Wayns, Cheek play McDonald's A.A. game tonight

Even though the 2009 season is gloriously still ongoing for Villanova, Wildcat fans can get a sneak peak at two of the team's best incoming players for next season in the annual McDonald's high school all-American game tonight.

Guards Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek, both Villanova commitments, will play together on the East squad.

The game airs live tonight at 8 p.m. from the University of Miami, and will be broadcast nationwide by ESPN.

Wayns and Cheek join fellow high-school stars Dexter Strickland, Lance Stephenson, Kenny Boynton, and Derrick Favors to face the all-stars from the West.

Memphis recruit DeMarcus Cousins, whose matriculation might now be in jeopardy with John Calipari leaving for Kentucky, is also a member of the East squad.

The West team is led by Memphis-signee Xavier Henry, generally considered the top player in the country. The North-Carolina bound Wear brothers, David and Travis, are also on the West team.

The official site uses annoying-as-hell Flash, horrible music, and (no joke!) floating cartoon bubbles spewing Dick Vitale's voice on every page, so here is a screenshot of the rosters, for your sanity:



Wayns and Cheek will join forwards Mouph Yarou, Isaiah Armwood, and Taylor King as Villanova's fab five in 2009-2010.

With the possible dissolution of Memphis's unheard-of-good recruiting class (Cousins, Henry, and likely John Wall), Villanova's four freshmen might be the very best class in the nation next season.

Wayns, Cheek named McDonald's All-Americans

Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek were officially named McDonald's All-Americans tonight. Both have committed to play in Villanova's backcourt next season to headline a recruiting class considered by many to be the best in the country.

Cheek and Wayns were unanimously ranked by recruiting touts as near the top of their respective positions of shooting guard and point guard, so their placement on the team is no surprise.

The duo will play for the East team in the game on April 1, which will be televised by ESPN from the University of Miami.

Incoming Villanova forward Mouph Yarou was not named to the roster, despite his meteoric rise though the high school rankings in the past several months.

Isaiah Armwood, who rounds out Villanova's excellent class at swingman, also did not make the team.

CHEEK WILL PICK VILLANOVA

College recruiting guru Adam Zagoria is reporting that super-hyper-mega recruit Dominic Cheek will announce his choice to attend Villanova at his press conference Friday:

Dominic Cheek is expected to announce at a Friday press conference in Jersey City that he will play for Villanova and not Kansas, according to multiple sources close to the situation.

Update: Sports Illustrated is now also reporting that Cheek will choose Villanova.

Cheek, a 6-5 shooting guard, is one of the top overall players in his class, and is the capstone to what now can safely be called the Greatest Villanova Recruiting Class ever.

Cheek joins top-5 point guard Maalik Wayns, top-5 power forward Mouph Yarou, and top-15 forward Isiah Armwood in what will likely be the consensus best recruiting class in the nation.

Add in Duke transfer Taylor King -- himself an All-American and a redshirt sophomore -- and a likely redshirt freshman, the 6-10 Maurice Sutton, and six new players could all see significant playing time for Villanova next year.

As of right now, high school All-American guards Scottie Reynolds and Corey Stokes are set to return, as is star-recruit Corey Fisher. Antonio Pena is due back in Nova's front court. Villanova will lose seniors Frank Tchuisi, Shane Clark, Dante Cunningham, and Dwayne Anderson next season. Guard Reggie Redding is also set to return.

The arrival of Cheek and next year's class transforms 'Nova from a bubble team to an instant national title contender. College basketball has been increasingly dominated by young 5-star-recruits, and Villanova will have plenty of them. Barring any transfers (which are, admittedly, a possibility given Jay Wright's recent track record), Villanova will not only have firepower but will also possess excellent depth, which is another mark of a team primed to make a serious tournament run.

Cheek will hold his press conference on Friday afternoon, at about 6 p.m. (Eastern).

Yarou to commit to 'Nova

Mouphtaou Yarou will commit to Villanova for the class of 2009, according to Jeff Goodman of Fox Sports.

Yarou is a 6'-9'' power forward whose stock soared this summer after a successful run with the AAU DC Blue Devils. Rivals has Yarou ranked as the #14 overall player for 2009, and the fifth-best power forward in his class.

Yarou is a rising senior at Massanutten Military School in Woodstock, Va. Capitol Hoops identified Yarou as a rising star as early as this May.

According to Capitol Hoops, Yarou does not yet speak English, so Villanova may have to find a translator if that is in fact the case.

Obviously, getting a top-15 overall player for next year is a huge grab for Villanova. If Yarou lives up to expectations, he could be one of the best Villanova big men in recent memory.

The 2009-2010 class is shaping up to be a good one for Villanova. Maalik Wayns will be the team's point guard of the future, and Taylor King, a forward who transferred from Duke, will regain his eligibility. Isaiah Armwood, another forward, has also committed to Villanova for 2009.

The shooting guard Dominic Cheek remains Villanova's top recruiting priority for 2009-2010, but it is interesting to note that Yarou, who gets much less press, was actually rated a higher prospect by some services for that class.

Wayns to play live on ESPNU tonight

Maalik Wayns, a top high-school point guard and Villanova signee for the class of 2009-2010, will play on national television tonight in the Boost Mobile Elite 24 exhibition.

The game will air live from Rucker Park, Harlem, New York on ESPNU tonight at 8 p.m., and will re-air on ESPN2 at midnight on Tuesday, Aug. 26 (late night after Monday).

Wayns, playing for a team called The Goat, will face Villanova's top recruiting priority, the guard Dominic Cheek, who will suit up for the opposing squad Skip to my Lou. The full roster includes several other high-profile high school stars.

New York locals can attend the game tonight for free. Rucker Park opens at 6 p.m. and admission is free, but first-come, first-served.

Wayns makes national U-18 team

Maalik Wayns, a Villanova commitment for the 2009-2010 season, was named to the final roster of the national under-18 team by USA Basketball today. Players are eligible if born on January 1, 1990 or later.

Wayns, a point guard from Philadelphia, joins 11 other stars on the national team, including Dominic Cheek, the shooting guard from Jersey City, N.J, who is now Villanova's top recruiting priority.

Wayns and Team USA will travel to Argentina for next week's FIBA Americas U18 Championship, slated for July 14-18 in Formosa. Four of the eight international teams there will advance to next year's FIBA World Championship in New Zealand.

Team USA will face Venezuela on July 14, the Bahamas on July 15, and Puerto Rico on July 16. The United States team will need to finish in the top two of that four-team pod to advance to the medal rounds on July 17-18 and to the world championship tournament next year.

Before leaving for South America, the team will practice three more times in Washington, D.C. Wayns and the team will practice at the Verizon Center today and tomorrow, and will conclude practice on Thursday on campus at Georgetown University, according to USA Basketball.

Team USA is coached by Davidson head coach Bob Mckillop. Georgetown's John Thompson III and VCU's Anthony Grant are assistants.

Player selection was made by a committee chaired by Syracuse chief Jim Boeheim and manned by several other high-profile collegiate coaches, including Tubby Smith, Fran Dunphy, Bill Self, Ernie Kent, and Tom Izzo.