Why the holidays are a busy time for a couple of Villanova basketball families

Christmas is a little different with a high-level athlete in your family.

With two? It’s chaos.

Too many to count? Well, the Arcidiaconos have managed for years. They’re used to it by now.

After Villanova’s 84-48 win at DePaul, the Wildcats returned to campus, then spread out across the continent. Sophomore guard Brendan Hausen flew home to Amarillo, Texas. Freshman forward Jordann Dumont headed north to Montreal. All get a precious few days off to celebrate Christmas at home.

Still, Christmas looks different for the families of graduate guards Chris Arcidiacono and Justin Moore. Not all six Arcidiacono kids are home in Langhorne, as fourth son and Wildcats legend Ryan played with the Knicks on Christmas Day. The Moore house isn’t full, either — Justin’s younger brother Jason is in Columbus, Ohio, preparing with his Ohio State football teammates for the Cotton Bowl against Missouri on Dec. 29.

Regardless, speaking before the DePaul matchup, both Wildcats were excited for the holiday and the time off.

“You get to relax a little bit, catch a breather, refresh with your family and people you love,” said Moore, who’s been out since Dec. 5 with a right knee sprain. “And then, you’re able to come back into the season with a little break so you’re ready to go, more [inspired] and feel refreshed.”

Chris Arcidiacono’s favorite part of Christmas is the family time. He and his twin sister, Courtney, are the youngest of the six Arcidiacono children, while oldest sister Sabrina is 14 years older. All try to come home for the holiday.

Growing up, many family members would compete on a six-foot Little Tykes hoop in the Arcidiacono house. Cousins were invited over, and a competitive family filled with Division I athletes led to some of the highest-level indoor basketball games in the country.

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The rosters show how deep the Arcidiacono depth chart runs. Chris and Ryan were on opposite sides. Chris’ team included cousin Kevin Hoehn, who also played at Villanova, and his brother Sean, who scored more than 1,300 points at Sacred Heart. Joining Ryan’s team was cousin Jack Curran, a three-time Villanova lacrosse team captain and Major League Lacrosse draftee. As for the third spot?

“The third spot, anyone can really fill in,” Chris said, laughing.

Christmas has calmed down as the family has gotten older, but traditions have survived. The Arcidiaconos did a Secret Santa gift exchange on Christmas Eve, then went to Mass as a family. Christmas morning means French toast. Now that some of Chris’ siblings have pre-teenage kids of their own, maybe the mini-hoop games will get rolling again.

The Moore family Christmas is a calmer affair, but the brotherly dynamic between Justin and Jason meant there was always something going on, especially growing up. Like the Arcidiaconos, the Moores had some mini-hoop battles, but that wasn’t the only sport of choice.

“We’d play football, just tackling each other. I’d be whupping him in that, beating him up,” Justin said. “It was just fun, just getting to hang out with him and beating him up a little bit.”

That has changed as they’ve gotten older.

“Obviously, we can’t tackle each other in the house because we’re huge now,” the 6-foot-5, 210-pound older brother says. He doesn’t have a size advantage on Jason anymore — Jason is now a 6-6, 295-pound freshman defensive end for one of the best college football teams in the country.

To preserve the Moore house’s structural integrity, the battlefield has changed. Now, the brothers play video games against each other, competing on NBA 2K or Madden.

“He has a better chance now because he’s older,” Justin said. “… But it’s still, I can’t let him beat me.”

Because Christmas falls in the middle of both college basketball and football bowl season, the brothers had little time under the same roof. Justin returned home from Chicago on Saturday night. Jason had to leave on Sunday. Speaking Friday, Justin said he planned to spend the few hours together catching up and hearing about Jason’s freshman year.

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While Jason was missed, Justin was still excited for Christmas Day, especially the food. His family enjoys brunch with his uncle and his family, while dinner is at his mother’s side of the family. The dinner menu stays consistent — chicken, mac and cheese, green beans, etc. — but dessert changes every year.

Moore is a pie guy, partial toward sweet potato. He’ll try anything but believes “you can’t go wrong with apple.”

The Wildcats (9-4) will return to campus on Wednesday. Before facing Xavier on Jan. 3, they’ll have a full week to spend in the gym hoping to maintain the momentum from their 2-0 start in the Big East and three straight wins overall.

But on Christmas morning, family is more important. Basketball’s wasn’t the focus … at least not until the mini-hoops came out.