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Nova Targets in Updated 2021 Rivals 150

J
Rivals has released its latest update on the 2021 150 and there was some movement among Nova targets.

Trevor Keels saw a significant rise, jumping 17 spots into the top 20 to No. 15. Keels also picked up a fifth star.

Keels lands just ahead of another Nova target, Max Christie, who stayed at No. 16.

Trey Patterson saw a slight slip in his ranking, falling five spots to No. 30.

Langston Love dropped 12 spots to No. 39.

Local prospect Rashool Diggins, from Archbishop Wood, jumped 19 spots to No. 43. He was recently mentioned as a prospect to keep an eye on for Nova fans.

Big man Nnanna Njoku was one of the biggest risers in the update, climbing a whopping 51 spots to No. 69. Nova has been in on Njoku for some time, but his recruitment is likely to see a big boost.

Germantown Academy's Jordan Longino checked in at No. 78.

Archbishop Carroll's John Camden jumped 13 spots to No. 85.

The uncertainty surrounding the futures of players like Saddiq Bey, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Bryan Antoine makes it difficult to project exactly what Nova will be looking for in the 2021 class in terms of class size and specific priorities, but for now we know the Cats are heavily involved with a handful of top 85 prospects and are reportedly in good position with several of them, including some top 40 players.
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Saddiq Bey Skyrockets Up Latest Big Board

J
The Athletic has released version 2.0 of its NBA Draft Big Board, and unsurprisingly, Villanova's Saddiq Bey has soared up the rankings.

Bey was one of the biggest risers in the update, going from No. 45 (and behind teammates Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Bryan Antoine) all the way up to No. 22, squarely in the first round and making a push towards the lottery.

Sam Vecenie, who puts together the board for The Athletic, touts Bey's complete game in regards to what NBA teams look for in a 3-and-D player and how he does all the things teams look for in a role player at a high level. He notes Bey's importance in Villanova's defensive improvement and sees his game translating seamlessly to the NBA.

We don't have a ton of insight on what Bey's priorities are right now, but it's looking like it's time to start preparing for not having him on the Main Line next season.

As for Villanova's other most-regarded NBA prospects, Robinson-Earl and Antoine, their stock has gone the opposite direction. JRE fell to No. 72 from No. 38, while Antoine has fallen off the board (top 100) completely after checking in at No. 40 in Vol. 1. We expressed surprise at Antoine's first ranking considering the lack of film he's put together at Nova, and Vecenie seems to recognize that now as Antoine tries to work his way into the rotation. As for JRE, I don't know that I agree his stock is that low, but it's probably lower than we expected at the start of the season.

We'll continue to track these movements, as well as incorporate different big boards as they come out, as the projections and ultimate decisions of Bey, JRE, and Antoine will have a significant impact on the outlook for the 2020-21 Wildcats.
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Villanova to Participate in 2020 Empire Classic

J
In what's turned out to be a bit of a busy day, we also got some 2020-21 schedule news on Wednesday.

The school announced that Villanova will be participating in the 2020 Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden along with Michigan, Baylor, and N.C. State.

The event, which benefits the Wounded Warrior Project, will take place on November 19-20. In addition to the championship round games, each of the schools will host a pair of regional round games as part of the event.

This will be Villanova's third time participating in the event (2002, 2012).

Tickets will go on sale the week of March 9. The complete field and schedule will be released at a later date.
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Corey Evans Assesses State of Nova's 2021 Recruiting Picture

J
As part of his "Wednesday Leftovers" column, Rivals' Corey Evans fielded a question about Nova's 2021 recruiting picture, and his assessment was an encouraging one.

Evans feels that Nova is currently in the lead for Trevor Keels, who is having a fantastic junior season for Paul VI. He is currently ranked No. 32 in his class by Rivals. Evans notes that Duke's recent involvement may complicate things, but that Keels is a prospect for Nova fans to keep an eye on.

Evans also discusses Germantown Academy's Jordan Longino, who he believes will end up on the Main Line. Longino is ranked No. 73 in his class.

In addition, Evans feels that at least one of Trey Patterson (No. 25 in class) and Nnanna Njoku (No. 120, likely to rise) will end up on the Main Line as well.

Finally, he mentions that the Cats remain heavily involved with Langston Love and Max Christie. He also thinks it's possible Nova would get involved with Archbishop Wood standout Rashool Diggins and that his is a situation worth monitoring.

In my opinion, a 2021 class of Keels, Patterson, and Longino would be a home run with a possible addition of Love, Christie (who I'm high on), Njoku, Diggins, or some other prospect as icing on the cake.

At the very least, the upcoming spring, summer, and fall should be much more interesting than last year turned out to be, although I think Wright made the right move in stepping back from the 2020 class after missing on a few early targets. The early shift to 2021 seems to be paying off, and if things break right in terms of minimal or no early departures this spring, Nova will be in a fantastic spot.

You can read the full article here:

https://basketballrecruiting.rivals...ho-will-have-more-success-howard-or-hardaway-
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Nnanna Njoku Updates Recruitment

J
Njoku spoke with Rivals' Corey Evans at the Hoophall Classic, giving an update on his recruitment and identifying five schools standing out to him, including Villanova.

Here's what he said about the Wildcats: “It (the offer) means a lot. Villanova is a powerhouse program that has won a couple of national championships. It is great up there and I have been up there for an unofficial visit a couple of times and have been to a couple of practices. It is a great school with a great atmosphere and I love it up there.”

The other schools mentioned were Wichita State, Pitt, Marquette, and Miami.

Njoku will take his first official visit this weekend, to Wichita State. His current coach's nephew is an assistant at Wichita, so there's a bit of a connection there and the Shockers were one of the first teams to show interest in the big man. I get the feeling that the Shockers and Villanova are the early leaders here.

The big man said he's been working on losing weight to get faster and improve his vertical. He's also been working on being able to step out, face up, and knock down jumpers.

It sounds like he wants to use all of his visits, and Villanova will likely get one. It also sounds like a decision won't be coming for a while, probably late summer or early fall.

Overall, the recent flurry in 2021 updates has been positive for Nova. Barring any unforeseen changes, the 2020 class will consist of players already in the program in transfer Caleb Daniels and redshirt Eric Dixon, so the 2021 class will be an important one for the Cats. At the moment, it looks like they are in a good position with some of their top priorities (more on that to come in a new thread shortly).

You can read Evans' full article here:

https://basketballrecruiting.rivals...es-5-schools-with-first-official-visit-on-tap
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Nova Target Trevor Keels Shines at Hoophall Classic

J
We were able to get a look at 2021 target Langston Love when his Montverde team took on McEachern on Monday, and he didn't disappoint. But he wasn't the only Nova target in action in Springfield, nor was he the only one to impress.

Paul VI guard Trevor Keels also had an impressive game against Bronny James and Sierra Canyon. Keels finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, and two assists and his team got the win.

It was certainly a good event for prospects being tracked by Villanova, and we'll be keeping an eye on this pair as we head into spring and summer.
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Look at Langston Love in Game Against McEachern

J
Villanova 2021 target, who recently discussed his recruitment with Rivals' Corey Evans (see a few threads down), joined his Montverde teammates to take on McEachern (GA) at the Hoophall Classic on Monday. The game was televised on ESPNU, and we were able to give it a watch this afternoon.

Here's what we saw from Love.

He scored 19 points on 7/15 shooting and 3/6 from three.

Love showed impressive defensive awareness, recognizing situations and making the correct switches, rotations, and stunts. He also did a good job communicating with his teammates defensively.

Offensively, he showed a workable jump shot as evidenced by the solid shooting percentages. But where he really stood out was his ability to slash and get to the rim. He was getting by defenders with relative ease and displayed a comfort operating in traffic.

He also competed on the glass, pulling down five rebounds, four of which were offensive. Even when he didn't come down with the board, he often got his hand on the ball to tip it and keep it alive to give his teammates a chance to get it.

All-in-all it was a pretty impressive showing from Love, especially when considering the elite teammates ahead of him on the team's pecking order. It was easy to see why Villanova is interested in Love, and his recruitment will be one to keep an eye on going forward.
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2021 G Langston Love Updates Recruitment

J
2021 G Langston Love out of Montverde Academy in Florida spoke with Rival's Corey Evans to give an update on his recruitment including most involved schools, potential visits, and any thought of reclassification. He indicated that Nova was among the schools that have remained in consistent contact.

Love received a Villanova offer last July. At the time, he was ranked No. 41 in his class and has since seen a rise to No. 27.

Love had this to say about Villanova: "How prestigious the school is. The players that I have seen go through there with Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson, they have a great coach, too."

He has already visited Stanford, and said he hopes to get to Texas and Texas A&M soon. He listed Baylor, Arkansas, and Villanova as the other schools he'd like to visit.

There has been talk of reclassification into the 2020 class, but it sounds as though Love hasn't given it much thought just yet and a decision on that wouldn't be made until late spring or summer. While things can change, and we don't have a great insight into what Love is prioritizing, it would be hard to see a reclassification as something that would be beneficial to Villanova just considering the roster construction.

Just based on his comments in the article, it sounds like Arkansas, Baylor, and Texas might be leading the pack right now, but Villanova is certainly hanging around and seems to have Love's attention.

On Villanova's side, it certainly sounds like Love is a prospect they are prioritizing in what will be an important class for the Wildcats.

You can read Evans' full article at the link below:

https://basketballrecruiting.rivals.com/news/hoophall-classic-langston-love-hoping-to-take-visits
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