August 1, 2032
It's already looking like it will be an exciting, tension-packed recruiting season.
The nation's top-ranked recruit is a small forward from the suburbs of Rochester, NY.
Blake Phillips is, naturally, attracting attention from the top programs in the country.
Code:
#24 SF Blake Phillips
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Height: 6-7
Weight: 193
High School: Pittsford Sutherland High School
Hometown: Pittsford, NY
GPA: 3.32
Test Score: 1320
Rating: *****
Attributes:
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Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
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Current: 44 57 51 48 51 44 43 39 40 58 40 24 64 60 77 42
Potential: C B B B A C C C C A C C
Season Stats:
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PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
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22.2 2.0 8.1 4.3 1.6 2.74 2.1 1.1 2.3
Shooting Averages:
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FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
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9.1 16.3 .558 3.2 4.2 .771 0.8 2.8 .273
Recruiting Notes:
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Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Villanova: Very High
Rankings: #1 Overall, #1 SF, East Region #1 Overall, East Region #1 SF
High School Awards: All-State, All American
Top 5 Schools: *North Carolina, *Georgetown, *Villanova, *Lafayette, *Notre Dame
If we're scouting him accurately, Blake is almost literally a positionless basketball player, who could handle any of the five positions in a pinch. I offered him a scholarship in July, and so did the other four schools on his list. We have some catching up to do. We're making a full recruiting effort on Phillips this month, bringing him to campus and sending Coaches Sims and Twombly to visit him at home.
Mason Reynolds is a shooting guard from the same northern Virginia high school from which
Graham Sims graduated over thirty years ago. He's similar to
Blake Phillips, a well-rounded basketball player with no real weaknesses.
Code:
#10 SG Mason Reynolds
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Height: 6-4
Weight: 190
High School: St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School
Hometown: Alexandria, VA
GPA: 3.51
Test Score: 1400
Rating: *****
Attributes:
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Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 47 56 71 71 54 50 47 44 43 52 43 27 66 56 98 51
Potential: C B B B B B C C C B C D
Season Stats:
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PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
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23.4 2.8 7.6 5.3 2.3 2.28 2.4 0.7 2.0
Shooting Averages:
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FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
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9.9 20.9 .474 2.0 2.9 .672 1.7 6.0 .275
Recruiting Notes:
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Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Villanova: High
Rankings: #7 Overall, #3 SG, Southeast Region #2 Overall, Southeast Region #2 SG
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Villanova, Kentucky, *Lafayette
Mason has an offer from Lafayette, and we're going to give him one this month, too. A full recruiting effort will follow, with Coach Twombly accompanying Coach Sims to the place where the legend began.
Of course, there would have to be a tempting big man in eastern Pennsylvania. His name is
Lavel Lawrence, he's Pennsylvania's Mr. Basketball, and he's interested in playing for Villanova.
Code:
#2 C Lavel Lawrence
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Height: 6-8
Weight: 214
High School: Perkiomen School
Hometown: Pennsburg, PA
GPA: 3.44
Test Score: 1290
Rating: *****
Attributes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 41 19 87 24 28 24 62 59 44 32 21 43 65 58 88 54
Potential: B C A C D C B B C C B C
Season Stats:
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PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20.2 3.1 12.5 2.5 2.1 1.22 1.3 1.7 2.3
Shooting Averages:
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FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
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8.9 14.7 .602 2.2 2.8 .800 0.3 1.1 .273
Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Current interest in Villanova: Very High
Rankings: #10 Overall, #2 C, East Region #3 Overall, East Region #1 C
High School Awards: All-State, Mr. Basketball (Pennsylvania)
Top 5 Schools: Boston College, *Georgetown, West Virginia, *Villanova, Pittsburgh
Lavel is nominally a center, but his lean frame and his plus athleticism make me think he could play either forward spot well, too.
Venceslás Castillo played the three at Lafayette, and he weighed almost 250 pounds.
Bret Bryant, who was nearly seven feet tall, played on the wing sometimes, too.
I offered Lavel a scholarship in July, and so did Georgetown. Right now, he lists the Hoyas ahead of us, but we'll continue to recruit him actively and see if we can lure him this way.