The roster overhaul at Villanova, led by new coach Kevin Willard, has seen its share of challenges, but a constant has been the focus on recruiting players with several seasons of eligibility left. The Wildcats seem determined to defy the national trend and create a sustainable program.
The outcome of this strategy is yet to be determined, but Villanova recently gained another promising addition when class of 2025 center Nico Onyekwere pledged his commitment to Willard and the Wildcats. The 7-foot-1 center had initially signed with Florida State but reopened his recruitment following the retirement of FSU coach Leonard Hamilton.
At just 18 years old, Onyekwere is seen as a developmental prospect for the 2025-26 season. He will be competing for playing time behind senior transfer Duke Brennan (from Grand Canyon) and redshirt freshman Braden Pierce (from Maryland) on the depth chart. Originally from Nigeria, Onyekwere attends Long Island Lutheran High School in New York and has some prior experience playing professionally in Germany as a teenager.
Due to his limited time in the U.S., Onyekwere hasn’t gained enough recognition to be considered a nationally rated recruit. However, his size is noteworthy, as large players have been uncommon at Villanova; Pierce recently became the first 7-footer in two decades to join the roster.
With Onyekwere’s commitment, Villanova now boasts a roster of ten players, allowing them to practice five-on-five. They are actively seeking to enhance their talent pool, still in pursuit of 2025 point guard Acaden Lewis, even after securing a commitment last week from sixth-year transfer point guard Devin Askew on his fifth college.
Among the ten players currently on the roster, Askew and Brennan are the only ones with eligibility that expires after this season, while the remaining eight possess at least two years left. Onyekwere is the second commitment from the class of 2025, joining combo guard Chris Jeffrey, who had initially pledged to Willard during his time at Maryland.
La Salle’s Remake Includes South Jersey’s Collier
La Salle has been the most active team in the Big 5, undergoing a significant roster transformation under new coach Darris Nichols. Fifteen out of their sixteen players from the 2024-25 roster have entered the transfer portal.
The coaching staff acted swiftly, having already added ten players through the portal. The most recent notable addition is Noah Collier, a transfer from William & Mary, who attended Westtown School and began his college career at Pittsburgh. The 6-8 forward averaged 12.2 points and 5 rebounds per game last season. Having spent two years at Pittsburgh and three at William & Mary, Collier received a medical redshirt and has an extra year of eligibility, making the 2025-26 season his sixth in college basketball.
