Wildcats Officially Welcome Four Newcomers

VILLANOVA, Pa. – The Villanova Wildcats today introduced four newcomers who have signed financial aid agreements to enroll at the University in the fall and join the Men’s Basketball program ahead of the 2025-26 season.
 
The group includes graduate transfer Devin Askew (Long Beach State); transfers Duke Brennan and Malcolm Flaggs (Grand Canyon); and transfer Zion Stanford (Temple). Askew and Brennan retain one season of eligibility. Stanford, who played at West Catholic High School in Philadelphia, has two seasons of eligibility while Flaggs holds three seasons after sitting out the 2024-25 campaign as a medical redshirt.
 
A 6-5 guard who hails from Sacramento, Cal., Askew led the 49ers in scoring in 2024-25 with 18.9 points per game while also contributing 4.5 assists per outing. Prior to that, Askew spent two seasons at the University of California. He began his college career as an accomplished signee at the University of Kentucky.
 
“Devin is a talented and experienced guard that gives us versatility both on and off the ball as well as veteran leadership,” stated William B. Finneran Endowed Head Coach Kevin Willard. “Devin has played for some great coaches in his college career, so he understands what it takes to compete at the highest level in big-time college basketball.”
 
Brennan is a 6-10 forward from Chandler, Az., who played a pivotal role in Grand Canyon’s Western Athletic Conference title run. He averaged 26.5 minutes, 10.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per contest while being named second team All-WAC. He started 65 games over the last two seasons for the Lopes after beginning his college career at Arizona State University.
 
“Our staff is truly looking forward to working with Big Duke,” said Willard. “He’s a hard-working, physical player that will go above and beyond for his team to win. He lives in the gym and none of us are surprised that’s he’s been a big winner throughout his career. We’re extremely happy that Duke is now a Villanova Wildcat.”
 
Flaggs is a 6-6, 200-pound guard who appeared in 11 games during the 2023-24 season for the Lopes. Like Brennan, he played high school basketball at Hillcrest High School before enrolling for a season at Arizona State. He hails from Tuba, Az.
 
“Malcolm is a high basketball IQ wing shooter that is now healthy after being slowed by injuries the past few seasons,” stated Willard. “He’s back healthier than ever and ready to help our team.”
 
Stanford enjoyed a standout sophomore season at Temple in 2024-25, averaging 13.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 31 games for the Owls. The 6-6 guard is a Philadelphia native who connected on .349 of his attempts from beyond the 3-point arc. In 2023-24 he was named to the American Athletic Conference All-Freshman Team.
 
“Zion is a multi-positional player who can play anywhere on the court,” said Willard. “As a big, physical guard, he is a mismatch nightmare. He can post smaller guards and beat bigger guards off the dribble with his quickness. We are super excited to work with Zion as he joins the Villanova family.”