Villanova Basketball

The defending champions can't catch a break in the season's early going. 

Three days after Michigan blew out Villanova by 27 points, the eighth-ranked Wildcats slipped suffered a 76-68 overtime loss to the Furman Paladins at Finneran Pavilion. 

MAJOR upset in CBB 😱

Villanova loses 76-68 in OT to Furman as a 16-point favorite and -1350 on the ML pic.twitter.com/Xxtg21HphF

— br_betting (@br_betting) November 18, 2018

At 2-2 overall, the Wildcats are primed to plummet in the rankings when the new Associated Press Top 25 poll drops on Monday. 

Fur-man.

*Zoolander cough*

FUR-MAN!

Furman—now 5-0 and off to the most impressive start in program history—upsets Villanova, 76-68.

In the past five seasons it took Nova 18 games, on average, before taking its second loss.

This season: four. Wildcats are 2-2.

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) November 18, 2018

The Paladins, meanwhile, improved to 5-0 and have defeated two of last year's Final Four teams after they stunned the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers, 60-58, on Nov. 9. 

Hands up if you predicted that Furman, which last played in the NCAA tournament 38 years ago, would be 5-0 with road victories over two of last year's Final Four teams.*

*If your hands are up, you're a liar

— Jeff Eisenberg (@JeffEisenberg) November 18, 2018

Guard Jordan Lyons paced Furman with 17 points, while forward Matt Rafferty stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points and 17 boards as five Paladins scorers finished in double figures. 

Conversely, the Wildcats didn't boast much balance as Phil Booth (20 points) and Collin Gillespie (19 points) combined for 57 percent of the team's scoring output. Villanova shot 33.8 percent from the field, including 14-of-44 (31.8 percent) from three. 

The Wildcats, of course, are in the midst of an adjustment period after key contributors Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Omari Spellman all bolted for the pros on the heels of a stellar national title run. 

Jay Wright said there would be growing pains. This is pretty painful

— Dana O'Neil (@DanaONeilWriter) November 18, 2018

Even so, the reigning champs have more talent than most—and more than enough to tread water in the early going. That said, head coach Jay Wright has proved reluctant to play 5-star point guard Jahvon Quinerly. On Saturday, Quinerly failed to see the floor after he played eight minutes in Wednesday's blowout loss to Michigan. 

The Wildcats will aim to snap out of their slump Thursday against Canisius before four straight intracity showdowns against Big Five competition. 

Jahvon Quinerly says he doesn't really check the comments, which might be true, though how can he not? 

On Instagram, his jelllyjq account boasts more than 440,000 followers, among them NBA stars like Kevin Durant, who has gushed over Quinerly’s dazzling handles and athleticism. Each time Quinerly posts, praise—usually in the form of grape emojis—follows. 

He admits that he is aware of what goes down online. Rappers like Montana of 300, A$AP Twelvyy and Gunna—“He put mad fire emojis,” Quinerly says—and hoopers like Kyrie Irving, John Wall and Allen Iverson have all showed him love. 

“I freaked out when, like, Allen Iverson commented on my picture one time,” Quinerly says. “You gotta freak out when someone like that comments.” 

Just how deep he goes into the comments, he won’t say. But as he sits in a classroom-style room inside the Davis Center—where the Villanova Wildcats congregate to watch film, hang out and eat—it’s clear Quinerly is at least moderately interested to know what people are saying.

Not about him, however; rather, he’s curious about an Instagram post of Jalen Lecque, who was attempting a “jelly,” the finger roll that Quinerly and his crew, Jelly Fam, a collective of former high school basketball players from the New York-New Jersey area, popularized a few years ago. 

“Best jelly of the summer?” the caption on Lecque’s post reads. 

Quinerly disagrees. 

“No, definitely not,” he replies in his low voice. Dressed in a gray T-shirt and sweats, he leans forward in his seat, bringing his round face closer to the phone. His brown eyes home in on the video playing on loop, the dimpled smirk on his face slowly fades. His expression becomes critical and serious, as if examining the jelly through a mental microscope. The arc of the ball, how it slightly kisses the rim on its way in. The body control.

When he finally looks up from the screen, his lips curve back into a smirk. Though he doesn’t approve, he’s not trippin’. It’s not that deep, he insists, and certainly not for the homie.

“That’s my boy, though,” he says. “I thought he was going to dunk it.” 

Quinerly puts down the phone and demonstrates the different types of jellys: a breakaway, a reverse and another one he describes as “iconic.” He reaches his hand to the back of his head, his elbow pointed up, and flicks his wrist while rolling his fingers. 

Quinerly’s iconic jelly is the stuff of legend—and it is, in part, what earned him his reputation as a skillful guard oozing with creativity and pizazz. At the prep level, he was a two-time New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year, a McDonald's All-American and an Iverson Classic standout.

But now that he is at Villanova, Quinerly is primed and itching to show that he is more than his signature move or an internet celebrity. “Some people judge me off of Instagram and mixtapes...people that watch my mixtapes and think I just lay the ball up,” he says. “There’s so much more to my game, and I’m working on a bunch of stuff now that hopefully I can showcase this season, like my jump shot, my defense.”  

Since becoming a Wildcat, Quinerly has been working tirelessly and in silence to fit the mold. 

“Don’t let people know you’re grinding,” Quinerly says. “They’ll find out when they find out.”

---

Quinerly is only a freshman, but many expect him to make an immediate impact. That he joined a team that won two national championships under the tutelage of a high-profile coach only heightens the expectations of what he will do. He’s next in the long line of talented Wildcats who have left to play in the NBA, including: Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo and Omari Spellman. Brunson was the Naismith College Player of the Year last season, and with him gone, Quinerly is expected to replace him as the point guard.

That’s no small responsibility. Villanova senior guard Phil Booth says the difficulty lies in communicating effectively. “As a point guard, the most important thing is you need to talk,” he says. “JB did that last year, as our leader. He was very good at keeping everyone on the same page. … JQ has a very well-known presence and draws a lot of attention from people: how creative and crafty he is with the ball. He’s very well-liked and is definitely doing whatever it takes to become a Villanova basketball player, like the rest of us.”

Head coach Jay Wright does not expect Quinerly to be the next Brunson, nor does he think he should be. “I don’t want him to feel the responsibility to fill those shoes,” he says. “His situation coming in is so different than Jalen’s.” The two guards, in his estimation, compare in some ways but diverge in others. “[Jalen] was really crafty and physical and methodical; Jahvon is fast, quick and flashy. They’re similar in that they both are very committed, serious basketball players, but I really want to make sure that he never feels like he [Jahvon] has to fill those shoes because they are so different.”

What has impressed Wright—what has him so excited—is Quinerly’s strong desire to learn. It’s one thing to have talent; it’s another to realize potential. “He could really separate himself as a unique Villanova point guard,” Wright told me. “His work ethic every day, his commitment to showing in every drill, every practice that he wants to do it the Villanova way.”

While he proudly reps Jelly Fam, Quinerly knows that he is a part of a new Fam now. At Villanova, he must assimilate by learning to dominate on both ends of the floor. “That’s where he’s impressed everyone the most,” Wright adds. “He’s got all of the skills and physical attributes to be an incredible defensive player. I can’t think of one with that kind of speed and quickness.” 

Quinerly admits: “I feel like I have to prove myself, that I can play at this level. I didn’t just come here [Villanova] because they won a national championship. I came here because I was going to grow as a player and I knew Jay [Wright] knows what it takes.”

---

Quinerly grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey. He started playing basketball at the age of seven and fell in love with the sport during his frequent outings to the Hackensack Rec Center. By middle school, in 2013, he had developed a crafty set of handles, mixed with his natural toughness and speed. He attended St. Benedict's Preparatory School, which runs grades seven through 12, but as a player on the younger end of the spectrum, he struggled to find a way to showcase his talent. He and his best friend, Ohio State guard Luther Muhammad, weren’t allowed to practice with the older kids—an accommodation, Quinerly says, typically made “when you’re good in middle school.”

“We went [to the school] early so that we could grow into and be a part of the high school team, and they looked over us,” Quinerly says of the St. Benedict's Prep high school coaches. “They did not know who we were, and that discouraged me at the time.” 

Arthur H. Pierson Jr., the associate head coach at St. Benedict's, remembers the situation well. “Personally, as a coach, I made one of the biggest mistakes by not letting him practice with the varsity as a seventh grader,” he wrote in an email.

Quinerly recalls that one day after middle school practice, he was “kicked out of the gym.”

“At the time, Isaiah Briscoe [Orlando Magic] and Tyler Ennis [Canadian pro]—they were trying to vouch for us, saying, ‘we should let them work out, they can run with us,’” he says. “But the coaches would be like: ‘Nah. Get out.’”

Quinerly would continue to look for ways to run with the varsity squad for another year. He hoped to get some time against starting point guard Trevon Duval, who is now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. “Jayvon was chopping at the bit every day to practice,” Pierson Jr. wrote. “I would not let him practice. What a mistake that was! We had one of the best young up-and-coming point guards and unfortunately, he participated [in] basketball [at] another school High School.”

Quinerly knew he had to prove himself elsewhere. So that summer he ran with his squad, Team Izod, on the middle school AAU circuit. He showed out, hitting a buzzer-beater against nationally ranked We All Can Go, which featured Marvin Bagley and Darius Garland. Soon thereafter, he and Muhammad enrolled at Hudson Catholic Regional High School in Jersey City. “We were like, ‘We gotta go do our own thing,’” Quinerly told me.

The move was stressful. He was only entering ninth grade but already felt the weight of his ambitious future. He knew he wanted to become a top-ranked player but at the time was unsure if it really was going to happen.

“I remember being very nervous to enter high school because I did not know what to expect,” he says. “I was seeing kids pick up Division I offers right before my eyes, so I was thinking to myself: Obviously this is what I want to do. But am I going to be able to do this? Am I going to be a Division I basketball player? Or are these going to be the last four years I play?”

His new coaches at Hudson Catholic sensed the pressure he was feeling. “As talented as he was at a very young age, the transition from grammar school to high school is like starting over again,” says Nick Marinello, Hudson Catholic’s head coach. “There were things he had to learn. He had to get assimilated to the program.” The two met frequently to attempt to plot out Quinerly’s path. “We always [would] talk about the next level. He’s [an] extremely gifted basketball player, has a very, very high basketball IQ and is a very good student of the game,” Marinello says.

Before his freshman season, Quinerly and Hudson Catholic traveled to Villanova to play in a basketball camp. Quinerly’s on-court skills immediately caught the notice of Wright.

“He was little dude,” Wright remembers, “but right away, he was on our radar as a unique guy. He was an A student and a really talented basketball player. If you find that in ninth grade, you can tell that he was different.”

Former Wildcats Kris Jenkins and Josh Hart (now with German club Eisbären Bremerhaven and the Los Angeles Lakers, respectively) were impressed too.

“They were gassing the game up every time I got the ball,” Quinerly says with a smirk.

He carried that momentum into his freshman season, averaging 10 points and 2.1 assists per game as sixth man. That summer, he competed on the AAU circuit for Sports U Team Izod, and the hype continued.

“I was playing with [dudes like] Nassir Reed, Luther Muhammad, [dudes] I’ve been playing with since seventh grade, but this is our first summer on the AAU high school circuit,” Quinerly says. “We were such a good team, and that’s when all of the offers started coming in. Villanova actually was one of the first teams to offer me.”

---

Though he grew up in Jersey, Quinerly itched to build his reputation across the Hudson, in New York City. Every weekend, he would cross the bridge to play in tournaments and pickup games—anywhere he could find more competition. Something about the city’s DNA brought out the best in him. “You can’t play soft, because then you’ll get exposed,” he says. “You have to cross the bridge and really bring your game. Show that toughness, show you’re not a weak link on the floor.”

He befriended players like Isaiah Washington, now a guard at Minnesota, and Ja’Quaye James, who together named their group Jelly Fam. They invited other members to join, such as Jordan Walker, who recently transferred from Seton Hall to Tulane.They looked to jelly everywhere they played. “We were playing [in Rucker Park]. Jordan Walker and I were going at it in front of a big crowd. I had done a 360 layup on him, and the park shut down for 10 minutes,” Quinerly says. “Literally, [everyone] running around the court was going crazy. I been jelly-ing since we started.”

Whenever the Jelly Fam took the court, people gorged over their style and flare. Fans flooded parks and high school gyms to see them play. On social media, jelly highlight videos proliferated and spread rapidly. Before long, Jelly Fam was internationally known, much to the delight of the grape emoji gawds.

Meanwhile, Quinerly earned the starting point guard spot at Hudson Catholic his sophomore year, and by his junior season, he was averaging 20.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game. As Quinerly’s profile rose—he became a 5-star recruit, played in the Adidas Gauntlet, earned Under Armour Association All-American MVP honors and was selected to the Stephen Curry 30 Camp—so did his notoriety on social media. His highlight mixtapes garnered millions of views on YouTube. His IG account gained on average about 1,000 followers a day. People all around the world, from New York to Dubai, slid into his DMs. His account soon became blue-check verified. His mentions got so crazy that he disabled his notifications. (His senior year, more than 70,000 people liked his post announcing that he had committed to Villanova.) His real friends had to text him if they wanted to send him things or comment. 

The love didn’t just come online. It followed him IRL too. One time, Quinerly was sitting in the food court at his local mall in Jersey, with his family, eating at his favorite restaurant, Chipotle, like any normal teenager. His order: extra rice, double chicken, mild, with cheese, a little sour cream and guac. A crowd flocked to his table, phones in their hands, screaming JQ! JELLY JQ!

“That’s when I was like, ‘This is getting a little crazy,” Quinerly said.

---

This past June, fans packed into Dyckman Park in Washington Heights, hoping to catch jelllyjq in person. The air was humming with excitement. Terry Rozier had put on a show the week before. Drake’s “We Made It” blasted through the speakers as Quinerly strolled onto the green court and donned a pristine, white Dyckman No. 8 jersey. Fans dangled over the barricades that encompassed the court. As Quinerly warmed up, knocking down jumpers, chants of  “JQ! Jelly! Jelly! Aye, yo Jahvon!” pierced the hot, humid air.

It felt like a homecoming. “I’m used to the crowd gassing a matchup between me and somebody else. I’m used to the loud roars after a play,” he told me.

He dropped a smooth 35 points that night on a combination of creative drives and pull-up jumpers. As he did, his teammate, Villanova forward Eric Paschall, shouted his approval from the sidelines. On one occasion, Quinerly took his defender with a swift jab and three crossover dribbles, catching him off balance before shooting a three-pointer in his face. On another, he baited a different defender with a shot fake before dropping a dime to an open teammate under the basket.

But it was Quinerly’s signature move that made the park explode. After splitting two defenders,  he took flight, flicking his wrist to put enough spin on the ball to kiss it sweetly off the glass.

Afterward, Quinerly posted to his IG: “my brother @epaschall4 said nothing less than a 30 ball! @dyckmanbasketball debut!”

---

Quinerly’s jelly is a marvel. Which is why, since arriving on campus, he’s been encouraged by his team, and coaches, to build on it. Adapt it. Make it even more potent.

https://twitter.com/SLAM_HS/status/978453606688067584

“There’s a lot to Jelly that’s actually technically effective as a player,” Wright says. “We practice all of the different takeoff situations, and he happens to be really good at that already because it’s a part of Jelly. … That’s the learning process for him: how to utilize it so that it’s really effective for him finishing at the rim, as opposed to being a show for fans. That is the balance.”

Quinerly sees value in finding that balance—getting to the basket and finishing, yes. But also focusing on the fundamentals. He followed a strict routine during the summer: 6 a.m. lifts, shootarounds and two classes to get a jump academically (he hopes to earn a business degree). He bonded with teammates Phil Booth and Paschall and assistant coach Mike Nardi, a former Villanova guard and Jersey native. All have been impressed with what they’ve seen so far.

“He’s very gifted with what he can do with the ball,” Booth says. “He doesn’t like to lose. He knows how to turn up to another level when the game gets going.”

Wright is optimistic of what the work will yield. “He’s got the best lateral quickness on the team, the best speed,” he says. “He’s fast, quick and flashy. … We’ve had a lot of great point guards, like Kyle Lowry is an NBA All-Star, but we’ve never had one with [Jahvon’s] skill and creativity.”

All this work has mainly taken place offline. Quinerly says he hasn’t been showing a lot about his new life on the Gram as of late. He is still adjusting—that means trying to find balance between his public persona and private life. At summer’s end, he jetted off to California with his younger brother Jaden, ditching the concrete jungle for West Coast beaches. He hinted at his whereabouts when he posted a photo of himself flexin' in front of a huge, golden Travis Scott head. It was from a listening party at Six Flags for Travis Scott’s album Astroworld. (“Carousel” is “tough,” he says, though “Can’t Say” is his favorite track.)

“There’s a side of me I don’t really show. Like I’m funny, I can be a clown sometimes. I don’t really show that on Instagram. I like for people to come find that out themselves.”

The fame from Jelly Fam, he says, has helped him accrue influence—“I’m fortunate to have that type of recognition,” he says—but it has also had ripple effects on his younger brothers, Jaden, 16, and Julien, 10, who also play basketball. “I know people go at you because of me,” he recalls telling them, “but it’s just going to make you stronger in the end, really.”

He would know. His own humble beginnings are represented through the tattoos he shows me on his arm. He has the letters N and J tattooed to represent New Jersey. There’s a grape to represent Jelly Fam. “Yeah, I branded myself,” he says. “It means something to me.” There’s also a wolf biting a basketball to symbolize loyalty, guardianship, spirit and faith. His mom’s name, Carenina, is there too.

The most striking of all of his body art is a quote, which was sent to him by his mom. It takes up the majority of his forearm.

Humble enough to know I’m not better than everybody, and wise enough to know I’m different than the rest.

It symbolizes not only who he is but also who he wants to become.

“There’s so much more to my game, so much more I bring to the table,” he says. “I’m more than just a layup.”

Deyscha Smith is a writer based in Boston. She is finishing her journalism studies at Mount Holyoke College. Follow Deyscha on Twitter @deyschasmith.

Highly touted frontcourt star Jeremiah Robinson-Earl committed to the Villanova Wildcats, he announced Tuesday.

"It's a small community so everybody is real tight with each other and when I went on my visit I enjoyed how tight everybody is and how much they support the team," Robinson-Earl said in an interview with Rivals' Eric Bossi. "Philadelphia is kind of a pro town but everybody there is down for Villanova and I thought that was cool."

Robinson-Earl is the No. 4 power forward and No. 18 player overall in the 2019 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

He's the second 5-star recruit to commit to Villanova, along with shooting guard Bryan Antoine. The Wildcats' 2019 class ranks second nationally, per 247Sports. Shooting guard Justin Moore and power forward Eric Dixon, both of whom are 4-star recruits, fill out the group.

Gatorade recognized Robinson-Earl as the best player in the state of Kansas following his junior season in 2017-18. Not only was he pivotal in helping Bishop Miege High School win a state title, but he also averaged 21.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists through the quarterfinals of the state tournament.

Robinson-Earl is the son of Lester Earl, who was a 1996 McDonald's All-American and played collegiately for LSU and Kansas. 

"It's exciting to have a father that was the No. 1 player in the country," Robinson-Earl said in an interview with Prep Hoops' Israel Potoczny. "And looking at pictures and videos, my goal is to be even better than that, so it is a good bar to have—a father figure and to be better than your father."

His father's experience on the recruitment trail will have provided invaluable insight for Robinson-Earl to ensure he made the best decision for his future.

Robinson-Earl's numbers are collectively a testament to his skill set. He's a solid scorer and rebounder, and he can create scoring opportunities for his teammates.

Kansas basketball reporter Matt Scott shared a highlight reel for Robinson-Earl:

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is on another level! Check out his Jayhawk Invitational Highlights! #KUBBALL @_JCRE_ pic.twitter.com/G1WILOuS4l

— Matt Scott (@KUTheShiver) May 7, 2018

The biggest question for Robinson-Earl isn't necessarily if he can become a star at the college level but whether he'll stick around long enough to make it happen. He doesn't profile as the kind of player who can immediately become Villanova's best player in his first season.

Robinson-Earl more resembles Mikal Bridges rather than Deandre Ayton or Marvin Bagley III.

Bridges spent three years at Villanova, improving with each season before entering the NBA after the 2017-18 campaign. Ayton and Bagley, on the other hand, were clearly at a different level as freshmen.

Robinson-Earl will contribute right away for the Wildcats and should position himself for a starting role. His real value will come if he's willing to stay in Philadelphia beyond his freshman year. He has the potential to become a special talent, though it may take a couple of seasons to get there.

Villanova has landed another major piece in its 2019 recruiting class. Bryan Antoine announced his verbal commitment, choosing the Wildcats over Duke and a host of other teams.

The 18-year-old is considered the 11th-ranked overall prospect and best shooting guard in the 2019 class, per 247Sports. He announced Villanova, Duke, Kansas, Florida and Kentucky as his final five schools in May.

Antoine told Prep Circuit's Pat Lawless:

"The most important thing is if I feel comfortable at the school because I can't go to a school I don't feel comfortable at. I want to go in there and fit in, which goes along with being comfortable. I want to feel comfortable on and off the court. I have to be comfortable in the gym, in the classroom and just on campus in general. I will look for the coaches to help me in life and mentor me. I just want to make sure to be around people I can trust and do well by me."

Antoine was considered most likely to pick Duke or Villanova. The Blue Devils had 86 percent of 247Sports' "crystal ball" predictions when he announced his final five. Villanova was in the mix in large part because of proximity; he stars at Ranney School in New Jersey.

He added:

"With Duke, me and Coach Jon Scheyer text mostly every day. Joey Baker, who is committed there, me and him are best friends so, me and him talk a lot. It's just Duke, they are always playing on national television and everyone's eyes are on them. Coach K is an outstanding coach and during our in-home visit, he kept it real with me. He said a lot of things that opened my eyes and that is a big reason why they are one of my final five."

Listed at 6'5" and 168 pounds, Antoine should make an instant impact at the next level. He's a good scorer who breaks defenders down off the dribble and attacks the basket with his speed and athleticism. 

Villanova adds a major piece as it looks to build on its 2017-18 national championship. Antoine joins 4-star prospects Justin Moore and Eric Dixon in a talented 2019 class for the Wildcats. 

Villanova's Donte DiVincenzo, the hero of this year's national championship game, will enter the NBA draft without hiring an agent, according to the school's website. 

His decision to go without representation means the redshirt sophomore will be eligible to return to school depending on the feedback he receives in the draft process.

"Donte has consistently improved in his time at Villanova through dedication and a commitment to our core values," Wildcats head coach Jay Wright said. "His play this season has created a unique opportunity for him to receive feedback from NBA teams in the draft process. We support Donte fully and our staff will work together with him and his family to help him assess the next step in his basketball career."

DiVincenzo had a strong season, averaging 13.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from three.

He saved his best for the NCAA tournament, however, posting 18 points and five assists against Alabama, 15 points and eight rebounds in the Final Four against Kansas and 31 points and five boards in the title game against Michigan.

Even LeBron James was impressed with that performance: 

LeBron thinks Donte DiVincenzo improved his draft stock last night. 📈 pic.twitter.com/ri9rFqEAjy

— ESPN (@espn) April 3, 2018

As for DiVincenzo's draft stock, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com believes he could slide into the first round: 

Most of the NBA guys I have spoken to feel that DiVincenzo is a guy who goes in the 25-40 range right now. Has the size, athleticism, ability to shoot. Feeling is should return to improve decision-making. https://t.co/TiaNLDHOke

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 19, 2018

Villanova could have a dramatically new look next season. Mikal Bridges is leaving and expected to be a lottery pick, while Jalen Brunson also declared for the draft. Phil Booth and Eric Paschall will return for their senior seasons, while Omari Spellman will enter the draft process like DiVincenzo but won't hire an agent.

The decisions from DiVincenzo and Spellman could have major implications in college basketball next season, as Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports indicated: 

Villanova will still be vintage Villanova if both DiVincenzo and Spellman return, but if one or both don't then Big East becomes as wide open as its been since realignment.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 19, 2018

Regardless of DiVincenzo's decision, his college legacy was forever cemented this year after leading the Wildcats to a second national title in the past three years.

Duke and Kentucky deserve their places at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in the 2018 recruiting rankings. The level of talent in those classes is unmatched around the college basketball world.

As the blue-blood programs stock up on valued NBA-caliber prospects, though, Villanova is quietly doing the same thing it's always done—and at a higher level than it recently has.

Jay Wright and Co. entered the April signing period holding the No. 13 class in the country. That's pretty good, right? After all, basketball fans probably expect it from a program with two national championships in the last three years and is perennially a top-ranked team.

However, this is Villanova's highest class standing since 2009. In fact, the Wildcats haven't previously held a top-20 mark in that span.

That's set to change with 5-star point guard Jahvon Quinerly—the No. 25 player in the country—leading a terrific three-man class. Power forward Cole Swider (No. 39 nationally) and shooting guard Brandon Slater (No. 47) round out the group.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8lbQCsplyY

Villanova is a case study in prioritizing fit over talent. The possibility of a prolonged dynasty only grows while the grade of incoming talent increases, which should be a scary thought for the rest of the nation.

The "why" is simple.

Thanks to the 36-win 2017-18 team, the Wildcats set a Division I record with the most combined victories (136) over a four-year span. The national champions also broke a single-season NCAA record with 464 three-pointers made, and their 655 assists surpassed a school mark.

And the incoming class is perfectly suited to help continue the trend of high-scoring, efficient Villanova offenses.

Quinerly averaged at least 18.5 points and 5.4 assists in each of his last two high school seasons. In four total varsity years, he posted a combined 45.6 three-point percentage. Stylistically, he's an ideal replacement for Jalen Brunson, who declared for the NBA draft after his National Player of the Year campaign.

Swider will be a perfect fit in Villanova's four-out attack. He should be a similar player to Eric Paschall, who averaged 10.6 points last season despite only attempting 7.1 shots per game. According to Brendan Kurie of South Coast Today, Swider averaged around 30 points per game as a senior; he also doesn't need to be a focal point to contribute because of his quick release and great range.

The Wildcats are bidding farewell to Mikal Bridges, a knockdown shooter whose defensive versatility was largely underappreciated nationally. It's a good thing the 'Cats are bringing in Slater, a guard labeled a "jack of all trades" by his high school coach, Glenn Farello, per Jacob Bogage of The Washington Post.

There's a clear emphasis on recruiting to fill a role, not loading up on talent and trying to figure it out eventually. Sometimes the latter works wonderfully; other times it fails miserably. Villanova, on the other hand, has engineered a system cultivating success year after year.

Furthermore, provided Wright opts to stay at the school rather than pursue the NBA—and he recently told Dana O'Neil of The Athletic he doesn't want to give up working with his players—there's no end in sight.

Most importantly, there won't be expectations for the freshmen to seamlessly replace Bridges or Brunson in 2018-19.

That's a testament to Wright and Co. signing players who stay for multiple years—and potentially redshirt—so they're experienced when moving from a reserve spot to the starting lineup.

"A year can change your life," guard Phil Booth told Roman Stubbs of the Washington Post. "Healthy or not, because you're going to get better. You still get to practice every day against everybody. You get to work on your game more than usual. It's a very productive year. People don't realize. It's not easy, but it's a very productive year."

Because of that experience gained prior to players leading the team, the impact of roster turnover is mitigated.

Versatile guard Josh Hart and stretch forward Kris Jenkins led the 2016 squad to a championship and 2017's group to a No. 1 seed. Last year, Brunson and Bridges carried VU. National title hero Donte DiVincenzo and stretch center Omari Spellman are expected to be the leaders of the 2018-19 roster, pending NBA draft decisions.

And it's easy to foresee Quinerly, Slater and Swider—as experienced sophomores—continuing the Villanova dynasty along with Collin Gillespie, Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree and Jermaine Samuels after that.

The incoming players aren't the recognizable faces of the 2018 cycle. But while Duke and Kentucky make yearly runs at championships with big-name freshmen, Villanova is happy to quietly replenish a roster built to contend for multiple seasons.

                  

Recruiting information and rankings courtesy of 247Sports.

Villanova guard Jalen Brunson announced Wednesday he'll forego his senior season with the Wildcats to enter the 2018 NBA draft.

The Naismith College Player of the Year confirmed his decision, which includes hiring an agent, with an open letter on ESPN.com to Nova Nation:

"It is with great honor and privilege that I have called Villanova University my home for the past three years. When I decided to commit to coach Jay Wright and the basketball program, I was driven by three goals: getting my education, competing at the highest level and winning a national championship. While I pride myself on remaining disciplined and focused to achieve these goals, I have grown as a man and have established lifelong relationships with my teammates, classmates, members of the basketball staff, fellow student-athletes and the wonderful educators and administrators of this prestigious university."

His announcement comes one day after Wildcats teammate Mikal Bridges told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN he was also making the NBA jump after his junior season.

Brunson averaged 18.9 points, 4.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds across 40 appearances for Villanova during the 2017-18 campaign. He shot 52.1 percent from the field, including 40.8 percent from three-point range, and connected on 80.2 percent of his free-throw attempts.

The 21-year-old New Jersey native capped his collegiate career by helping Nova win the 2018 NCAA tournament. He was also part of the 2016 national championship squad.

In his latest mock draft, Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman predicted the Philadelphia 76ers would take Brunson with the 24th overall pick.

"Add another national title to Brunson's resume," Wasserman wrote. "He has well-documented flaws related to his athletic limitations, but between his winning track record, skill level and intangibles, the Sixers could decide he's worth gambling on in the 20s, using a second first-round pick."

Along with earning the Naismith Trophy and helping to win the national title, the efficient guard was a consensus first-team All-American and the Big East Player of the Year in his final season with the Wildcats.

For the second time in two months, the city of Philadelphia has a championship parade to prepare for.

The Villanova Wildcats earned their second parade in three years by defeating the Michigan Wolverines, 79-62, to win the 2018 NCAA men's basketball tournament Monday. The City of Brotherly Love has turned into the city of champions, as the Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LII in February.

The Wildcats' parade will be held Thursday, April 5, at 11 a.m. ET, per Villanova media relations:

.@NovaMBB championship parade will make its way from 20th & Market Streets towards Dilworth Plaza in Center City Philadelphia on Thursday, April 5, beginning at 11 a.m. As a result, @VillanovaU will be closed on Thursday for parade festivities. #LetsMarchNova pic.twitter.com/X8qWzC63AR

— Villanova University Public Relations (@VillanovaMedia) April 3, 2018

WPVI ABC 6, which will air and stream the parade online, further detailed the parade route:

Rob Tornoe of the Philadelphia Inquirer provided a detailed look at the parade route. Full information on the parade can be found on the official website of the city of Philadelphia.

Back in 2016, Nova Nation showed up in full force to celebrate the program's first championship in more than three decades:

Thank You #NovaNation!
Thank You Philadelphia! #LetsMarchNova | @VU_Business @TDBank_US @CokeZero pic.twitter.com/13M54KibWQ

— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) April 8, 2016

A view of the Villanova victory parade crowd from @phillyfromtop. pic.twitter.com/XBirEIjc0g

— Dan McQuade (@dhm) April 8, 2016

There's good news and bad news for Wildcats fans. While temperatures are forecast to drop from the 60s on Wednesday into the 40s on Thursday, according to the Weather Channel, there is a zero percent chance of rain Thursday, the only day through Saturday precipitation isn't expected.

Enjoy it, Philly. While parades may feel commonplace at this point, they don't always happen this frequently...unless you live in Boston.

SAN ANTONIO — Ten seconds before the end of the 2017-18 season, a member of the most unselfish team in college basketball committed a rare act of greed.

As Villanova's Collin Gillespie prepared to receive an inbounds pass and dribble out the clock in Monday's 79-62 victory over Michigan in the NCAA title game, teammate Donte DiVincenzo stepped in his path.

"I got this!" DiVincenzo said as he caught the pass and began trotting up the court. "I got it!"

Moments later, as the final horn sounded at the Alamodome, DiVincenzo launched the ball toward the rafters and pumped his fists. Confetti danced in the air as his teammates engulfed him just past mid-court—a moment DiVincenzo will cherish forever.

"I wanted to be the one," DiVincenzo chuckled about an hour later, "to throw the ball up in the air at the end."

DiVincenzo certainly earned the celebratory heave. The Wildcats sixth man didn't start Monday's game. But, boy, did he finish.

In one of the top performances in NCAA championship history, DiVincenzo scored 31 points on 10-of-15 shooting to spark Villanova to its second national title in three years. The redshirt sophomore connected on five of his seven attempts from beyond the arc and also tallied three assists and two blocks—a stat line that earned him Most Outstanding Player honors at the Final Four.

DiVincenzo's 31 points were the most ever by a non-starter in a national championship game, and they were the most by any player since 1989.

"It's surreal," DiVincenzo's mother, Kathie, said from her first-row seat. Her voice cracked as she wiped away tears. "I'm just so proud of him. I can't wait to hug him."

Kathie waved to her son as he stood with his teammates on a makeshift awards stage at center court. Already sporting a championship T-shirt and hat, Donte fought back tears, too, as he reflected silently on the journey that led him to this moment.

Two years earlier, DiVincenzo's inaugural season at Villanova had been cut short after just eight games because of a broken bone in his foot. Even though he was granted a medical redshirt, the situation was maddening for DiVincenzo, who wore a suit and watched from Villanova's bench as Kris Jenkins' swished three-pointer at the buzzer beat North Carolina in the 2016 NCAA title game.

Amid the on-court celebration that night in Houston, Wildcats guard Jalen Brunson—then only a freshman—wrapped his arm around his best friend and roommate.

"We need to get back," Brunson told DiVincenzo. "We need to get back and share (a moment like) this together."

Two years later, that explains why Brunson, the Associated Press National Player of the Year, was bawling when he embraced DiVincenzo after Monday's win.

"He's just so special," Brunson said. "He works his butt off and deserves all of this. In practice, he just goes at everybody. He just has this mindset that he's a killer."

DiVincenzo's swagger was one of the main things that caught the attention of Wildcats coach Jay Wright during the recruiting process four years ago. A Delaware native, DiVincenzo wasn't even a Top 100 prospect when he committed to Villanova over Syracuse as a high school junior in January of 2014. Still, Wright was confident he'd found a sleeper with tremendous upside.

Brunson, who'd yet to commit, said he almost stopped considering Villanova once he knew DiVincenzo was going there. Brunson had played against DiVincenzo on the AAU circuit.

"The first time I met him was at an airport," Brunson said. "He was like, 'Yo, yo, yo … come to Villanova.' I was like, 'Hell no.' I knew he was a great player, there was no reason for me to go there."

But Brunson indeed ended up in a Wildcats uniform.

And multiple times during the last three seasons, the future NBA first-round pick and the rest of the Wildcats have drawn inspiration from DiVincenzo. That includes DiVincenzo's redshirt year in 2015-16. Once his foot had healed, DiVincenzo was able to practice with the Wildcats. During some workouts he was so hot that Wright nicknamed him "The Michael Jordan of Delaware."

In the practices leading up to the 2016 Final Four game against Oklahoma, DiVincenzo played the role of trigger-happy Sooners star Buddy Hield. Villanova limited Hield and ended up winning that game by 44 points before defeating UNC two nights later.

Last season, as a redshirt freshman, DiVincenzo averaged 8.8 points off the bench and served an even bigger role by setting a tone of intensity in practice.

"We got into it a lot," said former Wildcats forward Josh Hart, who is now a rookie with the Los Angeles Lakers. "There were definitely some physical altercations. We threw some blows. That's that competitive nature, that drive to get each other better.

"We've proven it's not about one-and-dones. It's about high character guys who are talented and want to buy into something bigger than themselves. (DiVincenzo) is someone who came in, wasn't highly ranked in ESPN's BS rankings, but came in and worked and got better and developed and became a national champion."

As startling as DiVincenzo's stat line in Monday's title game may have been to some, the Wildcats were hardly surprised. DiVincenzo averaged 13 points on the season and scored 20 or more points five times. That includes a 30-point game against Butler in which he played all 40 minutes in place of injured starter Phil Booth.

At 6'5" and 205 pounds, DiVincenzo's size, shooting ability and explosiveness would make him a shoo-in to start on almost any team in America. Instead, he accepted and embraced his role off the bench at Villanova, where he was named Big East Sixth Man of the Year this season.

"Donte competed for a starting position," Wright said. "He worked really hard and wanted to start, and he was initially a little upset because he wasn't starting. A little. Not bad, because he's just a great kid.

"We want our players to have a clear mind. We want them to be able to go out there and not worry about whether they're coming off the bench or whether they're getting enough shots or whether the NBA guys are watching them. We feel like, to be a good player, you've got to have a free mind."

DiVincenzo certainly did against Michigan, and the Wildcats benefitted greatly on a night when their other stars didn't look all that crisp early.

Michigan led 21-14 at the 10:59 mark of the first half before DiVincenzo scored 12 points during a 23-7 march that left Villanova up 37-28 at intermission. DiVincenzo had 18 points at the break and 13 more in the second stanza, when Villanova led by as many as 22 points.

If not for a uncontested basket by Michigan with 10 seconds remaining, Villanova's victory margin would've been the biggest in an NCAA title game since UNLV beat Duke 103-73 in 1990.

"Even if we had played our best," Michigan coach John Beilein said, "it would have been very difficult to win that game with what DiVincenzo did. Sometimes those individual performances just beat you, and you just say, 'OK, we played you the best we could, and tonight, you were better than us.'

"It was an incredible performance. When he came off and hit those 3s, we couldn't answer. I wish we would have maybe gone out and doubled him or something. ... But he still made some really long shots that I don't think there's a defense for."

Along with his five three-pointers, DiVincenzo also had a dunk that should make the Final Four highlight reel. So should his vicious, clean block of Charles Matthews' layup attempt.

DiVincenzo was asked in the postgame press conference if he expected this type of performance.

"Honestly, no," he said. "I did not think I was going to have this type of night, because every night I come into a game, I just try to bring energy. And if we get off to a good start, I try to take it to a new level."

After swishing a shot toward the end of the game, DiVincenzo winked at Hart—who was watching from the stands with Jenkins and other former Wildcats—as he ran down the court.

"We got another one," he yelled.

The question now is whether DiVincenzo will have an opportunity to add to his trophy case in 2018-19. Brunson and standout guard Mikal Bridges are both expected to leave school a year early for the NBA draft. Forward Omari Spellman might, too.

The buzz after Monday's game was that DiVincenzo's showing at the Final Four—he had 15 points against Kansas two nights earlier—could make him an NBA draft candidate, as well.

"He's definitely going to play in our league," a scout told B/R by phone late Monday night. "He'd probably get drafted in the second round right now. But at the end of the day I think he'd be better off in college for one more year."

If that happens, you can bet DiVincenzo won't be coming off the bench.

DiVincenzo smiled.

"I guess we'll see," he said. "You'll have to talk to Coach about that."

Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo was the hero of Monday's national championship game with 31 points off the bench for the Wildcats, but an old tweet of his was called into question after his performance made national headlines.

According to Josh Peter of USA Today, a 2011 tweet on DiVincenzo's since-deleted Twitter account quoted a Meek Mill lyric that read "Ballin on these n----s like I'm Derrick Rose!"

DiVincenzo was 14 years old at the time of the tweet. When asked about it Monday after the game, he said "It's my account, yes. But I never remember doing that."

Villanova initially responded to the controversy by saying DiVincenzo's account was hacked Monday, but it deleted the post considering the tweet in question was from years ago.

Joe Davis shared the since-deleted tweet from the Villanova men's basketball account:

Now villanova has deleted their tweet. This is wild. pic.twitter.com/SzOxbxKC4I

— Joe (@ByJoeDavis) April 3, 2018

Peter noted a tweet including a homophobic slur from DiVincenzo's account—which was last active in 2016—also appeared in screen shots following Monday's title game.

DiVincenzo was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after shooting a blistering 10-of-15 from the field and 5-of-7 from deep in the 79-62 victory over the Michigan Wolverines.

He came in off the bench and picked up the slack for the struggling Jalen Brunson (4-of-13) with 18 first-half points and back-to-back three-pointers in the second half after the Wolverines climbed within 12.

The three-pointers served as the daggers, and Villanova kept Michigan at bay for the remainder of the game.