In the latest installment of our summer "Nova Notebook" series we check in with Head Coach
Kevin Willard, who met with the media ahead of Monday's annual "Summer Jam Open Practice" at Finneran Pavilion and took questions.
Q: Speaking of basketball in July, you've had a decent stretch of working with these guys. What have you learned so far?
Willard: "We've been a little banged up, injury-wise. It's a great group. They work hard; they get along. It's been a really good, productive summer."
Q: What is the status of Luigi (Suigo)?
Willard: "Luigi should be in, hopefully, (Tuesday) night."
Q: Are there issues you are concerned about?
Willard: "No, he just had to go through the visa process. He remained in the (NBA) Draft process for so long (so) it took a little bit of extra time."
Q: This looks like a very physical team, a big team. What do you like about this team?
Willard: "I do like the versatility. It's been a little different where we haven't practiced much, just because of the injuries. We've mostly done individual work. We done a lot of 3-on-3, 2-on-2, but very little 5-on-5. Matt (Hodge) is coming off surgery, Perk (
Tyler Perkins), is coming back, KJ (Kwame Evans Jr.) has been out, and Luigi hasn't been here yet. Four main guys have been out.
"What I've really liked is how competitive this team is."
Q: What about
Matt Hodge? He's coming off ACL surgery. Do you have a timetable for his return?
Willard: "I don't have a timetable for that. Matt's timetable will be whenever Mattie feels confident and ready to go. Could that be October? Yes. Could that be January? Yes. It's going to be all up to Matt and how he feels."
Q: Coach, you have a lot of transfers coming in this year with only a few returning players. How have you handled that?
Willard: "I think everyone has that same issue. It's a college basketball issue. I look at it as we go year to year. We have these guys for a year. We're going to try to get them as good as they can possibly be. We'll give them the best experience and enjoy this great University, be around great former players. We just focus on that."
Q: What did you learn from last summer with that group in the offseason? Any lessons you learned that can help you with this group?
Willard: "That's a great question. I think we're constantly evolving with how we do things. Last year we ended (summer workouts) a week later. This year we'll end a week sooner. Next year, you'll probably ask me the same question, and I'll say we will end two weeks later than that. I think we're constantly trying to evolve with that process to make it as good as we can for (the players) and for us."
Q: With the Nova Knicks winning the NBA championship, have you noticed anything about the perception of this program?
Willard: "It's everything. It isn't only that they won the championship – it's how they did it. They represented this University so well and they talked about it so much. The way they won it, with unselfishness, playing as a team, playing hard, made such an impact. In every aspect, not just for our program but for this University, I think those guys were unbelievable."
Q: Villanova has won three NCAA titles. How much does what the guys on the Knicks did help you in recruiting?
Willard: "The run they went on in the playoffs really helps. You have to remember, high school kids today were eight years old in 2018. Especially with this generation, with YouTube and Twitter, Instagram, it's different. But I think what those guys did captivated New York City by bringing a championship to the Knicks for the first time since the 70s, and doing it with such class, and inspired this generation of kids."
Q: There is no way to simulate what a 7-3 future NBA player can do in practice without him there. Do these guys appreciate what that presence can do for this team?
Willard: "They've been great about talking with Luigi. But I'm the only one who has seen him (play) live. I think they're excited to get him here because they have heard so much about him. He's also a terrific young man, a great teammate. They've heard about that. I think it's more just that aspect of excitement to get him here."
Q: Your approach to scheduling has been interesting. Some schools have wanted to play more buy games. You're doing the opposite with scheduling big-name opponents.
Willard: "I went back and looked at the last 10 national champions. I looked at how they scheduled, where their schedule was ranked after the season. I think it's very important to test yourself on the road. With the NCAA Tournament going to 76 teams, I think teams should get rewarded for scheduling tough matchups. It's that and, now, we talk about revenue generation being important. This helps us get down a little bit more to Xfinity Mobile Arena, which obviously has a bigger capacity. It's everything you can do to help your team be better and I think scheduling aggressively is part of that."
Q: Why is it so important to hold this event, Summer Jam?
"For me, it's to help get our new guys to understand the tradition of this program. We have guys here with us today who played in the 1960s. They still remembered specific games. They were talking about a game at Duquesne at lunch today and I was sitting there mesmerized. I can't remember my garage door code. They're talking about a specific game more than 60 years ago.
"I want these (current) guys to understand what wearing the Villanova jersey means. Obviously, what the Knicks did as pros helps, but all this goes way back before their time at Villanova."
