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Quick reminder: the 2014 board will occur on the first weekday of the month, and the 2015 board will be posted on roughly the 15th of the month. We're moving to monthly editions because we're going to be posting more articles as recruiting news occurs. In case you missed it, here is the September edition.
As you're all hopefully aware, we opened the books on 2014 on June 19th with the commitment of wing Mikal Bridges. At the close of the July live period, guard Phil Booth also committed to Villanova. In early August, Mislav Brzoja transferred to Evansville, thus giving Jay Wright an additional scholarship to play with. Whether or not he uses it remains to be seen.
Also thanks to Mike, we've got a nice graphic of the roster outlook, so you can get a good feel for how the next few years will play out. In this cycle, we've still got a maximum of 2 scholarships open (assuming no transfers and NBA early entries).
Point Guards
Ryan Arcidiacono and Dylan Ennis will have 2 years of eligibility remaining, and with the commitment of guard Phil Booth, it looks like Villanova is done recruiting the backcourt for 2014.
| Target | Hometown (HS & AAU) | Height/Weight | Recruiting Profiles | Also Considering | Trending |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Booth |
Baltimore, MD (Mount St. Joseph & Team Takeover) |
6'3", 170 lbs. |
|
Booth made his pledge to Villanova at the close of the July period. The versatile guard gives 'Nova an option at both the 1 and 2, and is a seasoned defender and shooter. Jay Wright is getting a lot in Phil Booth, which makes it easy to understand why he looks to be the only backcourt player taken in this class. |
|
| Ja'Quan Newton |
Philadelphia, PA (Neumann-Goretti & Team Final |
6'3" 180 lbs. |
|
Shortly following Booth's commitment, Newton trimmed his list to six - and Villanova didn't survive. Newton announced a somewhat surprising commitment to Miami (FL) shortly after. |
|
| Shep Garner |
Philadelphia, PA (Roman Catholic & Team Final) |
6'2", 170 lbs. |
|
Always a plan B for 'Nova, Garner committed to Penn State back in mid-June. |
Shooting Guards
Even with the news that Mislav Brzoja is transferring to Evansville, Jay Wright looks set with Phil Booth as the only backcourt member in the class of 2014.
| Target | Hometown (HS) | Height/Weight | Recruiting Profiles | Also Considering | Trending |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julian Richardson |
Woodland Hills, CA (El Camino Real & Cal Supreme) |
6'2", 175 lbs. |
|
Richardson was somewhat surprisingly offered by Villanova following the Nike Peach Jam. Known as a shooter, Richardson could be someone Wright looks at if there is a scholarship available late in the cycle. |
|
| Robert Johnson |
Chesterfield, VA (Benedictine & Boo Williams) |
6'3", 180 lbs. |
|
Jay Wright was in early on Johnson before he blew up during the July live period, picking up offers from Indiana and UNC along the way. Johnson just trimmed his list to 7, and 'Nova didn't survive. Phil Booth played a part here. |
|
| Mike Williams |
Brooklyn, NY (Bishop Loughlin & NY Lightning) |
6'2", 180 lbs. |
|
Always a plan B option, Williams committed to Rutgers in early July. |
Small Forwards
Mikal Bridges offers the ability to step out to the 3-point line, and can affect the game on the defensive interior, as seen in these highlights from the Nike EYBL Peach Jam. Bridges is only 16 and still growing, but it would be a surprise if Jay Wright took another wing in 2014.
| Target |
Hometown (HS) | Height/Weight | Rankings | Also Considering | Trending |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikal Bridges |
Malvern, PA (Great Valley & Team Final) |
6'6", 180 lbs. |
|
Bridges popped for 'Nova on June 25th, calling Villanova his dream school and citing the Jay Wright and the Wildcats' style of play as the deciding factors. |
|
| Marial Shayok |
Ottawa, CAN (Blair Academy & CIA Bounce) |
6'6", 200 lbs. |
|
Shayok is no longer mentioning Villanova among his potential suitors, which makes sense given the commitment of Mikal Bridges. |
|
| Jared Nickens |
Westtown, PA (Westtown School & Sports U) |
6'6", 185 lbs. |
|
A deadly shooter who many readers were clamoring for Jay Wright to pursue, Nickens tore it up at the Mary Kline Classic and then shortly after committed to the Terps. |
Forwards/Centers
With Martin Geben off the board, it looks like #WeNeedABigMan is back on.
| Target | Hometown (HS) | Height/Weight | Recruiting Profiles | Also Considering | Trending |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Geben |
Hagerstown, MD (St. Maria Goretti & Team Takeover) |
6'9", 230 lbs. |
|
Geben cancelled a scheduled trip to Virginia and committed to the Irish. Jay Wright never got him on campus. |
|
| Ben Bentil |
Middletown, DE (St. Andrew's & WE-R-1) |
6'8", 225 lbs. |
|
Bentil is planning visits for September, with Villanova nowhere to be found. The Wildcats are out of this race. |
|
| Johnathan Wilkins |
La Porte, IN (La Lumiere School & Spiece Indy Heat) |
6'9", 220 lbs. |
|
'Nova offered Wilkins, whose Dad is a former NBA player, back in March. Wilkins stunned the recruiting world when he re-classified to 2013 and enrolled at New Mexico State. |
|
| Quadri Moore |
Linden, NJ (Linden & Sports U) |
6'9", 230 lbs. |
|
Quadri Moore cut his list to four in August, and Villanova was left out. |
|
| Pascal Chukwu |
Fairfield, CT (Fairfield Prep & CT Basketball Club) |
7'2", 220 lbs. |
|
Chukwu was never offered by 'Nova, and never gave them the chance to get involved. Pascal Chukwu committed to Providence in late August. |
Anybody you think we should be tracking? Let us know and we'll add them to the board.
Make sure to stay tuned to our dedicated section for 2014 Villanova basketball recruiting where we'll be filing all our big boards along with any other posts that deal with recruiting in the 2013 cycle.
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