With the start of the 2018-19 college basketball season rapidly approaching, today Villanova announced the official addition of two players hoping to make an impact for the ‘Cats this season.

The school announced that freshman Saddiq Bey and graduate transfer Joe Cremo are now official members of the Villanova roster.

Bey averaged 21.2 points and 8.2 rebounds during his senior season at Sidwell Friends School, alma mater of Villanova great Josh Hart. “We were really excited to add a player of Saddiq’s caliber so late in the recruiting calendar,” stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright. “Saddiq is a highly skilled, efficient and intelligent basketball player. We’re thrilled to welcome him to Villanova.”

Cremo spent last season at Albany, where he averaged 17.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting a solid 45.8 percent from beyond the arc. “Joe is a proven winner and scorer at the collegiate level whose experience will be an asset to our young team this season,” said Wright. “His maturity and character make him a perfect addition.” As coach Wright mentioned, Cremo’s experience will be huge for an uncharacteristically young Villanova team.

With a ton of new faces and a relatively young roster, the battle for playing time should be intense as the Wildcats start practice and through the early part of the season. That competition is something that could benefit the young ‘Cats later in the year as they defend their national title.