Where does Villanova stand going into 2014-15?

Villanova had a very successful regular season campaign last year, sporting the best record in the Big East, and earning a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. But the season took a disappointing turn after the team lost in the third round against the Connecticut Huskies, the eventual national champion.

There is hope this year though for the Wildcats to be the best in the Big East Conference again, and to make it into the NCAA Tournament, despite the loss of the team’s star player and leading scorer James Bell.

Four of Villanova’s five starters -- JayVaughn Pinkston, Ryan Arcidiacono, Darrun Hilliard and Daniel Ochefu -- are coming back this year. Hilliard and Pinkston were the two highest scorers on the team, excluding Bell, garnering over 10 points per game. Pinkston and Ochefu topped in rebounding for the team last year and the assist leader was Arcidiacono.

Villanova sophomore guard Josh Hart played some minutes off the bench last season, and has a ton of potential, and will likely will fill the void left by Bell. A glimpse into what the future could hold for him this season came against Mount St. Mary's, when he scored 17 points and had 11 rebounds and in a Big East Tournament game when he went off for 18 points with eight rebounds.

The 2014 recruiting class coming into the school is superb. 247Sports ranked Villanova’s class as thirty third in the nation, with guard Phil Booth and forward Mikal Bridges in it, and are both four-star prospects.

Expect Villanova to have the best record in the Big East and clinch a bid into March Madness, with the talent returning and the talent entering, the school is poised for a big year. While Nova should have a great season, they will not be better than last year or make a bigger run in March Madness.