In a bit of surprise news, Villanova redshirt freshman Angelo Brizzi has entered the transfer portal and is no longer with the team. Brizzi had fallen out of the rotation over the past few weeks and overall was averaging 2.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 10.8 minutes per game.
Personally, I find the news quite disappointing. I had high hopes for what Brizzi could become at Nova. He already showed some of it with his ability to get steals and compete on the defensive end, and he looked like he had already mastered the Villanova shot fake. It was clear he was paying attention and learning during his redshirt year. He also gave Nova another player who could attack off the dribble, and while his three-point shooting hadn't transferred to the collegiate level just yet in his limited minutes, there was reason to be optimistic about that part of his game. Now, we'll never know.
In the short-term, this has very little impact on Nova as we noted he had fallen out of the rotation. But with a light recruiting class coming in 2023 and the likely early departure of Cam Whitmore, the move creates further roster uncertainty and depth concerns over the next year or two and Villanova loses what could have been a valuable skill set for the next three years.
Personally, I find the news quite disappointing. I had high hopes for what Brizzi could become at Nova. He already showed some of it with his ability to get steals and compete on the defensive end, and he looked like he had already mastered the Villanova shot fake. It was clear he was paying attention and learning during his redshirt year. He also gave Nova another player who could attack off the dribble, and while his three-point shooting hadn't transferred to the collegiate level just yet in his limited minutes, there was reason to be optimistic about that part of his game. Now, we'll never know.
In the short-term, this has very little impact on Nova as we noted he had fallen out of the rotation. But with a light recruiting class coming in 2023 and the likely early departure of Cam Whitmore, the move creates further roster uncertainty and depth concerns over the next year or two and Villanova loses what could have been a valuable skill set for the next three years.