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Villanova Basketball Recruiting: 2017 Big Board

Starting in August, getting visits will be key in completing the 2017 class.

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The July Live Period is officially over, and now coaches will spend the next few months trying to get prospects on campus. With the November signing period just a few months away, August through October is going to be an important time period to lock down the class. Several 'Nova prospects have already - or are planning to - cut down their lists and schedule visits in the coming months. Getting a visit will be the most important sign that there's a mutual interest between the 'Nova staff and the many offers they have extended.

The recent string of offers indicates that Coach Wright wants at least player capable of handling the ball in this class, with a wing being the other priority. 'Nova is set to lose a lot of production after this coming season, and they'll be looking for players that can come in and contribute early in the backcourt.

Here's the current scholarship outlook, courtesy of MikeJ.

VU Hoops Roster Outlook

Backcourt

The big debate has been has been whether to take one or two players from this group, but it's looking likely that the staff will take two players, unless they were to strike out and save the scholarship for 2018. Lonnie Walker is priority numero uno, with a wing also a need with Hart and Jenkins set to graduate.

Prospects

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Walker has had a strong July, and recently said that 'Nova, Virginia, Kentucky, Miami, Oregon, Syracuse and Alabama are in the mix. He's going to cut his list down in August and take his official visits this fall. There appears to be some disagreement between Mom and Dad about staying home or going away for college, but Villanova is still in good shape and almost always the first school out of Walker's mouth.

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Tucker has a Villanova visit scheduled for August 24th - the lone offer on the wing to do so at this point. Still feeling that all signs point to Syracuse but it's good that Tucker is going to give the 'Cats a hard look before making any decisions. Duke is starting to sniff around, and Tucker has said he's going to cut his list once he finds out whether or not they're going to offer.

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Villanova has been involved with Samuels for longer than most, but they need to get him on campus soon with Xavier starting to put the full-court press on.

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Villanova just extended an offer to Morsell. He's had a prolific rise this summer into a potential Top 100 prospect. He's picked up several high-major offers in recent weeks, and fits the profile of the type of player that Jay Wright loves to bring into his programa. The staff tracked him all weekend in Las Vegas. Morsell has an OV planned to Notre Dame in September, and says he'll cut his list to 5 by the end of August.

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Sexton just cut his list to 10 schools, with the 'Cats making the cut. No Duke or Kentucky on the list for the electric guard, but Villanova will still have to try and secure a visit and fend off the likes of Kansas, North Carolina, Arizona and Alabama.

Villanova continues to monitor the top point guard in the class, but there just doesn't seem to be a great fit here. He's currently looking for a new high school after rightfully abandoning API, and is planning to see a bunch of West Coast schools in August. Duval is going to sign late, and given Villanova's struggles at convicing Lykes/Brooks to earn time, it's hard to see them successfully doing that with Duval. UCLA is the projected destination du jour because of their new deal with Under Armour.

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Harvey is down to a final 10 schools, with Villanova still in the mix. He has seen his stock drop after his AAU performances this summer, though his talent and athleticism are hard to deny. He's visited Villanova in the past and said good things.

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Knox just cut his list to 10 schools. Villanova tracked Knox all July, so Jay must feel he still has a shot at him. Duke is the heavy favorite, with Kentucky and Florida State in the mix as well. The 'Cats will need a visit if they're going to have a chance.

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Jalen Brunson's high school teammate has mentioned Villanova in recent interviews, but not much buzz about Smith taking a visit to the Main Line. He's had a fantastic summer.

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Villanova jumped in late to Bowen's recruitment. He's one of the best scorers in the class, but it's hard to see him leaving the Midwest with Tom Izzo making him a major priority.

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Green just cut his list down to 13 schools. A monster summer has turned Green into one of the most coveted recruits in the country. Both Duke and Kentucky are in need of a point guard, and are in hot pursuit. With 'Nova extending several new PG offers for 2018, it seems likely they'll wait until the next cycle barring a need for Trevon Duval.

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Despite taking an unofficial visit in early June, Villanova is out of the running for Randolph.

Things were looking really good for Villanova for a while, but Lykes commmitted to Miami (Fla.) following visits to both campuses in early June.

'Nova Nation got excited when Brooks called Villanova his dream school, and Wright jumped in with an offer shortly after. I guess his dreams changed though, and Brooks popped for Michigan shortly after.

Frontcourt

With Cosby-Roundtree on board, Villanova has another bouncy athlete that can defend multiple positions and do the dirty work on offense. As he develops he should be a really nice piece for the program. Mo Bamba is the only other player Wright is going to chase, but it's likely that the class starts and ends with DCR.

Cosby-Roundtree committed to Villanova on April 22 and should be a big help trying to recruit AAU teammate Lonnie Walker. He had a very good spring and summer and has vaulted into the Top 100 rankings as a result. You'll love this interview with him from Las Vegas -- he HATES losing!

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This one seems to be a four team race between Duke, Kentucky, Harvard and Villanova. Duke is the odds-on favorite right now, but Bamba has been pretty quiet about the process. He's planning to cut his list down in August and then take his time and visit all the schools on his list. He's a spring signee, so much like Trevon Duval the 'Cats may only stay in this one if they have some early attrition.

Anybody you think we should be tracking? Let us know and we'll add them to the board.

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Make sure to stay tuned to our dedicated section for 2017 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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