Villanova got the spotlight to open the 2026-27 season, but the night ended with a gut punch. Kevin Willard’s team led for most of the first half against Notre Dame in Rome, pushed the margin to as many as 10 with more than 10 minutes left, and still walked away with a 74-72 loss to start 0-1.
The final stretch told the story. Villanova let the lead slip on both ends, and a game that had looked manageable turned into a collapse. There were bright spots in the opener, but the Wildcats left plenty on the table.
What stung most was how avoidable this one felt. Notre Dame shot just 35% from the field and never had a player truly take over, yet Villanova still found a way to hand it over.
The Wildcats were ahead by more than they should have been in the first half, but 12 turnovers in the first 15 minutes undercut that edge immediately. They finished with 20 turnovers overall, and the Irish turned those mistakes into 20 points.
On top of that, Villanova gave Notre Dame extra chances late with bad fouls, and the Irish cashed in at the line.
For a veteran group, that kind of sloppiness is the biggest alarm bell coming out of the opener. The lack of poise for 40 minutes was the difference.
The performance from Kwame Evans and Devin Royal only added to the frustration. Their arrival helped fuel the preseason buzz around Villanova, with the Wildcats picked to finish third in many Big East polls.
But both came up well short here. Evans was hurt, and Royal, who had been averaging around 20 ppg in the preseason, struggled badly.
Together, they managed just 12 points and eight turnovers.
That doesn’t mean the Wildcats are doomed to repeat this kind of night. Royal is unlikely to go through the season without making a field goal again. Still, Villanova needs both of those players to be steady, especially when the competition gets tougher than Notre Dame.
There was at least one encouraging note in the backcourt rotation. Freshman Adam Oumiddoch gave Villanova useful minutes early, scoring seven points in the first half.
But after a turnover, he barely saw the floor in the second half. With Villanova leaning on a seven-man rotation and Oumiddoch as the eighth man, the Wildcats need him to become a dependable option.
If that doesn’t happen, the burden on Tyler Perkins could get heavy fast. Perkins finished with 18 points, and the alternative may be asking him to log 35-40 mpg going forward.
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