The Wildcats coach found plenty to find fault with in the way his team played defense, especially the younger players - four freshmen and a transfer - who were on the court together in game action for the first time.

The Golden Bears of Division II scored plenty in the 110-84 defeat. In the second half, they shot nearly 58 percent from the field and outrebounded 'Nova, 18-11. Junior guard Julius Gray (Oxford High) knocked down four three-point baskets in the final 20 minutes, with the defense slow to react when he got the ball in shooting position.

So while the sixth-ranked Wildcats avoided the fate of Big East colleague Syracuse, which lost an exhibition game to Division II Le Moyne, 82-79, on Tuesday, they need a lot of work, especially their new players, according to the coach.

"They don't have the discipline yet defensively," Wright said. "You notice when they get out on the break, they're pretty good."

Of the second half, Wright said, "That's the sign of a young team that just looks at the scoreboard. It only has to change your intensity a little bit. [Kutztown is] a good team. You've got to give them credit. . . . A little thing for the young guys - you score and they're jogging back remembering their score and Kutztown is pushing it right at us."

Villanova sophomore Taylor King, a 6-foot-6 forward who sat out last season after transferring from Duke, impressed by hitting all five of his field-goal attempts - four from three-point range - for 17 points. He also grabbed four rebounds.

"It was fun," King said. "Even if it was an exhibition game, it was good to get out there on the floor. It was good to get back with a team and play. I worked real hard to get to this point now and I'm excited that I'm back."

Of the freshmen, 6-10, 250-pound Mouphtaou Yarou was in the starting lineup alongside 6-8 junior Antonio Pena, and contributed eight points and six rebounds in 26 minutes. Wright said Yarou appeared to get tired in the fast-paced game.

The Wildcats' other first-year players - Maalik Wayns, Dominic Cheek and Isaiah Armwood - played from nine to 17 minutes. Wayns scored eight points. Cheek had two but committed four fouls in 14 minutes.

As for the veterans, Scottie Reynolds scored 27 points - 23 of them in the first half when Villanova shot nearly 65 percent from the field and took a 67-40 lead at the break. Corey Fisher added 18 points.

The Cats shot 60 percent for the game, but the Golden Bears' 49.2 percent mark looked like a red flag to Wright, whose team opens Nov. 13 at home against Fairleigh Dickinson.

Gray led Kutztown with 23 points and Stephen Dennis, a West Chester Henderson graduate, added 21 and eight assists.