More work on the important 2021 class as local prospect Rahsool Diggins has picked up a Nova offer. Diggins announced the offer on his Twitter page.

Diggins, who attends Archbishop Wood, is currently ranked 43rd in his class by Rivals. He was First-Team All-Catholic League this past season and was also named Catholic League MVP. He averaged 20.2 points while helping Wood to a 22-5 record.

His recruitment continues to ramp up as the offer from Villanova follows one from Kansas last week. Other big programs involved include Florida, Xavier, Seton Hall, Miami, and UConn, among others.

With Diggins' impressive season and his proximity to Nova, it was likely that the Cats would get involved, and now they officially have. This is another name to keep an eye on as the Cats look to build an important 2021 class, and with Wood alum Collin Gillespie on the Nova roster there's a bit of extra intrigue here.

In what was an absolutely excellent idea, members of Villanova's 2016 and 2018 title teams came together to watch a simulation of a game between the teams and raise money for a good cause.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/2...ise-over-26k-for-charity-with-virtual-contest

Last week we noted that Villanova had been in contact with five-star 2022 forward Caleb Houstan. On Monday, Rivals' Corey Evans had an update on Houstan's recruitment.

There were two main takeaways from the update.

First, his recruitment is going to be a heavyweight battle. Houstan already holds offers from Maryland, Michigan, Seton Hall, Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina, Texas Tech, Virginia and Oregon. In addition, Gonzaga, Michigan State, Duke, and Baylor have joined Villanova in establishing contact with Houstan. This isn't a surprise considering Houstan's standing in his class, but it's still an impressive list of suitors.

Perhaps more interestingly, we got an update on the timeline of the recruitment. We mentioned that Houstan was considering a reclassification to the 2021 class. Evans notes that it will likely be the fall before Houstan gives serious consideration to the possibility and gets closer to making a decision.

You can read the full article here:

https://basketballrecruiting.rivals...o-add-up-for-top-five-sophomore-caleb-houstan

Rivals' Corey Evans provided an update on Villanova's 2021 recruiting outlook as part of his Wednesday Leftovers column after he was asked who he thinks the Cats will land in the class.

Evans mentioned each of the names we've been talking about (Trevor Keels, Max Christie, Langston Love, Trey Patterson, Angelo Brizzi, and Jordan Longino) and also offered a new name to keep an eye on in Caleb Houstan. Houstan is a 6-7 forward from Monteverde Academy who is a five-star prospect and currently ranked 5th in his class. That class happens to be the 2022 class, but Evans notes that there has been talk of reclassifying into 2021 and that Villanova has been in contact.

As for the names we've already talked about, Evans loves Villanova's position with Keels. He thinks they're right in the mix with Christie and would live what the addition of Patterson would do for the frontcourt with Nnanna Njoku already on board. It sounds like Nova may be falling behind a bit with Love. As for Brizzi, Evans shares my thoughts that he makes sense as being the next in line following the path of Arch and Gillespie should he commit to Nova. Finally, he thinks that Longino could be the next commitment to Villanova in the class.

His thoughts match up pretty well with mine. I believe Villanova will end up with two out of the group of Keels, Christie, Love, and Patterson and then will look to add 2-3 more players between Brizzi, Longino, and whoever else may pick up an offer along the way. A class that looks something like Keels/Christie, Patterson, Njoku, Longino and Brizzi would be a home run for the Cats in my opinion.

We'll certainly have plenty to keep an eye on in the coming months. You can read the full article here:

https://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/news/wednesday-leftovers-kentucky-chaundee-brown-more

Things have been relatively quiet after the little flurry we had the last 7-14 days with the plays on the transfer market, the offer to Angelo Brizzi, and the commitment of Nnanna Njoku. We heard Nova conducted a virtual visit with Max Christie, and now we've heard it has done the same with a pair of other high-priority prospects in Trey Patterson and Trevor Keels.

Now, admittedly, this isn't groundbreaking news. It's safe to assume Jay Wright and staff are holding virtual visits with every name that's been connected to the program in the 2021 class, and probably some names we may not have heard yet. Still, it's worth noting when the player decides to make virtual visits he has had public.

As a refresher, Patterson is a four-star recruit out of New Jersey who is currently ranked 30th in his class by Rivals. He's listed at 6-8, 210. There's a decent amount of buzz surrounding Patterson and Nova. Keels is a five-star prospect out of Paul VI in Virginia, an area where Villanova has had a remarkable amount of recruiting success. Keels is currently ranked 15th in the class.

In addition to Keels, Patterson, Christie and Brizzi, other 2021 names to keep an eye on include Jordan Longino, John Camden and Langston Love. We also expect that list to grow although it remains to be seen how the loss of evaluation periods due to the coronavirus outbreak will impact the spring and summer.

Despite the slight lull over the past week or so, we expect the coming months to be busy for the Cats on the recruiting front as they try to build an important 2021 class that should be fairly large. For now, we know they continue to put in work on some of their highest priorities in Patterson, Keels, and Christie.

Clearly feeling pressure from the new G League rules and the defection of some elite prospects, the NCAA has taken the first step towards allowing athletes to be compensated for endorsements.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/ncaa-takes-first-step-towards-name-image-and-likeness-compensation

If you read the 2021 recruiting update earlier today from Corey Evans, you know that a new name popped up in that of Montverde Academy's Caleb Houstan, who is currently a member of the 2022 class. The reason he was included in a discussion of the 2021 class is because there has been talk of reclassification to 2021.

Houstan is a five-star recruit that is currently ranked 5th in his class.

With Houstan being a new name connected to the Cats, it's hard to gauge how serious the interest is. In my opinion, a reclass to 2021 might limit the interest as the Cats already have one frontcourt commitment from Nnanna Njoku and have done a ton of work and appear in good position with Trey Patterson. Still, five-star, top ten recruits are sure to generate excitement when connected with a particular school. At the very least, it's another name to keep an eye on this spring and summer, especially in regards to the potential reclassification.

First, let me start with an apology here. Jeffress reclassified to the 2020 class from 2021 in February, and that slipped under my radar so I apologize for missing that.

Now, he's told Tipton Edits that he plans on making his college decision in the next couple of weeks. Jeffress is currently considering a list of 10 schools, including Villanova. Joining the Cats are Baylor, Vanderbilt, Pitt, Northwestern, Penn State, Virginia, Stanford, Notre Dame, and Memphis.

Pitt is widely considered the favorite here for the Erie, PA native.

As a refresher, Jeffress is a 6-7 forward ranked 75th in his class.

Taking a look at the first member of Villanova's 2021 recruiting class, Delaware big man Nnanna Njoku. I've included a couple of the videos I used to get familiar with Njoku.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/a-look-at-nnanna-njoku-s-game-1

A bit of schedule news on this Wednesday afternoon, as CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein has shared the matchups for the Big East-Big 12 Battle.

Per Rothstein, Villanova will travel to Austin to take on Texas. The Longhorns have had some struggles under Shaka Smart, going 20-13 in 2015-16, 11-22 in 2016-17, 19-15 in 2017-18, 21-16 in 2018-19, and 19-12 last season. Still, they've managed two NCAA Tournament berths and an NIT title in Smart's four seasons. This should be a solid matchup for the Cats.

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Five-star 2021 prospect Max Christie, who recently conducted a virtual visit with Villanova, talked with Rivals' Corey Evans on a wide range of topics. We'll highlight some of the most pertinent information regarding Villanova here, and post a link to the full article as well.

First, here's what he said specifically about Villanova:

"Earlier today, we actually had a virtual visit with Villanova and their entire staff with me and my family. They did great this past year even though they had a really young team with Collin Gillespie as their starting point guard along with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Saddiq Bey and everyone else. I think they are in a great spot as a program, as well, and they have won two national championships fairly recently and I think they are a really good program that Jay Wright has them going in the right direction."

Christie also shared thoughts on Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Virginia, and Duke. I want to get into some film on Nnanna Njoku here shortly, so I'll let you all read the full article and look for any clues in those answers.

There were a couple of other interesting takeaways...

-Christie said he hopes to make his decision before his senior season starts. He said he's not in a rush, but it would seem like a summer or early fall decision could be coming.

-He also talked about the new G League system in place that players like Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd have elected to use, but it doesn't sound like it's something Christie is interested in. He said he wants to have the college experience and is thinking about life beyond basketball, noting it is important to him to get a degree. He said he wants to take steps that will set him up for life, not just basketball.

-One final note that was interesting was his thoughts on the coronavirus and the disruptions it's caused to the recruiting process. He said he's just trying to make the most out of it and trying to do what he can to get better as both a player and a human being. He said he just wants to help himself and his family stay safe, and offered thoughts to those who have been affected by the virus and that he hopes they feel relief.

A couple quick takeaways from me: I think Christie sounds like a great kid with a great head on his shoulders. His comments on college/the G League and on the coronavirus indicate a person who is thinking long-term and who is mature and empathetic and sees the bigger picture. I said I would let you all draw your own conclusions on the recruiting situation, but I'll just share that personally it sounds like the Big Ten schools might have a bit of a jump on things but that he seems to want to give Villanova and Virginia a long look as well.

We have our first movement with the class of 2021, as big man Nnanna Njoku has committed to Villanova.

Njoku, currently listed at 6-9, 245, is an important get for Jay Wright and the Cats. With Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree set to graduate following next season and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl likely to head to the NBA before his four years on campus are up, Njoku will fill an area of need.

He is currently ranked 68th in his class by Rivals. We'll have more on Njoku's game tomorrow, but for now we know an important piece is in place as the 2021 class gets its first commitment.

2021 shooting guard Tamar Bates has new schools joining his recruitment, and Villanova is one of them, he told Stockrisers.

Bates is listed at 6-4 and is from Kansas City, Kansas. He is currently ranked 94th in his class by Rivals and has seen is standing improve some lately.

Approximately 20 schools have been involved so far, and Bates told Stockrisers that Creighton, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Northwestern, North Carolina, Colorado, Alabama, Oklahoma, Oregon, Michigan, and Villanova have been most heavily involved.

Bates is considered a strong Kansas lean at this point, but it appears he would like to take some visits before cutting his list and ultimately making a decision, so there's not likely to be much movement on that front in the near future. I'd expect Nova to try to conduct a virtual visit sometime soon, and at the very least this is another name to keep an eye on in a 2021 class that should be a busy one for the Cats.

Work continues on the class of 2021 as Jay Wright and his staff conducted a virtual visit with 2021 shooting guard Max Christie, per Jake Weingarten.

The 5-star prospect out of Illinois is currently ranked 16th in his class by Rivals. Christie recently identified Villanova as one of a handful of teams that had been prioritizing him.

We've already talked a lot about the importance of the 2021 class for Nova, and Christie appears to be a priority. With the Cats likely looking for a fairly big class in 2021, there will be a lot of names to keep an eye on, but Christie appears to be one that should be near the top of the list.

Some other programs heavily involved include Duke, Purdue, Ohio State, Virginia, and Michigan State, among others, so it will be quite a battle to land him but the Cats have plenty of weapons to go up against the other top programs on the recruiting trail.

A trio of Rivals' national analysts recently held their weekly "Rivals Roundtable" and discussed several topics, including their way-too-early Final Four predictions. And Eric Bossi had the Wildcats in his.

On the surface, this isn't much of a surprise. Villanova has been a near consensus top 4 pick in way-too-early Top 25s, so it would stand to reason it is a serious Final Four contender. However, one statement from Bossi did stand out: that he stands by this pick even if Saddiq Bey leaves early for the NBA.

Most of the way-too-early Top 25s have come with the caveat of Bey returning, with many dropping Nova out of the top 5 and some dropping it as low as the 15 range if Bey leaves, so Bossi going on record that he holds the Wildcats in such esteem regardless of Bey's decision is noteworthy.

Bossi didn't have a ton of space to get into a ton of details, but he noted that Nova boasts a strong returning group with or without Bey and that he could see Jeremiah Robinson-Earl competing for All-American honors.

This will remain an interesting debate not only until Bey makes a decision but also through the early part of the season if Bey elects to leave. If Bey returns, Nova will likely be the preseason No. 1 team. If he leaves, we'll see a somewhat wide margin on expectations. As we noted, some still see Nova as a top 10 team, some have it more in the 15 range, and one analyst I saw even dropped it out of the top 15. Now, we have an analyst on record saying the Cats should be viewed similarly even if they lose Bey.

While we have plenty of time to formulate an opinion on what Villanova's ceiling is without Bey, there are plenty of factors supporting Bossi's assessment. The Cats will return three seniors, something that may be even more important than usual considering the uncertain circumstances. Justin Moore should become a staple for the Cats while Caleb Daniels seems to be getting overlooked. The progression of players like Cole Swider and Brandon Slater will be an X factor, as will Bryan Antoine and Eric Dixon. If Antoine can give Nova anything close to what they expected to get from him before his injury, if Dixon can provide the post presence that Jay Wright has lauded this past week, and if Swider and Slater can make even a slight jump, the Wildcats will be formidable. In fairness, there are a lot of "ifs" there, but it's not a stretch to think all of them can come to fruition.

Regardless, 2020-21 stands to be another fun season on the Main Line.

Bey - Player of the Year

Bey and Gillespie - First Team
Robinson Earl and Samuels - Second Team

Robinson Earl - Rookie of the Year
Jay Wright - Coach of the Year. Nova swept the 5 team series.

Villanova has won the Big 5 Series Title 6 times in the last 7 years.

Comments from JRE and Wright from their press availability regarding Robinson-Earl's decision to return to Villanova for his sophomore season.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/j...wright-discuss-robinson-earl-s-return-to-nova

Villanova forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl will forego entry into the NBA Draft and will be returning to Villanova for his sophomore season, the school announced Tuesday.

Obviously, this is great news for a program that will enter the 2020-21 season with high hopes.

Robinson-Earl averaged 10.5 points and 9.4 rebounds while starting all 31 games for Villanova as a freshman. His 290 total rebounds were the second most from a freshman in school history behind Omari Spellman's 321. Robinson-Earl also recorded nine double-doubles.

We will have more on this news later this afternoon after press availability with Robinson-Earl and head coach Jay Wright.

Villanova will not be adding Rice transfer Trey Murphy III, who announced his commitment to Virginia on Monday afternoon.

Murphy proved himself to be a potent three-point threat at Rice, and it would have been interesting to see him operate in Nova's system. Alas, we'll never know for sure what that would have looked like.

Murphy is a sit one, play two transfer, so he wouldn't have had an impact next season, but would have become a part of an important 2021 class for Villanova.

The two transfers that have been most linked to Villanova, Murphy and Johnny Juzang (committed to UCLA), are now off the board. It remains to be seen if Jay Wright will look into another remaining transfer or shift attention to the high school ranks, where the Cats have also been busy.

Regardless, things should remain busy as the Cats look to build out that 2021 class.

Here's our roundup of Wright's wide-ranging talk with reporters. To me, the most interesting parts were regarding Bryan Antoine and Eric Dixon.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/jay-wright-talks-bey-nba-draft-recruiting-antoine-dixon

Monday, Murphy conducted a virtual visit with Jay Wright and his staff. Tuesday, he cut his list to four schools and included Villanova.

Joining Villanova is Houston, Pitt, and Virginia.

"The most important thing to me is being able to maximize my talent and my abilities," Murphy told Rivals' Corey Evans. "Wherever I feel like I can do that best is where I will go."

Murphy has shown impressive shot-making ability in his two seasons at Rice, making 139 three-pointers in that time. Last season he averaged 13.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists on 36.8 percent three-point shooting. For his career, he is a 39 percent three-point shooter.

You have to feel that there are a couple of things working in Villanova's favor here. First, the timing. For Murphy to cut his list to four and include Villanova a day after his virtual visit is clearly a positive sign. Second, Villanova's offensive philosophy matches incredibly well with Murphy's best skill, which ties into his quote about what he is looking for in his new school.

Murphy will be a sit one, play two addition for whoever lands him.

A decision is expected by the end of the month.

Saddiq joined coach Wright on a conference call with the media on Tuesday evening, discussing several topics.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/saddiq-bey-discusses-julius-erving-award-pre-draft-process

Last week we shared that Rice transfer Trey Murphy III said that Villanova was among the schools that had reached out to him.

Now, per Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers, we have a report that Murphy will conduct a virtual visit with Villanova on Monday. This news indicates that the report of Nova's interest was not only valid, but that the interest is mutual, and shows that the situation is definitely one worth monitoring.

Murphy has already completed virtual visits with Pitt and Iowa State and has said he would like to do the same with UConn and Crighton. The list of schools that have shown interest has blossomed to over 40, with Georgetown and Virginia being among the latest to reach out, so there will be a lot of competition here, but the fact that he's taking this step with Nova is an encouraging sign.

Bey becomes the third Wildcat to win the award.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/saddiq-bey-wins-julius-erving-award