Is Tyler Perkins the Second Coming of Josh Hart? For Resurgent Wildcats, He’s Close Enough
VILLANOVA, Pa. — In the breathless aftermath of Villanova’s season-saving victory over Marquette on Tuesday, a sacrilegious question began to circulate through the Pavilion: Is Tyler Perkins the new Josh Hart?
For a program defined by its reverence for past legends, comparing a transfer guard to the 2016 National Champion and Big East Player of the Year borders on blasphemy. Yet, as the Wildcats sit at 19-5 and on the cusp of their first NCAA Tournament berth in four years, the parallel is becoming impossible to ignore. Perkins’ 22-point explosion against the Golden Eagles didn’t just salvage a win; it showcased the specific brand of grit that has been absent from the Main Line since Hart departed for the NBA.
The “Glue Guy” Who Scores
Coach Kevin Willard, now steering the Wildcats toward a potential postseason return, inadvertently fueled the fire. While initially hesitant to heap the pressure of a program icon onto his junior guard, Willard conceded the similarities are striking. “He definitely reminds me a little bit of Josh,” Willard admitted post-game. “There’s a lot of things that Josh Hart did that made it so difficult to beat that Villanova team. Tyler Perkins has so many of those traits.”
The “Deep Search” into the numbers supports the eye test. Like Hart, Perkins is a 6-foot-4 guard who plays bigger than his frame. His influence extends beyond the box score, manifesting in the “50/50” balls, the traffic-rebound snatches, and the defensive switching that defined the Jay Wright era. Against Marquette, Perkins was the catalyst, serving as the “glue guy” who also happened to lead the team in scoring—a dual role Hart perfected during his 2016-17 senior campaign.
A Different Path to Stardom
Context is crucial, however. Unlike Hart, who was groomed within the Villanova system for four years, Perkins arrived via the transfer portal from the University of Pennsylvania. At Penn, he set freshman scoring records, but the leap to the Big East required a recalibration of his game.
Josh Hart’s legacy is etched in banners: a National Championship, a consensus All-American selection, and a reputation as arguably the best rebounding guard in college history. Perkins is chasing a different kind of history—trying to drag a proud program out of a multi-year slump. While Hart played on teams that expected to win titles, Perkins is the engine of a team fighting just to get back to the dance.
The Objections: A High Bar to Clear
Despite the excitement, the comparison invites skepticism. Purists will argue that Hart’s efficiency and basketball IQ were generational. Willard himself noted that Perkins still needs to master the art of impacting the game when his shot isn’t falling—a skill Hart turned into an art form. Furthermore, Hart’s dominance was sustained over multiple deep tournament runs; Perkins has yet to play a single minute of NCAA Tournament basketball.
Critics might also point to the statistical volume. Hart left Villanova as one of only two players with 1,900 points, 800 rebounds, and 250 assists. Perkins, in his condensed Villanova tenure, faces a steep climb to match that level of all-around production. The “new Josh Hart” label is a heavy crown, one that has crushed previous successors who failed to live up to the standard.
The Verdict
Yet, for a fanbase starved of postseason success, the nuances may not matter. Perkins has brought back the feeling of Villanova basketball—the toughness, the hustle, and the winning plays that don’t always show up on the stat sheet. He may not be a carbon copy of number 3, but as Mike Sielski notes, for a team 19-5 and hungry for March, he might just be close enough.
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