Some quotes from Bey and Wright on Bey's decision to remain in the NBA Draft.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/saddiq-bey-jay-wright-discuss-bey-s-nba-decision

2021 G and Archbishop Wood product Rahsool Diggins has announced he will cut his list to a top 8 on June 19.

Diggins saw his recruitment take a leap in early May, landing offers from Kansas and Villanova in the span of a few days. Some other programs involved include DePaul, Florida, La Salle, Penn State, Rutgers, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and Xavier, among others.

He was ranked 42 in the most recent 2021 Rivals 150.

As expected, recent Nova offer Stevie Mitchell cut his list today, although he included seven schools instead of the expected five. Villanova was included.

Joining the Cats are Temple, St. Joe's, Miami, Stanford, Georgia Tech, and Marquette.

While there is no timetable for a commitment, Mitchell has repeatedly said he wants the decision out of the way before the start of his senior season. Definitely a name to keep an eye on throughout the summer and into the fall.

As expected, Saddiq Bey will remain in the NBA Draft and forego his final two years at Villanova.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/saddiq-bey-to-remain-in-nba-draft

Some Sunday evening recruiting news, as Jay Wright and Co. have continued work on the 2021 class by getting an offer out to 2021 G Stevie Mitchell.

Mitchell is listed at 6-2 and attends Wilson High School in Berks County. He is currently ranked 79th in his class by Rivals, enjoying a 14-spot jump in the most recent update that came last week. He averaged 22.3 points per game last season.

The timing is interesting here, as Mitchell told Mike Drago of the Reading Eagle on June 1 that he would cut his list to five on June 9 and that "that will be my top five that I'll stick with." He also noted in that article that Villanova (along with Notre Dame, Virginia, and Ohio State) had shown interest and that he had talked to Wright several times and expected to do so again during the following week. Mitchell said that Wright told him he wanted to see him play in person and meet him in person before offering, but with that becoming an impossibility with the COVID-19 restrictions, it appears Wright decided to make the offer anyway.

Other schools involved include Temple, St. Joe's, Penn, Penn State, Miami, Marquette, Georgia Tech, and Virginia Tech, among others. It appears Wright wanted to get that offer in ahead of that June 9 deadline and have an opportunity to be involved in Mitchell's top five.

Mitchell also told Drago that he wanted to make a decision before the start of his senior season, so this could be a quickly evolving situation if Villanova does indeed remain in the mix.

The 6-4, 290 pound lineman out of Connecticut announced his commitment on his Twitter page Monday afternoon.

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The announcement comes a day after 6-6, 320 pound lineman Ian Erickson committed to the Cats as Mark Ferrante continues to build the trenches.

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6-8 2021 forward Trey Patterson has set a date to announce his commitment, per his Twitter page. The four-star recruit out of New Jersey, who checked in at No. 28 in Wednesday's update of the 2021 Rivals 150, will announce his commitment on June 18, which is also his birthday.

Ten teams remain in contention, with Memphis, Flordia, UConn, Maryland, Indiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, Auburn, and Rutgers joining Villanova. Most of the chatter has centered around Villanova, Rutgers, and Indiana with Arkansas and Auburn mixing in as well.

Signs had pointed to Patterson's recruitment potentially dragging out a bit, but that will apparently not be the case.

On the heels of the NBA announcing a date for its 2020 draft, the NCAA has set its new date for early entrants to withdraw their names from the draft.

Early entrants will have until August 3 or 10 days after the NBA Combine, whichever comes first, to remove their names from the draft.

“This provides the utmost flexibility to student-athletes testing the waters to make the most informed decision about their future during this uncertain time,” NCAA senior VP for basketball Dan Gavitt said in a statement. “And by deciding before classes start for the fall semester, it also encourages student-athletes who choose to return to school to be fully engaged in their academic pursuits and the tremendous experience and opportunity to play college basketball.”

The problem is that it is highly unlikely that the NBA will be able to hold the combine before that August 3 deadline, meaning that many players will have to make the decision to stay in the draft and hope to impress at the combine or return to school without being able to get feedback from the combine. For what it's worth, the NBA's deadline to withdraw is October 5, per Draft Express' Jonathan Givony. While it's understandable that the NCAA wants things resolved before the start of the fall semester, the disparity in those dates is somewhat counterproductive.

It remains to be seen how this will affect Saddiq Bey's thought process, but we now know how long he has to make that decision.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA is planning for an October 15 draft.

Obviously, this is of interest to Villanova fans because of Saddiq Bey, and getting a date for the draft is a step forward in establishing a timeline for when we may get a decision from Bey. We're still waiting for details on a potential NBA Combine and, most importantly, a deadline for underclassmen to remove their name from the draft. If the NBA tries to keep a similar timeline to what it uses normally, that would put the deadline to withdraw from the draft sometime in mid-September.

News also just broke that the league has approved the resumption of play proposal, so it's fair to assume with that big piece of work done, the league will now work on hammering out other details such as the combine. We will update with further details as they become available, but for now we are one step closer to understanding how the offseason stuff will play out in the NBA and players, like Bey, who are still working through the decision now have another piece of information to work with.

On Wednesday, the latest update to the 2021 Rivals 150 was released and there was significant movement for several Nova targets. We continue to mention the importance of the 2021 class for Villanova, so let's check on where its biggest targets rank after the latest update.

Trevor Keels leads the pack, checking in at No. 14. He is closely followed by Max Christie at No. 17. Trey Patterson landed at No. 28.

From there, we see a group of Nova targets bunched together at spots 41-43. Interestingly, it is Germantown Academy guard Jordan Longino who leads this group after seeing one of the biggest jumps of the update from No. 73 to No. 41. He is followed by another local prospect and one of the most recent Nova offers in Archbishop Wood's Rahsool Diggins at No. 42. At No. 43 is Langston Love.

Villanova's first 2021 commitment, Nnanna Njoku, lands at No. 73.

Archbishop Carroll's John Camden landed at No. 84, while another prospect who we recently heard Nova rumblings about, Tamar Bates, follows at No. 85.

Finally, Angelo Brizzi, a prospect who Villanova was the first major program to offer and who has seen his recruitment start to take off since, saw a 30-spot rise from No. 148 to No. 118. He also moved from the three-star to the four-star category. It's worth noting that at the time of his Nova offer, he was unranked by Rivals.

Earlier this week, the NCAA extended the recruiting dead period through July 31, essentially ending the traditional live evaluation periods during the spring and summer. We speculated about the possibility of the organization looking to add some sort of evaluation period after July 31, and on Friday we got word that the NCAA and NABC are, in fact, exploring that possibility.

Evan Daniels reports that the parties involved are currently looking at August 6-9, September 4-6, and October 9-11. Feasibility remains a factor, but it sounds as though the involved parties are committed to making it happen and are hopeful that they will be able to hold at least two sessions.

Villanova got an early jump on the 2021 class and as such finds itself in a better situation with that group than some other programs, but the ability to have live evaluations would certainly be helpful. The NCAA is expected to reassess the dead period in late June or early July, and we would likely get a more clear picture on the situation then.

Sports Illustrated's Sam Amico is reporting that the NBA is targeting September 25 as the new date for the draft.

Based on the traditional timeline, that would put the combine (if there is one) around late August, with an early entry withdraw date probably about a week after that, perhaps early September.

This obviously has implications for Saddiq Bey and Villanova as Bey waits to decide if he will remain in the draft or return to Villanova. There hasn't been much noise from Bey or his camp recently, but based on what we've heard so far it's likely that he would want to participate in the combine and get as much feedback as possible before making a decision. As such, the situation could drag out throughout the summer unless Bey happens to get some piece of information that clarifies the situation one way or another before that.

For now, I'd expect Bey to continue to wait things out until a final decision is made regarding the combine. Getting a possible date for the draft at least moves us closer to getting a clearer picture of the situation.

The NCAA has made a pair of important announcements over the past week or so, and here we look at how they impact Villanova, namely in regards to recruiting and summer workouts.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/how-recent-ncaa-announcements-impact-villanova

Any sort of traditional live evaluations won't be happening, and there will have to be some new developments/creative solutions if there are to be any live evaluations before the start of the high school season.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/ncaa-extends-recruiting-dead-period-14

Georgetown has announced that head BB Coach Patrick Ewing has tested positive for COVID-19.
He is being isolated at a local hospital. No other GTown BB coaches or players are believed to have the virus.

As expected, 2021 F Trey Patterson has included Villanova in his top 10. Joining the Wildcats are Memphis, Florida, UConn, Maryland, Indiana, Tennessee, Rutgers, Auburn, and Arkansas.

It's an interesting mix of schools, some with strong historical pedigrees, some with solid recent success, and some "up and coming" type programs.

Patterson has been quiet about any potential timeline and it doesn't seem as though a decision will come any time soon. It will be interesting to see if he makes another round of cuts or simply chooses from this group of 10. We'll continue to monitor Patterson's recruitment, but it could be a few months before anything noteworthy emerges.

Patterson, long a 2021 target for Nova who is ranked 29th in the class, will issue his top 10 schools on Saturday, he announced via Twitter.

It would be shocking if Nova isn't included in the list, but the announcement is particularly noteworthy because it had appeared Patterson would be taking his time with his decision. Granted, a top 10 doesn't put him on the cusp of a decision, but it does indicate that he has been working through the decision and is ready to take a step closer to making a choice. In addition, each list put out by a recruit adds a little bit of clarity to the landscape, giving us more clues into how things may play out.

Just as we started to lament the slowdown in news on the recruiting front, Wednesday evening provided some movement as Langston Love has cut his list to 11 schools, including Villanova.

We noted in our look at the 2021 landscape earlier today that things have been quiet on the Love front, and sure enough, we got an update shortly thereafter. Love is currently ranked 37th in the class by Rivals and is listed at 6-4, 185. He currently plays at Montverde Academy.

Joining Nova on the list are Baylor, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, Stanford, Oklahoma State, Illinois, Texas Tech, Kansas, and Arkansas. Given the relative silence surrounding his recruitment, there isn't much of a consensus regarding a potential lean, and the most recent thing we've heard from Love is some good things he said about Arkansas after a recent virtual visit, so no surprise that the Razorbacks are included here.

It feels like we're a long way away from a commitment, but we now know Villanova is still in the mix and it was nice to get a little bit of news and movement regarding the 2021 class.

A look at which way key 2021 Nova targets are trending regarding a possible commitment to the Cats.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/how-it-s-trending-getting-a-feel-for-the-state-of-the-2021-class

After yesterday's update from Corey Evans' Twitter Tuesday column, we have more pertinent Villanova news today as part of Evans' Wednesday Leftovers article. Evans was asked for a prediction, and while he didn't go as far as singling out a clear leader for Keels, he did give a great update on Keels' situation and listed the two programs he sees as the favorites at this point. And one of those two was Villanova.

In addition to Villanova, Evans sees Virginia as the other program at the head of the pack. Those two programs have been prioritizing Keels longer than any other program, and Evans sees that dedication paying off.

Evans also added an interesting note: Keels is hopeful that he will be able to extend the process long enough to be able to resume taking in-person visits. He has already officially visited Ohio State and Virginia, and you'd have to think Villanova would get one of the remaining visits if it becomes safe to do so. As such, Evans doesn't see a commitment coming any time soon.

You can read the full article here:

https://basketballrecruiting.rivals...first-2021-commit-syracuse-targets-2023-stars

As he does every week, Rivals' Corey Evans took questions on Twitter for his Twitter Tuesday column, and this week he fielded a Nova-specific question.

Evans was asked if the current circumstances could lead to more local commitments and how that could relate to Villanova in regards to Rahsool Diggins, Jordan Longino, and Trey Patterson. Evans gave his thoughts on the topic while also sharing his feelings on the individual situations of the players involved.

He conceded that yes, if the current circumstances do, in fact, lead to more local commitments then Villanova would be in prime position with the trio.

As far as Longino is concerned, Evans noted that his stock has risen this spring despite the lack of live evaluations, but said he does feel Longino will land at Nova. He also noted that Longino doesn't appear to be in a hurry to make a decision, so we may be waiting this one out.

As we noted previously, Diggins' recruitment took on a different look with the recent offers from Nova and Kansas. That's bad news for earlier favorites like DePaul and Virginia Tech, but the ability to get involved (relatively) late in a recruitment and still make an impact is one of the benefits of being an elite program. An interesting thought from Evans was that he feels the longer the process draws out with Diggins, the better Nova's chances are. He also noted that Nova appears to be prioritizing Diggins despite offering just recently.

Evans believes Patterson's recruitment is more difficult to gauge at this point, and I agree. On one hand, with the commitment of Nnanna Njoku Villanova is likely looking to put resources into the guard position, at least until the 2021 picture gets a bit more clear. On the other, the Cats have been in on Patterson for some time and with clear interest and the resources already invested, it seems unlikely the Nova would abandon its pursuit. Evans notes that Nova is still heavily involved, but there are no strong indicators of where Patterson is leaning. Evans also doesn't see a commitment coming any time soon.

With pretty much all of Nova's 2021 targets still in play, it's hard to know exactly how the Cats are prioritizing things, and we don't have the benefit of live evaluations to see where Jay Wright and staff are and who they are most watching. Still, I would be shocked if at least one of Diggins/Longino didn't end up on the Main Line.

You can read the full article here:

https://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/news/twitter-tuesday-patrick-baldwin-moussa-cisse-georgetown

In an expected move, the NCAA has announced it will extend its deadline for basketball players to remove their name from the NBA Draft and retain their college eligibility. That deadline had been set for June 3. A new date has not been set, and that will be done once the NBA sets a new timeline for the pre-draft process. The NBA had recently postponed the Draft Combine.

While we expected this move, it remains pertinent as Saddiq Bey continues to test the NBA waters. I'd expect Bey to take advantage of this extra time as he tries to gather as much information as possible regarding his potential draft status and works to figure out the best path forward for him and his family.

This was a sensible move from the NCAA and one that gives players testing the NBA waters the best chance to make the best decision. We'll continue to update the situation as it evolves.

The relatively new metric that is used by the tournament selection committee is undergoing a few tweaks for the 2020-21 season.

https://villanova.n.rivals.com/news/ncaa-announces-changes-to-net-rankings

Some pretty big scheduling news this Wednesday afternoon, as CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein is reporting that Villanova will take on Virginia in a neutral site game at Madison Square Garden next season.

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This would be one of the elite regular-season matchups of the entire college basketball season. The two schools have accounted for three of the last four NCAA champions and have been among the best and most consistent programs in the country.

The two teams recently completed a home-and-home series in 2016 and 2017, each winning at their home venue. As you remember, the Cats won a thriller on a Donte DiVincenzo put-back at the buzzer.

Villanova is putting together a solid non-conference schedule, as the Wildcats will face two of Baylor, Michigan, and N.C. State at the Empire Classic and also have a trip to Austin scheduled to take on Texas as part of the Big East-Big 12 Battle.

The Nova-Virginia tilt would be one of the must-see games of the college hoops season.

We recently heard some of the first rumblings regarding the 2022 class with Nova getting involved with Caleb Houstan, although Houstan is also reportedly considering a reclass into 2021. Now, we have another 2022 name to monitor.

Local prospect Jameel Brown, who plays at The Haverford School, told Stockrisers that his coaches have been contacted by Villanova, among several other schools. Brown already holds offers from Temple, Richmond, and Penn.

Brown didn't crack the early top 75 in his class by Rivals, but he has been involved with USA Basketball and there will be plenty of time to revamp (and expand) the 2022 rankings. At the very least, just another player to keep an eye on, and with him being a local product perhaps someone you can get out and see in person assuming spectators will be allowed at high school games.

The 2021 class will likely dominate our attention this spring and summer, but there will also be bits of info on the early work for 2022 as well, as we've seen over the past week or so.