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2026 BIG EAST Summer Check-In Series - Villanova

Weekly throughout the summer, the BIG EAST will check-in with each of its 11 men's basketball programs.  Highlighted by a one-on-one interview with each head coach and NBC Sports' John Fanta, the BIG EAST Summer Check-In Series will cover a wide range of topics from roster changes, highlights from summer workouts, and scheduling updates.

The Summer Check-In series heads to Villanova this week, as John Fanta and head coach Kevin Willard connect to talk all things Wildcats - from the changes to the 2026-27 roster, what he learned in his first season on the Main Line, and the Eternal City Tip-Off to start the 2026-27 college basketball season on Nov. 1 in Rome.

“I said this last year - Villanova has its own DNA.  This program has a DNA that's a long, great, rich history and tradition of not only great players, but tough players.  I think that's part of who we are and I thought we did a pretty good job of that last year, for being as young as we were and kind of undersized.  I think this team can be a much tougher, better rebounding team and get back to that Villanova toughness.”

Head Coach Kevin Willard on the Villanova DNA and how that culture will take to this season's team

Villanova's 2026-27 Scheduling

Notable 2026-27 Non-Conference Matchups:

  • Nov. 1 vs. Notre Dame (Rome)
  • Nov. 17 at Pittsburgh
  • Nov. 27 at Kansas
  • TBA vs. Michigan (Philadelphia)
  • TBA vs. Wisconsin (Philadelphia)
Villanova's 2026-27 Roster
Villanova added size and shooting in the offseason, welcoming six transfers and three true freshmen to the 2026-27 roster.  Returning for the Wildcats is All-BIG EAST selection Tyler Perkins, who was voted the league's Most Improved Player in 2025-26.  Highly touted transfers Kwame Evans Jr. and Devin Royal bring high-level experience, while Elijah Crawford and Darryl Simmons bolster the Nova backcourt.  Freshman Luigi Suigo is a 7-3 phenom who should make an immediate impact on both ends of the floor.

"I think every year you go into it thinking you can have a plan A, B, and C and then quickly you play a Michigan, you play at Kansas, you go through St. John's and UConn twice, and then you realize maybe you don't have as many plans as you thought.  But the one nice thing about the portal now is, every year now, I try to learn 'how do I get better at building a roster?' ... I think every year, I go through right after the season, I try to self-evaluate: this was my thought process going into the year, this was the reality of the year. Let's see if we can make some good changes on how to build the roster because that's as important as anything anymore.  I do love the challenge of that - not sure I love the timeframe and doing it every year - but it's necessary now.  It's something I put a lot of stress on."

Willard on his process for building the 2026-27 Villanova roster

Transfers 

#1 Elijah Crawford - Jr. - G - 6-3 - Augusta, Ga.

  • Four-star ranked transfer from UIC (EvanMiya); 2025-26 All-Missouri Valley Second Team and All-Newcomer team selection
  • Averaged 14.1 points and 2.3 rebounds while leading the Flames in assists (4.9) in 23 games; started his collegiate career at BYU

"He's a very unselfish player. He'a a guy that put UIC on his back and if you look at what their record was when he was hurt with the ankle sprain and what it was when he got back, it's pretty impressive.  I think he averaged 14 points and six assists per game last year and he did it in a very unselfish manner, both offensively and defensively."

Willard on the what attracted him to Elijah Crawford during the recruiting process

#2 Brady Muller - Gr. - G - 6-4 - Wyckoff, N.J.

  • Missed the 2025-26 season due to injury; saw action in nearly 40 games from 2022-25 at Bucknell

#5 Darryl Simmons - Sr. - G - 5-11 - Detroit, Mich.

  • Four-star ranked transfer point guard (EvanMiya) from St. Bonaventure; NABC All-District Second Team selection
  • Led the Bonnies in scoring (16.4) and averaged nearly 3.0 assist per game; made an A-10-best 94 3-pointers at a 42.5% clip

#9 Abdou Samb - Sr. - F - 6-8 - Upper Marlboro, Md

  • Talented transfer from Towson; missed the 2025-26 season due to injury
  • Saw action in 32 games with the Tigers in 2024-25; began his collegiate career at IUPUI

#10 Kwame Evans Jr. - Sr. - F - 6-10 - Baltimore, Md.

  • Five-star ranked transfer from Oregon; rated the No. 9 overall transfer prospect per EvanMiya
  • Started all 30 games for the Ducks in 2025-26, averaging 13.3 points, 7.4 boards, 2.0 assists, and 1.3 blocks; McDonald's All-American as a prep out of Montverde Academy

#21 Devin Royal - Sr. - F - 6-6 - Columbus, Ohio

  • Four-star rated transfer from Ohio State; EvanMiya rated him the No. 53 overall transfer nationally
  • Contributed nearly 14.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game a season ago; posted three double-doubles in 32 starts for the Buckeyes in 2025-26

#22 Jake Fiegen - Gr. - G - 6-4 - Wilmette, Ill.

  • Four-star ranked transfer shooting guard (EvanMiya) from Cornell; 2025-26 First Team All-Ivy selection
  • Saw action in 24 games, averaging 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while connecting on better than 41% from the perimeter 

"I recruited Kwame when I was at Maryland, so I knew him personally.  I played against Devin as a freshman and a sophomore, so I knew how good and how tough he was.  Jake Feigen was one of the top three shooters in the portal off catch-and-shoot.  So going through St. John's, Michigan, and UConn last year, the three teams we really struggled with, we were too young and too undersized both at the guard spots and really one through five...we wanted to get bigger and more experienced at every spot.  "

Willard on the additions of Evans, Royal and Fiegen during the portal process

Freshmen

#5 Carter Fisk - Fr. - G - 6-2 - Baltimore, Md.

  • Was named the All-Metro Player of the Year by the Baltimore Sun, averaging 17.1 points, 3.1 boards, 3.2 assists, and 1.8 steals as a senior
  • Led St. Frances to a 36-7 record, en route to capturing the Baltimore Catholic League title

#7 Adam Oumiddoch - Fr. - G - 6-5 - Woodbridge, Va.

  • Composite four-star rated recruit who ranked No. 63 on ESPN NEXT; played with Overtime Elite
  • Averaged 28.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists as a prep; played with Wildcat Select on Adidas 3SSB circuit 

#19 Luigi Suigo - Fr. - C - 7-3 - Tradate, Italy

  • One of the top international prospects in college basketball in 2026-27; 19-year old 7-footer can score inside the paint and on the perimeter
  • Played with BC Mega Basket in the Adriatic League in 2025-26, averaging 7.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 18 minutes per game

"He's probably by far the most talented and skilled big that I'll ever coach.  He's all of 7-3 and he's only 19 years old, he's 270 pounds.  He's got a really good body that we've got to get in shape and get a little bit better.  He has great hands, passes the basketball, shoots it from 3.  Our biggest challenge with Gigi is getting him in elite shape, getting his body elite.  What I love is that even thought he can shoot the basketball as well as he can, he still wants to get down low and post up.  One of those rarities for big guys, he still loves going into the post, great passer out of the post.  He has a chance to be really special."

Willard on 7-3 freshman Luigi Suigo's skillsets

Returnees

#3 Matt Hodge - So. - F - 6-8 - Limburg, Belgium

  • Missed final four games of 2025-26 season due to knee injury; expected back this season 
  • Started 29 games a season ago, averaging nearly 10.0 points and 4.0 rebounds; connected on 36.8% from beyond the arc

"When he got hurt early in the second half against St. John's, I thought we were playing really good basketball - and he was playing really good basketball...Matt is doing great.  He's progressing just the way we want him to.  He's getting the strength back in his leg.   He's almost four months post-surgery now, doing great and starting to do some light shooting, he's been able to do some ball handling, lifting - his body looks great.  We'll just take our time with Matt.  There's no rush to get him back to contact.  Whenever we feel he's ready to go, he'll be ready to go.  Matt's best attribute is that he's got an unbelievable, positive attitude and that's gonna help him get back on the court much quicker than most people think."

Willard on the progress Matt Hodge is making to rehab from a late-season injury

#4 Tyler Perkins - Sr. - G - 6-4 - Lorton, Va.

  • 2025-26 BIG EAST Most Improved Player award winner and Third Team All-Conference selection
  • Averaged 13.7 points and 5.4 rebounds in 33 starts; made nearly 40% of his 3-point attempts last year

"Perk is going to end up being my Julian Reece.  Julian doesn't get enough credit for the turnaround at Maryland that he should.  He stayed all four years and was the rock and the backbone, offensively and defensively, and Perk's going to one of these guys who graduates as a Wildcat, spend three years - possibly even four if he gets another year - and has installed a great work ethic.  He's the hardest worker I've ever seen, he's in the gym every day, every night, and he does it with a great attitude."

Willard on the impact Tyler Perkins makes in the Villanova locker room

#14 Wade Chiddick - Gr. - G - 6-4 - King of Prussia, Pa.

  • Appeared in two games for Villanova in 2025-26

#15 Nico Onyekwaere - So. - C - 7-1 - Abuja, Nigeria

  • Did not appear in game action during the 2025-26 season

Departures

  • Chris Jeffrey - transfer; Bryce Lindsay - transfer; Devin Askew - eligibility expired; Malachi Palmer - transfer; Malcolm Flaggs - transfer; Braden Pierce - transfer; Duke Brennan - eligibility expired; Acaden Lewis - transfer; Zion Stanford - transfer
By The Numbers
24 - The 24 wins during the 2025-26 season - the first under Kevin Willard - set a new program standard for most wins by a first-year coach in Villanova history

232 - The incoming transfer class of Crawford, Simmons, Evans, Royal, and Fiegen combined to make 232 3-pointers during the 2025-26 season at a nearly 37% clip (232-630)

7-3 - Listed at 7-3, incoming freshman Luigi Suigo is the tallest Villanova men's basketball player since Tom Greis, who starred for the Wildcats from 1986-90.