:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46359688/usa-today-8459649.0.jpg)
With school out of session and the AAU circuit in full swing, it's time to revisit Villanova's recruiting targets for the class of 2016. Below you'll find a handy graphic detailing the current scholarship situation for Jay Wright and his staff thanks to our resident artist MikeJ.
With Mikal Bridges sitting out last season, plus the offseason addition of transfer Eric Paschall, the Wildcats currently have a very unbalanced class in 2015 (five players will have three years of eligibility remaining following this season). With that in mind, here are the targets that Jay Wright and his staff have made inquiries with in the class of 2016.
Backcourt
Though Dylan Ennis transferred to Oregon, his departure won't affect this class or the staff's recruiting plans in 2016. Ryan Arcidiacono is set to play his final season, but with Phil Booth, Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo in the fold, a ball-handling guard isn't a priority, and while Eric Paschall adds needed depth on the wing, it remains a bigger position of need in the backcourt.
| Target | Hometown (HS & AAU) | Height/Weight |
Recruiting Profile (247Composite) | Also Considering | Trending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lamar Stevens
Philadelphia, PA (Roman Catholic & Team Final) |
6'7", 195 lbs. |
4-star #133 Nationally #25 SF #6 Pennsylvania |
Indiana Maryland Florida State Temple Penn State
|
Stevens has been close with the 'Nova staff for several years, and his ability to play both inside and out is intriguing for the Wildcats' offensive and defensive systems. The proposed package deal with good friend Tony Carr remains an obstacle. |
|
Rawle Alkins
Brooklyn, NY (Christ The King & NY Rens) |
6'4", 185 lbs. |
4-star #25 Nationally #5 SG #1 New York |
Indiana Kentucky Kansas Texas Cincinnati |
As expected, Alkins' recruitment has blown up with Texas and Kentucky offering him in the past week. Alkins has stated he has no intention of committing in the immediate future, which raises the question of whether Villanova will have a scholarship for him when he plans to make his decision. |
|
Kevin Huerter
Clifton Park, NY (Shenendehowa & Albany City Rocks) |
6'5", 180 lbs. |
4-star #112 Nationally #21 SG #5 New York |
Maryland Marquette Notre Dame Michigan Creighton Davidson |
A new name, Huerter has been blowing up on the EYBL circuit and is a lethal shooter. Villanova conducted a visit with the guard, and is currently one of six schools Huerter is focusing on. |
|
West Linn, OR (West Linn & Team Fast) |
6'0", 180 lbs. |
4-star #42 Nationally #5PG #1 Oregon |
N/A |
Pritchard was an early priority for 'Nova, but committed to Oklahoma last November. |
|
New York, NY (St. Peter's Prep & NY Lightning) |
6'7", 180 lbs. |
3-star #181 Nationally #34 SF #10 New York |
N/A |
Singh reportedly held a Villanova offer, but the staff had other targets ahead of him. Singh committed to Seton Hall in March. |
|
Gladstone, NJ (Gill St. Bernard's & Team Final) |
6'6", 200 lbs. |
5-star #12 Nationally #4 SG #1 New Jersey
|
N/A |
Battle was a top priority for 'Nova in the backcourt, but cut Villanova from his list in February before committing to Michigan in May. |
Frontcourt
With Daniel Ochefu set to graduate as this class arrives on campus, it's imperative that Wright finds multiple post players to compliment Darryl Reynolds and Tim Delaney. The early capture of 5-star Omari Spellman was a huge coup, and allows Wright to be more selective in finding a partner for him.
| Target Hometown (HS) | Height/Weight |
Recruiting Profile (247Composite) | Also Considering | Trending |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Omari Spellman
North Royalton, OH (MacDuffie & PSA Cardinals) |
6'8", 270 lbs. |
5-star #22 Nationally #4 C #2 Ohio |
N/A |
In somewhat of a surprise (specifically in the early timeline) Spellman committed to Villanova in late February after multiple visits. He cited his relationship with Jay Wright and the family atmosphere at Villanova as the key reasons. |
|
Dylan Painter
Hershey, PA (Hershey & Team Final) |
6'10", 215 lbs. |
Not Rated |
Xavier Penn State Georgia Tech St. Joseph's (PA)
|
Primarily recruited by mid-majors prior to this AAU season, a strong performance on the EYBL has earned him several high-major offers. Painter will visit Villanova on June 11th and has said he grew up a 'Nova fan. Could an offer be on the way? |
|
Juwan Durham
Tampa, FL (Tampa Prep & Team Breakdown) |
6'11", 200 lbs. |
5-star #19 Nationally #5 PF #2 Florida |
Florida Kansas Miami (FL) Florida State
|
Durham's recruitment has been rather quiet as he rehabs an ACL injury that has forced him to miss the entire AAU season. Villanova visited with the 5-star in April, and Durham has talked about making a visit to the Main Line. |
|
Eddie Ekiyor
Ottawa, Ontario, CAN (New Hampton & CIA Bounce) |
6'9", 220 lbs. |
4-star #90 Nationally #19 PF #1 New Hampshire |
Kansas State Wake Forest Providence Oregon Virginia Tech
|
Ekiyor was offered at the turn of the year by Villanova. With Spellman on board, Villanova may be looking for more of a rim protector (i.e. Painter or Durham) than an athletic four, but Ekiyor would be a solid addition regardless of fit. |
|
Kassoum Yakwe
Centereach, NY (Our Savior New American & PSA Cardinals) |
6'7", 220 lbs. |
3-star #162 Nationaly #36 PF #7 New York |
Kansas St. John's Iowa State Pittsburgh |
Yakwe's camp continues to say Villanova is among the schools recruiting him the hardest, but that's been the story for a while with not much more developing. |
|
Nick Rakocevic
Westchester, IL (St. Joseph & Mac Irvin Fire) |
6'10", 190 lbs. |
4-star #103 Nationally #22 PF #2 Illinois |
Wisconsin Illinois Iowa Indiana
|
There's been talk of Rakocevic making a trip to Villanova, but no trip has been scheduled. |
|
Sedee Keita
Middletown, DE (Vermont Academy & WE-R-1) |
6'9", 225 lbs. |
4-star #129 Nationally #29 PF #2 Vermont |
Syracuse Iowa State Memphis Temple Iowa State |
Keita had good things to say about his visit to the Main Line last year, but both parties seem to have moved on for the time being. |
|
Hyattsville, MD (Oak Hill Academy & DC Premier) |
6'7", 265 lbs. |
3-star #171 Nationally #41 PF #6 Maryland |
N/A |
Hampton visited Villanova a while back before committing to Penn State. There's been some drama, but it looks like he'll remain a Nittany Lion. |
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.
Not a member of VU Hoops? Sign up and start commenting. Follow us on social media for regular updates as well. You can also subscribe to our RSS Feed.
If you haven’t registered to comment on VU Hoops yet- it’s easy…
1. Click on the Sign Up link in the upper right hand corner
2. Pick a username (or you can register via Facebook or Yahoo)
3. Enter your details (with the secure SBN Privacy Policy)…And you are good to go. Just make sure to log in when you come back to the site and you’ll be able to see what comments are new since your last visit.