< PreviousALPHABETICAL ROSTER NO. NAME POS. HT. / WT. CL. /EXP HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL) 1 Bryan Antoine G 6-5 / 175 Fr. / HS Tinton Falls, N.J. (Ranney School) 4 Chris Arcidiacono G 6-5 / 197 Fr. / HS Langhorne, Pa. (Perkiomen School) 41 Saddiq Bey F 6-8 / 216 So. / 1L Largo, Md. (Sidwell Fr.) 21 Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree F 6-9 / 228 Jr. / 2L Philadelphia, Pa. (Neum. Goretti) 14 Caleb Daniels G 6-4 / 205 R-So. / Tr. New Orleans, La. (St. Augustine) 43 Eric Dixon F 6-8 / 270 Fr. / HS Willow Grove, Pa. (Abington) 2 Collin Gillespie G 6-3 / 191 Jr. / 2L Huntingdon Valley, Pa. (A. Wood) 20 Kevin Hoehn G 6-0 / 175 Jr. / 1L Morristown, N.J. (Morristown) 5 Justin Moore G 6-4 / 210 Fr. / HS Fort Washington, Md. (DeMatha) 24 Jeremiah Robinson-Earl F 6-9 / 232 Fr. / HS Overland Park, Ks., (IMG) 23 Jermaine Samuels F 6-7 / 222 Jr. / 2L Franklin, Mass. (Rivers School) 12 Tim Saunders G 6-4 / 200 Sr. / HS Del Mar, Cal. (Torrey Pines) 3 Brandon Slater F 6-6 / 202 So. / 1L Centreville, Va. (Paul VI) 10 Cole Swider F 6-9 / 219 So. / 1L Portsmouth, R.I. (St. Andrews) NUMERICAL ROSTER NO. NAME POS. HT. / WT. CL. / EXP. HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL) 1 Bryan Antoine G 6-5 / 175 Fr. / HS Tinton Falls, N.J. (Ranney School) 2 Collin Gillespie G 6-3 / 191 Jr. / 2L Huntingdon Valley, Pa. (A. Wood) 3 Brandon Slater F 6-6 / 202 So. / 1L Centreville, Va. (Paul VI) 4 Chris Arcidiacono G 6-5 / 197 Fr. / HS Langhorne, Pa. (Perkiomen School) 5 Justin Moore G 6-4 / 210 Fr. / HS Fort Washington, Md. (DeMatha) 10 Cole Swider F 6-9 / 219 So. / 1L Portsmouth, R.I. (St. Andrews) 12 Tim Saunders G 6-4 / 200 Sr. / HS Del Mar, Cal. (Torrey Pines) 14 Caleb Daniels G 6-4 / 205 R-So. / Tr. New Orleans, La. (St. Augustine) 20 Kevin Hoehn G 6-0 / 175 Jr. / 1L Morristown, N.J. (Morristown) 21 Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree F 6-9 / 228 Jr. / 2L Philadelphia, Pa. (Neum. Goretti) 23 Jermaine Samuels F 6-7 / 222 Jr. / 2L Franklin, Mass. (Rivers School) 24 Jeremiah Robinson-Earl F 6-9 / 232 Fr. / HS Overland Park, Ks., (IMG) 41 Saddiq Bey F 6-8 / 216 So. / 1L Largo, Md.. (Sidwell Fr.) 43 Eric Dixon F 6-8 / 270 Fr. / HS Willow Grove, Pa. (Abington) HEAD COACH: Jay Wright (Bucknell ’83) ASSISTANT COACHES: Kyle Neptune, George Halcovage, Mike Nardi DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS: Dwayne Anderson HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER: Jeff Pierce STRENGTH COACH: John Shackleton DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION: Arleshia Davidson Back Row (L-R): Strength Coach John Shackleton, Head Athletic Trainer Jeff Pierce, Assistant Coach Kyle Neptune, Tim Saunders, Cole Swider, Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, Head Coach Jay Wright, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Eric Dixon, Director of Operations Dwayne Anderson, Assistant Coach Mike Nardi, Assistant Coach George Halcovage, Video Co- ordinator Matt Fraschilla. Front Row (L-R): Chris Arcidiacono, Justin Moore, Brandon Slater, Collin Gillespie, Jermaine Samuels, Bryan Antoine, Saddiq Bey, Caleb Daniels, Kevin Hoehn. 2019 -20 MEDIA GUIDE 18 2019-20 VILLANOVA BASKETBALL THIS IS VILLANOVA BASKETBALL 2019-20 ROSTERSBA SK ET BA LL S TA FF20 JAY WRIGHT HEAD COACH In 18 seasons as Villanova’s William B. Finneran Endowed Head Coach, Jay Wright has guided the Wildcats to new plateaus, including a pair of NCAA national championships in 2016 and 2018. The Bucknell University graduate (1983) is one of only three active Division I head coaches with multiple national championships to his credit. Villanova has recorded 191 victories over the past six seasons - an average of 31.8 wins per season. In that span, Villanova has captured five BIG EAST regular season titles along with four BIG EAST Tournament crowns. With its 74-72 victory over Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden, the ‘Cats became the first program ever to win the event in three consecutive seasons (2017-19). For the sixth time in the past 13 seasons, Wright was tabbed the BIG EAST Coach of the Year in 2018-19. He has won the award more than any coach in league history. Villanova has reached the NCAA Tournament in 14 of the last 15 seasons and the last seven in a row. It has won at least one game in each of the past six NCAA Tournaments and Wright sports a career record in the event of 28-16 overall (.636), 28-14 at Villanova (.667). With 448 Villanova victories, Wright is the program’s all-time wins leader, having surpassed Alexander Severance (413) in March 2018. His overall record, including seven seasons at Hofstra University, is 570- 260 (.687). In 2017-18, the Wildcats amassed a school record 36 victories and secured Villanova’s third NCAA national championship with a 79-62 victory over Michigan on April 2, 2018. After an overtime loss at Creighton on Feb. 24, VU reeled off 11 consecutive victories on its march to its title. Each of its six NCAA Tournament victories was by double digits. Guard Jalen Brunson became Villanova’s first consensus National Player of the Year in the modern era, joining Paul Arizin as the only VU players to earn that distinction. The Lincolnshire, Ill., product was honored with the John R. Wooden Award, Naismith Award, and Associated Press Player of the Year honor. Meanwhile, Mikal Bridges received the Julius Erving Award as the nation’s top small forward, becoming the second Wildcat in as many seasons to earn that honor (Josh Hart was the 2017 recipient). With a quarterfinal victory over Marquette in the 2018 BIG EAST Tournament, Wright moved past Alexander Severance to become the Villanova program’s all-time wins leader. The triumph over Michigan was the 422nd of Wright’s tenure as the Wildcats’ head coach (422-165). His career record – including a successful seven year stint at Hofstra from 1994-2001- is 544-250 (.685). A host of student-athletes who have worn the Blue and White in Wright’s tenure at the helm have carried their skills into the National Basketball Association. A program record four Wildcats were selected in the first 33 picks of the 2018 NBA Draft, including first round selections Bridges (drafted by Philadelphia and traded to Phoenix); Donte DiVincenzo (M il w a u k e e Bucks); Omari S p el l m a n ( A t l a n t a Hawks) and s ec o nd JAY’S JOURNEY Overall Record 570-260 (.687) Villanova (2001-present) 448-175 (.719) Hofstra (1994-2001) 122-85 (.589) BIG EAST Regular Season 204-110 (.650) America East Regular Season 76-49 (.613) NCAA Record 28-14 (.667) 16 appearances NIT Record 4-4 (.500); four appearances Big East Tournament 21-14 (.600) • Six NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Appearances (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2018) • Four NCAA Tournament Elite Eights (2006, 2009, 2016, 2018) • Three NCAA Final Fours (2009, 2016, 2018) • Two NCAA Championships (2016, 2018) • Two-time Naismith National Coach of the Year (2006, 2016) • Six-time BIG EAST Coach of the Year (2006, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019) • 2006 NABC Coach of the Year • 2006 CBS/Chevrolet Coach of the Year • 2019-20 USA Basketball Senior Men’s Basketball Assistant Coach • 2007 Pan American Games and 2005 World University Games Head Coach (USA Basketball) 2019-20 VILLANOVA MEN’S BASKETBALL COACHING STAFF 2019 -20 MEDIA GUIDE2019 -20 M EDIA GUIDE 21round choice Brunson (Dallas Mavericks). They joined two other members of the 2016 champions, Josh Hart (Los Angeles Lakers) and Ryan Arcidiacono, who made their league debuts in 2017-18. Other Wildcats tutored by Wright to have made their marks in the NBA include four-time All-Star Kyle Lowry; 2006 first round draft choice Randy Foye; and Dante Cunningham, a second round pick in 2009 after helping lead the Wildcats to the NCAA Final Four. Wright has also coached a roster of college All-Americans including Foye and Allan Ray (2006); Scottie Reynolds (2010): Darrun Hilliard (2015); Hart (2017), Brunson and Bridges (2018). The Villanova coaching tree includes five current college head coaches. Boston University’s Joe Jones was an aide to Wright at both Hofstra and Villanova while Patrick Chambers served on the Wildcats’ staff from 2004-09. Former VU player Baker Dunleavy was named head coach at Quinnipiac in 2017 and Ashley Howard accepted the head coaching position at La Salle in 2018. Former Wildcats Associate Head Coach Billy Lange was named head coach at Saint Joseph’s University in March 2019. 2019-20 VILLANOVA MEN’S BASKETBALL COACHING STAFF 2019 -20 MEDIA GUIDE 22 JAY WRIGHT Akron..................1-0 Alabama ............... 1-1 Albany................ 2-0 American ............. 3-0 American (PR)..........1-0 Arizona ................1-0 Army ................. 2-0 Belmont .............. 2-0 Binghamton ............1-0 Boston College ........ 4-4 Boston University ...... 9-7 Bucknell .............. 7-0 Butler.................10-3 California ..............0-1 Canisius................1-0 Chaminade .............0-1 Cincinnati ............. 5-3 Clemson ...............1-0 Colgate ................ 2-1 Coll. of Charleston ...... 2-1 Colorado...............0-1 Columbia .............. 3-1 Connecticut ........... 7-12 Cornell.................1-0 Creighton .............10-3 Dartmouth .............1-0 Dayton ................ 2-1 Delaware............. 15-10 Delaware State .........1-0 DePaul............... 20-2 Drexel ............... 11-10 Duke ..................1-0 Eastern Washington.....1-0 ETSU ..................1-0 Fairfield................0-1 Fairleigh Dickinson..... 2-0 Florida.................1-0 Florida Atlantic ........ 3-0 Florida Int. ............ 2-0 Florida State ...........1-0 Fordham ............... 6-1 Furman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .0-1 George Mason .......... 2-1 Georgetown.......... 18-12 Georgia Tech ........... 2-1 Gonzaga ...............1-0 Grambling..............1-0 Hartford .............. 11-4 Hawaii-Pacific ..........1-0 Hofstra ................1-0 Houston Baptist ........1-0 Illinois .................1-0 Iona .................. 2-2 Iowa.................. 3-0 Kansas................ 4-3 Kentucky ..............0-1 Lafayette ............. 6-0 La Salle ...............16-2 Lehigh ................. 2-1 Longwood .............1-0 Louisiana Tech .........1-0 Louisville.............. 6-6 Loyola Mary. ...........1-0 LSU ...................1-0 Maine................ 10-4 Manhattan ............ 2-3 Marist..................1-0 Marquette.............19-9 Maryland............... 2-1 Maryland E. Shore ......1-0 Marshall................1-0 Memphis .............. 0-2 Miami................. 4-3 Michigan ............... 2-1 Michigan State..........1-0 Middle Tennessee .......1-0 Milwaukee..............1-0 Missouri................0-1 Mississippi .............1-0 Monmouth ............ 6-0 Morgan State...........1-0 Mount St. Mary’s ....... 2-0 UMKC .................0-1 Navy ................. 2-0 Nebraska ..............1-0 New Hampshire....... 10-4 NJIT .................. 2-0 New Mexico ............1-0 New Mexico St. .........0-1 Niagara ................1-0 Nicholls .............. 1-0 North Carolina.......... 1-3 North Carolina State ... 0-2 Northeastern . . . . . . . . . . 11-5 Northern Ill. ............1-0 Northwood.............1-0 Notre Dame ........... 7-7 Ohio State .............0-1 Oklahoma .............. 3-1 Oklahoma State ........ 1-1 Penn .................16-4 Penn State .............0-1 Pittsburgh............. 5-12 Providence ........... 25-9 Purdue................. 2-1 Quinnipiac .............1-0 Redlands...............1-0 Rhode Island ...........1-0 Rider ................. 3-0 Rutgers ............... 13-5 St. John’s ............ 22-9 St. Mary’s ..............0-1 Saint Joseph’s .........14-4 Saint Louis .............0-1 Santa Clara............. 1-1 Seton Hall............ 22-7 Siena .................. 1-1 Southern Miss ..........0-1 SW Texas St. ...........0-1 Stanford` ..............1-0 Stony Brook.......... 10-0 Syracuse ..............12-9 Temple ...............14-5 Tennessee ............. 1-1 Texas .................. 1-2 Texas Tech.......... 1-0 Towson ............... 13-1 UCLA.................. 3-1 UC Riverside ...........1-0 UDC ...................1-0 UMBC ................ 2-0 UNC Asheville ..........1-0 UNCG .................1-0 UCF .................. 2-0 UNI....................1-0 USC ...................1-0 USF .................. 6-4 Vanderbilt.............. 1-1 VCU ...................1-0 Vermont . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8 Villanova.............. 0-2 Virginia ................ 2-1 VMI....................1-0 Virginia Tech ........... 4-1 Wake Forest ...........1-0 West Virginia.......... 6-8 Western Michigan..... 1-0 Western Kentucky .... 1-0 Wichita State...........1-0 Xavier ................12-4 Yale ...................0-1 Youngstown St......... 2-0 WRIGHT VS. OPPONENTS2019-20 VILLANOVA MEN’S BASKETBALL COACHING STAFF 2019 -20 MEDIA GUIDE 23 JAY WRIGHT In addition to the on-court success, the Wildcats have produced in the classroom as well. Senior Matt Kennedy was recognized with the prestigious NCAA Elite 90 Award at the 2018 Final Four while Brunson was voted second team CoSida Academic All-American along with BIG EAST Scholar Athlete of the Year. Villanova won three consecutive BIG EAST Team Academic Excellence Awards (2016-18) and every Villanova player who has spent four years in the program since 1975 has earned his degree. On April 4, 2016, Villanova played a large part in one of the iconic moments in NCAA Tournament history. With 4.7 seconds remaining in the NCAA Final at Houston’s NRG Stadium, Ryan Arcidiacono quickly advanced the basketball up the left side of the court, cut to his right Jay Wright with Gregg Popovich Jay and Patty Wright joined Director of Athletics Mark Jackson in honoring former Wildcats All-American Jalen Brunson prior to a game in February 2019and fed the ball to a trailing Kris Jenkins. Jenkins stepped into a 28-footer that fell through the net as time expired, capping a 35-5 season. In 2018 Wright received the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in Los Angeles. He is a two-time winner of the Naismith National Coach of the Year award (2006 and 2016). Over the course of his career, Wright has held a variety of coaching roles with USA Basketball. He led the 2005 USA World University Games team to a gold medal and in 2007 served as the head coach of the USA Pan American Games team. In 2019, he was appointed an assistant coach of the Senior Men’s National Team alongside head coach Gregg Popovich. The staff will lead Team USA into the 2020 Olympic Games. Wright is also part of the Philadelphia chapter of “Coaches vs. Cancer”, founded in 1998 to fight the disease. The Philadelphia chapter hosts a series of annual events including a preseason luncheon, NCAA Tournament breakfast on the floor of the Palestra and its signature event in April, the BasketBall Gala. Wright is married to the former Patricia Reilly. The couple has two sons, Taylor (26) and Colin (25) and a daughter Reilly (20). Patty and Jay Wright were honored with the inaugural Saint Augustine Medal in April 2017. Wright’s first book “Attitude: How to Develop a Winning Mindset On and Off the Court” was released in 2017 and became a New York Times’ bestseller. Jay and Patty Wright 2019-20 VILLANOVA MEN’S BASKETBALL COACHING STAFF 2019 -20 MEDIA GUIDE 24 JAY WRIGHT JAY WRIGHT IN DEPTH DATE OF BIRTH Dec. 24, 1961 EDUCATION Council Rock H.S. (1979) Bucknell University (1983) COACHING EXPERIENCE University of Rochester Assistant Coach (1984-86) Drexel University Assistant Coach (1986-87) Villanova University Assistant Coach (1987-92) UNLV Assistant Coach (1992-94) Hofstra University Head Coach (1994-2001) Villanova University Head Coach (2001-present) YEAR-BY-YEAR WITH JAY WRIGHT Year Institution Record Postseason 1994-95 Hofstra University 10-18 None 1995-96 Hofstra University 9-18 None 1996-97 Hofstra University 12-15 None 1997-98 Hofstra University 19-12 None 1998-99 Hofstra University 22-10 NIT 1999-2000 Hofstra University 24-7 NCAA 2000-2001 Hofstra University 26-5 NCAA 2001-2002 Villanova University 19-13 NIT 2002-2003 Villanova University 15-16 NIT 2003-2004 Villanova University 18-17 NIT 2004-2005 Villanova University 24-8 NCAA 2005-2006 Villanova University 28-5 NCAA 2006-2007 Villanova University 22-11 NCAA 2007-2008 Villanova University 22-13 NCAA 2008-2009 Villanova University 30-8 NCAA 2009-2010 Villanova University 25-8 NCAA 2010-2011 Villanova University 21-12 NCAA 2011-2012 Villanova University 13-19 None 2012-2013 Villanova University 20-14 NCAA 2013-2014 Villanova University 29-5 NCAA 2014-2015 Villanova University 33-3 NCAA 2015-2016 Villanova University 35-5 NCAA 2016-2017 Villanova University 32-4 NCAA 2017-2018 Villanova University 36-4 NCAA 2018-2019 Villanova University 26-10 NCAA 25 years 570-260In the course of his quarter century as a head coach, Jay Wright has mentored a long list of assistant coaches and players who have gone on to enter the coaching profession at the college and professional levels. Ashley Howard enters his second season as head coach at La Salle University. Howard spent five seasons as a Wildcats’ assistant from 2013-18, a period during which Villanova won 165 games and a pair of national titles. Baker Dunleavy, who played from 2002- 06 at Villanova and later returned to coach at his alma mater, begins his third season at Quinnipiac in 2019-20. Dunleavy served as associate head coach for the 2016 NCAA national champions. Among those on the Quinnipiac staff is former Wright assistant coach Tom Pecora (Hofstra). Another former Villanova associate head coach, Patrick Chambers, is the head coach at Penn State University. Chambers came to Villanova in 2004 as director of basketball operations and later served as associate head coach when the Wildcats posted a 30-8 record on their way to the 2009 NCAA Final Four. Joe Jones, who worked with Wright as an assistant coach at both Hofstra and Villanova, is the head coach at Boston University. Billy Lange, a two-time member of the Villanova staff (2001-04 and 2011-13), was named the head coach at Saint Joseph’s University in the spring of 2019. The National Basketball Association also has a strong Villanova influence. Brett Gunning, who worked with Wright as an assistant coach in his seven seasons at Hofstra and later at Villanova, has been an NBA assistant since joining the Rockets in 2008. He also served a stint as an assistant coach in Orlando and then returned to Houston as a member of Mike D’Antoni’s staff. Another former VU staffer, Connor Johnson, is also a part of the 76ers organization, having been elevated to the position of head coach with the team’s G League outfit, the Delaware Blue Coats. Matt Massimino, who spent the past two seasons on the Villanova staff as an assistant coach is now with the Phoenix Suns, where he serves as a Personnel Evaluator. JOE JONES BOSTON UNIVERSITY PATRICK CHAMBERS PENN STATE BILLY LANGE SAINT JOSEPH’S BRETT GUNNING HOUSTON ROCKETS BAKER DUNLEAVY QUINNIPIAC 2019-20 VILLANOVA MEN’S BASKETBALL COACHING STAFF 2019 -20 M EDIA GUIDE 25 VILLANOVA EXTENDED COACHING STAFF Jay Wright with former assistant coach Ashley Howard prior to a December Big Five game against La SalleKyle Neptune begins his seventh season as the longest tenured Villanova assistant coach. During this period of unprecedented success, the Wildcats have averaged 31.8 wins per season and captured five BIG EAST regular season tournament titles and a pair of NCAA national championships. Neptune made his return to the Villanova staff when he was named an assistant coach in September 2013. He had previously served the Wildcats from 2008-10 as the administrative intern/video coordinator and was a part of the staff that helped lead VU to the 2009 NCAA Final Four in Detroit. Prior to this stint, Neptune served three seasons as an assistant coach at Niagara University (2010-13) and accompanied former Niagara head coach Joe Mihalich to Hofstra University in the months before accepting his position at Villanova. “During his time at Villanova, Kyle has demonstrated all the qualities you want to see in a young coach - commitment, passion, and the ability to communicate with young people,” stated head coach Jay Wright. “He is a well-rounded and talented young coach who we are thrilled to have with us.” A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Neptune played four seasons of college basketball at Lehigh University where he served as a team captain in his senior year of 2006-07. The Mountain Hawks claimed the 2004 Patriot League title during Neptune’s freshman campaign. As a junior, Neptune logged 33 minutes as a Lehigh starting forward when the Mountain Hawks played Villanova in November of 2005 at the Pavilion. In his present role, Neptune assists with all elements of the program, including on-court teaching, player development, and recruiting. KYLE NEPTUNE IN DEPTH DATE OF BIRTH January 21, 1985 HOMETOWN Brooklyn, N.Y. EDUCATION B.A., Lehigh University (2007) EXPERIENCE Video Coordinator, Villanova University (2008-10) Assistant Coach, Niagara University (2010-13) Assistant Coach, Hofstra University (June 2013-September 2013) Assistant Coach, Villanova University (2013-present) 2019-20 VILLANOVA MEN’S BASKETBALL COACHING STAFF 2019 -20 MEDIA GUIDE 26 KYLE NEPTUNE ASSISTANT COACH2019-20 VILLANOVA MEN’S BASKETBALL COACHING STAFF 2019 -20 MEDIA GUIDE 27 ASSISTANT COACH GEORGE HALCOVAGE George Halcovage, who first joined the Wildcats as a graduate assistant coach in 2008, was elevated to the role of Assistant Coach in the summer of 2017. It marked another step in the rise of the native of Pottsville, Pa., at Villanova. “George is a longtime mem- ber of our staff who has been ready for this position for a long time,” stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright. “We are excited about him taking the next step in his career at Villanova.” As an assistant coach Halcovage assists with on-court teaching, recruiting, and player development. Halcovage was a part of the Villanova staff that guided the Wildcats to the 2009 NCAA Final Four in Detroit. In 2010, he moved over to become the Video Coordinator/Graduate Intern. He later was elevated to the role of Director of Basketball Operations and served in that capacity during the Wildcats’ run to the 2016 NCAA national championship. In his first season as an assistant coach, the Wildcats posted a program record 36 victories on route to a sec- ond NCAA national title in the past three seasons. In 2012 Halcovage earned his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Villanova University. Halcovage is a 2008 graduate of Babson College, where he played four seasons of varsity basketball as a point guard. In his final two seasons he coordinated the New England Basketball Coaches Association (NEBCA) “Coaches vs. Cancer” all-star game. GEORGE HALCOVAGE IN DEPTH DATE OF BIRTH January 13, 1986 HOMETOWN Pottsville, Pa. EDUCATION B.A., Babson College (2008) M.B.A., Villanova School of Business (2012) EXPERIENCE Graduate Manager, Villanova University (2008-10) Video Coordinator, Villanova University (2010-14) Director, Basketball Operations, Villanova University (2014-17) Assistant Coach, Villanova University (2017-present)Next >