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Welcome to the offseason! The 2015 board will occur on the first weekday of the month, and the 2016 board will be posted on roughly the 15th of the month.
The Villanova Wildcats are currently sitting pretty, as they say, with regards to recruiting. They've got two commitments lined up in the 2015 cycle already with guard Donte DiVincenzo and forward Tim Delaney which should allow Jay Wright to be very selective in the loaded 2016 class.
H/T 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. It is way too early to bank on a certain number of scholarships available, but two feels like a safe number for now.
Point Guards
A huge area of need with Ryan Arcidiacono and Dylan Ennis both set to graduate the season before this class arrives. Phil Booth and Donte DiVincenzo both look ready to contribute as underclassmen but with Jay Wright's premium on backcourt talent, it's almost a guarantee he brings someone in here, and he's in no shortage of options.
| Target | Hometown (HS & AAU) | Height/Weight | Recruiting Profiles | Also Considering | Trending |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Tyus Battle Follow @kidmamba23
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Gladstone, NJ (Gill St. Bernard's & Team SCAN) |
6'6", 180 lbs. |
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The cream of the crop in 2016, Jay Wright has been recruiting Battle since he was in middle school. Battle visited for the Marquette game and his father has always had good things to say about Jay Wright. Ashley Howard went to see him in-person on April 11. |
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Payton Pritchard
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West Linn, OR (West Linn & Team Fast) |
6'1", 175 lbs. |
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Pritchard unofficially visited Villanova in the fall, but the Wildcats have yet to offer. Surprisingly, he opted not to play in the EYBL this spring. |
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Daryl Myers Jr.
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Fredericksburg, VA (Fredericksburg Christian) |
5'10", 130 lbs. |
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Myers has been on several unofficial visits to Villanova and seems enamored with the school. No offer yet from Jay Wright. |
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Vaughn Covington
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Philadelphia, PA (Neumann-Goretti) |
6'0", 160 lbs. |
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Renowned as a phenomenal perimeter defender who can hit the deep ball, Covington didn't get the press for NG this year but was a vital cog. |
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Jabri McCall
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Philadelphia, PA (Martin Luthur King) |
6'0", 165 lbs. |
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McCall claims to be getting a lot of interest from Villanova. Most analysts have him as a mid-major level recruit right now. |
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Howard Washington
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Buffalo, NY (Canisius & Albany City Rocks) |
6'2", 165 lbs. |
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Villanova went to check out Washington in October, but not much else has been reported since. |
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Wolfgang Novogratz
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Brooklyn, NY (Poly Prep & The City) |
6'2", 165 lbs. |
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Novogratz lists an offer from Villanova, and visited for a game this winter. |
Shooting Guards
Scoring guard may be the better way to put it, as Wright will always look for guards that can create their own shot and shoot it from deep. With a surplus of wings set to be on the roster, Wright will be selective here.
| Target | Hometown (HS) | Height/Weight | Recruiting Profiles | Also Considering | Trending |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rawle Alkins
|
Brooklyn, NY (Christ The King & NY Rens) |
6'4", 185 lbs. |
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Alkins took the famous picture with Jay Wright early in his recruitment that lends to believe the Wildcats may be the early frontrunners. He's yet to truly blow up nationally, but that should come this spring on the AAU circuit. |
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De'Monte Buckingham
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Richmond, VA (Henrico) |
6'3", 185 lbs. |
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Villanova was reported to be checking in on Buckingham, but right now he seems to be getting mostly local love. |
Small Forwards
Jay Wright likes size on the wing as he demands these players possess the ability to guard both smaller guards and larger forwards in Villanova's defensive scheme. As with the off-ball guards, Wright will likely be extremely selective in this area with a roster that is already stocked.
| Target |
Hometown (HS) | Height/Weight | Rankings | Also Considering | Trending |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lamar Stevens
|
Philadelphia, PA (Haverford School & Team Final) |
6'7", 195 lbs. |
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The kind of scoring wing player that Jay Wright will be salivating over. He's publicly talked about his friendship with Mikal Bridges, which should bode well for Villanova. He's the top priority at this position for Wright. |
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| Amarveer Singh |
Jersey City, NJ (St. Peter's Prep & NY Lightning) |
6'7", 190 lbs. |
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Singh picked up an offer from Jay Wright in October, but there hasn't been much noise in his recruitment since. Depending on how he fills out, he's could be looked at as a point-forward. |
Forwards/Centers
Delaney being in the fold so early is a big plus as it allows Jay Wright to be a little more selective and focus on some big names.
| Target | Hometown (HS) | Height/Weight | Recruiting Profiles | Also Considering | Trending |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Omari Spellman
|
North Royalton, OH (North Royalton & Team SCAN) |
6'8", 230 lbs. |
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Jay Wright made the trek to visit Spellman in-person on the first day coaches were allowed to do so, and offered him a scholarship. If that doesn't scream priority recruit, I don't know what does. |
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Sedee Keita
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Middletown, DE (Vermont Academy & WE-R-1) |
6'9", 225 lbs. |
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Wright offered Keita during the Reebok Breakout last summer. Keita reclassified to the 2016 class so he's a bit old for his age. He's got the size that 'Nova fans are looking for in the frontcourt. |
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Kassoum Yakwe
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Centereach, NY (Our Savior New American & Team SCAN) |
6'7", 190 lbs. |
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Villanova has reportedly offered, but Yakwe hasn't spoken much about his recruitment so far. He's the AAU teammate of Omari Spellman. |
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 2016 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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