Mouphtaou Yarou Cleared
Freshman Mouphtaou Yarou has been cleared to “resume all basketball activities“.
Welcome back Mouph! Read more
Mouph Yarou has Hepatitis B
A Villanova official has confirmed that Villanova freshman forward Mouphtaou Yarou (Natitingou, Benin/Montrose Christian School) has tested positive for the Hepatitis B virus. Yarou is being treated under the supervision of team physician Dr. Frank Furman. There is presently no timetable for his return to game action.
“We are disappointed for Mouph,” stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright. “We know that he is receiving great care from Dr. Furman and some of the best specialists in this field. Mouph’s health is our foremost concern.” Read more
BREAKING: Mouph Expected to Miss 2009-10
The rumors have been going wild for the past 16 hours about Freshman Mouphtaou Yarou being out for the rest of the year… NOW Jeff Goodman at Fox Sports is noting that his sources are saying that Mouph “is expected miss the entire season due to a viral infection.”
The 6′10″ Benin native played and started in Villanova’s first two games against Fairleigh Dickinson and Penn before the tournament in Puerto Rico. He averaged 18.5 minutes, 5 points and 4 rebounds.
Best wishes to Mouph in his recovery.
Mouphtaou Yarou Update
According to Mike Sheridan,Villanova freshman forward Mouphtaou Yarou (Natitingou, Benin/Montrose Christian School) continues to be evaluated by physicians after leaving San Juan, Puerto Rico last Thursday. He underwent tests at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia on Tuesday in an effort to determine the origins of a viral infection. Team physicians are awaiting test results.
Yarou is listed as very doubtful to play Saturday when Villanova hosts LaSalle at 3:30 p.m.
Further updates will be forthcoming in accordance with federal HIPAA regulations when the information becomes available.
Yarou Out with Viral Infection
ESPN and other sources are reporting that 6′10″ Freshman Center Mouphtaou Yarou has left Puerto Rico due to a viral infection.
Let It Go, Mike
Sporting News’s Mike DeCourcy, desperate to defend his journalistic integrity, is not backing down from his earlier claims that Mouph Yarou is really a 25-year old parading as a college freshman.
In his post today, “Villanova Freshman’s Story Rings Hollow,” he labels as “absurd” Jay Wright’s comment today on Mike Missanelli’s radio show that Mouph’s family knew about the erroneous post five years ago and were trying to get it corrected. Read more
Jay on Mouph Yarou
Jay Wright was on local 97.5 ESPN Radio yesterday. He talked about the question around Mouph Yarou’s age.
We’re right in the middle of working on it. Two days ago a sportswriter called us and said I found this FIBA Africa website and it had his name on it and had his birthdate as being 25.
Obviously It was the first time we ever hear do of it- we brought Mouph in, we asked him ‘did you ever play on this team?’, he said No, I don’t know the name of the team…
Questions About Yarou’s Age Arises
Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News has released a story that Freshman Mouphtaou Yarou may be a bit older than his 19 years on his passport.
DeCourcy sites a 2007 African Cup tournament that notes Yarou’s age, then, as 23.
Villanova’s Compliance Department is on it and they inform us that all of Mouphtaou’s paperwork (his passport, naturalization papers, and international student form) note that the 5-Star Big Man is, indeed, 19 years old.
Yarou had 8 points and 6 rebounds in 26 minutes in ‘Nova’s exhibition win over Kutztown.
Update: Dana O’Neil reports that Yarou will play in Friday’s opener against Fairleigh Dickinson according to Head Coach Jay Wright-”He has been cleared by the eligibility center and will play.”
Great Expectations for Mouph
As the preseason accolades continue to role in, the pressure mounts on the broad shoulders of Villanova’s freshman big man, Mouph Yarou. It’s hard to believe that so much is expected from a young man who began playing organized basketball only a few short years ago.
On Friday, CBS.com identified Mouph as one if its impact freshmen for next season. On Saturday, Aran Smith of NBADraft.net announced his top-10 NBA prospects among this year’s NCAA freshman class, which Mr. Smith extolls for its talent and depth. Mouph finds himself among esteemed company, at #10 on Mr. Smith’s list. Of Mouph, he says, “[Yarou] has come a long way in a short time after coming over to the US from Benin in early 2008. He shows a high motor and excellent strength inside with good hands and touch. He’ll have a shot to develop into a lottery pickin a few short years at Villanova.” Pretty high praise!
Here’s Mr. Smith’s full top ten: Read more
CBS.com: Freshman Will Play Big Role on Title Team
CBS.com’s Gary Parish boldly predicts that a freshman will play a key role for the 2010 national champion, reasoning that ”this is a season where five of the top six teams in the preseason Top 25 figure to rely heavily on a freshman (or two)”.
He has Villanova at #6 in his preseason Top 10, driven largely by a top five recruiting class to complement Scottie Reynolds and one of the best rosters of guards in the country. Mr. Parish believes that Mouph Yarou, his #9 prospect in the Class of 2009, will play a significant role for the Cats next season. From that, we can infer that he agrees with our Wisdom of Crowds prediction of 23.1 MPG for Mouph next season!
By the way, if you have not yet acted on Mike’s invitation to read Mike Sheridan’s Nova Notebook feature on Mouph in Nova Notebook, it is well worth the time.
Heading to Providence?
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