Five-Star's Big Board: Villanova
Verbal commitments, signings and priority targets
Over the course of the college season, Five-Star will be on the grind, gathering recruiting intelligence for some of the nation's premier programs -- outlining each team's current roster and program needs, commitments and signees, and top recruiting targets for the 2012, 2013 and 2014 classes.
Today, we'll peek inside the Villanova war room and answer the following questions: What are the team's immediate and longer-term needs? Who are the Wildcats after? Which players have already decided to take their talents to the Philly suburbs?
Don't forget to view our recent Big Boards | DUKE | KANSAS | MARQUETTE | UCLA | ARIZONA | FLORIDA | KENTUCKY | ST. JOHN'S | UNC | UCONN
FEATURE ARTICLE: Villanova not giving up hope on Amile Jefferson
The Big Board: Verbal Commitments, Signings and Priority Targets:
| Position | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
| Guards | Ryan Arcidiacono (signed) |
Jaren Sina |
Ja'Quan Newton Shep Garner |
| Wings/Forwards | Troy Williams Jason Boswell Reggie Cameron Austin Colbert Kuran Iverson Jordan Washington Isaiah Watkins Kris Jenkins |
Chris McCullough | |
| Posts | Daniel Ochefu (signed) | Chinoso Obokoh | Dakari Johnson |
Current Roster and Program Needs:
Immediate Needs – 2012
- The Wildcats have just one scholarship to give for 2012 and are going all in on 6-8 forward Amile Jefferson of Philly Friends Central, who sources say is leaning toward Duke. They will also bring in point guard Ryan Arcidiacono, out for his senior year of high school with a back injury, and 6-10 post Daniel Ochefu, who is working on bringing Jefferson with him.
Longer Term Needs – 2013
- By 2013, Villanova will have lost current juniors Maalik Wayns, Dominic Cheek, Maurice Sutton and Mouph Yarou and will need to help fill a variety of slots. They are involved with several elite players in the Class of 2013, most notably Virginia wing Troy Williams, a potential program-changer who is down to the Wildcats, Georgetown, North Carolina and Kentucky. Villanova is also targeting North Carolina's Allerik Freeman, the Rivals No. 11 shooting guard in that class, as well as several local players in point guards Jaren Sina and Rysheed Jordan and wing Rondae Jefferson.
2014 Targets
- Ja'Quan Newton 6'1" SG, Newmann-Goretti (Pa.)
- Dakari Johnson, 6'10" C, Montverde (Fla.) Academy
- Chris McCullough, 6'8" PF, Salisbury School (Conn.)
- Shep Garner, 6'2" SG, Roman Catholic (Pa.)
For more from Adam Zagoria, check out ZAGSBLOG.com and follow him on Twitter: @AdamZagoria.
Harrison Sanford is a reporter for Fivestarbasketball.com. Follow him Twitter: @HarrisonSanford
