Villanova lands Great Valley's Bridges

Great Valley's Mikal Bridges said he "just sort of surprised" the Villanova basketball staff on Tuesday afternoon when he orally committed during a visit to the school.

"They were pretty pumped and hyped up," Bridges said.

The 6-foot-7 senior forward, one of the area's top recruits, visited Penn State over the weekend but said he had pretty much decided to attend Villanova after receiving an offer earlier this month. He lives nearby and has long been a fan.

"It's always been my dream school," he said.

Bridges is playing his first summer with Team Final, one of the area's premier AAU programs, and as a result his recruiting has surged. Along with Villanova and Penn State, Bridges had offers from Florida, La Salle, Temple, St. Joseph's, Texas and Xavier.

Bridges will attend the invitation only Kevin Durant Skills Academy this weekend in Washington, D.C. and also the LeBron James Skills Academy in Las Vegas.

"It feels good to get the recruiting process over," said Bridges. "Now I can just get back to playing."