Freshman Luigi Suigo’s productive outing and other takeaways from Villanova’s exhibition loss to Virginia
The Wildcats had their final tuneup at Finneran Pavilion ahead of their season opener in Rome on Nov. 1 against Notre Dame.
Villanova basketball had one last trial run before departing for Rome next week to begin its 2026-27 season.
The Wildcats hosted Virginia in their third and final preseason exhibition on Thursday night at the Finneran Pavilion. Villanova lost 93-71, after the Cavaliers shot 50% from the field and 44.7% from three-point range.
“I think there’s huge benefits,” Villanova coach Kevin Willard said when asked about playing public exhibitions. “Playing a road game to see how guys are on the road and react on the road and also seeing how guys react at home. That was the first time we had a crowd. So it was kind of interesting to see how some guys reacted. I think you get to learn a lot more about your team. In those situations, you get to play against a really good team.”
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The three public preseason scrimmages were the most in program history after the NCAA approved a rule earlier this year that allowed for teams to have more than two.
Villanova was led by Devin Royal, who had 21 points and seven rebounds. Royal shot 8-for-8 from the field and 5-for-5 at the free throw line. However, he committed eight of the Wildcats’ 16 turnovers, something Willard noted that he was not worried about. The Ohio State transfer led Villanova in scoring in all three games.
Tyler Perkins had 20 points and nine rebounds.
Villanova shot 24-for-53 (45.3%) from the field and 7-for-22 (31.8%) from beyond the arc.
It was the Wildcats’ biggest test of the preseason, with Virginia ranked No. 9 in The Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll. Four of the Cavaliers’ projected starters are returning from last season.
“Virginia’s ranked for a reason,” Willard said. “They’re really good. And we’ll get there. I’m not worried about us. We’ll get there, but we’re not ready. We’re not there yet. It just shows you how good retention is.”
Oregon transfer is ramping up
Kwame Evans Jr., who transferred from Oregon this offseason, is progressing to a possible return early in Villanova’s nonconference schedule. The 6-foot-10 forward was in a walking boot this summer, and returned to practice early in October.
Evans missed all three preseason exhibitions.
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“I think once we ... get KJ back, you can kind of run more stuff a little bit,” Willard said. I think Nico [Onyekwere] has progressed great. … When KJ’s back on the floor — with KJ, Dev, Perk, it kind of frees up Jake [Fiegen] a little bit. We don’t have to do so much to get Jake shots because Kwame can really handle the ball.
“ … [With] KJ’s practices the last five days … we’re a different basketball team when he’s out there. He’s so skilled and he can shoot it. So that’s kind of a work in progress.”
Willard was noncommittal about Evans’ availability for Villanova’s season opener.
Suigo shows flashes
Luigi Suigo, who was once a potential first-round NBA draft pick, had his best performance of the preseason slate against Virginia. The 7-3 center knocked down his only three-point attempt of the game and shot 4-for-7 from the field. He totaled 12 points and four rebounds in 28 minutes. He played 30 minutes in Villanova’s first exhibition game against Rutgers on Oct. 11.
Suigo, a native of Italy, struggled with fouls in Villanova’s second exhibition against George Mason, picking up two in the first 90 seconds and eventually fouling out. However, against Virginia he committed just one foul.
Up next
Villanova will travel to Rome to open its season against Notre Dame on Sunday, Nov. 1 (9:30 a.m. ET, FOX) for the “Eternal City Tip-Off.” The women’s programs of each school will also play in a doubleheader.
