The college basketball offseason might be more hectic than March Madness soon. This offseason supports that idea. Villanova basketball has been working on filling out their roster spots. Head coach Kyle Neptune needs to build a team that could make a run at the tournament after missing it the last two seasons.
The departure of graduates and portal transfers have left sizable holes in the Wildcats’ offense and defense. Just on May 22, Villanova basketball had secured three portal players, some verbally and some inked in pen and signed. Verbally is where the madness begins.
Guard Max Shulga, who unarguably was the best portal addition to the Wildcat roster decided to return to his former school VCU. It was a huge blow to Villanova’s roster and rebuild. Shulga’s reasons to make those decisions are not the issue. As a player in this era, you do what opens up the best life opportunities.
Last season, Shulga averaged 14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He shot 44.6% overall and 41.5% from the three-point line.
This announcement has left many fans questioning the team and the future of the program. So what exactly does this mean for Villanova? Does this mean bigger names are incoming? Or does this mean Villanova basketball is not the powerhouse it once was?
According to Jeff Neiberg at the Philadelphia Inquirer, the NIL package VCU offered Shulga was better than the offer they gave him back when he hit the portal. Going off that piece of information, Shulga’s decision, like many players, was influenced by NIL money. It is also known that Shulga is super close with VCU coach Ryan Odom.
Villanova does not have the influence they do on the college basketball landscape as they once did. There was a time when just saying their name “Villanova” was enough to sway a player into committing. Nowadays it takes a lot more effort, marketing, and money to reel in a player.
Fans are wondering where is Villanova right now. It is known that Villanova is prioritizing transfers of University of Miami guard Wooga Poplar and Arizona State center Enoch Boakye.
Poplar is a 6’5 guard who averaged 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists last year at Miami. Boakye towers over opponents at 6 10. He averaged 7.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 0.4 assists last year at Arizona State.
Villanova has not been known for their size. The Wildcats still are in desperate need of size. Last season, rebounding both offensively and defensively was a huge issue.
The biggest mystery is veteran Wildcat forward Eric Dixon. He will go through his final NBA workouts this week. Dixon looks to make an announcement regarding his future over the weekend. A return to Villanova seems the most likely result. If that is the case, it is a huge breath of fresh air for a team that needs to put something together. The final day for a player to withdraw his name from the NBA Draft is May 29. That is the latest Dixon can wait to decide whether to return to the Main Line or pursue a professional career.
Even if those three additions happen, Shulga’s shooting abilities are still missing with his decision to return to VCU. Neptune and staff will need to find a replacement quickly as players begin to find new homes. If they can find a Shulga replacement, things will be a little more under control and a rebound season is not out of the picture.
Check out all of Villanova’s 2024 portal transfers and their grades: Grading And Breaking Down All 2024 Villanova Basketball Portal Transfers
Featured image courtesy of Villanova Athletics