Since transferring to Villanova under the new leadership of Kevin Willard, fifth-year guard Devin Askew has proven himself to be a top conference player. Askew is not only new to the Big East, but the entire East Coast in general, even though his first college offer was from St. John’s back in 2020.
Coming from Sacramento, CA. Askew formerly played in four conferences, including the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12. He has played at five schools in six years, including Kentucky, Texas, UC Berkley, Long Beach State and now Villanova. However, his California roots, specifically the 916 area code region are where Askew’s love for the game developed.
“I had no clue in middle school if I would ever play collegiate basketball,” Askew said. ”I wasn’t always the best player. I was a Sacramento kid, not a lot of kids from Sacramento kind of played high-level collegiate basketball.”
Askew started playing on a team when he was nine years old. His uncle took the initiative to start an AAU team specifically for Askew and his friends. The team was called the “916 Select,” and soon took over the middle school basketball scene throughout Sacramento. From there, “916 Select” went on to compete in Southern California and then began to cross state lines for tournaments.
Askew and his friends were playing for fun, but soon realized that their competitiveness could take them further than expected. Askew ended up playing for the Oakland Soldiers and the San Diego Select in AAU competition, as well. During his time at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, CA, Askew was named captain and averaged 16.7 points per game. He was ranked the No. 26 overall recruit by ESPN in 2020.
His first collegiate visit was to Kentucky, where he fell in love with its NCAA tournament reputation under the stellar leadership of John Calipari.
“I was supposed to come on a visit coming out of high school here when Jay Wright was here,” Askew said. “But I went on my Kentucky visit and then canceled the rest of my visits.”
Askew has an older brother, B.J., and a younger brother, Jordan. Jordan currently plays basketball and is looking to play in college, but is not interested in the level that his older brother competes at. Askew’s family helped him through the struggles of transitioning to college during a global pandemic.
“That was just a rough year mentally for everyone quarantined,” Askew said. “Just that whole process of not being able to see family, didn’t really see my teammates as much as I like to get a great bond.”
Askew transferred to Texas and played in 34 games during the 2021-2022 season. The head coach of the Longhorns at the time, Chris Beard, was fired in January 2023 following a felony domestic assault charge. The fourth stop of his collegiate career was his homecoming to California Berkley.
Askew suffered two injuries during his time as a Bear. With a herniated disc and a tear in his fascia tendon in the bottom of his foot, Askew realized his need for another change of environment. He ultimately graduated from UC Berkeley, but still had two years of eligibility due to injury and COVID.
“A lot of people started really doubting me, not knowing if I’d ever be healthy again,” Askew said. “Questioning if I would ever be good at basketball again. There wasn’t a lot of interest in me as a player. So, my next step was to just play basketball and show my experience.”
After much-needed reflection, the 6-foot-5 guard transferred to Long Beach State, a Division I school that competes in the Big West Conference. During his time at Long Beach, Askew started in 32 games, averaging nearly 19 points per game. Back in April, he entered the transfer portal once more and caught the eye of Willard.
“Devin is a talented and experienced guard that gives us versatility both on and off the ball as well as veteran leadership,” Willard told Villanova Athletics. “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.”
In November 2025, Askew established himself as a key player for the Wildcats.
“I love Dev coming off the bench. It’s really good security,” Willard said.
Askew’s season high of 27 points came mid-November against Sacred Heart, when he sank seven three-pointers. Last month, he played 31 minutes and scored 31 points against St. John’s.
Askew has adjusted well so far to playing basketball in the Big East Conference, and is prepared for the final few weeks of his collegiate career, culminating at Nova Nation, under Willard.
“Coach Willard… he’s a great coach, and he instills confidence in all his players,” Askew said. “He truly believes in all his players, and he’s an honest coach as well. He tries to expose and let the world see what you’re really good at.”
