Collin O’Connor of Sportshaze.com reports that based on the latest ESPNU Top 150 player rankings, Villanova currently has the second highest 2012 class ranking, trailing only Indiana. Villanova has three top 150 recruits. "Daniel Ochefu can do just about anything inside and can even step back to make the 15 foot jump shot when needed. Ochefu prefers to face the basket. His 6-9 frame, though, allows him to be a threat on the defensive end by blocking shots and clogging up the lane. He has a long wingspan and great athleticism that will translate very well to the college level. The 6-3 guard, Ryan Arcidiacono, is a true point guard who should thrive in the Villanova system. He can do pretty much anything with the ball, and is one of those players who dominates in transition by passing and finishing at the basket. Arcidiacono's only problem may be his immaturity. Savon Goodman, a 6-6 forward, has great size for a wing and tremendous athleticism to go with it. With Arcidiancono, the combo should be deadly in transition when they both arrive on campus in two years. The other strength of Goodman may be his rebounding game, which is almost second to none in the entire class. Overall these three players are just the beginning of what can become the best recruiting class in the country. The Cats are still recruiting five stars Kyle Anderson and Amile Jefferson, and four star Omar Calhoun."
Mitch Sherman, a recruiting journalist for ESPN reports that PF Mitch McGary, the #4 prospect in the Class of 2012, credits practice sessions with Villanova signee, Markus Kennedy, as a major driver of his development over the past season. Get ready for some banging, Mouph!
Brian of VUHoops.com reports that "a continuance was granted and JayVaughn Pinkston’s case will not be heard by the court until at least July 27. According to Pinkston’s attorney, James Famiglia, "The continuance has no effect whatsoever," on Pinkston’s ability to play basketball, practice or travel with the team."
Alex Schwartz of Rivals.com wrote a feature on Villanova’s incoming 6-6, 200 pound shooting guard, Darrun Hilliard. He quotes Darrun saying, "I know coming in I'm not gonna be the most highly rated and I got the feeling that people are gonna count me out and I'm excited to just prove people wrong. I could just prove people wrong and grow up and become more responsible and become a man. I know that coach Wright will . . . teach me things on and off the court, so I'll have to grow up pretty quickly when I go up there. For now, I just become the best Villanova player I can be and I promise you I can become that." About his fellow incoming freshman, Hillard said, "[We are going] to work day in and day out and to give coach Wright everything we got . . . I think we'll be more defensive-minded . . . [and] I think we'll get stops and I think that will translate to a W."
Kevin Cooney, Staff Writer Calkins Media, writes, "If you were going to go into central casting, looking to fill the role of the prototypical standout high school basketball player, he would probably come out looking like Ryan Arcidiacono. Able to do different things? Willing to drive into the lane against bigger guys? Possessor of a good outside jumper? A good leader? Always confident in his ability, to the point where he could come across as a little bit cocky? The Neshaminy junior guard is all of those things. And now, he's the Courier Times Boys Basketball Player of the Year in 2010-11."He's an incredible competitor," Neshaminy coach Jerry Devine said. "The kid goes out there every night with the goal of doing whatever it takes for us to win basketball games. "One of the things Arcidiacono did for the majority of the season was take up more of a true point guard role with the Redskins after years of being the leading scorer. It is a position that he is expected to play at Villanova, beginning in 2012-13."
Tom Jackman of Regator.com reports that "Caroline and Katherine Coyer are twins who play both basketball and soccer at Oakton High School in Virginia. They’ve been recruited by Division 1 colleges since middle school, and now they’ve made one choice: Take us both or don’t take us at all." The Coyer twins announced this week that they are going to play basketball at Villanova. "They recruited us as individuals, not as a unit," Caroline Coyer told The Post’s James Wagner. "That was one of the key parts of going there. And I don’t think that was necessarily the case with other places." The Washington Post reports that "Caroline Coyer is the flashier player, a 5-foot-9 slashing point guard with a quick step. Her twin sister Katherine is a punishing 5-10 defender with a relentless motor." ESPN reports, "Caroline was named Northern Virginia Player of the Year, first-team, Washington Post All-Metro and first-team, all-state. She is on pace to log 1,500 career points and 500 career assists for Oakton (Vienna, Va.). She would become the second player in Virginia AAA history to reach both milestones; the first was Jasmine Thomas, who went on to make All-America at Duke. Katherine, is a two-time, defensive player of the year in Northern Virigina, and is on pace to score her 1,000th career point next season."
Brett McMurphy, Senior Writer for CBSSports.com writes that while Villanova, Central Florida, East Carolina and Houston are mentioned as the most likely candidates for Big East football expansion, "sources told CBSSports.com the league is also considering the possibility of pursuing Army and Navy as football members to get to 12 teams. "I believe the league will approach the academies first and if they turn the Big East down, then they'll approach the other candidates," a college football industry source said. "There are a lot of hurdles to overcome. The Big East would have to convince them that's where they want to be." The league would be attracted to Army and Navy because of their national appeal and also because the schools could join as football-only members."
Mark Blaudschun of the Boston Globe reports, "The Big East, with its contract for football and men’s basketball with ESPN running out after the 2012-13 season, turned down an offer from the network that insiders say would have paid Big East schools in the neighborhood of $11 million each. ESPN told the Big East that was its best offer, considering that marquee such schools as Penn State, Maryland, Notre Dame, and Boston College were not coming through the door as the No. 10 team in football. The Big East power base said, "No. We can wait and get a better offer.’’
USAToday reports that "Connecticut men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun said that he thinks the Big East will split in two, with the nine football schools and eight basketball schools going their separate ways. "My own personal opinion – and I won't probably see this – in the next couple of years, four or five years down the road, I think you'll see a separation [of the football and non-football membership]," Calhoun said, according to Brett McMurphy of CBSSports.com. "I think it's inevitable." Adding three more teams would give the league a massive 20 teams. Calhoun says that even 18 teams could be too many. The national-championship winning coach says that if a split were to occur, he could see the league's basketball members look to add a few teams, possibly from the Atlantic 10, to form a new basketball-only conference."
ESPN.com reports that Jim Boeheim disagrees with Calhoun. "I think that's really far-fetched," he said. "I'm not sure that's going to happen. Anything's possible, but there's absolutely no talk about that right now, I know that for sure."
Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Corey Fisher is among "30 potential NBA draftees paying $1,000 a week to work out at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas. Fisher hopes to show an NBA team that he's worthy of being drafted. [He’s optimistically] projected as a late second-round pick. "I've been here about a month," Fisher said. "My agent suggested I come out here, and I think I've gotten better. My body's better. My jump shot's better. Overall, I feel like I'm in great shape." Fisher [got] an idea of how much progress he has made today when he worked out for the Indiana Pacers on Thursday. Hear what Corey had to say in this video interview after his Pacers work out.
IMGAcademies.com wrote a feature on Corey Stokes, who is working out at IMG in the hopes of landing a spot on an NBA roster next season. IMG Basketball Academy has prepared several NBA all-stars, including Kobe Bryant, Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince, and DeJuan Blair. There were a couple notable quotes from the article. Says Corey, "St. Benedicts never played St. Anthony. Even in the summer leagues, if we were in the championship, they would just give the trophy to St. Anthony because the Hurley’s (son Dan coached St. Benedict’s and father Bob coached St. Anthony) didn’t want to play each other." With regard to Corey Fisher’s alleged 105 points of offense in a 2010 summer league game, Stokes said, "I want to see the tape. Every week, he’d tell me he was getting the tape, but I’ve never seen it."
Mike of VUHoops.com reported that "Antonio Pena has signed with the club Metros de Santiago in the Dominican Republic."
Finally, on this the unofficial first day of summer, we remember and thank the men and women of the military who have given their lives to defend our freedom, families, and way of life.