Villanova head coach Kevin Willard has a reputation as one of the most ruthless personalities in college basketball. Noah Batchelor, one his former players at Maryland, might choose a different adjective.
He put the 51-year-old on blast for poor treatment.
Willard made Batchelor want to quit college basketball all together. His feelings echo that of others.
Noah Batchelor struggled with mental health at Maryland.
As a former three-star recruit, Noah Batchelor enrolled at the University of Maryland in 2022. He averaged 1.65 points and 0.75 rebounds in 7.2 minutes per game during two seasons with the Terrapins.
The 6-foot-8, 210-pound guard ultimately transferred to Buffalo in 2024 and played closer to 30 minutes per game in two seasons for the Bulls. His college career is likely over. It is unclear as to whether Batchelor will explore a fifth year of eligibility.
Regardless of whether he tries to return in 2026-27, he almost gave up the sport after his sophomore season. Batchelor recently shared the following message on social media about his first two years of college hoops:
“I don’t like talking about ts but I feel as if people should know. And I wish I was lying about ts. Thought going to my hometown school was going to be the best thing in the world. But it ended up being a terrible experience all because of a coach. Everyone can have they (sic) side of the story but I know how I was treated and what was said behind the scenes. Having a coach constantly beat you down and treat you with disrespect everyday when you walk into the facility is just tiring. I couldn’t take it anymore to the point that I wanted to quite basketball completely and never play again. I am very thankful for my two years at Maryland, it taught me so many lessons but I will never let a coach treat me the way he did ever again.”
Kevin Willard is the coach in reference. He was at Maryland from 2022-2025.
Kevin Willard has a reputation in college basketball.
This is not the first time we have heard this kind of thing. Tafara Gapare followed Kevin Willard from Maryland to Villanova but their relationship soured quickly.
Gapare “elected to depart” the program in January and did not return. He had missed the three games prior to his departure for “personal reasons.” Willard took a shot at him during a postgame press conference.
“We’ve got someone out — their toe hurts,” the head coach said about Gapare’s absence.
The former four-star recruit refuted the entire narrative. Gapare claimed that the program used his mental health struggles against him. At no point did he “elect to depart” the team. It was a forced exit.
“I never imagined that being honest about an injury and my mental health, and speaking with people I trusted, would lead to a narrative that I quit or left the team. That is not true.”
He said that he was transparent with medical professionals, staff and coaches about his mental health. The team supposedly told him that it was acceptable to take a brief period away from the court even though his head coach publicly mocked him.
“Asking for help should never be mistaken for quitting,” Gapare concluded.
Willard also ruffled some feathers when he left Maryland for Villanova in the middle of the night and lied to his players throughout the entire process. Derik Queen put him on blast. It was a mess. It continues to be a mess.
Even if Kevin Willard continues to win college basketball games, he leaves a trail of frustration along the way. He has a reputation for a reason and Noah Batchelor’s account backs it up.