Villanova seniors ready for last March hurrah

Although they all came in highly regarded, the three members of Villanova's freshman Class of 2013 all had a particular trait. Josh Hart possessed various skills but sometimes had problems controlling his emotions on the court. Kris Jenkins, impressive with the way he could shoot, was overweight. Darryl Reynolds showed strength and toughness but was raw.

Who could see at the time that these three players, fresh out of high school, would mature and evolve into productive players and leaders, play key roles on last year's national championship team, and spend their senior year guiding the Wildcats to a position where they could contend again for the most coveted trophy in the sport?

Perhaps Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu could. The seniors on last year's title team played for three seasons with Hart, Jenkins, and Reynolds; saw the growth and development from day one; and knew they would be ready to lead as seniors, the class that coach Jay Wright demands much from every year.

"I thought they definitely were ready at the end of last year," said Arcidiacono, now playing for the Austin Spurs of the NBA Developmental League. "You could see it. Kris was coming into his own. Josh was becoming our best player, kind of dominating the games, and we weren't running any plays for him. Darryl had some big games when Daniel got hurt.

"I don't think there was one moment where they kind of transitioned into learning how to be ready to become leaders. I think that's just the growth of college basketball players today and what it is to be a senior."

Ochefu, now a member of the Washington Wizards, practiced against Reynolds for three years and knew him well, and was pleased with the way he and his fellow classmates have progressed.

"Me and Arch held it down last year, and Kris would always be the one out of those three to chime in," he said. "Toward the end of the year he started to get a lot more vocal. Darryl always had good leadership qualities and Josh was always good to wait his turn. This year it's their turn to lead on the court and off, and they're doing a great job."

Hart, Jenkins, and Reynolds will begin postseason play Thursday in the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden. And no matter how it goes for them and their team in the next month, their prominent spot in the Villanova history books is secure.

They are 125-16 in their careers, a winning percentage of .887. They are 61-3 at home, including 46-1 at the Pavilion, and their 25-5 neutral-court record includes an 8-2 mark in the NCAA tournament. More remarkable, they are likely to finish without having lost back-to-back games in four seasons.

Hart has controlled his emotions better, and his game has improved to the level of a national player-of-the-year candidate. Jenkins has dropped at least 20 pounds since arriving at Villanova and that has helped him with the increased minutes he has played this year. Reynolds doesn't look to score, but he is the Cats' best inside player and post defender, and directs traffic in the team's zone.

Wright thinks the true measure of his players is reflected by the type of people they are, and Hart, Jenkins, and Reynolds set a fine example.

"I'm incredibly impressed with the way they conduct themselves with all the success they've had and the way they lead," he said. "They've grown every year to the point where they're great leaders. They're humble. They have great respect for everybody around them.

"Then you look at them as students - all three of them are going to graduate on time. All three of them are serious students. Sometimes you may come in and not be that serious because you're young. Then you get successful and then as a senior start to blow it off, but never with them."

They saw seniors set the program's tone - James Bell and Tony Chennault when they were freshmen, Darrun Hilliard and JayVaughn Pinkston as sophomores. Arcidiacono said there was no set training program for the class that would succeed his, just a need for its members to observe and learn while the seniors practiced hard and showed how things are done on a daily basis.

"You kind of just watch the seniors from a distance," Arcidiacono said. "Yes, you'll talk to them from time to time but not like, 'You need to do this, you need to do that.' It's kind of the expectations of what it is to be a senior playing for Coach Wright and then Villanova. There's no real sit-down.

"They've even texted me this year about how difficult it is to be a senior. It's kind of like an 'I-told-you-so' type thing. But it's also, 'Yeah it is, but everyone's been through it. You guys are good. You're doing well.' "

Other coaches in the Big East also have noticed.

"It's a different guy every game and they don't seem to care who gets the credit," Creighton's Greg McDermott said. "One guy has 20 one night and four the next, and they just keep on rolling. What the senior class has done has been incredible. It's one thing to win the national championship, but to back up that great year with their play this year is a credit to Jay and his coaching staff, and certainly that senior class."

Ochefu, who came back to campus during the NBA all-star break and practiced a couple of days with the team, joked that this senior class is "the No. 2 or No. 3 class behind ours" despite having the most wins.

"If they win back-to-back championships, they'll be the No. 1 class ever," he said. "But really, it's great. Those guys, all the wins they've got, it wasn't just because they came into a great situation. They were part of that, so they can claim every one of those wins as they should."

For Wright, where this senior class stands has less to do with the number of victories.

"That's not what it is," he said. "It's the way they conduct themselves, the pride they take in Villanova basketball and Villanova University off the court. These three are arguably the best group of men that we've had."

In district balloting by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, Hart was named player of the year and Wright coach of the year in District 2, which consists of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Hart, Jenkins, and sophomore guard Jalen Brunson were named to the 10-man All-District 2 team.

jjuliano@phillynews.com

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