Jay Wright had a reason to make a change. He saw that he could pick up the pace for player of the year candidate Jalen Brunson, and he catalyzed that by using his centers differently.
Since Daniel Ochefu graduated in 2016, the Villanova Wildcats have relied on a number of undersized mobile big men and implemented a fast-paced scheme with fungible parts. Darryl Reynolds, who graduated last year, couldn’t quite protect the rim or stretch the floor, but his mobility became a linchpin by backing up aggressive defenders in Brunson and Mikal Bridges.