2018-19 Villanova Basketball Player Preview: Brandon Slater

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!

Brandon Slater was the first member of what became a top-10 class when he committed to Jay Wright and the Villanova Wildcats on May 24th, 2017. The 6’7” wing filled an expected opening left by Mikal Bridges, and an unexpected one left by Donte DiVincenzo.

Profile and Stats: Brandon Slater (FR)

Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia | High School: Paul VI | Height: 6’7” | Weight: 205

Player Preview

Slater will help make up a very deep group of wings, possibly the best Wright has ever had. The Virginia native will be joined by Eric Paschall, Jermaine Samuels, Saddiq Bey, Joe Cremo, and Cole Swider as wings who can play any number of positions and fill a number of different roles.

Standing 6’7”, Slater finished at #53 in 247 Sports Composite rankings. A 4-star, Slater is a long wing who can do a little bit of everything on the court. He is a perfect “glue-guy”, capable of chipping in by playing tough defense and scoring efficient points. Slater is able to guard 2 through 4, and do so at a high level. Like a normal Villanova player, he is able to shoot from deep. Not only can he stretch the floor, but he can also finish around the rim.

Slater will rebound proficiently and while he will not run the offense, he won’t make many mental mistakes with the ball. The forward will not break down anyone off the dribble and take it to the basket, but he has a very high basketball IQ and will make smart cuts off of the ball.

Using good timing and his quickness, Slater will put himself in position for easy baskets.

Best-Case Scenario: Slater uses his defense and efficiency to earn a spot in the rotation. He is the first wing off the bench to give Cremo or Paschall a breather.

Worst-Case Scenario: The glut of wings on the roster minimizes the time Slater sees on the court.

The Wisdom of 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 scholarship player on the roster we score in the upcoming season.