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VILLANOVA, Pa. \u2013 During Sunday’s 70-51 exhibition victory over VCU, Villanova William B. Finneran Endowed Head Coach deployed a trio of first-year players: Acaden Lewis<\/a>, Chris Jeffrey<\/a> and Matt Hodge<\/a>. Following the game, he observed that more than a decade has passed since he last did that over the course of an 18-year head coaching run at Iona, Seton Hall, and Maryland.
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\n“At one point we had Chris, Acaden and Matt out there,” Willard stated. “I haven’t had three freshmen on the court since 2012 or 2013 (at Seton Hall). For not being able to practice the way we want to practice over the last two weeks, I think these guys are doing a pretty good job.”
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\nInjuries have played a significant role in limiting the options for Willard and his staff. Guard Devin Askew<\/a> remains sidelined with a sprained knee suffered in early September. Forward Tofara Gapare missed the exhibition opener with a right foot injury. Zion Stanford<\/a> is dealing with a sprained left ankle and remains in a walking boot. Macolm Flaggs is idled by a strained right achilles.
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\nOne item that has been clear to Willard thus far is the spirit of teamwork that he has seen from the Wildcats on the floor.
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\n“I think these guys are really unselfish,” Willard stated. “That’s one thing I really like about this group. They understand that at any point, one of these guys can get 30. We have guys that can score the basketball. I think they understand that, as long as they play together, they’re all going to benefit.”
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\nThe second of two tune-ups comes Friday night at John Paul Jones Arena against Virginia. The Wildcats last played the Cavaliers in Charlottesville a decade ago in the national championship season of 2015-16. This contest will tip off just after 7 p.m. and air on the ACC Network Extra along with the Villanova Sports Network on IHeart (Ryan Fannon and Whitey Rigsby<\/a> will be on site).
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\nVirginia, like Villanova, is in the early days of a new era with former VCU head coach Ryan Odom in his first season at the helm for the Cavaliers. Like the Wildcats, the roster bares little resemblance to the one Virginia used last Nov. 15 when the teams faced off in the Hall of Fame Series Baltimore (a 70-60 Cavaliers’ win).
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\nFor the Wildcats, it’s a chance to get a feel for a road game ahead of the season opener in Las Vegas on Monday, No. 3 against No. 8 BYU.
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\nFreshman guard Acaden Lewis<\/a>, who led a balanced attack in the win over VCU with 15 points, noted he got helpful tips from backcourt partners, guard Bryce Lindsay<\/a> and Tyler Perkins<\/a>, before his debut.
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\n“Perk and Bryce took me aside before the game and told me it was going to be cool,” Lewis said. “Even if I was nervous, that I just needed to play through it. That lift really helped me out.”
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\nWillard expects that a preseason slate of two exhibition contests, one at home and another on the norm, will be the norm in years to come. With a roster that includes four freshmen, three of whom logged minutes against VCU, these kinds of tests have value.
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\n“One of the biggest things with young players is getting the casualness out of their games and understanding that every possession is important,” said Willard. “Our guys are talented. Acaden and Bryce can score in so many ways. In college basketball, though, you can’t just come down and be casual. There has to be purpose on every possession.
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\n“I thought they did pretty well for their first games. But we’ve just got to work at it.”
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\nThe next step comes Friday night at Virginia.
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