Picking up our look at the 2020-21 roster, we continue through a sophomore class that we believe will play a major role in determining just how far Villanova can go this season. Today we’ll look at a player I’m incredibly high on, and one I feel is getting lost in the shuffle a bit in the conversations about this Villanova roster: Justin Moore.

On one hand, it’s understandable that some analysts and fans are overlooking Moore. At one end of the spectrum, we have a strong senior group that will be the engine of this season’s ‘Nova team, and at the other end we have a handful of players loaded with intrigue (what kind of leap with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl make? What will the ‘Cats get from Bryan Antoine? What about Eric Dixon? What impact will Caleb Daniels make?) that are garnering much of the attention. We’ve already discussed some of those questions and will get to the others in the near future. Moore’s steady play as a freshman lands him in the middle of that spectrum, and as a result he’s not getting quite as much attention. On the other hand, however, his impressive freshman campaign and the progression he should make as a sophomore are exactly why he should be getting attention and why he could end up being one of the most important Wildcats in 2020-21.

Like Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Moore got an anomalous amount of playing time for a Villanova freshman, logging 29.9 minutes per game. He responded with 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists while hitting an impressive 39.6% of his 3-point attempts. He finished 12th in the Big East in 3-point makes and earned Big East All-Freshman honors.

Among his most notable performances was a 25-point, three-rebound, three-assist, five-steal game against La Salle and a 21-point, six-rebound night against St. John’s. He scored 15+ points nine times and Villanova was 8-1 in those games. He also had four no-turnover performances.

The advanced numbers show him making a positive impact at both ends of the floor, earning 1.1 offensive win shares and 1.2 defensive win shares and posting a 1.7 offensive box plus-minus and a 1.6 defensive box plus-minus. Those numbers, along with his reasonably low turnover numbers (1.8 per game) help explain how he was able to earn Jay Wright’s trust and earn so much playing time as a freshman.

Now, he’ll enter his sophomore campaign with a year of experience under his belt and the confidence from his successful freshman season. As a result, he is a prime candidate to have a breakout season. His 3-point shooting is what most jumps out from his freshman season but there’s a lot more to his game.

Perhaps the most important thing is his versatility as a combo guard. Moore can spell Gillespie and handle the ballhandling duties, and he showed good vision, an excellent understanding of the offense and sound decision making when handling the ball as a freshman. Off the ball, Moore did a good job finding open space and making himself visible and available to teammates.

Something that may have gone a bit overlooked from Moore’s freshman season is his ability to play in the post. While he didn’t do it a ton, he demonstrated good footwork and an ability to get off a reliable turnaround jumper or to pivot and get around his defender. We often talk about Villanova’s “inverted offense” that was used so successfully with Jalen Brunson, particularly on the way to the 2018 national championship. It’s a set that compliments everything the Wildcats try to do on offense so well, and when they have a player that is adept at doing it the offense can become almost unstoppable. Moore could be that player.

Moore possesses an impressively refined and complete offensive package. We’ve already discussed his 3-point shooting and his ability to play out of the post. He can also get to the basket and finish with soft touch around the rim and he can rise up and hit shots from the mid-range. He’s got an impressive collection of hesitations and spins that help him shake defenders and can shoot reliably both off the dribble and off the catch. In addition, he is almost always under control. Combine those traits with his vision and decision making and you have an incredibly dangerous offensive weapon.

We’ve talked about the importance of the sophomore group in determining just how good this Villanova team can be, and Moore will join with Robinson-Earl to lead this group. That’s an exciting prospect for ‘Nova fans. We expect big things from Moore this season and that should be great news for Villanova.