Last season, sophomore guard Phil Booth was a revelation off the bench for the Wildcats. The Baltimore native excelled as Villanova’s backup point guard, providing second unit scoring at an astoundingly efficient rate and displaying the ability to run ’Nova’s offense as a secondary option.
Booth’s first impression was so strong that he was proclaimed “Villanova’s star in waiting” by the Philadelphia Inquirer last March.
This year, however, Booth has struggled to produce at the same levels he reached during his freshman campaign. With junior guard Josh Hart’s move into the starting lineup at the start of the season, Booth was promoted from role player to sixth man, though his role behind senior guard Ryan Arcidiacono and freshman guard Jalen Brunson remains similar to what it was last year when he backed up Arch and senior guard Dylan Ennis.