It has been months since Ryan Arcidiacono passed the ball to Kris Jenkins, who hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer to give Villanova a 77-74 victory over North Carolina and the national championship. After winning the NCAA crown, the future looks very bright for Nova. The Wildcats though will miss the leadership of Arcidiacono and center Daniel Ochefu. However, Villanova head coach Jay Wright has a host of players coming back.

Along with Kris Jenkins and Josh Hart coming back, Nova has Jalen Brunson, who picked up valuable experience from playing with Arcidiacono. Brunson, a 6’3, 199 pound point guard, knows the game inside and out. Brunson was one of the top freshmen in the Big East last season. He averaged 9.6 points and 2.5 assists a game. Brunson will play a big role in the Wildcats’ future. Villanova has three great reserves returning with Phil Booth, Mikal Bridges and Darryl Reynolds. Booth, a 6’3, 185 pound shooting guard, could be getting a lot more minutes this season. He had a career high 20 points against North Carolina. Booth made a lot of clutch shots in the championship game.

Bridges, a 6’7, 191 pound forward, had some very big moments in the tournament. He had some tough defensive assignments, which included playing against Kansas star forward Perry Ellis. His quickness and length makes him a terrific defender. He can also run the floor and take the ball to the basket. Reynolds should continue to be a brilliant role player. Reynolds provided the team with some great defense and rebounding. Along with returning players, Villanova will have two brilliant recruits coming with 6’9, 287 pound center Omari Spellman from North Royalton, Ohio, and 6’10, 215 pound forward Dylan Painter from Hershey, PA. Spellman and Painter will give the Wildcats plenty of depth up front.

With all the national publicity, experience and talent, Jay Wright, who was the Naismith Coach of the Year, has the makings of another great team this coming season. Of course, Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, Louisville and North Carolina are expected to be powerhouse teams again. Getting back to the Final Four is a tough task and repeating as champions is going to be a tough task too. Everyone knows once you are champions everyone wants to be beat you. Single elimination tournaments mean that one-off night can ruin a season, as the Wildcats know all too well the last few years.