Villanova Basketball’s Bryan Antoine cleared to fully participate in practice

Happy Friday Nova Nation! As if Villanova fans weren’t happy enough with the outcome of Tuesday’s season opener, more good news broke yesterday morning. Bryan Antoine, Villanova’s second 5-star freshman recruit who is recovering from surgery, has been cleared to return as a full participant in Villanova practices.

This is huge news as it puts Antoine on a slightly faster time table for return than initially expected, which was back in practice by late November and into games by late December. It turns out that Antoine had already been cleared for individual shooting drills last month, so he’s not coming back into practice completely cold turkey. But more good news came when the coaching staff was pleasantly surprised with the freshman’s conditioning after not practicing with the team for five months. According to Wright, that won’t be a hurdle he needs to clear.

There are really two final steps Antoine needs to clear before the coaches add him to the in-game rotation. First, it’s going to take some time. His shoulder is still recovering, and part of that recovery is getting used to the full rigors of a game. Or in this case, a practice. In other words, don’t expect to see Antoine on the court next week when the team travels to Columbus. The staff will be easing him back into competition, but they’re not going to rush it.

The final step for Antoine is being mentally caught up to his teammates. He’s not completely behind, as he’s been picking up whatever he can from the sidelines during practice. But there’s a big difference between watching the team run through a play or a concept, and actually doing it. Antoine will need to put in the time and show the coaches and his teammates that he’s ready to execute on offense and defense before he sees any kind of minutes.

And that leads us to today’s poll question. When do you think Bryan Antoine will return and see the court for the first time? That’s not necessarily when does he come in ready to play 20+ minutes per game, but rather when does he log his first official minute of Villanova Basketball?

In other “news”, Villanova Women’s Basketball drops their season opener, Villanova Football needs a win tomorrow, and Villanova Women’s Soccer’s year concludes after an impressive post-season run. Enjoy!

Villanova Men’s Basketball

Bryan Antoine, highly regarded freshman guard, cleared to begin practice at Villanova | Philadelphia Inquirer
Antoine, a five-star recruit out of Tinton Falls, N.J., played his senior season of high school with an injury that was diagnosed as a torn labrum in his right shoulder and underwent surgery in May.

Villanova's Bryan Antoine excited to be back on court full-time | delcotimes.com
RADNOR — Bryan Antoine looked surprisingly fresh as he walked off the court in the Finneran Pavilion following his first full practice as a Villanova Wildcat Thursday afternoon.

Nova Notebook: Antoine Makes His Practice Debut | Villanova University Athletics
Antoine took the next step Thursday in his recovery from May shoulder surger.

BECB interviews Villanova Forward Jermaine Samuels | Big East Coast Bias
Coming off a strong finish to last season, Samuels is determined to elevate his game to the next level.

Two-Time Champ Jay Wright and Villanova Looking For More After Humbling Army In Opener | Forbes
Jay Wright;s No. 10 ranked Villanova Wildcats opened the 100th season in school history with a 97-54 win over Army at a sold-out Pavilion. Freshman Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and soph Saddiq Bey led the way with 24 and 22 points respectively.

Villanova Women’s Basketball

Harry Perretta’s 42nd and last season opener as Villanova women’s coach still means straight talk | Philadelphia Inquirer
"Every game still means the world to him,'' said Perretta's friend Geno Auriemma, the UConn coach. "Every game, every play, every practice, every thing. He carries that weight around, every minute of every day. It takes its toll.”

Basketball recruiting: Moorestown Friends’ Bella Runyan is still committed to Villanova despite Harry Perretta’s retirement | Philadelphia Inquirer
The star guard had Villanova and Penn in her top two schools under consideration during the recruiting process.

Villanova Football

Villanova football team’s mental toughness being tested after three straight losses | Philadelphia Inquirer
The Wildcats' game against Richmond is a must-win if they want to reach their goals.

FCS: The CAA Mess - Week 11 | HERO Sports
HERO Sports Campus Correspondent Jack Fitzpatrick tries to unravel the craziness that is the CAA Playoff picture, putting the schools in order as of Week 11.

FCS PREDICTIONS: Week 11 - Princeton-Dartmouth, Playoff Implication Games Highlight Saturday's Slate | HERO Sports
HERO Sports senior staff writers Brian McLaughlin and Sam Herder predict the scores of some top games in the FCS this week.

Villanova Athletics

VOLLEYBALL: Georgetown Falls to Villanova in Match Series | The Hoya
Georgetown’s volleyball team fell to Villanova in a home-and-home pair of matches over the weekend. The three-set loss Friday, Nov. 1, and four-set loss Sunday, Nov. 3, against the Wildcats dropped the Hoyas’ record to 12-14.

Wildcats Fall to Xavier in BIG EAST Semifinals | Villanova University Athletics
Omaha, Neb. The #4 Villanova Wildcats season came to an end Thursday night following a 2-0 loss to the #1 Xavier Musketeers in the BIG EAST Tournament Semifinals.

Sydnor named to 2019 All-BIG EAST First Team | Villanova University Athletics
Lydia Sydnor will represent Villanova on the 2019 All-BIG East First Team.

Volleyball to Host Creighton and Providence this Weekend | Villanova University Athletics
Villanova, Pa. - Villanova volleyball (18-6, 9-3) will host two home matches this weekend when No. 9 Creighton (19-3, 12-0) and Providence (6-19, 1-11) both pay

Villanova Alumni

Ex-Villanova football player files lawsuit against NCAA for not paying student-athletes | Philadelphia Inquirer
Trey Johnson, who went on to play for the Steelers and Broncos, contends that the NCAA violates federal and state wage laws in not paying athletes.

Wildcats' Legend Melchionni to Enter Philly Sports Hall of Fame | Villanova University Athletics
Melchionni to be inducted into Philadelphia Sports Hall Thursday night.

AUDIO: The Igloo, Episode 13: Interview with Daniel Ochefu | Anchor
I've got a great interview with Villanova alum Daniel Ochefu as we talk about his college career and so much more.

College Basketball

Dickie V's 2019-20 college basketball conference rankings | ESPN
Per Dick Vitale, the ACC is awesome, baby, with a capital A. Dickie V presents his complete conference top 10 as the season begins. He has the BIG EAST at #5... and he’s wearing a Nova hat?