A ‘hungry’ Villanova team begins the Kevin Willard era with a big test against No. 8 BYU

LAS VEGAS — Kevin Willard has been open about the fact that this is not a game he would have scheduled.

Villanova flew across the country Saturday to the desert, where the Wildcats’ 2025-26 campaign, Willard’s first as the Villanova coach, tips off Monday night against eighth-ranked BYU and top recruit AJ Dybantsa.

At a Thursday afternoon Big 5 Coaches vs. Cancer luncheon, Willard called the scheduling a “head-scratcher.” The game, of course, was scheduled under the previous coaching staff, long before Willard arrived on campus. At the time, Villanova probably wasn’t planning to be a team with one returning player who scored points last season, and the hope was that it wouldn’t be a team with an entirely new coaching staff either.

» READ MORE: Villanova hired Kevin Willard to change course. ‘Rebuilding this program’ starts Monday.

Nevertheless, Nov. 3, the start of the college basketball season has arrived, and Willard’s Wildcats arrived in Sin City to play in the second game of a marquee doubleheader that features three preseason top 15 teams — No. 3 Florida, the defending champion, plays No. 13 Arizona in the opener — and Villanova.

And after his team’s final tune-up Sunday at T-Mobile Arena, Willard was welcoming of the opportunity Monday night.

“Now that we’re here and the season is here, I love the game,” he said. “We’re playing on TNT. It’s one of the bigger games on opening night, and I think it’s a great opportunity to play against a really good team, and quickly, really quickly, figure out what we’re good at and what we’re not good at.”

A fast-paced BYU team with Final Four aspirations will help that figuring out immensely. Besides Dybantsa, a 6-8 wing who could be the top pick in the 2026 NBA draft, the Cougars have a talented backcourt featuring Richie Saunders, who shot 43.2% on 5.2 three-point attempts per game last season, and Baylor transfer Robert Wright III, who played part of his high school career at Neumann Goretti and posted averages of 11.5 points and 4.2 assists as a freshman last season.

Then there’s Southern Illinois transfer Kennard Davis, who scored 16.3 points per game as a sophomore last season.

But all eyes will be on Dybantsa.

“He’s the real deal,” Willard said. “Everything people have said about him is the truth, and what I’ve been really impressed with is how well he’s blended in with an older group of BYU guys and really complemented them and not taken over.”

BYU, under coach Kevin Young, had the ninth-ranked offense in the country last season by KenPom metrics. The Cougars play fast and are deep.

Guard play, especially on the defensive end, will be key for Villanova Monday night.

“Just kind of get them uncomfortable,” said junior guard Tyler Perkins, Villanova’s only returning player to score points for the Wildcats last season. “We know their strengths and weaknesses so we have to make them do more of their weaknesses than strengths.”

That will be easier said than done, but Villanova could have some more help Monday night. Veteran guard Devin Askew, who has missed time with a knee injury during the lead-up to the season opener, is on track to be cleared, Willard said. If Askew plays, the 23-year-old with parts of five seasons of college basketball experience would face a minutes restriction, Willard said.

Still, Askew’s presence as an experienced ballhandler could be a big boost to a backcourt that features freshman Acaden Lewis, redshirt sophomore Bryce Lindsay, sophomore Malachi Palmer, and freshman Chris Jeffrey. Temple transfer Zion Stanford, who figures to see a healthy dose of minutes this season, is out with an ankle injury.

» READ MORE: Malachi Palmer followed his coach to Villanova. Now, he’s ready to show what he’s capable of.

There are a lot of unknowns with that backcourt, and at other spots like with redshirt freshman forward Matthew Hodge, who will play in his first college game after being forced to sit out by the NCAA last season.

Villanova was picked seventh in the Big East’s preseason coaches poll. The Wildcats are 50th in KenPom’s preseason rankings. They are underdogs of around eight points for Monday night’s opener.

“We’re hungry,” Perkins said. “We don’t really care what anyone has to say about us. We know we’re young, we know we have a lot of transfers and it’s a whole new team, but at the end of the day that doesn’t mean we’re going to lose or we have a disadvantage. We’re all ready and we’re all excited.”

At that Big 5 luncheon Thursday, Willard, after making his scheduling comments, quipped that Las Vegas has a good slogan.

What Happens Here, Stays Here.

That will be what Willard turns to if Monday doesn’t go well. If it does? Maybe there will be another showcase opener this time next year.