 16 – Robinson-Earl   16 – Robinson-Earl   2 – Gillespie  Hinkle Fieldhouse (2,203)
Indianapolis, IN
March 3, 2021
8:30 p.m., FS1 		No. 10 No. 14 Creighton W 72–60  16–4
(11–3) 		 24 – Moore   14 – Robinson-Earl   7 – Samuels  Finneran Pavilion (0)
Villanova, PA
March 6, 2021
2:30 p.m., FOX 		No. 10 at Providence L 52–54  16–5
(11–4) 		 21 – Samuels   13 – Robinson-Earl   2 – Arcidiacono  Alumni Hall (0)
Providence, RI
Big East tournament
March 11, 2021
12:00 p.m., FS1 		(1) No. 14 vs. (8) Georgetown
Quarterfinals 		L 71–72  16–6
  26 – Robinson-Earl   7 – Samuels   4 – Samuels  Madison Square Garden (824)
Manhattan, NY
NCAA tournament
March 19, 2021*
9:57 pm, TNT 		(5 S) No. 18 vs. (12 S) Winthrop
First Round 		W 73–63  17–6
  22 – Robinson-Earl   12 – Robinson-Earl   5 – Robinson-Earl  Indiana Farmers Coliseum (873)
Indianapolis, IN
March 21, 2021*
8:45 pm, TNT 		(5 S) No. 18 vs. (13 S) North Texas
Second Round 		W 84–61  18–6
  18 – Robinson-Earl   9 – Samuels   6 – Robinson-Earl  Bankers Life Fieldhouse 
Indianapolis, IN
March 27, 2021*
5:15 pm, CBS 		(5 S) No. 18 vs. (1 S) No. 3 Baylor
Sweet Sixteen 		L 51–62  18–7
  16 – Samuels   12 – Robinson-Earl   3 – Moore  Hinkle Fieldhouse 
Indianapolis, IN
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time.

Rankings

See also: 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516Final
AP3129754333335108101418Not released
Coaches336633333334769111711

^Coaches did not release a Week 1 poll.

References

  1. ^ Litman, Laken (March 12, 2020). "Inside the Chaotic Decision to Cancel the Big East tournament". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  2. ^ "Saddiq Bey: Declares for 2020 NBA Draft". CBS Sports. April 8, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  3. ^ "Villanova Selected For First Place In Coaches' Preseason Poll". Big East Conference. October 28, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  4. ^ "Gillespie, Robinson-Earl Are First Team Preseason All-BIG EAST Picks". Villanova Wildcats. October 28, 2020. Retrieved November 27, 2020.
  5. ^ Juliano, Joe (November 9, 2020). "Villanova ranked No. 3 in preseason Associated Press men's college basketball top 25". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved November 27, 2020.