Villanova Basketball 2023-24 preview: Brendan Hausen

Brendan Hausen

Hometown: Amarillo, Texas
High school: Amarillo
Height: 6-4
Weight: 205

Brendan Hausen player preview:

The Amarillo Assassin definitely hit the gym during the offseason, and some of his work went viral.

He caught the attention of the likes of Sports Illustrated, social media and other outlets for his video where he knocked down 48 straight three-pointers during a July workout at the Finneran Pavilion.

His shooting ability had already impressed his coaches and teammates from the moment he stepped foot on campus as a freshman last season, but that video was an inside glimpse to the rest of the world.

Hausen’s first season at Villanova went like most freshmen’s first rodeo — it was filled with ups and downs, with flashes of great potential. When he got his moments to take the court, he demonstrated his smooth shooting release, and he knocked down 42.9% of three-pointers (27 of 63). Like many others making the jump from high school to college, he needed to adjust to the tempo of the game and improve on the defensive end.

Some of his best work came against Oregon, where he shot 5-for-8 from long range in a 74-67 loss. He also went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc in a win against Boston College and a loss to Marquette.

There were plenty of deficiencies in last year’s 17-17 campaign, which ended in the opening round of the NIT.

One issue for the ‘Cats was their inconsistent three-point shooting. They shot 33.4% as a team from the three-point line, which was their lowest clip since the 2012-13 season, when Villanova shot just 33.2%.

Hausen definitely gives Villanova a weapon off the bench and a sniper to help hit three-balls when needed. Now, with a full year of work within the program, Hausen aims to be a bit more well-rounded this season with some improvement on the defensive end and take the next step forward on the court.

Best case scenario: He’s able to earn more playing time and become one of the Wildcats’ go-to guys off the bench. Hausen only averaged 8.9 minutes per game last season, but hopefully, he’s taken some strides on the defensive end where he’s able to hold his own, while knocking down momentum-swinging three-pointers for the ‘Cats. There were times last year where it felt like Hausen’s shooting could help the Wildcats chop away at a deficit, but this year, he’s no longer considered a defensive liability and he gets more time to show off his shooting prowess.

Worst case scenario: Hausen doesn’t see an uptick in minutes and has to sit behind some of the more experienced guys on Villanova’s roster. While he’ll certainly be able to carve out a role for himself, we’ll have to wait another year, before we get to see the Amarillo Assassin run loose.