A loss, especially a bad one, brings a bad taste no matter the time of the season.
For Villanova, it came in game one in Rome against Notre Dame. The early criticism seems to be around Luigi Suigo.
The 7-foot-3 freshman did not impress during exhibition games and got off to a slow start in the regular season as well. Is there any reason to be worried? Not quite yet.
Suigo finished with seven points and five rebounds in his debut for the Wildcats. He was 3-for-6 from the field and knocked down one three-pointer.
Suigo came with high expectations because of where he came from and the fact that he is being viewed as a potential lottery pick in the NBA Draft this summer. The fact remains, there is an adjustment period.
In game one, Suigo showed signs of conditioning not being at the level needed. This led to foul trouble as he was out of position on the floor. Villanova has depth in the frontcourt and it will only improve when Matt Hodge returns from injury. On Sunday morning, the Wildcats were a bit hamstrung as Kwame Evans Jr. was expected to be on a minutes restriction. Early foul trouble for Suigo did not help the situation.
When Big East play begins, there will be quality bigs each night and Suigo needs to remain on the floor. This is the biggest critique after just one game, and it is one that can be fixed. He will eventually get used to the speed of the game and style of play in the conference.
What we did see was an ability to knock down shots from deep and impact the game defensively. Suigo brings size that Villanova has not had in, maybe ever. The frame of Suigo will make it difficult for shot makers to finish at the rim. This is where being able to defend without fouling comes into play.
On top of Suigo’s foul trouble, there was no Hodge, Devin Royal attempted just one shot, and the team turned the ball over 20 times. And lost by two.
I don’t like making excuses, but this early in the season, there is plenty to fix and plenty of time to do it. The ceiling remains high for Suigo and Villanova.
