Rivals' national recruiting reporter Corey Evans singled out seven programs with recruiting momentum coming out of the July evaluation period, and the Villanova Wildcats made the list. Joining Villanova are Kentucky, USC, Memphis, Duke, Ohio State and UConn.

So what helped Nova make the list. It starts with the excellent foundation already laid with the commitments of Eric Dixon and Justin Moore, who both impressed during July with Dixon in particular turning heads with his motor, rebounding ability, and evolving offensive game.

In addition, Evans cites the Wildcats' position with remaining targets Isaiah Stewart, Bryan Antoine, Scottie Lewis, Nico Mannion, Isaiah Wong and to a lesser extent Josh Green. For Nova to make this list, you'd have to think Evans feels good about the Cats' chances to land at least one, if not two, of those prospects.

The picture should continue to get clearer over the next few weeks as lists are cut and visits begin to get set up.

Regardless of how things shake out, Nova is off to a great start with the class of 2019 and find themselves in a favorable position with an opportunity to finish with another stellar recruiting class.

You can read Evans' full article here.

Ryan Arcidiacono's NBA journey continues as he has re-signed with the Chicago Bulls per a release from the team.

Arch averaged 7.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and four assists for the Bulls during summer league play while shooting 48% from three.

While the details of the deal aren't being released, it is likely a two-way contract. Last year he made 37 starts with the Bulls' G-League affiliate averaging 13.8 points, 8.2 assists and five rebounds while also making 25 appearances for the Bulls.

Regardless of the details of the deal, this is great news and a great opportunity for Arch as he continues to make Nova Nation proud.

The second live evaluation period was a little more informative than the first. From what we saw during the second live period, we can surmise that the Cats are comfortable with their current position with some of their top remaining targets in 2019 in Bryan Antoine, Nico Mannion (who made his reclassification to 2019 official), Josh Green, and Isaiah Stewart. In addition to that group, Nova targets Isaiah Wong and Scottie Lewis drew rave reviews for their performances.

The two current members of the 2019 class, Eric Dixon and Justin Moore, also received glowing reviews for their performances.

We also learned that it shouldn't take long for the 2019 recruiting picture to clear a little bit, with several Nova targets expected to cut their lists in the near future and with plenty of recruits preparing to set official visits.

There was a good amount of Nova related news early in the third live period, with both Nico Mannion and Isaiah Wong doing some talking.

First, Mannion spoke with Rivals' Eric Bossi in Las Vegas. Mannion told Bossi he hopes to cut his list to five or six soon, but his reclassification has brought some new big names into the picture in Kentucky and North Carolina, so that could affect the timeline a bit. Regardless, he told Bossi that Villanova is likely a lock to make his next cut, along with Arizona and Duke. He said a decision is likely late in 2018 or early in 2019.

Mannion reiterated those thoughts to Pat Lawless of Prep Circuit, again citing Villanova, Arizona, and Duke as schools likely to survive his cut. He also said he would like to make his cut in the 7-10 days following the end of the evaluation period, and that a decision should come by January or February at the latest, staying in line with what he told Bossi.

Here's what he told Lawless about Villanova: “Just the togetherness with their program,” he said. “They are always really together and they are big on attitude and pride in their program, which I really like. West Coast Elite is like a family to me and they kind of have that family environment. Plus they are a prestigious program, they have won a couple national titles these past couple of years.”

Meanwhile, Bossi also caught up with Isaiah Wong, who has been impressing throughout the month of July. Wong mentioned Miami, Villanova, and UConn to Bossi when asked about schools he definitely wants to visit. Wong mentioned the same three programs when asked who has been recruiting him the hardest, and Bossi is comfortable slotting those three as the top three at the moment. Clemson and Pitt are two programs that are in good shape to secure a visit from Wong as well. Wong said a decision is likely in time for the early signing period. In the Second Live Period Tracker we mentioned that we would keep an eye out for any signs of things warming back up between Wong and the Cats, and this certainly fits the bill. Villanova assistants were on hand for Wong's early session on Thursday.

Not a surprise here, as it never felt like there was much traction for Bacot to Nova. But since the Cats were in his top 10, figured it was worth reporting that Nova was officially out of the running. VCU, Oklahoma State, Duke, UNC, and Georgia remain in the running.

The school has released the dates for the 13 non-conference games for the upcoming season. Locations of the home games will be released with the full schedule after Labor Day.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/2018-19-non-conference-schedule-released

After a relatively quiet first live period, the second evaluation period of the month is underway, and we will use this thread to track all the Nova news.

Here's what we have so far.

Eric Dixon continues to impress.

Dixon had a strong showing in the first evaluation period, and all indications are that he has picked up right where he left off. On Tuesday, he was marked as a Day 1 standout at the Hoop Group Elite Event, displaying his physicality while showing off a turnaround jumper.

On Thursday morning, Dixon caught the attention of Prep Circuit's Pat Lawless, who praised the big man's ability to attack off the dribble as well as his consistent shot making.

Other Cats' targets impress at Hoop Group.

In addition to Dixon's strong showing, two other Cats' targets have shown well at Hoop Group, with both Bryan Antoine and Scottie Lewis being tabbed as Day 2 standouts.

Antoine impressed with his ability to get to the basket and to knock it down from the mid-range. Perhaps more importantly, he used his size to be a presence on the defensive end of the floor. We are sure to hear plenty of Antoine to Duke pronouncements and predictions in the coming months, but expect Nova to continue to make a strong push for his commitment.

Meanwhile Scottie Lewis showed an ability to contribute in a variety of ways, making an impression with his athleticism and wingspan.

Rivals' Corey Evans reports that the Nova target has officially reclassified into the the 2019 class, an option that he has been considering for some time.

Villanova has been a heavy presence at Mannion's summer exploits, as the Cats currently sit in his top 10.

Evans reports that Mannion will cut his list to five or six schools very soon, possibly by the end of the week, and will look to start scheduling visits from there.

In addition to Villanova, Mannion's top 10 includes Arizona, Duke, Kansas, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Utah, Marquette and Vanderbilt. It will be interesting to see who makes the cut, as I ran into some difficulty when trying to make a prediction, but I believe Nova will make his final group. Evans feels that Arizona and Nova are early frontrunners.

The more I read about and see from Mannion the more intrigued I become about seeing him in a Villanova uniform, as his elite vision and ability to score make it easy to see him thriving in the Nova system.

It will be interesting to see if the Cats can pull a player from way outside their usual Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Corridor recruiting sphere. We've seen Nova expand its reach a bit with the 2019 group with players like Mannion (AZ), Josh Green (FL via Australia) and Malik Hall (KS), and it would be interesting to see what effect landing one or more of those players would do to the recruiting philosophy going forward.

Regardless, Mannion would be a huge get and I expect the Cats to make a hard push to land him. His decision to reclassify only adds intrigue into what is already shaping up as an exciting end of summer and fall. You can read Evans' full article here.

We'll use this thread to keep track of any news and notes that come from this weekend's first July evaluation period. With the Cats having already secured two commitments in the 2019 class and in a good spot with some priorities to round out the class, it's unlikely any new names/offers emerge in that group, although as movement begins it's possible things could change. For now we'll be trying to keep an eye on who Wright and staff are watching as well as keeping an ear out for any 2020 names that could become important, while monitoring any movement with 2019 targets.

So far, it appears that Wright and staff have prioritized the Under Armour event in Georgia. This isn't a surprise, as it's where long-time targets Bryan Antoine and Scottie Lewis are competing. The buzz around Nova and Lewis has been quiet lately, although the Cats remain in his final seven. Meanwhile Duke remains the favorite for Antoine, with Nova and Kentucky jockeying for position along with Florida and Kansas. Antoine is scheduled to visit Duke, Kentucky and Florida in September and Nova in early November, so he will garner a lot of attention as we look for clues into how his recruitment is developing. So far the Cats remain active.

In addition, there was a heavy Nova presence for West Coast Elite teammates Josh Green and Nico Mannion. On Friday morning Wright and members of his staff were on hand to see the duo play as the Cats continue to track the talented backcourt players.

Other tidbits so far...
Nova commit Eric Dixon has been impressing, showing off an impressive knack for clearing the glass as well as an ability to knock it down from the perimeter. Rivals' Corey Evans sees him as ready to make an immediate impact on the Main Line when he arrives.

https://www.collegefootballtoday.org/collegefbnews/west-virginia-mountaineers-2018-college-football-today-preview

FBS Top 25

https://www.collegefootballtoday.org/fbstop25.html

FCS Top 25

https://www.collegefootballtoday.org/1aatop25.html

Hawaii Warriors vs Colorado State 2018 Preview

https://www.collegefootballtoday.org/collegefbnews/hawaii-warriors-colorado-state-rams-august-25th-2018-530pm-mt-cbs-sports-network

Georgia Bulldogs Preview

https://www.collegefootballtoday.org/collegefbnews/georgia-bulldogs-2018-football-preview

Florida State Preview

https://www.collegefootballtoday.org/collegefbnews/florida-state-seminoles-2018-preview

We'll use this thread to track the former Wildcats in the Summer League. I'll do my best to watch as many games as possible so I can provide some analysis as well as stats. Unfortunately I wasn't able to catch last night's games, but I do have the numbers for Hart and Spellman.

7/2
Omari Spellman - Spellman had a solid debut for the Hawks, despite not having his outside shot working. He shot just 1-6 from three but still managed 11 points on 5-12 shooting overall. He added six rebounds, two impressive blocks, an assist and a steal. He logged 23 minutes, good for third best on the team.

Josh Hart - Hart had a very nice summer debut, tying for the team lead with 23 points. He shot 7-15 overall and 4-7 from deep. He also added four assists, three rebounds and a steal in 40 minutes of action.

On Wednesday, Nova staff is expected to be in New England to take in the City Rocks/Expressions Elite combine per Adam Zagoria.

Presumably, the Cats will be on hand to get a look at elite forward Isaiah Stewart, who is currently ranked 6th in the 2019 Rivals 150. The Cats were recently named in Stewart's top 10, and he is likely to cut that list to five before the end of summer, when he will begin to schedule visits. It appears that Stewart would like to have a decision sooner rather than later.

You can read Zagoria's full article here.

Former Wildcat rewarded for his stellar summer showing.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/josh-hart-wins-summer-league-mvp

Rivals' Dan McDonald caught up with Antoine after the first night of the Under Armour Challenge as the first of the July evaluation periods kicked off, and got some thoughts from Antoine on each of his five finalists.

This is what he had to say about Villanova...“They’ve been on me since seventh or eighth grade, so they were one of the first schools to show love. Just the way Coach (Jay) Wright is, he’s an amazing guy. My parents love him. My parents and him talk all the time.”

In my opinion, none of the quotes he gave about each school point to a favorite, although the Duke quote could be used to in conjunction with the other opinions out there regarding his recruitment to boost their status as the presumed favorite I suppose.

But the bigger concern came in McDonald's assessment of what's next. There he indicates Antoine plans to take visits in September (we know he has Duke, Kentucky, and Florida scheduled in that month) and that he wants to make a decision before his senior season kicks off, possibly in October. That would bode poorly for Nova, as their visit is scheduled for early November. I will try to reach out to Dan to find out if that October timeline came directly from Antoine or is just speculation on his part.

I've said before that if his recruitment remains open and he actually takes his Nova visit, then the Cats have a chance to pull it off, but now that is in serious doubt. You can read the full article here.

Villanova has made a habit of taking part in early season tournaments, and feasting on the competition. This year, they'll spend the Thanksgiving holiday in Orlando taking part in the AdvoCare Invitational. On Wednesday the bracket was released, helping to clarify the schedule for the upcoming season.

The Cats will open up the tournament against Canisius at 1:30 PM on Thanksgiving day. Should they win that game, they will get the winner of Oklahoma State and Memphis at 11:30 AM on black Friday.

The championship game is scheduled for November 25 at either 1 or 4 PM. Looking at the opposite side of the bracket, the most like opponent should Nova advance would be either Florida State or LSU, both which would provide an intriguing early season matchup.

All games will air on ESPN or ESPN 2.

Nova will also host Furman on Nov. 17 as part of the non-bracketed matchups.

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Continuing our look at the new situations for the NBA-bound Wildcats with Omari Spellman and the Atlanta Hawks.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/assessing-new-situations-omari-spellman

Looking at Jalen Brunson's situation with the Dallas Mavericks as he begins his NBA career.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/assessing-new-situations-jalen-brunson

In conjunction with the 2019 class update today, Rivals' national staff members Eric Bossi, Corey Evans, Dan McDonald, and Krysten Peek made predictions on where the top 15 remaining members of the class will end up.

Bossi predicts 10th ranked Josh Green ends up at Villanova, while UCLA, Arizona, and Oregon also received predictions.

Evans and Peek predicted 12th ranked Bryan Antoine will land at Nova, while Bossi and McDonald think it will be Duke.

You can read the full article here.

The 2019 Rivals 150 has been updated, but there wasn't much change for the Villanova commits. Justin Moore remained steady at No. 57 while Eric Dixon bumped up one spot to No. 69.

Nova target Isaiah Wong saw a 12-spot jump to No. 95, and I would expect to see him creep a little higher in future updates.

Local product Dahmir Bishop, out of Imhotep Charter, saw one of the biggest rises of the update, climbing 38 spots to No. 77. He could see his recruitment jump up a level in the near future.

Nova also remains in contention for some of the elite prospects in the class like Isaiah Steward (No. 6), Josh Green (10), Bryan Antoine (12) and Scottie Lewis (13).

Sorry I'm a bit late with this as summer league kicked off earlier tonight, but here's the Wildcats that will be participating.

Josh Hart - Lakers
Omari Spellman - Hawks
Kris Jenkins - Spurs
Donte DiVincnezo -Bucks
Mikal Bridges - Suns
Jalen Brunson -Mavs
Ryan Arcidiacono - Bulls
Daniel Ochefu - Knicks

2019 five-star Bryan Antoine, currently ranked 8th in the Rivals 150, has scheduled four of his five official visits (first reported by Adam Zagoria), and Villanova is one of them.

Antoine plans to be on campus November 3. In addition, he will spend three consecutive weekends in September making visits to Florida (9/15), Kentucky (9/22), and Duke (9/29). That leaves him with one official visit remaining, which will likely be to Kansas should he choose to take it.

Antoine cut his list to the five schools mentioned above in early May. The Cats have been involved with Antoine for some time, and now they will get to battle it out with some heavy hitters for his commitment.

The San Antonio Spurs have announced their Utah Summer League roster and it contains a familiar name, as former Wildcat and 2016 national title game hero Kris Jenkins is on the squad. Great opportunity for Kris, especially with the extra spots available afforded by the two-way contract rule.

Taking a look at the new situations for the four NBA-bound Wildcats, starting with Mikal Bridges and the Phoenix Suns.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/assessing-new-situations-mikal-bridges

A quick look at Villanova's night at the NBA Draft, with landing spots for each Nova player and quotes from coach Wright. We'll have a more in-depth look at each player's landing spot in the near future.

https://villanova.rivals.com/news/recapping-nova-s-night-at-the-nba-draft

He visited Kentucky on Tuesday (yesterday), and the "experts" are now saying he will commit in a few days, and not even visit Villanova.

If he does visit Nova, all bets are off, IMO. We will know very soon.