Wrapping up the 2010 Villanova Basketball Season is the annual Banquet which is being held tonight at The Pavilion, with the highlight of the event being the Team Awards handed out by Head Coach Jay Wright and the rest of the Coaching Staff.

Senior guard Scottie Reynolds, who finished #2 on Villanova’s All-Time scoring list and was a 2010 1st Team All-American was the recipient of the Villanova Basketball Award.

According to the award, it “is given each year to the player who best exemplifies the characteristics of the Villanova Basketball Player and is considered to be the program’s highest honor.”

But that wasn’t all for Reynolds. In a rare double, he along with fellow-senior Reggie Redding share the Most Outstanding Player award.

The 2010 Paul Arizin Award, for the most improved over the  was given to junior Corey Fisher.

Freshman Mouphtaou Yarou, a native of Benin, is the recipient of the Alexander Severance Award for the player “whose dedication in the class room demonstrates a commitment to reaching his full potential.”

Senior Walk-On, Russell Wooten, will be bringing back to California the Jake Nevin Award. That award ”honors the player whose selflessness provides an outstanding example to his teammates.”

Congrats to the Awards Winners! And thanks to the 2010 Villanova Basketball Squad.

From the Banquet…

Welcome back Mouph!

The school’s press release notes:

Villanova freshman forward Mouphtaou Yarou (Natitingou, Benin/Montrose Christian School) has been cleared by physicians to resume all basketball activities, it was announced today. Yarou participated this afternoon in Villanova’s practice at the Davis Center.

“We’re excited for Mouph,” said Villanova head coach Jay Wright. “The doctors tell us he has responded well to treatment. We’ll see where he’s at once he is back practicing with us and then make a determination on when he’s ready to return to game action.”

Yarou started Villanova’s first two games in 2009-10 before being sidelined prior to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tipoff on Nov. 19. Since that point he has been idled while under the care of team physician Dr. Frank Furman.

Villanova opens the BIG EAST portion of its schedule on Jan. 2 at Marquette (3:30 p.m./ESPN2).

“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.”

“We realize it’s very serious,” Villanova coach Jay Wright told the Inquirer. “He’s definitely out of the Drexel game [tomorrow night], but we realize he could be out for the season.”

[9p ET] Dana O’Neil updates us with the fact this was discovered before the season during routine bloodwork, and was re-tested twice to confirm the diagnosis.

Yarou, a Top 10 recruit, started Villanova’s first two games this season, averaging 5 points and 4 rebounds in wins over Fairleigh Dickinson and Penn. He did not appear in any of Villanova’s three games at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off after he returned to Philadelphia for testing.

Get Well Soon Big Guy!

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.

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.

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.

He offers the following bits of evidence in support of his “absurd” comment:   (1) “The event in question occurred in 2007. It’s impossible for Yarou’s family to have been aware of it three years before it occurred.” (2)“NCAA rule 14.2.3.5, is so obscure a major Division I assistant admitted being unaware of its existence. So we’re to believe Yarou’s family, living in Benin, knows the NCAA rulebook better than college coaches?”  (3)“Yarou’s claim [that] he did not play in the tournament, was not aware of Renaissance BBC and knew no one on the team seems hard to believe, given that the club is one of only six first-division basketball clubs in his native country.”

Apparently Mr. DeCourcy would rather continue to spin and speculate rather than deal with the hard evidence of a passport and birth certificate.

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…

We showed him the roster, ‘do you know any of these guys?’  No. Is there any way you can call one of these guys and say “no I didn’t play on the team” He said No, I don’t even know these guys.

When something like that comes up it’s serious. We have to do some research. We have his passport, his I-20 and all of that- his birthdate is 19.

In the meantime we called back to Africa and got a family member to send us a birth certificate. And now we have his birth certificate that says he’s 19.

We’re working with the NCAA right now. The NCAA just needs to see it. And they said there’s no reason to deem his ineligible. They feel good about it. Let him play on Friday. Then, when they see it, they’ll make a statement.

Jay goes on talking about how international sites can’t be too credible. He brought up the story that Mike Nardi’s name, picture and stats were on the site of an Itallian team before his senior year.

In short Mouph is good to go. Villanova feels that they have all of their proverbial ducks in a row on this and that there should be no problem with the NCAA and Yarou’s eligibility.

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.”

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:

1. John Wall 6-4 182 PG Kentucky
2. Derrick Favors 6-9 225 PF Georgia Tech
3. John Henson 6-10 190 PF UNC
4. DeMarcus Cousins 6-10 250 PF Kentucky
5. Xavier Henry 6-6 220 SG Kansas
6. Avery Bradley 6-3 180 SG Texas
7. Michael Snaer 6-4 185 SG Florida St.
8. Wally Judge 6-9 220 SF Kansas St.
9. Daniel Orton 6-10 240 PF Kentucky
10. Mouphtaou Yarou 6-9 240 PF Villanova