PHILADELPHIA

Former Villanova star Kyle Lowry is a big fan of the team’s current point guard.

The Wildcats are 27-2, No. 4 in the polls and in the midst of their best season in years, and Brampton-born Dylan Ennis is a big reason why. He is averaging 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists (second-best on the team) and shooting 36% from three. More importantly, Ennis has been nothing short of a menace defensively, mixing his athleticism, speed and instincts to great effect.

Lowry has certainly noticed.

“I think Dylan is really good,” Lowry said Monday morning.

“When he first got (to the school), I really thought he was going to be doing what he is doing now and I’m just happy to see he is doing well, especially for me playing in his country, his city, it’s pretty cool to me.”

Ennis started well in his first season at Villanova last year, but gradually fell out of the rotation.

He worked extremely hard last summer, though, and earned the trust of head coach Jay Wright.

“Coach always says trust the process, and the process is paying off now. I still have a long way to go, I’ve got a lot of basketball in me, but I’m going in the right direction,” Ennis told csnphilly.com last month.

When asked whether Villanova should be a No. 1 seed, Lowry said the school better get its due from the NCAA tourney committee.

“In my book, they’re a hell of a 1 seed and if they get screwed, I might tweet something about it,” said a smiling Lowry.