College lacrosse fans have been treated to #SCTop10 highlights at a seemingly higher rate than at any point in the sport’s history. Each weekend, a behind-the-back pass or shovel shot has captured the attention of the lacrosse world and gone viral on social media.

Villanova attackman Keegan Khan doesn’t think he’ll find himself on SportsCenter any time soon, and he’s perfectly fine with that.

“Probably not,” he joked about the idea of going viral. “Never too flashy of a player.”

Khan, the Wildcats’ leading scorer, instead makes his impact as one of college lacrosse’s most versatile players. The senior can play with physicality, speed and an ability to use both hands equally well — traits that have helped him become the fifth-leading scorer in program history.

Villanova coach Mike Corrado has watched his under-the-radar star grow for the better part of five years, and he still isn’t sure what hand Khan would prefer to use.

“He claims he’s right-handed, and I’m convinced he’s left-handed,” he said. “That’s a pretty good compliment.”

Khan, the multi-faceted offensive threat out of Delbarton, N.J., is not the most vocal member of the Villanova program, but his play is speaking volumes. After a season-opening blowout at the hands of Georgetown, the Wildcats have put together a solid NCAA tournament resume.

Villanova’s season highlight came last weekend in the form of a 16-8 victory over previously unbeaten Lehigh. Although Khan did not score in the win, he chipped in three assists — a sign that even when he’s not lighting up the scoreboard, Khan is the most important element of the Villanova offense.

Khan and the Wildcats are playing their best lacrosse of 2021, and they’re looking forward to a third matchup with Georgetown on Thursday in a Big East semifinal — a game they may have to win to secure an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament. If Villanova can not capture the Big East’s automatic qualifier, then the NCAA Selection Committee will decide its fate.

“A lot of people were doubting us at the beginning of the season when Georgetown blew us out,” Khan said. “It’s pretty frustrating because we knew that we were better than that. We finally have the chance to show people that we’re capable and that we’re playing really good lacrosse going into the Big East tournament.”

The idea of being doubted is nothing new for Khan, who didn’t hit his growth spurt until the middle of his high school career. At 5-7 and 130 pounds, he couldn’t use his body to dominate opposing defenders. He knew he had to fine-tune his stick skills and become a lethal shooter to reach the next level.

Luckily for Khan, the grandson of Pakistani immigrants, he had a variety of sports from which to draw inspiration. He grew up watching soccer and playing hockey and soccer with his brother, Nate. He idolized Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane for his ability to pick out teammates at will but also score timely goals en route to multiple Stanley Cup titles.

Unlike Kane, though, Khan served mostly as an off-ball attackman during his career at Delbarton (N.J.), playing alongside future Villanova stars like Connor Kirst, T.J. Comizio and Colin Crowley.

By 2016, Khan was one of Delbarton’s top offensive threats, but his play hadn’t generated as much Division I attention as he had hoped. Even his future coach had overlooked him entering his senior season, a year when he dropped 70 points and led his team to New Jersey state titles in both hockey and soccer.

“We were obviously watching him because we had others players committed to our program,” Corrado said. “He was not someone, to be honest, that was on our radar heading into his senior year.”

Although Khan had grown to six feet tall, his size was still a concern to college coaches around the Eastern Seaboard.

“I was about six feet tall, but still about 150-160 pounds,” he said. “A lot of coaches weren’t too sure if I was going to have the physical attributes to play in college.”

After a successful senior year, Khan and his father, Aslan, a former Marine, decided he’d be best served spending a post-graduate year developing his skills. He reached out to professional lacrosse legend Brodie Merrill, who gave him a chance to join the Hill Academy in Ontario in the fall of 2017.

At the same time, Khan’s name was starting to circulate at club tournaments while he played with Patriot Lacrosse.

“He was playing against Owen Prybylski, who was committed to coming to Villanova, and he scored a couple goals against him,” Corrado said. “I remember saying to my assistant Simon Connor, ‘Hey, I need you to get to Field 5 and come take a look at Keegan.’ He was doing so many other things. He wasn’t just playing off-ball.”

Now committed to Villanova, Khan’s skill set continued to sharpen at Hill Academy. Playing with talents like Dyson Williams and Riley Curtis, he focused more on being a facilitator. He worked on playing from X and feeding shooters on a mostly Canadian offense, eventually leading the team in scoring with 26 goals and 24 assists.

He continued a torrid pace during his freshman season at Villanova, playing important minutes for a Wildcats team that advanced to the NCAA tournament (a first-round loss to Duke). With veterans Christian Cuccinello and Danny Seibel dominating the offense, Khan settled into a role as a complementary scorer and occasional feeder — finishing the season with 30 goals and 15 assists.

“I credit that success to Christian Cuccinello and Danny Seibel,” Khan said. “From day one, they took me under their wing and taught me the offense. I was able to learn what works and what didn’t work. That experience and that bus ride to Duke is something I will never forget. Playing in the NCAA tournament is something I’ve wanted to do since I was a little kid.”

Khan took command of the Villanova offense as a sophomore, scoring 21 times and adding 29 assists. After a seven-game 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19, Khan emerged as the offensive leader for the Wildcats. He also earned the title of captain despite being a quiet player, using his play to lift his teammates up.

After a 16-1 blowout against Georgetown on Feb. 21, the Wildcats’ locker room was silent and shellshocked. Corrado knew there was nothing he could say to erase the visions of the brutal loss.

Instead, it was Khan who provided the spark and got Villanova’s season back on track. Six days after the Georgetown loss, he dropped six points in a 16-14 victory over Marquette — kickstarting a five-game run during which Khan averaged 6.2 points per game

“His maturity and leadership calmed people down, and then we went to Marquette and dropped 16 goals on them,” Corrado said. “He was right in the middle of our offense, recovering from that game and getting our confidence back. He gives the rest of the team confidence.”

Since the season-opening loss, Villanova is averaging 14.5 goals per game, and Khan is leading the way. He hasn’t decided on using a fifth year of eligibility just yet. He’s instead focusing on making the NCAA tournament with a few key wins this week, a challenge that might hinge on his ability to score and put his teammates in a position to succeed.

The once undersized off-ball attackman has evolved into one of the best players in the history of Villanova lacrosse.