Kyle Neptune lets his new-look Villanova squad loose and earns a season-opening victory

After Villanova brought in four transfers, there were concerns over whether it would lose its culture.

In the season opener against American on Monday at Finneran Pavilion, those concerns lasted two minutes and 31 seconds.

First Justin Moore, the established team leader, dove for a loose ball. He couldn’t control it, but there was Tyler Burton, a Richmond transfer, diving headfirst. He again couldn’t grab it, but there was TJ Bamba, from Washington State, throwing himself at the hardwood.

» READ MORE: No. 22 Villanova, with four touted transfers, aiming to return to national prominence

The immediate result? An American shot clock violation. The end result? A convincing, 90-63 win for Villanova.

“That’s just Villanova basketball,” Burton said.

Head coach Kyle Neptune didn’t hesitate to put the transfers in. Burton and Bamba were both starters, while Hakim Hart (Maryland) and Lance Ware (Kentucky) entered in the first eight minutes. Nine Wildcats played 10 or more minutes, as Neptune tinkered with the rotation.

Burton led the new guys with 15 points, but all had an impact. Bamba scored 13 and added five rebounds in 22 minutes. Hart scored 11 and added six rebounds and three assists. Ware gave Villanova an option behind Dixon — something it didn’t have last season.

“We’re lucky to have a good group of guys who have come in from day one, open to learning our way and try and be part of this,” forward Eric Dixon said.

It was the first time Villanova has scored 90 or more points since 2021.

While the transfers were the main reason Villanova was ranked No. 22 in the preseason AP Poll, it was still Moore and the returners that starred. Dixon scored 15 points, while Moore added 10. Jordan Longino chipped in nine points in 20 minutes.

Experience also showed itself in the starting lineup. Moore, Dixon, Burton, and Bamba have been assumed to start, but the fifth spot was undecided. For the opener, Neptune started sophomore guard Mark Armstrong over Hart.

“As we went throughout the preseason, we just started the five guys we thought would be the most cohesive way of Villanova basketball,” Neptune said.

Six Wildcats scored nine or more points. Of the 11 players to appear, 10 scored.

The Wildcats gained control of the game through two runs: an 11-0 run in the first half and 12-2 run to open the second. However, it was a play midway through the second half that drew the loudest cheers.

Villanova pressed American in the backcourt on an in-bounds play, and Bamba poked the ball away and dove for it. He couldn’t grab it, but two more Wildcats, Burton and Nnanna Njoku, flew in for the loose ball, just as Burton and Moore had done in the first half. American came up with it and tried to break, but Dixon swatted a layup at the rim.

Burton grabbed the rebound and ran down the court. Fans stood, energized by the defensive effort. When a Burton transition three hit nothing but net, the Pavilion crowd made their appreciation known.

“We talk about it every day, sacrificing yourself for the team and earning your honor to play with your teammates,” Burton said. “I’d just say that’s a Villanova basketball play.”

Villanova went on to outscore the Eagles in the second half, 49-32.

Villanova plays again this Friday, facing Division I newcomer Le Moyne at the Finn (6:30 p.m., FS1). The Dolphins will play their first Division I game on the road against Georgetown on Tuesday.