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Women’s Basketball Welcomes Fresmen and New Coach Meghann Morhardt Staff Writer way here at Villanova. Sarah Mortenson, while not a freshman, will be playing her first After a successful season, transferred to Villanova last year from making it to the second round of the Miami but had to sit out the 2019-20 Big East Tournament, the women’s season due to transfer regulations. The basketball team looks to improve even ‘Cats will look to her for supplemental more this year with a new head coach scoring as well as leadership. and the addition of four freshmen. Returning players, such as Denise Dillon, the new head Maddy Siegrist and Raven James, will coach of the women’s basketball be strong players that Coach Dillon program, spent the last 17 years as and the rest of the coaching staff will the head coach of the Drexel women’s basketball team. Dillon, a 1996 Villanova graduate, played under Side by side features Dillon coaching and Dillon playing for the’Cats Courtesy of the Big East Conference rely on this year. Siegrist had an outstanding season as a red-shirt freshman last year. Leading the team with head coach Harry Perretta, and is now all in the starting five last season, but Taliyah Medina, a 6’0” fresh- 18 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, filling the position that he held for 42 looks to fill those roles with the strong man from Bethlehem, Pa., will add Siegrist was an integral part of the seasons. returning crew and four freshmen. some depth at the guard position. Me- team’s success. She was named one of Dillon has big shoes to fill, but Kylie Swider, a 6’4” freshman from dina was a 1,000 point scorer and the the top-10 freshmen in the country by she is certainly up for the challenge. Portsmouth, R.I. and sister of men’s 2020 4A Pennsylvania State Player of ESPN.com, earned All-Big 5, All-Big Her resume is one to be admired. basketball player Cole Swider, will add the year, on top of being a four-time East and was the unanimous Big East She is the winningest coach in Drexel some height and depth to the roster. District 11 champion, four-time East- Rookie of the Year. history, won CAA Coach of the Year Swider was an Adidas All-American ern Pennsylvania Conference cham- James started all 31 games last four times, won four conference chamand averaged a double-double with pion and a two-time state champion. season, and while she only averaged pionships, a WNIT championship and 17 points and 12 rebounds per game Medina’s skill set and competitive 5.9 ppg, she led the team in assists and advanced to the national postseason during her senior year. nature will help her have an impact for steals with 109 and 27, respectively. Affour out of her last five seasons. After losing Bridget Herlihy the ‘Cats over the next four years. ter losing a large percentage of scoring Not only is Dillon a treand Mary Gedaka last season, the The last freshman is 5’11” in the seniors last year, James will need mendous coach, but she was also an team needed to add some forwards guard Bella Runyan from Morres- to step up this year as a senior leader impressive player in her time as a and they did that with Swider and town, N.J. Runyan was a 1,000 point and help the team on both ends of the Wildcat, with 1,355 points and 677 Lior Garzon, the second freshman scorer, as well as the second leading floor. rebounds in her career. She was a forward. Garzon, one of three inter- scorer in her high school’s history There are still a lot of unthree-time All-Big 5 selection, an Allnational students on the roster, is from and the all time leader in assists and knowns surrounding the season, but Big East honoree and is a member of Raanana, Israel. Standing at 6’1”, steals. She was a three sport captain Coach Dillon and the Wildcats will the Big 5 Hall of Fame, the Villanova Garzon will be another solid option for soccer, basketball and lacrosse and look to improve in conference play this Varsity Club Hall of Fame and the for the ‘Cats. With her experience on was All-League for all three sports in season and advance further in the Big Delaware County Athletes Hall of the Israel National Team, Garzon is a her last three years. Runyan’s natural East Conference Tournament in order Fame. fierce competitor and will fit in per- athletic ability and experience with to give themselves a chance to play in The team lost three seniors, fectly with the team. being a leader will help her find her the postseason at the national level.

Men’s Soccer Adds Transfers and Freshmen to Roster

Colin Beazley Staff Writer

As they prepare for a season that is sure to look unlike any other, the Villanova men’s soccer team will rely on an infusion of new players into the program, adding eight freshmen and three graduate transfers. The team is aiming to reach the Big East Tournament for the first time since 2016. Last season’s team was an excellent defensive team, led by redshirt junior goalkeeper Carson Williams. Williams was the owner of the nation’s best save percentage (.848), tying a program record with nine clean sheets. However, a late-season slide and a 1-8 record when conceding a goal meant that the Wildcats failed to make the postseason. Nevertheless, last year’s team was filled with youth and will benefit from an added year of experience. Sophomore Lyam MacKinnon led the Wildcats in scoring with two goals and four assists, as well as leading the team in

shots on goal. This year’s offense will also be helped by graduate transfer Nico Quashie, a forward joining from Virginia Tech, who scored six goals and assisted a pair more during his junior season with the Hokies. Sindri Bjornsson and Elan Koenig are also joining the team as graduate transfers. Bjornsson is a midfielder from Iceland, joining the Wildcats after playing for Clemson the past two years. In an interview with Villanova Athletics, head coach Tom Carlin was excited about how he will fit into the team. “We are going to ask him to get forward more than he did at Clemson, so I really think he is going to enjoy his role at Villanova,” Carlin said. Koenig is a defender who is joining Villanova after being a loyal defensemen for the Wisconsin Badgers. He’s expected to slot in at center back, replacing Second Team All-Big East defender Shawn Bradley, who graduated last spring. The team is also very ex- cited to add eight freshmen to the program. Forwards Luke Pom- pliano and Akinjude Awujo both played high levels of club soccer, and will look to make an impact on the squad immediately. Midfielders Brandon “BJ” Johns, Dominic Cyriacks and Jorge Garcia have fans excited, all great passers with good technical ability. Cyriacks played for Hamburger SV II, the reserve team of season in blue and white. Mortenson ex-European champion Hamburg, in his native Germany, as well as for BSV Rehden in the German fourth tier. On defense, Jack Bonas and David Ogbonna join the squad, with Ogbonna likely to fill a hole in the team at outside back. To round out the freshman class, goalkeeper Owen Kulick joins from the New York Red Bulls Academy, and he will provide high caliber depth for the team this season. There’s incredible quality among the returning players as well. Of the six players who appeared in every game of last season, five returned, including senior captain Theo Quartey, who finished third in scoring for the Wildcats from midfield. Fellow senior Richie Schlentz also started all 18 games last season and will keep the backline solid. Sophomore Josh Belluz led all field players in minutes, starting every game as a towering presence in midfield. Although no one knows what this season will look like, ex- pect a strong one for the Wildcats. Last season’s strengths look to be continued into this year, and the pieces are there for a strong record and overall success for the team, even in a competitive Big East Conference. The team will continue to work hard over the fall and winter and looks forward to kicking off in the spring.

Madison Burke Co-Sports Editor

With the 2020 presidential election coming up on Nov. 3, the Villanova Athletics staff has made it imperative that they help their student-athletes utilize their right to vote. Considering many athletes are from out of state, there are extra steps that must be taken, such as getting a voter registration card before being able to receive a ballot. Villanova Athletics strives to have a majority of its athletes registered to vote. Villanova Athletics used its UNITAS initiative, which is primarily being used for diversity, equity and inclusion. However, it also advocates for voter rights and registration. It looks to educate Villanova student-athletes about voting as well. Villanova men’s basketball was one of the first teams on cam- pus to get assistance in registering to vote. Playeres teamed up with Let’s Vote Nova and the ALL IN Challenge. Jay Wright has tweeted support for National Black Voter Day and National Voter Registration Day. On Sept. 22, Wright tweeted, “Today is National Voter RegistraAlex Tantum Staff Writer In his sophomore season at Villanova, Saddiq Bey established himself as the best collegiate small forward in the nation, winning the coveted Julius Erving award. He is widely considered as one of the premier “3-and-D” prospects in the country, and has set himself up as essentially “a lock” to be drafted in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft. It’s very unlikely that the lo- cal team, the Sixers, could get him, unless they trade up. In fact, the majority of mock drafts have Bey being drafted somewhere between the 10th and 20th picks of the first round. A player like Bey will be valuable to any NBA team. He will secure a role for himself regardless of where he goes, but there are specific teams that could use his services more than others. Let’s take a look at them. San Antonio Spurs (11th Pick): Bey is the exact type of player all-time great head coach Gregg Popovich wants on his team. Popovich values versatile defenders and high-character guys — both of which Bey embodies. By adding Bey, San Antonio would improve its promising, young defensive core, which includes players such as Dejounte Murray and Derrick White. His offensive output certain- ly wouldn’t hurt the Spurs either, as a team can never have enough shooters. The Spurs have a history of drafting more “NBA-ready” players, and Bey fits this mold as well. He would immediately be able tion Day — Our staff and players are committed to 100% participation in the upcoming election . Let’s all do our part as citizens and register to vote!” Let’s Vote Nova is an organization on campus that looks to educate and help students register to vote for all elections. It is run by the University’s Student Government Association and has been especially active during this presto step into a sizable role off the bench, or perhaps even a starting spot should the team decide to trade DeMar DeRozan. Sacramento Kings (12th Pick): There have been many mock drafts sending Bey to Sacramento, and for good reasons. Currently, the Kings have Harrison Barnes and Kent Bazemore as their primary small forwards. Additionally, they have been heavily rumored to have SG Buddy Hield on the trading block this offseason. Thus, the Kings could use some more shooting, which Bey certainly provides. Sacramento has a history of drafting more “raw,” younger prospects, but with new front office leadership, perhaps this year they will go in a different direction. New Orleans Pelicans (13th Pick): Bey and Zion Wil- liamson? Now that duo would be interesting. In all seriousness, Bey would make a fantastic addition to the Pelicans, potentially stepping into a sixth man role as a rookie and joining fellow Villanova alum Josh Hart in the team’s rotation. The Pelicans were not regarded as a good defensive team last season, with their only true impact defend- ers being Hart and Jrue Holiday, who they may explore trading this offseason. Of course, Bey can help them with that. New Orleans has a bright future ahead, with a promising young rotation, but when you look at the rotation, one of the greatest needs is a player who can play in a sixth or seventh man role, backing up both small forward Brandon Ingram and Williamson. Bey would be able to do that, and of course, he has the potential for an even greater role. idential election cycle. Let’s Vote Nova’s Instagram (@letsvotenova) has infographics about how to get registered and answers frequently asked questions about voting in Pennsylvania. The ALL IN Challenge is a nationwide, nonpartisan organization hoping to increase student voter turnout. This initiative began in 2016 and has over 700 universities from across the country involved Portland Trail Blazers (16th Pick): The Trail Blazers are growing old at the wing spot. Carmelo Anthony is a free agent and Trevor Ariza is a veteran whose body has taken a beating over the course of his career. The only young option at the wing is Rodney Hood, who has looked promising, but is coming off of a torn achilles. Portland needs help at the forward spot, and Bey can provide that help. The team is also trying to win now. Bey is an immediate-impact player, so he fits with them in that sense as well. Lastly, the Trail Blazers gave up the second-highest opponent three-point percentage in the league, so they could use some defensive versatility, which Bey provides. For me, Portland is the best fit for Bey in the draft. For that reason, I don’t see him dropping past them at the 16th pick. Dallas Mavericks (18th Pick): If Bey somehow gets past

Sophomore forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl from Mens Basketball, registering to vote. Courtesty of @NovaMBB Instagram in its programs. Their Instagram is @allintovote, where it showcases universities with the highest number of pledges to vote. The Big East has shown its support for various organizations that are looking to increase voter turnout, such as RISE. RISE advocates for increased race relations in sports through education. However, it has also helped to bring awareness to the lack of voting that occurred in the 2016 election and hopes to make a change. The Big East and RISE had multiple online workshops to help educate their followers and answer questions about what their programs stood for and help eligible voters register. Women’s rowing and women’s volleyball met with voting representatives to learn more about how to vote on Friday, Sep. 25. Various other Villanova sports teams met on Zoom through the week to help get everyone involved. The Athletics staff has been vigilant about helping athletes and teams work with Let’s Vote Nova to help campus have close to 100% of the student-athletes vote. Villanova Athletics teams are being educated on what it means to exercise their right to vote, and they look to cast a ballot

Potential NBA Teams for Former Wildcat Saddiq Bey

in upcoming elections. Portland, I definitely don’t see him dropping below the Mavericks, who already have Villanova alum Jalen Brunson on the roster. If Tim Hardaway Jr. were to decline his player option and become a free agent, the wing spot would become a clear need for Dallas, but even if they were to re-sign him, Bey is a great fit for the team. Players such as Hardaway Jr., Seth Curry and Luka Doncic, who have sizable roles in the offense, are not regarded as above-average defenders. Really, the only above-average defender Dallas has is small forward Dorian Finney-Smith, but he can’t provide much on the offensive end. Bey can give Dallas the defensive help it needs, all the while being a plus on the offensive side of the ball. We will see where Bey is drafted on Nov. 18. Regardless, there is no doubt that wherever he is drafted, he is going to have a long and successful NBA career.