By: William Smythe

When Jay Wright abandoned his beloved Villanova program, a part of Delaware County died. The heart and soul of a hugely successful, “Fortune 500” program, Wright made the questionable move to take his talents to the broadcasting booth after retiring from the coaching grind – how do we feel about that, ‘Nova faithful?

Whether you hate him or love him after a Benedict Arnold-esque move, the ‘Cats have turned the page by hiring one of Wright’s former assistants: Kyle Neptune. Last a coach at the Atlantic 10’s Fordham, Neptune has been tasked with upholding the legacy of the winningest coach in Wildcat history – a two-time national champion who did the impossible by overshadowing the famed Rollie Massimino. Unfortunately, the silver fox is gone. Nonetheless, don’t expect the ‘Cats to skip a beat as they begin the Neptune era in Philly. 

Yeah, but Villanova lost to Temple! Don’t read into it that much. This Villanova roster is incredibly depleted after the losses of senior guard Justin Moore and freshman phenom Cam Whitmore to injuries early in the season. Moreover, the eighth-year senior (how it looked from afar) Collin Gillespie is finally gone, forcing ‘Nova to search for a new facilitator after boasting the likes of Gillespie, Jalen Brunson and Kyle Lowry during Wright’s tenure.

Whitmore – the MVP of for the United States’ U18 squad in the FIBA Americas Championship last summer – is eyeing a return to the court either this week or later into December. I cannot emphasize this enough: the Wildcats need him to be competitive before Big East play. A seven-deep roster (that’s probably a stretch) hasn’t helped Neptune establish his dynasty thus far. 

Current MVP: Senior forward Eric Dixon

An unlikely candidate for Villanova team MVP, Dixon has shouldered the offensive load while Moore and Whitmore recover. Averaging 19.8 points per game, the fifth-leading scorer on last year’s Final Four team has been thrust into the limelight as the anchor of the frontcourt alongside fellow senior Brandon Slater (13.0 ppg).

No slight to Dixon, but if he’s setting the pace for ‘Nova it’s pretty obvious that injuries are plaguing this team. When Moore and Whitmore return – the former will likely be back come Big East play – Dixon may thrive even more with opposing defenses’ focus targeted towards what will be a dynamic backcourt. So, the verdict: Moore will end the season as team MVP, but Dixon and company will thrive as a result of his return.

What will happen to ‘Nova this season?

It’s truly contingent on injuries, but I’m banking on a comeback season for the ages. I’m talking Big East regular season champions and a no. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament as a crowning achievement for Neptune’s first year. As I’ve learned from watching ‘Nova over the past few years, it’s unwise to bet against them – even if they receive far less acclaim than the media’s favorite blue-bloods.

I don’t worry about the coaching change at all, especially since the ‘Cats showed some serious fight on the road against Michigan State and may impress in the Phil Knight Invitational this week. KEEP IN MIND, THEY ARE CURRENTLY WITHOUT THEIR BEST TWO PLAYERS. An unranked Villanova is not an indicator of where this team will be later this season. Just watch.