I Bleed Blue and White

With Achraf Yacoubou committing to Villanova today, you can add yet another young stud to  Jay Wright’s long list of star recruits.  Obviously, the hype around the current freshmen, all big time recruits, is very high.  Again, though, don’t underestimate what last year’s senior class meant to the team, the program, and the university.  Jay Wright certainly knows what he lost due to the graduation of Cunningham, Clark, Tchuisi, and Anderson.  To sum it up, he calls the current squad “prettier” than last year’s team, meaning that as of right now, his team obviously has lots of talent, but the intangibles (toughness, poise, determination, etc.) are still a question mark. 

On the loss of last year’s seniors:

They were so unselfish, so tough, so rugged.  Now we kind of look a little prettier, but I know in a Big East battle what those three brought.  In preparing our guys, you don’t know how much we’re going to miss them.  I miss them a lot already.

On the current state of the 2009-2010 Wildcats:

These [returning] guys are all highly recruited guys.  They can score, they look good out there, things the fans like.  I like them, too. But with Dante, Dwayne, and Shane, no one would talk about them [last season]…They did all the work that made us win games.  We have guys do a lot of things that the media likes, but they’ve got to learn to do the things that those three did.

I’ve been saying it all offseason and I completely agree with Jay’s comments.  Sure, on paper, this team has more talent than last year’s group, but great talent usually isn’t the key to long-term success.  It’s about meshing together, executing game plans, working harder than opponents, filling respective roles regardless of stats and personal achievements, etc.  I absolutely think this team can be great and make a deep run, but the season is a marathon and you never know how it’s going to play out.  One thing is for sure though: it should be a real fun ride. 

Be safe and enjoy Hoops Mania and Homecoming Weekend.

UPDATE: Some more Yacoubou coverage, courtesy of Mike Kern at the Philadelphia Daily News. These are the kind of quotes that get you fired up.

“[Jay Wright] had built a wonderful program there,” said Randy Harper, Yacoubou’s legal guardian and the coach of his AAU team, Lamar Odom’s “Rich Soil,” which Wildcat junior Corey Fisher also played for. “He wanted to go somewhere where he could reach his full potential, leave a legacy. Somewhere where the coach would demand excellence of him. Jay Wright’s that guy.

” [Fisher's] blossomed as a player, and a man. [Wright] did such a wonderful job taking him from a young man to a man. When [Yacoubou] made his visit, he loved it. He saw Scottie Reynolds diving for loose balls, in the summer. I guess what happened was, there was no need to wait [to make a decision].

“He’s just a hard-nosed, no-nonsense player who got what he wanted.”

Original Post: Achraf Yacoubou,  a junior from Long Island, committed to Jay Wright and the Villanova Wildcats last night, according to Newsday. Yacoubou, ranked #76 in his class, is a a big guard that can play both the 1 and 2, something that drew him to Jay Wright’s system.

“Ash is a 1-2 combo guard. That’s one of the things he liked about Villanova. They let their guards play any position,” said Randy Harper, Yacoubou’s guardian. “I told him maybe he should wait, but he’s a decisive young man. When he wants something, he goes and gets it. He wanted Villanova. He thinks Jay Wright has the right idea and the right kind of hard-nosed players.”

“Coach Wright demands a lot and that’s the kind of coach he wants to play for,” Harper said. “He thought Villanova was the best fit and figured he might as well commit now and concentrate on his next two seasons at LuHi.”

The commitment comes on the eve of Hoops Mania, which Yacoubou will be attending with several other big time recruits. It won’t hurt to have the first commitment of 2011 working the crowd.

Yacoubou had a final 3 of ‘Nova, Kentucky and UConn.

…Not sure about the insiders (certainly not one myself) but this came completely out of left field in my eyes…regardless, he looked to be the top option for his role in 2011, and has a plethora of attributes (namely his defense and shooting) that will guide him to early PT for the team…

…Congrats to him and welcome to the ‘Nova family!!…

Last week news broke that 2011 prospect Achraf Yacoubou would be visiting for Hoops Mania, and now you can add another visitor to the list. Myron P. Medcalf of the Star Tribune updates the Cory Joseph recruitment by giving us his final 6 schools. Villanova, UConn and Minnesota are going to receive official visits while Mississippi State, Florida and UNLV round out the final list.

Joseph, a 2010 combo-guard, will be an official visitor to Hoops Mania on October 23rd.

…Joseph is a perfect fit for ‘Nova in my mind…combo guard that can play both on and off the ball…hopefully we make a strong impression seeing we are the first official visit…

Guard might be Jay Wright’s favorite word in the English language.  Zagsblog reported that Rivals’ #19 shooting guard, Achraf Yacoubou, will visit Villanova on October 23rd for Hoops Mania.  Currently, Yacoubou is a 6′4″ 200 lb. junior out of Long Island Lutheran.  Along with the Villanova visit, he will visit Kentucky on October 16th for their Big Blue Madness.  The other school on Yacoubou’s top three is UConn.  Is there a leader yet though?  According to Yacoubou, no.

They are all equal.  I don’t have a leading school just yet.

Jeff Borzello of NBE Basketball Report gives everyone an introduction to Class of 2011 SG Achraf Yacoubou. As Borzello says, it’s odd that there is little to no information out their for the Top-40 prospect.

Yacoubou has been offered by a host of schools from around the country, including Big East stalwarts UConn, Pittsburgh, and Villanova. Despite a recent ankle injury that has slowed him down, Yacoubou raised some eyebrows this past spring and summer when he played at several tournaments around the country. Yacoubou cited his shooting ability and defense as his biggest strengths, while admitting his ball-handling needs the most work.

When asked what he’s looking for in a school, Yacoubou had this to say:

“I’m looking for a place when I can really learn,” said Yacoubou, who wants to get a business degree. “I want a big campus and a team that can get me to the next level. I mostly like the Big East and the ACC,” he said. “The Big East is a tough conference and very competitive. And the ACC is the same thing, just a little more up-tempo.”

Yacoubou is planning 3 visits before the upcoming school year, to Villanova, UConn, and Kentucky. He has already been to see both ‘Nova and UConn before.

…I’d never even heard his name before this article from NBE…but he sounds and looks like a similar player to Trevor Cooney…if they both have offers, it could be that the staff would take whichever wanted to come first to fill that shooter role in 2011…