​The point guard position has long been a staple of Villanova’s identity, anchoring a two-decade era of elite play and steady leadership. This season, the Wildcats faced the challenge of retooling the backcourt after Acaden Lewis’s standout freshman year and his subsequent decision to enter the transfer portal. With Tyler Perkins returning to Villanova, head coach Kevin Willard rolled up his sleeves and focused on reshaping the backcourt, placing a premium on strengthening the point guard role. The transfer portal became a conduit for Willard to add two dynamic guards: Elijah Crawford and Darryl Simmons.
In a recent interview with Jon Rothstein, Willard opened up about the backcourt plans and the new guard corps. “We got Elijah and Buddy,” Willard said, highlighting how the two players bring distinct styles that can complement each other. He noted the potential to deploy them together and praised their defensive capabilities, projecting elite play on that end of the floor.
Elijah Crawford is poised to anchor the point guard duties, likely filling the starting role last season. Willard emphasized Crawford’s proficiency in the pick-and-roll, a facet that aligns well with Villanova’s size and spacing. Crawford’s career path has been unconventional but productive: after beginning at BYU, he transferred to UIC and emerged as a breakout performer. He averaged 14.1 points and 4.9 assists per game, shooting 45.3 percent from the field. Beyond scoring, Crawford’s willingness to facilitate sets him apart; Willard pointed out that Crawford excels in orchestrating ball movement and creating opportunities for teammates.
“One of the things that stood out to us is that Elijah ranked eighth in college basketball in pick-and-roll efficiency,” Willard explained. “As we were assembling this team, we really wanted a guard who understood pick-and-roll concepts and prioritized getting the basketball to teammates. Elijah isn’t chasing 20-point games or heavy scoring numbers. He’s an outstanding competitor who thrives in pick-and-roll situations and brings strong defensive upside.” Crawford’s playstyle projects as a catalyst for Villanova’s offense, using ball screens to generate open looks while applying persistent pressure on opposing ball handlers with his defense.
Complementing Crawford is Darryl Simmons, who arrived from St. Bonaventure. In his junior season, Simmons led the Atlantic 10 in minutes played (35.4 per night) and averaged 16.4 points per game. He is a prolific shooter, finishing the season at 42.5 percent from three-point range and just under 90 percent from the free-throw line. “Buddy can shoot it from anywhere,” Willard remarked, underscoring Simmons’ toughness and drive. He added that Simmons is determined to prove his readiness for the next level and that Villanova can deploy him in multiple configurations. By pairing Simmons with Crawford, Willard envisions a backcourt that is both small and quick, capable of pushing tempo and exploiting defensive gaps with shooting and speed. The pairing also provides the flexibility to play two guards side by side, offering Villanova versatility against a range of opponents.
The plan doesn’t stop with the two newcomers. Willard also noted that Simmons would likely emerge as a secondary backcourt option, coming off the bench alongside Cornell transfer Jake Fiegen. The look gives Villanova a dual threat from distance, with the potential to deploy a high-volume shooting lineup that can spread the floor and still defend at a high level. The combination of Crawford’s pick-and-roll playmaking and Simmons’ outside shooting provides a familiar, yet refreshed, Villanova backcourt dynamic. It echoes the program’s recent history of recruiting guards who can space the floor, handle the ball, and contribute on defense, while also addressing the need for more consistent scoring from the guard position.
In the wake of losing Acaden Lewis and Bryce Lindsay, Villanova’s backcourt needed a reboot. The 2023–24 season introduces a new guard corps built around two players with distinct strengths: a floor-general capable of running the pick-and-roll with precision and a sharpshooter who can stretch the defense and knock down timely shots. The combination promises to bring a mix of pace, efficiency, and defensive tenacity to the floor. Willard’s approach focuses on complementary skill sets: Crawford’s playmaking and defensive instincts paired with Simmons’ shooting range and scoring versatility. The result could be a backcourt that, while perhaps lacking last year’s star power, offers depth, balance, and a new type of cohesion driven by intelligent ball movement and improved spacing.
As Villanova embarks on this retooled backcourt, questions still remain about how the two guards will gel with the rest of the lineup and how Willard will maximize their strengths against the varied defenses they’ll face. Yet the early indications—from Crawford’s pick-and-roll acumen to Simmons’ shooting ability and tough-minded demeanor—suggest a guard corps designed for versatility and sustained production. Villanova’s fan base may not see the same single star emerge this season, but the strategic depth and dynamic guard combinations could yield a more balanced attack, a stronger defensive posture, and a backcourt that can adapt to multiple offensive schemes. If Willard’s vision translates to successful on-court chemistry, the Wildcats could reinvent their backcourt identity while maintaining the program’s longstanding tradition of guard-driven excellence.