Seems like y'all like recruiting news? The response to our 2013 recruiting Big Board inspired us to get one going for the 2014 recruiting cycle as well. This one will be a little bit trickier, as Jay Wright and staff have shown us they don't typically take commitments (at least publicly) until the current recruiting cycle wraps up.
To hell with it, we're going to do this anyways.
Quick reminder before we get to the Big Board - you can find all of your Villanova basketball 2014 recruiting information in our dedicated section on the let sidebar of the homepage.
The first 2014 Big Board is after The Jump.
As covered in the 2013 Big Board, Villanova will be shooting for at least 3 prospects in the 2013 class. That will cover the graduation of Maurice Sutton & Mouphtaou Yarou. The following year, James Bell and Tony Chennault will graduate, leaving 2 spots open for the 2014 recruiting class.Point Guards
With Tony Chennault graduating, Ty Johnson, Dylan Ennis and Ryan Arcidiacono will be manning the ball-handling duties. Jay Wright may or may not look to replace Chennault in this cycle. It's unlikely we take a true PG in this class, but here are some guys worth keeping an eye on.
Target | Hometown (HS) | Height/Weight | Recruiting Profiles | Trending | Notes |
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Shep Garner |
Philadelphia, PA (Roman Catholic) | 6'2", 170 lbs. | Being a local product, Villanova will be tracking Garner till the end, but he'll have a lot of major programs after him once 2013 wraps up. | ||
Taquan Givens |
The Bronx, NY (Maccormick Secure Center) |
5'11", 165 lbs. |
Villanova, Miami (FL) and Kansas appear to be the early suitors for Givens. VUSports caught up with him on the state of his recruitment ($). |
Shooting Guards
Jay Wright is after Allerik Freeman and Josh Hart in 2013, and with James Bell set to graduate before this class arrives on campus, Wright will definitely look to take a shooting guard.
Target | Hometown (HS) | Height/Weight | Recruiting Profiles | Trending | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Phil Booth |
Baltimore, MD (Mount St. Joseph) | 6'3", 170 lbs. | A Team Takeover product, Booth will surely be recruited hard by Villanova, and he confirmed that Doug Martin's appointment at 'Nova will surely be a factor in his recruitment. | ||
Ja'Quan Newton |
Philadelphia, PA (Neumann-Goretti) | 6'3", 180 lbs. | The best player in Pennsylvania has been on Jay Wright's wish list for a long time. Newton has visited campus several times and 'Nova should feel very good about their position. |
Small Forwards
James Bell will be graduating, but with the recent addition of Mislav Brzoja from Croatia, Darrun Hilliard, and even JayVaughn Pinkston's capability to play the 3, this is a luxury area in 2014.
Target | Hometown (HS) | Height/Weight | Recruiting Profiles | Trending | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Therence Mayimba |
Rockville, MD (Montrose Christian) | 6'5", 200 lbs. | Two things work in Villanova's favor here - the Montrose Christian connection and the fact that Mayimba is a Team Takeover player. | ||
Allante Holston |
Washington, DC (St. John's College HS) | 6'6", 170 lbs. | Another Team Takover product (you'll continue to see lots of these guys on our Big Board), Holston is coming off a broken foot and is just getting back into playing shape. |
Forwards
The frontcourt needs depend heavily on what happens in 2013: we'll either be needing another body or absolutely desperate for another body.
Target | Hometown (HS) | Height/Weight | Recruiting Profiles | Trending | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Obi Enechionyia |
Saint James, MD (Saint James) | 6'8", 220 lbs. | Yet another Team Takeover player who should be getting lots of high-major interest as he moves into his junior season. 'Nova will be involved. |
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Ben Bentil |
Middletown, DE (St. Andrew's) | 6'8", 225 lbs. | Bentil holds an offer from 'Nova and is currently ranked 36th nationally by Rivals. He'd be just what the doctor ordered for 'Nova. |
Centers
Again, despite what happens with the 2013 class, adding a talented big man up front is a must for 2014, and so far it looks like there is a lot of talent.
Target | Hometown (HS) | Height/Weight | Recruiting Profiles | Trending | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dakari Johnson |
New York, NY (Montverde Academy) | 6'10", 265 lbs. | The top big man on the board for Villanova, Jay Wright has a couple of ins here. Johnson goes to the same high school as James Bell, which is now coached by Kevin Boyle (formerly of St. Patrick's in NJ). Johnson is ranked 7th nationally by Rivals. |
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Devin Burleson |
Bellflower, CA (St. John Bosco) | 6'10", 220 lbs. | Los Angeles is a little bit outside of Jay Wright's wheelhouse so this may prove to be a difficult recruitment, but Wright is in with Burleson early. |
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Chris McCullough |
The Bronx, NY (Salisbury School) | 6'8", 225 lbs. | If Dakari Johnson is plan 1A for most programs up front, McCullough isn't far behind. So far Villanova hasn't had much traction though. |
So there's your initial outlook into the 2014 recruiting cycle. If I had to take a shot, I'd say Phil Booth is who we're looking good with right now - but it's really too early to start speculating about any commitments.
As always, if you have any other names we should be tracking, let us know - and let's talk recruiting in the comments.