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Villanova basketball: 2019-20 season review and 2020-2021 first-look preview

By Mike Phillips

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 07: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats signals to his players during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on March 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 07: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats signals to his players during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on March 7, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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Jermaine Samuels #23 of the Villanova Wildcats (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

The Villanova Wildcats were not a vintage Jay Wright team but still managed to claim a share of the Big East title in what may have been Wright’s best coaching job yet.

Expectations were high for Villanova entering the season with the Wildcats ranking 10th in the AP’s preseason polls. Even though the general public was enthusiastic about Villanova’s chances of winning the Big East, head coach Jay Wright wasn’t so sure.

Wright told Fox Sports’ Vin Parise early in the year that he still wasn’t sure how good his team would be due to its youth. Villanova teams in the past that have been successful usually rely on upperclassmen but this edition of Villanova featured primarily freshmen and sophomores, so the Wildcats would definitely be in line for some growing pains.

There were plenty of highs for Villanova, such as a win over Kansas in non-conference play, and lows like a three-game losing streak in early February. Despite that volatility Villanova still managed to claim a share of the Big East title, contributing to what Parise believes is Wright’s best coaching job at Villanova.

That is a bold statement since Wright has won a pair of national championships and made numerous runs at the NCAA Tournament. These young Wildcats did, however, lay the groundwork for what could be a dynamic roster that is a huge threat going forward.