Duke Brennan, Villanova’s double-double machine from a year ago, will not be returning to the Main Line in his fifth season.
Brennan chose Oklahoma over Villanova, Oregon, Ole Miss and USC. While it would have been nice to see “Big Duke” back in the white and blue, it was unlikely to happen with the Luigi Suigo and Kwame Evans Jr. commitments. The Sooners have an easier starting position available (and role overall) and were also likely offering more money for his services. Brennan is currently pursuing a fifth year following the preliminary injunction in California.
In his one and only season with the Wildcats, Brennan averaged 12.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Coming from Grand Canyon, some were skeptical how he would produce at the Big East level. The 6’10” big man scaled up his production while also increasing his efficiency. Brennan also set the program record for double-doubles in a season. He will be missed.
Villanova moves on now with Suigo and redshirt freshman Nico Onyekwere as the centers on the roster, with Evans Jr. set to play a lot as the backup five. Former Rutgers center Emmanuel Ogbole was on campus recently, so there’s some speculation that the Wildcats could have interest there. He is also pursuing a fifth year of eligibility. Past that, it appears Kevin Willard is content to go into the season with the roster as currently constructed.