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Villanova is still looking for Point Guards. The possibility strongly exists for rising-sophomore Maalik Wayns to leave the college ranks before his four years on the Main Line are up. Whether that is after the 2011 or ’12 season means that Tyrone Johnson, Jay Wright is on the look out for another premier high school senior or junior to pledge to continue the legacy of Guard U.

Today, we’re going to look at 6’8″ Kyle Anderson (’12). That’s right a, 6-Foot, 8-Inch Point Guard.

Although he has been a primary ballhandler at Patterson Catholic, Anderson is transferring to play for Bob Hurley Sr. at St. Anthony’s in Jersey City this year, and it will be interesting to see where the legendary coach plays the versatile guard.

Anderson is a unique prospect. He has length, extremely sound basics, and a very high basketball IQ. But lacks extreme athleticism and foot speed.

His court vision is terrific and his ball handling is top notch as are his passes. Scout.com noted that Kyle has “an old man’s game where he uses bumps, fakes and jabs to create separation.”

Defensively is where the quandry lies. At 6’8″ with lacking foot speed, he will be unable to match up or guard an opponent’s Point or Shooting Guard. But his slight frame will show weaknesses against larger forwards.

Anderson is rated the #45 player in the Class of 2012 by Scout and #11 by Rivals. ESPN has him at #18.

Updated 8/31: Rivals’ new 2012 Rankings have Anderson at #5.

According Adam Zagoria, Anderson will be making an unofficial stop at Villanova on Tuesday.

Savon Goodman (Scout.com Image)

If you somewhat follow Villanova Basketball recruiting, Savon Goodman has been on Jay Wright’s target list after his freshman year.

Along with Amile Jefferson and Omar Calhoun these three Class of 2012 players have always noted a strong Villanova involvement in their recruitment for the past two years.

It’s been thought that Goodman had gone a little cold on ‘Nova. The 6’6″ wing from The Academy of New Church has made recent notes that Villanova was still very much on his list.

In an profile with the Duke Hoop Blog that we tweeted on Sunday it was noted that “One school that has always been at the top of his list has been Villanova and being so close to the campus, he’s struck up a relationship with some of their players.”

On the AAU circuit this summer, Goodman was noted as someone who “gets it done at both ends.” That is definitely a type of player who would thrive in Jay Wright’s system. On offense, “he’s a terrific finisher at the rim and knows how to use his body.” Defensively he can lock down an opponent and “he’s a guy that will do the glass.”

Goodman is ranked #51 in the Class of 2012 by Scout and #43 by Rivals. According to multiple sources, Goodman has an offer in hand from Jay Wright.

Savon was on campus for an unofficial on Sunday.

Kennedy has a history of changing schools; Brewster is his fourth high school in five years. Despite this, don’t call Markus immature:

“It’s not hard just as a basketball player, but for anyone,” he stated. “I have seen drug deals being made and I have heard gun shots.” He is the man of the house. His father, Ross, left the family when Markus was thirteen-years old. “My roles and duties are something I have to go,” stated Kennedy. “Basketball is just a stepping stone for me.” While overcoming obstacles, Markus has had to move from house to house; school to school because of the challenges of the hood.

Pursuing his hoop dreams has taken Kennedy down a number of difficult roads.

“I left St. Pat’s because of the travel, not for anything else,” said Kennedy. “Getting up at three in the morning and not getting home until eleven at night was not fun. I was sixteen-years old at the time. It was to much to handle.”

Markus then attended Living Faith Academy in New Jersey during the 2008-2009 season. Due to a lack of funding, that school closed and the rising senior was forced to attend a new school for his senior year. Kennedy found the Winchendon School in Massachusetts. “I liked it there, I really did,” he said. “I couldn’t stay though because head coach Mike Byrnes left. He was the main reason I came there.”

Kennedy’s school-hopping was really no-fault of his own. While some blue-chip recruits like Michael Gilchrist regularly make long commutes to attend elite programs like St. Patricks, few of them are expected to fulfill the daily duties of caring for their younger siblings and being the man of the house.

When asked what his ultimate goal was, Kennedy told theRecruitScoop.com, “I want to make it for my family.” He is spending this academic year at Brewster Academy to work on his game to get better and make a bigger splash in college.

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Please check out MIKE’s post about the Randy Foye Foundation.

The Class of 2012 player is an athletic wing with range out to 20 feet. According to Scout, “he’s at his best is attacking the rim as adjusts his shots well and finishes at the basket.”

In a recent interview with The Devils Den, a Duke site, Murphy noted, “Schools recruiting me the hardest are Duke, Florida, Arizona, Kansas, Villanova, Texas, Butler, and Boston College.”

He is ranked in the Top 30 by both Scout and Rivals for the Class of 2012.

Wednesday Update: Hilliard will make his announcement at a press conference at Liberty HS today at 5p ET.

The 6’4″ Bethleham, PA native had been getting a host of Mid-Major offers but has used a solid performance on the Summer AAU circuit to land scholarship offers from major schools- Villanova included.

The lefty is known for his shooting prowess, but Dave Telep from Scout noted that he can “can rebound and he’s an underrated passer.”

Other scouting reports note true Villanova Basketball Player qualities; “He listens to his coach, does things for the team and excels at what his coach needs him to do and gets the job done.”

We’ll keep you posted on this rumour…

The 6-6 Class of 2011 shooting guard has burst on the scene entering the spring of his junior year and the summer leading into his senior campaign.

In April, he turned lots of eyes in Virginia with his deep 3 point shooting (with unique release) and his athletic finishes at the rim. Scout described him as “a guy who can score and loves to slash.”

Faust needs to add some muscle mass to his frame but recruiting analysts love his catch-and-shoot style and his ability to attack the rim.

At the NBA Players Camp last month, he won the “Most Surprising Player Award” as he was in the Top 10 scoring. This past week he was invited to the LeBron James  Skill Camp, as a late bloomer, “He drove from the wing and crunched a one-handed dunk, slicing along the baseline.”

In a recent list that he gave this week he noted Villanova first along with Maryland, Tennesssee, West Virginia, and Marquette.

Rivals and Scout both rank Faust at #57 in the class.

The 6’3″ rising senior selected the Wildcats over Rutgers and Georgetown. He is the #16 ranked Point Guard in the Class of 2011 according to Scout and #17 according to Rivals.

Johnson will head to the LeBron James Skills Camp later this summer and will also make a decision to play his senior year at Plainfield or head to Montrose Christian in Maryland- a school that prepped Isaiah Armwood and Mouphtaou Yarou for ‘Nova.

Why Villanova? Johnson told Scout that “It was really a combination of things; Tradition. Style of play. Distance and the opportunity to play right away. The coaching staff was big too.”

Ty joins Achraf Yacoubou and Markus Kennedy in Villanova’s 2011 Recruiting Class.

Welcome to the Villanova Family Tyrone!

Rice's Jermaine Sanders

A quick update on some Villanova Target recruits…

• Jermaine Sanders from Harlem’s Rice High School visits ‘Nova today. He is a 6’5″ Class of 2011 wing. According to Scout he “trusts his jumper” and is “wired up to score”.
• Tyrone Johnson, a 6’2″ Point Guard from New Jersey’s Plainfield HS is down to Villanova, Rutgers, and Georgetown according to Scout. And “a decision is coming soon… maybe within a week or two.” He is the #17 ranked point guard in the Class of 2011 by Scout, #16 by Rivals

Will Tony Wroten Jr. from Seattle head to the Main Line?

It’s the off-season so topics are slow around VUhoops.

With the 2010 Recruiting Class coming to a close, it’s time to shift focus to 2011.

With Cory Joseph heading to school in Austin, most Villanova fans realize that the primary focus for Coach Jay Wright will be on the point guard position.

The three quick names that come to the top of the head for the Class of 2011 are Seattle’s Tony Wroten Jr., Quin Cook from DeMatha, and Tyrone Johnson from Plainfield, NJ.

Wroten, who suffered a torn ACL playing football last fall has spent the winter rehabbing and is back to his Top 10 form. Through spring AAU tournaments, the 6’5″ point guard has continued to impress. Scout’s Dave Telep noted, “On the break he’s a great finisher or excellent decision maker. When he chooses, defensively he can be a guy that causes problems.”

Wroten who kept his life very open via Twitter until recently has announced a number of Top 5 Lists; all of which include Villanova and Syracuse. Kentucky has supposedly entered the picture as well.

6 foot 3 Tyrone Johnson came on the scene as a two-star athlete. However the NJ native has decided to concentrate on Hoops and his skills have notably increased. According to Scout and Rivals, Johnson plays taller than his 6’3″. He can make jump shots and finish around the basket without making the flashy passes. Georgetown seems to be the other major player in Johnson’s recruiting.

Quin Cook, a 6-foot point guard from DeMatha in Maryland is getting looks from all the majors including North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, Texas, Maryland, and now Kentucky. It’s interesting because Villanova’s mention with the DC Metro Player of the Year varies from story to story. Cook was on campus for a game or two this past season, and in an interview with Scout.com he noted that he is interested in a “a coach who lets his point guard control the game, get up and down, but also can run a halfcourt offense.” That article later noted that he had an offer in hand from Jay Wright.

Cook’s DeMatha teammate, Mikael Hopkins is also receiving recruiting interest from ‘Nova. The 6’8″ Power Forward is gaining interest from the nation’s top schools.

The newest eye-raiser to Villanova recruiting is LaQuinton Ross. The 6’9″ forward has moved onto the Villanova watch list when the athletic Mississippi native transferred to Life Center Academy in Burlington, NJ. One AAU coach noted, “If you put a big on him, he goes by them. If you put a small on him, he shoots over the top. His length and ability makes him a great defender and a great rebounder. He also blocks shots very well.”

“Q” who has a 7’4″ wingspan, notes that West Virginia, Texas, Syracuse, Ole Miss, and Mississippi St (among others) are in the picture with ‘Nova.

Jay Wright and the coaching staff are also involved in another 2011 big man- Malcolm Gilbert of the Academy of New Church. The 6’11″ Delaware native has always had the height, but his hard work is showing results as high major schools have began to pick up interest.

Moving on to the Class of 2012…
While Jay Wright and staff were recruiting Cory Joseph, another player from Findlay Prep caught Villanova’s eye, Winston Shepard. The 6’6″ small forward is a 5-* recruit and is ranked in the Top 5 for the class of 2012. At this point, a number of elite schools besides Villanova are recruiting Shepard; his list includes Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Memphis, and Texas.

Are assistant coach Chris Walker‘s ties to Houston starting to pay dividends? The top point guard in the Class of 2010, LJ Rose, noted that Villanova has thrown out an offer to the 6’2″ player from Houston’s Second Baptist School. Texas, Kansas, Duke, and North Carolina are also in line for the elite talent.

One of the top shooting/point guards in the Class of ’12, J-Mychal Reese (Bryan,TX) regularly throws around Villanova’s name with Baylor, Texas, Kansas and other Big 12 names.  Following up a recent spring AAU performance, Scout.com noted that Reese is a “smooth lefty who generates tremendous lift on his jumper.” They went on to note that he has “quickness, above average athleticism and plays with a majority beyond his years.”

Looking at New York City, Nkereuwem Okoro is already considered one the City’s top 3 ballers in the Class of ’12. The 6’4″ shooting guard from St. Raymond’s (NY) is enamored at the thought of playing in the BIG EAST.  Besides Villanova, Pitt, Washington, Arizona, and Kentucky are recruiting Okoro who Rivals.com notes “has a very tight handle with a dynamic pull up jumper.”

In the Class of 2012, Villanova fans should keep tabs on a pair of names from Philly and one from Brooklyn; Amile Jefferson a 6’6″ forward from Friends Central and Savon Goodman at the Academy of the New Church.  Throw in the name Omar Calhoun, a 6’3″ guard from Brooklyn’s Christ the King and the prospects for an intimidating 2012 Recruiting Class are great.

What do you think? Are there any recruits who you are excited about? Who would be in your dream class for the 2011 or 2012?

Joseph claimed that having two of his fellow Canadian AAU teammates on the Texas roster was not a factor in his decision.

Joseph was the fourth strikeout for UConn with the top-rated guards in the 2010 class. Villanova would have used Joseph for point guard depth and perhaps also at the 2, had he chosen the Wildcats. The ‘Cats will be set at point guard next season with both Corey Fisher and Malik Wayns very capable of playing effectively on the ball.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, Jay Wright should turn his attention to recruiting for the class of 2011. Star guard Tony Wroten, Jr. would be the biggest fish left in that pool (and may be leaning toward joining his friends at UK), but DeMatha Catholic’s (MD) Quinn Cook is not far behind as a point guard. Both are considering Villanova (as well as Kentucky) among other options.

Other top 2011 targets for the Wildcats include small forward LeBryan Nash of Lincoln High (TX) and  center Desmond Hubert of New Egypt High (NJ).

As it stands, however, Jay Wright has already lined up two recruits for the 2011 class. Markus Kennedy (Winchendon) was originally set to enroll in the fall, but has opted to spend another year playing at prep school. New York based shooting guard, Achraf Yacoubou of Long Island Lutheran, also committed to attend Villanova over UConn, Kentucky, Maryland and Wisconsin. Yacoubou is a natural scorer who excels in the perimeter game as well as having a strong body that allows him to be a proficient defender and rebounder.