Eric Paschall on how Villanova primed him for strong rookie season with Warriors (2024)

Eric Paschall admits he was somewhat “hardheaded” in his early years playing for coach Jay Wright at Villanova. It took him some time to adjust to Wright’s way of thinking and style of play.

Wright, of course, recognized the New York native’s natural scoring ability and supreme confidence. He understood Paschall’s aggressive nature and relentless mindset. Paschall could get an isolation bucket in practice whenever he wanted, no problem. The streets of New York taught him how to compete at the highest level, and certainly how to hold his own when it came to trash talk. But there was no conversation to be had on the topic of Villanova’s team-based style of play. No room for one-dimensional players or selfish tendencies. Paschall was forced to evolve. He had to fall in line like the rest of his teammates, and like all the Wildcats who came before him. He had to become more than just a scorer. He needed to bring more value to the table.

Wright took Paschall to school and taught him how to play the game the right way. However, his basketball curriculum isn’t for the weak-minded, Paschall said.

“Sometimes I would make a play in practice and Coach Wright wouldn’t count the bucket,” Paschall said. “He’d say, ‘Eric, you can’t do that. The bucket doesn’t count.’ I just had to learn how Coach Wright wanted to play and really learn how to play basketball. Coach Wright kind of kept that aggressiveness because he liked my confidence, but he taught me how to play basketball. That’s why I feel like Coach Wright has a lot of pros now because he taught us how to play basketball the right way and it translates, and he has a great track record. I feel like that’s something huge that Philadelphia basketball has taught me.”

There were practices in which Wright allowed Paschall to shoot only midrange jumpers to help develop that area of his game. There were times when Wright benched Paschall just to see how he would respond, like when Villanova played Providence during Paschall’s senior year in 2018-19.

“Even as a senior, he was still pushing me,” Paschall said. “I get blown by, I foul somebody, and he takes me out for the rest of the first half. He pushed me to the brink to where I wanted to snap, and then in the second half, I scored like 20 points. He was like, ‘I should bench you in the first half more.’

“He pushes you, and you might want to just snap, but at the end of the day he’s doing what’s right for you and that’s something that makes him a Hall of Fame coach, just because he wants to see if you’re mentally tough enough to get through it. That’s all he wants to see. At the end of the day, he still wants the best for you.”

Wright regularly takes his players out of their comfort zones, and the results speak for themselves. Some might see his methods as unconventional, but they’re highly effective nonetheless.

Paschall has embodied Wright’s teachings. After helping Villanova win its third national championship in 2018, he continued to evolve under Wright, becoming a first-team All-Big East selection as a senior in 2019. That June, the Golden State Warriors selected Paschall at No. 41 overall in the NBA Draft. So far, he’s exceeded second-round value.

Before the NBA shut down in mid-March, Paschall ranked fourth among rookies in scoring (14 points per game), fifth in rebounding (4.6) and field goal percentage (49.7 percent), ninth in free-throw percentage (77.4 percent) and minutes per game (27.6), and 10th in assists (2.1). He is the only rookie to rank among the top five in scoring, rebounding and shooting percentage. Incredibly, he led the short-handed Warriors in total points and games played.

During the All-Star weekend’s Rising Stars Challenge, Paschall scored 23 points for Team USA and nearly took home the game’s MVP award. The best performance of his rookie campaign, however, came just seven games into his career, on Nov. 4, his birthday. Against Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and the Portland Trail Blazers, Paschall scored a team-high 34 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in the Warriors’ 127-118 win.

“That was one heck of a day for me,” Paschall said. “I just felt like it was perfect because it gave me a chance to show what I could really do and what I was really capable of in this league. I felt like that was my ‘Welcome to the NBA’ moment in a good way in terms of I was able to showcase everything and Coach (Steve) Kerr just let me rock. It was a lot of fun to be able to get the first win in Chase Center on my birthday.”

When the NBA awards are announced, Pachall will surely be selected to one of the two All-Rookie teams. He credits his early success in the league to Villanova basketball and all of the lessons he learned during those years playing for Wright.

As I transition into my new role covering Philadelphia college basketball for The Athletic, Paschall took some time to chat with me about his experience playing for Wright at Villanova, Big 5 basketball, the city of Philadelphia and more.

How would you describe Jay Wright’s style of play?

Play hard and play together, play defense. That sums it all up in terms of just how he wants you to play. … Everybody knows that you’re going to make mistakes. No one is perfect in the game of basketball. But as long as you’re playing hard, he can deal with mistakes. That’s the most important thing to him. That’s one thing I’ve tried to apply to everything I’ve done just because it really works.

Coach Wright is a genius when it comes to that because he’s taught a lot of people how to play hard, and he’s gotten a lot of us into the NBA because we listen to him. I feel like that’s something people don’t really appreciate. He barely gets five-stars (recruits) yet Villanova always has players in the NBA. Take the kid Saddiq Bey that’s going into the draft this year. He wasn’t ranked, but he’s going to be a first-round pick, possibly lottery. The proof is in the pudding right there. I feel like that’s proof of what Coach Wright does and how he teaches us to play. If you work hard in his system, you’re going to excel.

What does it take to play for Wright?

It’s hard to learn how to play for Coach Wright. It really is uncomfortable because he makes you do things that are uncomfortable for you. It’s hard, but at the same time it’s so worth it. If you really fight through what he’s trying to teach you, it’s worth it and I feel like it works.

Just stick it through. Stick to what Coach Wright wants to do. I feel like that’s the most important part. Coach Wright is going to push you, and that’s one thing I always respected about him. You leave the system and you’re like, “Dang, he really pushed me to do things that are really going to work in the NBA.” So he pushes you, and he pushes you a lot. And I can’t knock him for it because what he did work. He pushes you to a limit where you might be sick of him, but you have to have mental toughness to fight through it. The mental toughness part is very big. He pushed me to limits to where, honestly, sometimes I was like, “Dang, do I really want to stay here?” But every time you show up to practice you get better and better until you get to a point where you’re used to it. You deal with it, and it’s great for you. Any kid that commits to Villanova, I feel like if you stick through the program, you’re going to get what you want.

So what impresses a coach like Wright the most? Mental toughness?

Mental and physical toughness. If you’re on the court and you don’t get punked, he loves that. You just can’t be soft, and I feel like that’s what impresses him. And even with that, he’s going to push you to another level. He challenges you every day. I remember a few practices for me, he challenged me, and some days I’d ask myself, “Why is he challenging me?” But then I see later on why. I even see it today in the NBA. He made me do this because of this. There was a practice where he made me shoot nothing but midrange jumpers. And now in the NBA, everyone knows I like to shoot midrange, so it worked. I can’t just bully through people every time. I can pull up and shoot midrange. That’s something I took with me.

What’s the easiest way to get on Wright’s bad side? How do you piss coach off?

Be soft. You can’t be soft. He makes kids tough. At the end of the day he’s going to make you work to be tough and I respect him. Now that I’m in the NBA, if you’re soft, you’re going to be eaten alive, and that’s something you just have to deal with. That’s one thing with Coach Wright: He pushed me to not be soft. You always have to fight and keep pushing.

OK, let’s get into some fun stuff. What colors are people not allowed to wear at Villanova home games?

Just don’t wear any colors of the other team. And if you’re wearing blue, make sure it has a “V” on it. That’s pretty much it.

What’s one thing you have to do at a Villanova home game?

So when the game begins, you have to stand up and keep standing until the first bucket is made. That’s when you sit down. In the Pavilion, that’s what you have to do. We’ve been doing that since the new Pavilion was built.

Where can I go on campus to get the “realist” Villanova vibes?

There’s a statue on campus called “The Oreo,” and after the season, that’s where everybody chills because it’s usually nice out around that time. It’s a really open space and you see what Villanova’s all about. Everybody’s just chillin’ on the field and enjoying their time at Villanova. “The Oreo” is the main place where everything happens, all the events happen there. When it’s a really nice day, everyone is out there playing games, frats are holding fundraisers, that’s the spot.

What’s the toughest gym to play in out of all the Big 5 schools? And no, you can’t say the Pavilion.

It low-key is the Pavilion. But for Villanova, I’d say either Temple or Saint Joseph’s. Their crowds really care, and it’s just such a huge rivalry. Or Penn, one of those three. Penn is a tough place to play at.

Looking back on your playing days at Villanova, how many times were your teams on the ropes in those buildings?

I’ve only lost one game, and it was playing Penn at their spot. I only had like 10 points. That was one of my rougher games during my senior year.

We talked about the crowd standing until the first bucket is made at the new Pavilion, but are there any other Villanova basketball traditions I need to know about?

At the end of home games, Villanova fans sing the fight song, of course.

What’s the best place to eat on campus and in Philadelphia in general?

On campus, everybody knows the Law School Cafe. They got the best eats by far. They have different things, they always have good sandwiches. The chicken parmesan is always on point. In Philadelphia, it depends on what you’re asking for. If you’re asking for a cheesesteak, I got two places: I’d say Ishkabibble’s or Max’s.

Now, do cheesesteaks in Philadelphia live up to the hype?

Yes! If you go to those two places, of course. Ishkabibble’s sounds weird, but the cheesesteaks are fire.

What about the best areas for bars and parties?

I’m not going to say all that because I don’t want to rat out my youngins. But there are a few spots. Gotta look out for the youngins.

How do you feel about Villanova being a part of the Big 5 rather than a school like Drexel that’s literally in the middle of downtown?

A lot of people don’t like it because we’re not really in Philadelphia. I don’t know how I honestly feel, but it is cool to be a part of the Big 5. I don’t know why they made that decision; it’s definitely above me at that point.

What’s the secret sauce that allows a school like Villanova to pump out so many pros year after year?

Coach Wright and his staff! He has a great young staff. They work us out and get us right, and then Coach Wright just prepares us for everything else. One thing I love about Coach Wright is that he recruits guys that want to play hard and guys that listen and want to get better. That’s something that goes a long way. It all has to do with him.

What about the people behind the scenes? Who are the people around the program with the “invisible hands” who make things happen?

I don’t want to say her name because she doesn’t really want to be out there, she hates getting called out. But there’s a few people, especially one person that really handles everything. She’s the G.O.A.T. I love her. She looks out for everybody. That’s my second mom right there. I can’t say her name because she’ll be mad at me, but she knows who she is.

What did you think about last season’s Villanova team?

I thought they had a chance to be really good, honestly. Saddiq Bey became a player, almost a lottery pick. And of course the young boy, Collin Gillespie, who just turned 21. I feel like they had a really good chance just because they were a group of young guys, they worked hard, and Coach Wright got them right. It was fun to watch them play. As you leave Villanova, you really care if they play “Villanova basketball.” And that’s something I feel like Coach Wright really preaches, and it really matters once you leave. The alumni at Villanova are great, and I know a lot of us really care and we’re going to keep caring because we all went through the same experience. That’s something we’ll bond over forever.

For someone like me who’s never covered Big 5 college basketball, what is the league all about?

Philadelphia bragging rights. That’s something all the area teams take pride in. I feel like Big 5 games are our hardest games of the year just because it’s all Philadelphia. Everybody wants to beat Villanova because we’re not really in Philly. Everybody wants to beat Penn because they’re Penn. Everybody wants to beat Temple. Everybody wants to beat La Salle. Everybody wants to beat Saint Joseph’s. So it’s battles, constant battles. And that’s one thing I really liked about playing in the Big 5.

Got any advice for an outsider like me?

Appreciate Villanova basketball. And it’s hard to say now, but once you watch Villanova more and more, you’re going to understand what Villanova basketball is all about. We’re going to dive on the floor. We’re going to play hard. It’s hard to watch at first, but then you’ll appreciate it. It’s very fun to watch if you’re a fan of basketball and understand basketball. Especially you as a guy who played at Auburn, you’re going to see that we really play a certain way.

Philadelphia is a very underrated city. I like it a lot. I always go back to visit my school, of course, because I got my degree there. Philadelphia isn’t too much, but it’s not too little. It’s a very fun city. Enjoy it.

(Top photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)