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The verbal commitment of Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to Villanova guaranteed ‘Nova Nation a Top-5 recruiting class. And barring any unforseen attrition it likely closed out the 2019 recruiting effort as well.
Assuming Joe Cremo, Phil Booth and Eric Paschall are the only departures off of this season’s roster, Villanova will have just 1 open scholarship for the 2020 class. With a near-full roster a transfer may be a more likely scenario than usual, and whether Tim Delaney returns for a 5th season is an open question as well.
(MikeJ. is watching a marathon in New York City, so no Roster Outlook until he’s back!)
As it stands, the ‘Cats have just 1 scholarship available (though I’d expect that to change one way or another). The focus has rightly been on Jeremy Roach, while it stands to reason that the staff will continue to evaluate their targets throughout the season.
Below are the names worth tracking at this point, as they either hold an offer or have confirmed interest from Villanova. With high school season just kicking off we may see some new names in the coming months.
Offers
Jeremy Roach (Leesburg, Va.) - 5-star PG - #16 Nationally
Pretty much the undisputed #1 target for Villanova as Wright has been on him for a while. The early buzz is that this will be a battle between Villanova, Kentucky and Duke. Attends Paul VI (same school as Brandon Slater) and Team Takeover (notable Villanova pipeline). Roach was on campus for an unofficial visit last Saturday November 3rd along with 2019 commits Bryan Antoine and Justin Moore (his AAU teammate).
Mikeal Brown-Jones (Philadelphia, Pa.) - 3-star PF - #195 Nationally
One of Villanova’s earliest offers, he recently transferred from Girard College to IMG Academy where he’ll team up with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl for a season. Plays for Team Final on the Nike EYBL circuit.
Elijah Hutchins-Everett (Montclair, N.J.) - 4-star C - #76 Nationally
Hutchins-Everett landed an offer from ‘Nova in March, and has been recently displaying extended shooting range. Villanova has a pretty full frontcourt, but he’s the type of fit that Jay Wright is looking for.
Jalen Green (Fresno, Calif.) - 5-star SG - #2 Nationally
Villanova extended an early offer to Jalen Green, but it is highly unlikely the ‘Cats will be involved in his recruitment. A wildly talented prospect, Green could probably jump right to the NBA if the rules allowed.
Isaiah Todd (Richmond, Va.) - 5-star PF - #14 Nationally
At one point Todd was the #1 prospect in his class, and Villanova was an early mover in his recruitment. He’s since transferred to a school in Raleigh and most of the early buzz has centered on the North Carolina schools early in his recruitment.
Prospects To Watch
No offers yet for any of these guys, but we’ve either seen Villanova directly linked with them or they fall within the ‘Cats general recruiting territory.
- Scottie Barnes (West Palm Beach, Fla.) - 5-star SF - #4 Nationally
- Jabri Abdur-Rahim (Short Hills, N.J.) - 4-star SF - #38 Nationally
- Lance Ware (Camden, N.J.) - 4-star PF - #47 Nationally
- Tyler Beard (Chicago, Ill.) - 4-star PG - #77 Nationally
- Noah Collier (Mullica Hill, N.J.) - 4-star PF - #84 Nationally
- Jyare Davis (Newark, Del.) - 4-star SF - #86 Nationally
- Richard Springs (Brooklyn, N.Y.) - 4-star PF - #95 Nationally
- Myles Stute (Washington, D.C.) - 4-star SF - #96 Nationally
- Lynn Greer III (Philadelphia, Pa.) - 4-star PG - #111 Nationally
- Terrance Williams (Washington, D.C.) - 4-star SF - #155 Nationally
- Ace Baldwin (Baltimore, Md.) - 3-star PG - #169 Nationally
- R.J. Davis (White Plains, N.Y.) -3-star CG - #248 Nationally