VUHoops will be kicking off the 2018-19 Villanova Basketball season with an entire month of team coverage. Check in every day for new player previews, schedule breakdowns, team analysis, event recaps, and season predictions as we get closer to the first tip-off of the year!

After transferring to Villanova from Fordham and having to sit out the 2015-16 season, Eric Paschall went from coming off the bench, to an integral starter of a National Championship team. Paschall missed two games due to a concussion, but started in the other 38, averaging 29.8 minutes per game. Paschall averaged 10.6 points per game, and was one of the Wildcats’ best defenders.

Profile and Stats: Eric Paschall (RS SR)

Hometown: Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. | High School: St. Thomas More | Height: 6’8” | Weight: 255

Eric Paschall Career Stats

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After the departure of four Villanova Wildcats to the NBA Draft, Eric Paschall represents one of the two returning starters for head coach Jay Wright. Paschall is one of two captains for the Wildcats, and will be depended on for high level production. At Villanova, Paschall has never been asked to produce much offensively, as he averaged 7.2 points his first year on The Main Line and 10.6 points last year. This season, however, Paschall will need to show the scoring ability he had at Fordham, where he averaged 15.9 points as a freshman.

After starting the regular season 2-25 (8%) from three, the Dobbs Ferry native caught fire finishing the season shooting 36-101 (35.6%) from deep. If Paschall can continue his hot shooting from the second half of the season, it will not only bode well for the Wildcats season, but for Paschall’s NBA prospects.

The departure of Omari Spellman will have the largest affect on Paschall, as it could force him to spend some time at the five this season. Sophomore Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree will likely start next to Paschall, but the development of Dylan Painter and Cole Swider could change where Paschall spends most of his time on the court. Luckily, Paschall has shown he can thrive as a four and as a small ball center.

Best Case Scenario

Paschall continues his tremendous play from the second portion of ‘17-18 into ‘18-19. The big man shows the cold shooting from the first half of last season was just a fluke, and increased responsibility on the offensive end leads to a lot of points on high efficiency. The 6’8” forward continues his outstanding play defensively and is a terrific leader alongside Phil Booth.

Paschall taking the next step leads not only to another appearance in the second weekend of the NCAA tournament, but also leads to Villanova having another first round draft pick.

Worst Case Scenario

Paschall has always been great defensively and will unquestionably provide terrific leadership, so the big swing skill is the shot. If Paschall struggles from deep it could really hinder lineups where Paschall plays next to another big and could force Jay to play him as a center more. With a glut of long, skilled wings, that might not be the worst thing, however.

Wisdom of the Crowds

We are pleased to bring back our Wisdom of Crowds experiment for the 2018-2019 season. In this series, we ask that you consider the points covered in our player preview to supplement your own personal insights and instincts to predict the points per game each player on the roster we score in the upcoming season.