Kevin Willard’s decision to leave Maryland for Villanova stemmed from internal conflicts and anxieties concerning not just the resources available to the program, but also their allocation. The public nature of this decision, coming at the end of the last season, was surprising. However, Willard’s choice to transition to Villanova, which he likely viewed favorably due to its resource allocation, has yielded less than exciting initial results.

Since Willard’s hiring in late March, a significant number of players from last season’s squad have entered the transfer portal. Among them are two players—Jordan Longino and Enoch Boakye—who lack remaining eligibility. Out of these, seven have made the move since Willard’s appointment, while one lesser-used forward, Nnana Njoku, did so prior to the hiring.

It’s not unusual for a new coaching staff, especially one taking over a team that won 21 games yet did not reach the NCAA Tournament the previous year, to overhaul a roster. However, with the departure of their top two scorers, Eric Dixon and Wooga Poplar, alongside the exit of eight others to the portal, there is a heightened urgency for Willard to attract several notable recruits through the portal to compensate for these losses.

Currently, this has yet to happen.

Stars Not Following

When a coach transitions to a new program, it’s typical for some of their former players to accompany them. An example of this occurred last year when Drake hired Ben McCollum from Division II and brought along star guard Bennett Stirtz. This year, a similar situation unfolded when Iowa hired McCollum and Stirtz followed him.

However, this is not the case for Willard; only one of his former players from Maryland, 7-footer Braden Pierce, has chosen to follow him to Villanova from the ten Terps who have entered the portal. Pierce played in five games last season, totaling an average of 2.4 points and 2.4 rebounds.

In the meantime, second-leading scorer Ja’Kobi Gillespie opted for Tennessee; Rodney Rice, the third-highest scorer, went to USC; and seventh-leading scorer DeShawn Harris-Smith transferred to Georgetown. The leading scorer and rebounder, Derik Queen, is expected to enter the NBA Draft after a commendable freshman year.

In summary, Maryland’s top eight scorers from last season and the entire “Crab Five” are not currently following Willard to his new position at Villanova.

Additionally, four players remain undecided about their future in the portal, with one, Julian Reese, already out of eligibility.

Underwhelming Additions

Compounding the exodus from Villanova is Willard’s struggle to replenish the roster from the portal. Maryland has successfully brought in eight transfers to offset nine losses under new head coach Buzz Williams. These include Pharrel Payne and Solomon Washington, who followed Williams from Texas A&M, along with Indiana transfer Myles Rice.

Villanova, on the other hand, has managed to secure merely three incoming transfers: Bryce Lindsay from James Madison, Zion Stanford from Temple, and the aforementioned Pierce from Maryland.

Notably, Lindsay is ranked as the No. 269 player in the 247Sports portal rankings, while Stanford is No. 281. Pierce does not hold a ranking.

What’s Next for Nova

As the portal officially closes, Villanova faces pressure to evaluate options promptly and make critical decisions in the weeks ahead as available players continue to dwindle. Several players from Maryland remain undecided in the portal, providing a potentially useful pool to draw from.

Moreover, a handful of significant names have recently entered the portal and might be viable options if Villanova can meet their expected requirements. Players like USC guard Desmond Claude and Memphis guard PJ Haggerty, who are deemed great fits, are among those targets. Likely, however, Nova will need to explore unconventional routes, such as looking internationally or scouting lower-tier programs, to effectively round out their roster.

Willard’s record speaks volumes. He led his previous program, Seton Hall, to a 22-win season without any prior players following him. He subsequently rebounded from a 16-17 season to engineer a 27-9 record at Maryland. He possesses a winning pedigree but is still searching for elite talent that compliments his coaching style at Villanova.

It remains challenging to envision success swiftly with the Wildcats unless significant changes transpire in the immediate future. The hope for Willard was that the resources and environment would enhance performance; yet, he has consistently missed high-profile targets, leaving Villanova in a precarious position for the upcoming season.