2017 Villanova Basketball Preview: Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree

Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
High School: Neumann-Goretti (Pa.)
Height: 6’9”
Weight: 220

Player Preview

Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree was the first member of Villanova’s 2017 recruiting class, when he committed back on April 22nd, 2016. The 6’9” forward was a key addition for Jay Wright and shored up Villanova’s front court for the 2017-18 season.

DCR is joined by Tim Delaney, Omari Spellman, Dylan Painter, and Eric Paschall in the ‘Cats front court, making up what is possibly the deepest combination of big’s in Jay Wright’s tenure as Villanova’s head coach.

Roundtree ended up as 4-star, ranked #97 overall by 247 Composite’s rankings. DCR is an athletic big who excels around the rim and on the defensive end. Roundtree is known for his defense, providing a quality inside presence who is an excellent shot blocker and rebounder. He hails from Neumann-Goretti, a Philadelphia basketball powerhouse that also produced former Wildcat Tony Chennault. He concluded his time there with an impressive senior campaign in which he averaged 15.9 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks.

Cosby-Roundtree won’t step out and spread the floor very often, but he does provide an above-average ability above the rim. DCR often capitalizes on putbacks, using his rebounding skills to get above the rim and finish.

Roundtree does need to fill out more, which could limit his playing time this season. It might take a year or two for the Philadelphia to reach his ceiling, but after spending some time with strength coach John Shackleton, DCR will likely be an inside force for the Wildcats.

Best-Case Scenario: Defense is the most important thing to Jay Wright, especially when it comes to freshman. Cosby-Roundtree uses his to get a spot in the rotation and back-up Omari Spellman.

Worst-Case Scenario: Roundtree’s strength isn’t quite to the level it needs to be, causing Dylan Painter and Eric Paschall to see more time at the 4 and 5.

The Wisdom of Crowds Returns

We are pleased to bring back our Wisdom of Crowds experiment for the 2017-2018 season. In this series, we ask that you consider the points covered in our player preview to supplement your own personal insights and instincts to predict the points per game each scholarship player on the roster we score in the upcoming season.