Villanova strikes it rich in recruiting again with Brunson

Jalen Brunson signed his letter of intent Wednesday before faxing it to Villanova. Another topflight player will be headed to the Main Line. If a premier high school recruit aims to play his college ball in Philadelphia, chances are he will pick Villanova.

Brunson, a 6-foot-2 point guard from suburban Chicago, is a five-star recruit, according to Rivals.com. The likely McDonald's all-American signed Wednesday, the start of college basketball's early signing period.

Brunson is Villanova's 10th four-star recruit or higher in the last six years. In the same span, Temple and St. Joseph's have each brought in one four-star recruit. None of Philadelphia's other three schools have recruited a four-star recruit.

Brunson is the highest-rated recruit to choose a Philadelphia school since 2009, when five-star recruit Mouphtaou Yarou picked Villanova. He is joined in Villanova's 2015 recruiting class by South Jersey's Tim Delaney and Wilmington's Donte DiVincenzo. Both are three-star recruits, according to Rivals.

"Villanova's a great school. The coaching staff is obviously a big part of my decision," Brunson said. "And also the teammates. They're very good guys. I think I fit in there really well."

Brunson's freshman season will be the second straight year the Wildcats will play with seven four-star or higher recruits. And recent history says chances are good that success on the recruiting trail can translate onto the court.

Villanova's 2009 Final Four squad had four players who were at least a four-star recruit. The 2006 team, which advanced to the Elite Eight, listed five players who were at four stars or higher.

Brunson picked the Wildcats over Illinois, ultimately selecting his old home over his new one. Brunson grew up in South Jersey while his father, Rick, played professionally. The family moved seven times, finally settling outside Chicago when Rick Brunson was hired in 2010 as a Bulls assistant. Brunson, a former star at Temple, told his son the family would not move while he was in high school.

Rivals ranks Brunson as the nation's 15th-best senior. He has excelled at Stevenson High, averaging a school-record 26.1 points per game last season. He ended the year by scoring a state-record 56 points in the team's state semifinal loss. He is already the school's all-time leader in assists, points, steals, and three-pointers. The only thing left for him to achieve is a state championship.

"It's been on my mind since March 23, the day after we lost," Brunson said. "Every time I see my teammates, I tell them to work hard and to think about that loss. Just think about the loss."

He cemented himself this summer as a five-star recruit by excelling with the under-18 national team and on the AAU circuit. He visited Villanova in September and orally committed to the Wildcats less than a week later. Brunson wanted to come home for college, which meant he was headed for Villanova.

@matt_breen