By JACOB POLACHECK
Standing at 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, City on a Hill (MA) Charter School forward Donald Villard has begun to emerge as a high-major prospect in his class.
“When it’s all said it done I think he has a chance to be one of the best shot blockers in country, no matter the class,” City on a Hill head coach Timmance McKinney said by text Monday.
Villard, the Class of 2023 forward from the Undivided Basketball Club AAU Program, currently holds offers from Bryant and DePaul.
He broke down each school for ZAGSBLOG Monday evening:
Bryant: “Bryant was my first offer. Coach [Jared] Grasso seems like he does a really good job of recruiting guys early on. It’s close to home. I’ve been to a couple of games. My family would be able to drive up because it’s close to Boston. Campus is like 30 minutes from my house with no traffic. That’s what I like. I like the style of their play. It’s a lot of ball screens and roll to the basket and finish. The staff seems like really nice guys so that’s what I like about them.”
DePaul: “What I like about the DePaul offer is that it’s in the Big East. I know that’s a big time conference, Power 5. They play a lot of games on TV. They play a lot of schools back around this way. They play St. John’s, which is a few hours away from Boston. They play UConn, who is going back to the Big East and they are only two hours away. Providence is 45 minutes away. I think Seton Hall is about five hours away.
“So with DePaul, they play a lot of schools that my family would be able to drive and see me play on the road. Their coaching staff said they have a guy that may be drafted this year from my position [Paul Reed]. I love the school’s colors. The coaches seem like they’re very nice people. They play at a tempo and with a style that really fits my game. That’s what I like about DePaul.”
Villard is also receiving interest from Georgia, Marquette, Providence, UConn, Northeastern, UMass Lowell, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Fairfield and Iowa.
He said he plans on taking visits to DePaul, Georgia, Seton Hall and Fairfield at some point.
“Those are the schools I plan on visiting once things clear up,” Villard said.
He broke down each school for ZAGSBLOG:
Georgia: “My coach talked to their assistant coach on speaker and he said a lot of good things. He’s going to watch us play. I know a little bit about their head coach. Their head coach [Tom Crean] coached Dwyane Wade and Anthony Edwards, who’s probably going to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. It really just seems like they focus on getting guys to the NBA and that’s my ultimate goal. I also like that they’re in the SEC which is a big time conference. I would get the chance to play on TV.”
Seton Hall: “They talked to my coach about me. It seems like for them, a Big East school, they’re not too far. My family can drive to games on the weekends. They play in the Big East and a lot of great teams. Head coach Kevin Willard seems like my kind of coach, a player’s coach. I think I can play for a guy like that.”
Fairfield: “They also talked to my coach. It’s a smaller program. They’re Interested. One thing I do know is that they’re a local school in Connecticut. It’s not too far from Boston. It’s a two hour drive. The coach seems like he’s a good guy. The head coach [Jay Young] has a Massachusetts connection. I want to check them out. I’ve heard it’s a nice campus. I want to see them play. It seems like it would be a great education for me if I went there. The campus is nice and close to Boston.”
During the 2019-20 season, Villard averaged eight points, 13 rebounds and ten blocks per game.
“He has a chance to be really good. I tell him and his mother that all the time,” McKinney said. “He’s getting better and better every workout and every practice.”
This summer, Villard has been playing for McKinney with the Undivided Basketball Club.
“These past few weeks we been working on post moves finishing above the rim and conditioning footwork,” McKinney said. “As long as he keep putting the work in his future is bright.”
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