Villanova Basketball 2022-23 player preview: Cam Whitmore

Cam Whitmore

Height: 6-7
Weight: 232
Hometown: Odenton, Md.
High School: Archbishop Spalding

Cam Whitmore Player Preview:

Villanova secured another major win over North Carolina when five-star recruit Cam Whitmore chose Villanova over the fellow blue blood. Whitmore enters his freshman season at Villanova with more hype than any freshman in the last few years. Unfortunately, Whitmore suffered a thumb injury in practice which required surgery. Whitmore had surgery on Oct. 11 and will be re-evaluated in early November.

Although the injury is not what the Nova Nation was looking to hear, Whitmore should return to the team in time to do some damage in Big East play. As Jon Rothstein recently said, “Cam Whitmore is as offensively gifted and physically ready as any freshman that Villanova has had in a long, long time. How long? Maybe since Tim Thomas!” There’s also an argument that Whitmore is the most NBA-ready freshman the Wildcats have ever had. He is projected to be a top five pick in the 2023 NBA draft by some outlets, but a majority having him in at least the top 10 — Whitmore has all the skills the NBA is looking for, so enjoy him while we have him.

Whitmore averaged 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per game in his senior season, leading the Archbishop Spalding Cavaliers (25-10) to the semifinals of both the MIAA A Conference and Baltimore Catholic League tournaments. Ranked as the nation’s No. 14 recruit in the Class of 2022 by 247Sports.com, Whitmore finished his prep career with 1,252 points in four varsity seasons.

Whitmore’s list of accolades speaks for his talent. Whitmore is a two-time Baltimore Catholic League’s Jerry Savage Player of the Year. He was named the Maryland Gatorade boys basketball player of the year in 2022. He was also selected to play in the 2022 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game where he finished with a game-high 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and one huge block. Whitmore played in the 2022 FIBA U-18 Americas Championship, where he was named MVP and had a few monstrous dunks.

In a Baltimore Sun article, Whitmore’s high school coach Josh Pratt said, “[Cam] does a lot of intangible things. He sees the floor very well. Obviously, he’s a tremendous scorer and I think his jump shot has improved over the three years. He’s just a great athlete, really good at rebounding and can take the ball foul line to foul line. When he’s in the zone and making the right decisions, he’s just tough to guard.”

Villanova head coach, Kyle Neptune, told Collegehoopstoday.com “when he’s on, he’s as gifted as anyone offensively.”

It is a great sign to see his talent is translating nicely to the next level.

The two-guard or wing position Cam Whitmore plays is a crowded one for Villanova this season with Caleb Daniels and Brandon Slater returning and Jordan Longino emerging late last season. Whitmore’s talent is too great to ignore, so expect him to either be a starter or at the very least, Villanova’s “sixth starter” upon his return.

Best Case Scenario: Whitmore gets healthy for the start of the season, starts every game and becomes the primary ball handler while Justin Moore rehabs a torn achilles. Becoming the primary ball handler allows for Villanova to start Jordan Longino over freshman Mark Armstrong and play a tenacious defensive unit. Best case scenario, Whitmore shines this season, has an effect like few freshmen have had on this program and is drafted No. 1 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Worst Case Scenario: Whitmore does not impress enough to join the starting lineup and is playing the “sixth starter” role. Whitmore’s three-point shot does not continue to improve and he plays the 2021 Jermaine Samuels role on the low block. Despite all this though, Whitmore’s floor is extremely high because his athleticism at 6-foot-7, 230 pounds will stick out at the college-level.