At the onset of the transfer-portal madness, Kevin Willard set his sights on two forwards from the Big Ten: Oregon’s Kwame Evans Jr. and Ohio State’s Devin Royal. Evans Jr. is a lanky and athletic power forward who can play some center, while Royal complements that as a rugged, tweener type forward who is built like a tight end. Royal made an impression on Willard as an opponent, averaging 12.5 points and ten rebounds in two games against Maryland in the 2024-25 season. The 6’6” senior had to play a lot more power forward for Ohio State, which many would say is his best spot. But based on his first preseason action with Villanova, he seems perfectly comfortable operating in the mid-range.
In his first appearance as a Wildcat, Royal scored 20 points on 8/13 from the floor and 1/4 from three. The forward also contributed ten rebounds and four assists, often times being the focal point of the offense. There were some questions about his ability to operate in this fashion. Last year, Royal had to share the floor with current Houston Rocket Bruce Thornton and John Mobley Jr., who combined to average 35.6 points and 6.7 assists per game for the Buckeyes. This arrangement led Royal to be more off ball, which doesn’t seem as conducive to his success. He operated under control against Rutgers, creating for both himself and others, while only turning the ball over twice in 34 minutes.
Royal followed up that stellar outing with 25 points and eight rebounds against George Mason, shooting 8/14 from the field. Through two exhibition games, Royal is averaging 22.5 points and nine rebounds. As a junior at Ohio State, Royal averaged 13.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game on 47.6% from the field and 31.6% from three. Those numbers are likely to be exceeded across the board this year with Villanova, with Royal potentially being the leading scorer on the season. More time on the ball will also lead to more free throws attempted, which is a good thing as Royal is a career 77.4% free throw shooter. Over the past two seasons, Royal has averaged over four free throws attempted per contest. That number is at 7.5 through two exhibition outings.
Royal’s versatility will be one of the main assets for Willard this season. While the forward would like to play more at the three, his ability to also play the four will work in lineups where only one of Evans Jr. or Luigi Suigo are on the floor. There is also the potential to play Royal with Matt Hodge at the forward spots, which maintains size but also adds shooting compared to the projected starting five. No matter the combination, Royal’s production will ultimately be one of the primary reasons for how successful the Wildcats are this year. His combination of skill and strength should be right at home in the Big East.
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