Five takeaways from Villanova’s first Blue-White scrimmage under Kyle Neptune

Villanova hosted its annual Blue-White scrimmage on Thursday night at Finneran Pavilion, and as in past years, the assistants handled most of the coaching. However, for the first time in 21 years, the man watching the game unfold from the corner was not Jay Wright…

Oh, wait. It still was.

Wright, who surprisingly retired in April, took in the game from the baseline, watching Kyle Neptune’s first Villanova team kick off the season. Next to him sat Neptune, and visiting the two throughout the game were Director of Athletics Mark Jackson, recent alums Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree and Jermaine Samuels, former Wildcat great Randy Foye, and several others.

» READ MORE: The elephant in the gym? Jay Wright is not there anymore at Villanova. | Mike Jensen

Here are five takeaways from what happened on the court.

The scrimmage came at an inopportune time for Neptune, with several Wildcats out with injuries. Senior guard Justin Moore is still rehabbing the Achilles injury he suffered last March, while graduate student guard Caleb Daniels is out with a broken nose. Highly-touted freshman Cam Whitmore and sophomore forward Trey Patterson sat on the bench, but also did not play.

Given these roster limitations, Villanova got creative. The Wildcats played three, eight-minute games. To have enough players for a full scrimmage, graduate assistant Kevin Voigt suited up, and proceeded to make two threes, add a slam and a reverse layup, dive for a steal and draw a charge.

Throughout the offseason, the biggest on-court question for Neptune has been the point guard position. Competing for the starting job is freshman Mark Armstrong, who led the U.S. U18 national team to a FIBA Americas Championship in June, and redshirt freshman Angelo Brizzi, who spent last year learning the Villanova system behind Collin Gillespie.

Both had moments, but Brizzi was the star of the scrimmage. The 6-foot-3 guard scored seven points in the opening game to lead Team White to a 16-15 win, and made several nice finds while driving in the second and third games. He attacked the basket and showed what he worked on during his redshirt year, utilizing Villanova-patented pump fakes and drives to great success.

Armstrong impressed as well. The South Orange, N.J. native attacked mismatches and displayed his shooting touch. He also hustled on defense, pestering the opposing guards. Armstrong will certainly contribute for Villanova this year, but Brizzi looks to have a slight edge for the starting spot.

The scrimmage marked the first time Brendan Hausen suited up for Villanova in front of more than just students, and Hausen didn’t disappoint. The freshman guard didn’t hesitate to fire from deep, swishing two corner threes. He offered flash as well, tossing a no-look pass to find Voigt for his dunk. Hausen drilled two late free throws to clinch the second game for Team Blue.

While Hausen was perfect when he was open, he did have a few moments where he showed his inexperience. He made one turnover trying to break a press in the first game, and was occasionally a step slow on defense. However, the shooting was as advertised, as he consistently showed the stroke that has many in the program excited.

With Daniels and Moore out, graduate forward Brandon Slater took on the responsibility of being the top option for Villanova. Slater led the offense and made several threes, including the game-winner for Team White in the first game.

Slater also demonstrated his physical strength on both ends of the floor. Often matched up with sophomore guard Jordan Longino, Slater backed down Longino for several easy finishes.

While redshirt junior forward Eric Dixon reminded fans why he was the Big 5′s Most Improved Player last season, sophomore forward Nnanna Njoku showed that he’s ready to make an impact this year. The two matched up in all three games.

Dixon converted two three-point plays, and also displayed his offensive versatility by playing outside the paint. Meanwhile, Njoku posted two thunderous slams.

While not everyone was able to suit up for the Blue-White scrimmage, those who played demonstrated why Villanova is projected to be one of the top teams in the country this year. The Wildcats officially begin the Kyle Neptune era on Nov. 7 with a home matchup against La Salle (6:30 P.M., FS1).