Robinson-Earl spurs No. 10 Villanova past Army in opener

VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — Jeremiah Robinson-Earl scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Saddiq Bey had 22 points to help No. 10 Villanova cruise to a 97-54 win over Army on Tuesday night.

The Wildcats had their five-year run as the preseason Big East favorite end this season but outranked Seton Hall by two spots in the Top 25. Villanova played like a team worthy of national championship contention against overwhelmed Army.

These aren’t the Wildcats that were 30-win regulars and won national titles in 2016 and 2018. Most of the stars of those teams have moved on to the NBA — rookie Eric Paschall scored 34 points for Golden State on Monday — and the Wildcats have one of the youngest teams in coach Jay Wright’s 19 seasons. The Wildcats lost their two leading scorers from last season in Paschall and Phil Booth, and the underclassman are being counted on to carry them into March. Justin Moore and Robinson-Earl gave Villanova two freshman in the starting lineup for the first time since 2002-03.

Robinson-Earl, the preseason Big East Freshman of the Year, was sensational in his debut and scored 15 points by the break. The Wildcats treated this one like a glorified scrimmage, but they played with a dose of ruthless aggression that should overcome any concerns over inexperience. They went on a 16-0 run in the first half, raced to a 31-point lead and led 49-26 at the break.

Villanova finished at the basket, buried 3s and shared the ball (12 assists on 18 first-half baskets) in a fantastic opener for the program’s 100th season. Cole Swider scored 18 points and hit four of Villanova’s 12 3-pointers.

Bobby Knight coached Army on March 19, 1966, in the consolation game of the NIT the last time these two teams met. The Black Knights could have gone another 53 years without having to play the Wildcats. Tommy Funk and Tucker Blackwell led Army with 15 points.

Robinson-Earl was considered one of the top 15 recruits in the nation and is the son of former Kansas Jayhawk Lester Earl. The Kansas native finished his prep career at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Robinson-Earl made 9 of 14 shots (with five turnovers) and proved Wright was correct in giving the hyped freshman the start.

BIG PICTURE

Army: Closed the first half on a 10-3 run. … Better days should be ahead for the Black Knights, picked to finish sixth in Patriot League preseason poll. Army has either played to or exceeded its preseason predicted finish in each of the last four seasons. … Shot 31% from the floor.

Villanova: Collin Gillespie scored 11 points and played with a protective mask to protect a broken nose suffered in practice.

UP NEXT

Army: Plays Friday against the Merchant Marine Academy.

Wildcats: At No. 18 Ohio State on Nov. 13.