
Villanova Basketball: Predictions for Wildcats' 2014-15 Team Awards
Since the college basketball season is just a month away, it is time to go into prediction mode about the Villanova Wildcats.
Here we take a look at who will win the individual awards at the season's end. Five different players take home the honors.
Starting with MVP and continuing on through all of the usual awards you see in the sport, we predicted how each role will be filled by the conclusion of the 2014-15 campaign.
Most Valuable Player: JayVaughn Pinkston
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A lot of the focus this season will be on Ryan Arcidiacono and Darrun Hilliard, but the most valuable Villanova player will be JayVaughn Pinkston.
The redshirt senior has been a key contributor over the last three seasons, but he hasn't received as much credit as he should because of the play at the guard position.
Pinkston has averaged 12.4 points per game during his career, and he has proven to be a versatile threat all over the court.
His ability to move around the court and create mismatches will be key for the Wildcats this season, which is why he has the early edge in the team MVP discussion.
Top Newcomer: Phil Booth
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Breaking into the established rotation of the Wildcats will be a difficult task for the two freshmen on the roster, but Phil Booth should produce some solid numbers off the pine.
As we saw last season, Jay Wright has no problem giving his first-year players some time on the court as long as they contribute.
Booth will not be under a massive amount of pressure since he is near the bottom of a stacked depth chart at the guard position.
If he follows in the footsteps of Kris Jenkins and Josh Hart, Booth will be a worthy contributor near the end of the season.
Sixth Man of the Year: Josh Hart
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Since Jenkins provides a bit more muscle in the paint, expect him to get the nod over Hart for a spot in the starting lineup.
With Jenkins moving into the lineup to replace the departed James Bell, Hart will be handed the role of sixth man.
Coming off the bench last season, Hart averaged 7.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, which was good enough to earn him a spot on the Big East All-Rookie Team.
If those numbers increase during his sophomore season, Hart will easily become a key cog in the Villanova backcourt throughout the season.
Most Improved Player: Dylan Ennis
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Dylan Ennis' first eligible season for Villanova after transferring from Rice didn't go down as smooth as he wanted it to.
Ennis only played in 485 minutes, and he made just 47 field goals in 30 games played for the Wildcats.
With a clear role open for him as the second guy off the bench, Ennis will be counted on to provide some experience off the pine.
The redshirt junior will obviously have to improve on his 5.1 points per game, and now that he has one full season of play in the Villanova system under his belt, he should become a viable scoring option off the bench.
Top Scorer: Darrun Hilliard
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Keeping with the trend that James Bell set last season as a senior, Darrun Hilliard will have a breakout year and become Villanova's top scorer.
Hilliard has improved his points per game total in every season as a Wildcat, and nothing less is expected from the senior guard in his final season on the Main Line.
He is a smart decision-maker when it comes to shooting, and he is not one-dimensional in regards to how he scores his points.
Hilliard can shoot from beyond the arc, but his penetrating skills in the lane will benefit him more than any other guard on the team.
By being able to contribute from all angles of the court, Hilliard should have no problem earning the title of top scorer.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

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