November 1, 2029
FBCB allows me to have 13 scholarship players at a time. Right now, my Villanova roster has 11 scholarship guys, along with three walk-ons. I don't mind having a smaller roster, because I have only 200 minutes to go around. Long rosters mean too many players who can't get onto the court as much as they'd like, and they become unhappy and transfer.
Wing
Corey Hicks and big
Joshua Parkin are the two scholarship seniors on this year's team. We can offer up to four players this year, and we've already secured commitments from three.
The first to sign is
Noah Gardner, a 6'5" wing from nearby Jenkintown, PA.
Code:
#0 SF Noah Gardner
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Height: 6-5
Weight: 191
High School: Abington Friends School
Hometown: Jenkintown, PA
GPA: 3.21
Test Score: 1110
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: 37 54 37 38 46 21 30 23 25 53 27 8 63 47 77 50
Potential: C A B B C D C C D A D D
Season Stats:
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PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
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19.8 2.1 6.4 2.4 2.6 0.94 1.6 0.4 2.4
Shooting Averages:
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FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
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8.4 16.8 .500 2.1 3.0 .712 0.9 3.1 .279
Recruiting Notes:
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Qualified: Yes
Committed to Villanova
Rankings: #30 Overall, #6 SF, East Region #7 Overall, East Region #2 SF
High School Awards: All-State
Top 5 Schools: *Villanova, Vanderbilt
Noah is a "three-and-D" wing, one of the East's top players at his position. There are players in his class who are more ready to play college basketball right now than Noah is, but we're signing him for the player we think he can be. We can be patient with him, because we have players like
Tony Ezell and
Asher Wise a class or two ahead of him.
Noah considered Vanderbilt, but he's wanted to be a Wildcat for years. He's the kind of student-athlete we want on our campus.
The next player to give us a "yes" is another 6'5" wing,
Reed Weisberg from Colonia, NJ.
Code:
#55 SG Reed Weisberg
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Height: 6-5
Weight: 188
High School: Colonia High School
Hometown: Colonia, NJ
GPA: 2.59
Test Score: 1020
Rating: ****
Attributes:
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Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 30 78 69 83 14 6 4 54 29 41 15 23 78 50 42 10
Potential: C A A A C F D C D C D C
Season Stats:
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PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
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25.4 0.8 7.6 0.8 3.0 0.27 1.3 1.4 2.0
Shooting Averages:
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FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
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10.4 20.4 .511 1.8 2.5 .720 2.8 7.0 .403
Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Committed to Villanova
Rankings: #55 Overall, #10 SG, East Region #12 Overall, East Region #3 SG
High School Awards: None
Top 5 Schools: *Villanova, Georgetown, Boston College
The term "shooting guard" was invented with players like Reed in mind. His gaudy scoring numbers are partially the result of his team letting him shoot 20 times a game, but we think his underlying skill is real. He has one of the most natural-looking jumpers we've ever seen, with a smooth release and plenty of range.
It's easy to envision Weisberg as a source of instant offense in a sixth man role, at the very least. Again, like Gardner, we can afford to let him develop, if he's patient enough to wait for his chance.
The third commit is the most highly ranked of the group: All-American point guard
Ernest Adcock, from Pasadena, MD.
Code:
#1 PG Ernest Adcock
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Height: 6-1
Weight: 194
High School: Chesapeake Senior High School
Hometown: Pasadena, MD
GPA: 2.86
Test Score: 1030
Rating: *****
Attributes:
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Type INS JPS FTS 3PS HND PAS ORB DRB PSD PRD STL BLK QKN STR JMP STA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Current: 17 76 92 32 48 54 15 7 29 60 44 11 94 20 57 31
Potential: C A A C B B D D C A A F
Season Stats:
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PTS OREB REB AST TOS A/T STL BLK PFS
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21.9 1.6 4.8 7.6 1.9 3.97 3.8 0.3 2.1
Shooting Averages:
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FGM FGA FG% FTM FTA FT% 3PM 3PA 3P%
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9.8 19.7 .496 1.0 1.1 .909 1.4 4.1 .333
Recruiting Notes:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Qualified: Yes
Committed to Villanova
Rankings: #3 Overall, #1 PG, East Region #1 Overall, East Region #1 PG
High School Awards: All-State, All American
Top 5 Schools: *Villanova, Georgetown, Boston College
If Ernest wanted to, he could play high-major college football; he was regarded as a top recruit as a dual-threat quarterback and a defensive back until he stopped playing football in tenth grade. On the basketball court, Ernest uses his quickness and vision to excel as a true lead guard, equally able to score and facilitate.
His most notable skill, however, is his ability to shut down opposing guards. Ernest can lock them down with solid fundamental defense, or rob them blind with his court sense and quick hands.
If Ernest isn't quite ready to play in the Big East from Day One, we'll probably be just fine.
Blake Norton,
Justice Stafford, and
Peter Segal should all be available next season. It's hard to imagine Ernest not getting some run as a first year player, however.
It's realistic to think that some of these players will fall short of their potential. Others might turn out to be better than we think. Championship teams have enough depth to account for the "misses," and that's what we're hoping to build here on the Main Line.
P.S. I'm delighted to snag Weisberg and Adcock away from Georgetown, too.
