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Gavin Schilling to Announce College Decision on Twitter

Villanova needs Gavin Schilling. Does Gavin Schilling need Villanova?

By Mike J.
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One of the few uncommitted high school senior big men, Gavin Schilling, is set to make his college decision on Wednesday via Twitter.

Villanova is in the running along with UCLA, Michigan State, and Minnesota for the 6'9" German native who moved to Chicago and currently plays at Findlay Prep (NV)- the #1 team in the country USA Today's Super 25.

Schilling is rated a 3-Star prospect by Scout, Rivals, and ESPN visited Villanova last week and was behind the bench as the Wildcats took down #3 Georgetown.

With Mouphtaou Yarou and Maurice Sutton graduating, Daniel Ochefu will be the only player on Villanova's roster taller than 6'7" next season. The opportunity of playing time as a freshman is there for Schilling on a Villanova Wildcats team that has made a greater commitment to utilization of the frontcourt in recent seasons.

While fans long for the success of the small-ball strategy Jay Wright formerly employed, gone are the times of the 4-guard set on the Main Line. JayVaughn Pinkston, a true inside-out player who has done most of his damage on the low-block this season, is the leading scorer for Villanova. Mouphtaou Yarou, a more traditional big man, has improved his jumpshot considerably in his 4 years under Wright's tutelage and places fourth on the scoring list for 'Nova and first in rebounds per game.

Schilling's skillset appears to be a perfect fit for Villanova's system. Schilling's various highlight videos shown a combination of raw athleticism, a bevy of low-post moves, and a willingness to do the dirty work cleaning the glass. Schilling's energy would make him a dominant force on the boards, and allow him to get out and run and finish with the Villanova guards. The one piece of his game that needs work - his jumpshot - is something the Villanova coaching staff has proven to develop with big men like JayVaughn Pinkston, Mouphtaou Yarou and especially Dante Cunningham.

The opportunity is there for Schilling to contribute immediately at Villanova, and his existing skillset should allow him to make an immediate, positive impact on next year's team which sorely needs a low-post compliment to Daniel Ochefu.

Villanova fans have to hope that Schilling values that opportunity to contribute meaningful minutes immediately as well as the more close-knit "family" style of the Villanova program. Speculation has him choosing any of the group of schools on his list, but Villanova stands out as different.

First and most obviously, Villanova is the only private school in the running, which means a smaller campus community that the team can really become a part of. Academics are strong at all of his choices, but at Villanova, he would be able to get more personal attention in the classroom, rather than risk being lost in the crowd of tens-of-thousands of undergrads.

It is also a stable program. Unlike UCLA, where Ben Howland has watched his seat continually get warmer over the last few years, Jay Wright seems very securely ensconced in his Davis Center office.

For Villanova, Schilling is a top target at this point. If the Wildcats are going to continue their up-swing that brought them back to the NCAA Tournament after a year off last season, they will need another big-bodied and talented player in the post -- Daniel Ochefu won't be able to do it alone. The resurgence was driven largely by a top-25 rated defensive efficiency, and a huge part of that success was driven by the efforts Villanova's post players. Schilling is without a doubt the best player left on the board who can fill those needs and help Villanova continue to grow heading into next season.

Wildcat coaches will be staring at their watches tomorrow as the clock ticks closer and closer to 11:15am, West Coast time. The prospect they need to reach the high level that fans expect will be coming off the board at that time.

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