Last week, the Villanova Wildcats Men’s Basketball team appeared at the 2026 Big East Media Day. Taking place at the Marriott Marquis in New York City’s Times Square, they were available to interact with the media.
For the first time in three seasons, the Wildcats returned to the NCAA tournament after they finished with a 24-9 record, third overall in the Big East. It surely has been a turnaround after recent memory has been the total opposite of their dynamic 2010’s run.
Head coach Kevin Willard leads the squad in his second season. His return to the Conference was a success after spending the last three years at Maryland. Prior to his time with the Terrapins, he was the head coach of Seton Hall from 2010 to 2022, where he and the Pirates won the 2016 Big East Tournament, upsetting his current team the Wildcats.
“It’s been great,” Willard said, reflecting on last season. “Feel like we have a great roster this year, a little bit more talented, a little bit deeper, a little bit tougher, so it’s been great.”
Joining Willard at media day was Guard Tyler Perkins, who was arguably the team’s most valuable player last season. Averaging 13.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, the senior is looking to once again lead Villanova this year.
Perkins has been here for the good and the bad. His first two years with the Wildcats were led by Kyle Neptune, who was fired after three seasons for underperforming. Now guided by Willard, I asked Perkins what he could say about his head coach and what he has planned for this season:
“I think my trust in him is one of the main reasons why I wanted to stay here and why I love playing for coach Willard. He’s a really good guy and a really good coach and he’s just someone who you would want to go to war for.”
Also in attendance were newcomers Kwame Evans Jr. and Devin Royal, both transferring from the Big Ten. Evans Jr. hails from the University of Oregon, where he spent his first three years with the Ducks. He is coming off a 13.3 point, 7.4 rebound and 2 assist season. Royal is also entering his senior year after spending his entire collegiate career with the Ohio State Buckeyes. In 2026 he averaged 13.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.
Both excelled in their former programs and are looking to help the Wildcats as they join a more competitive conference in the Big East. I asked Perkins how much of a help they will be to him and the lineup:
“I’m going to lean on these guys a lot this year. They’re both seniors, they’ve both played in the tournament, they both played three years of college basketball. I’m gonna definitely lean on them during the hard times, you know just kind of using them as a steady factor, try and bring the younger guys along and just understanding, you know, what it takes to win basketball games at this level.”
The Wildcats won two NCAA tournaments in the 2010s and were constant front runners in the AP-Poll. While it may be challenging to get back to that level based on having to deal with conference juggernauts UConn and St. John’s and the fact that Hall of Fame head coach Jay Wright is no longer at the helm, you can never say never. Willard and company will look to keep the ball rolling in the turnaround they started last season and take a big leap.
