The point guard position is one that has been elite at Villanova for two decades.
The Wildcats saw Acaden Lewis put up impressive numbers during his freshman year before entering the transfer portal.
With Tyler Perkins returning to Villanova, head coach Kevin Willard was hard at work looking to retool the backcourt — primarily at the point guard spot. In the transfer portal, Willard brought in both Elijah Crawford and Darryl Simmons.
Advertisement
Willard joined Jon Rothstein for a conversation earlier this week and touched on the backcourt.
“We got Elijah and Buddy,” Willard said. “Two drastically different guards. I can play them together. Defensively, they’ll be elite.”
Crawford will likely act as the starting point guard for the team last season. Willard highlighted his ability in the pick-and-roll game, which will be present given Villanova’s size. After starting his career at BYU, Crawford transferred to UIC and enjoyed a breakout season. He averaged 14.1 points and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 45.3% from the field.
Crawford has the ability to score but Willard likes his willingness to make his teammates better.
Advertisement
“Elijah was ranked eighth in college basketball in pick and rolls,” Willard said. “As we were putting this team together, we really wanted somebody that understood pick and rolls and wanted to get people the basketball. Elijah isn’t a guy that’s looking to go out and get 20 points or looking to score. He is an unbelievable competitor. Great in pick and rolls and a really, really good defensive guard.”
Along with Crawford, the Wildcats brought in Simmons from St. Bonaventure. As a junior, he led the A-10 in minutes played at 35.4 per night. Simmons scored 16.4 points per game. He excelled as a shooter, finishing 42.5% from three-point range and a hair under 90% from the free throw line.
“Buddy, he can shoot it from anywhere,” Willard said. “I’ll take that kid’s toughness over anyone I’ve coaches in awhile. He’s someone that wants to prove that he can play at this level. I can play them together and be small, fast, quick. Buddy can shoot it from anywhere. We have two different guys that can play two different ways.”
Villanova will likely use Simmons off the bench along with Cornell transfer Jake Fiegen. This is a duo that can fill it up from three-point range and provide that extra boost, similar to Devin Askew last season.
Advertisement
The Wildcats rebuilt the backcourt this offseason after the departures of Lewis and Bryce Lindsay. While it might not have the “star” power of last year’s team, how do we feel about this version of the backcourt that Willard brought to Villanova?
