Mouphtaou Yarou, who hasn’t played for Villanova since Nov. 16, has been cleared to play and practiced on Thursday.
“We’re excited for Mouph,” Villanova head coach Jay Wright said in a statement. “The doctors tell us he has responded well to treatment. We’ll see where he’s at once he is back practicing with us and then make a determination on when he’s ready to return to game action.”
The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Yarou started Villanova’s first two games before being sidelined with Hepatitis B prior to the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tipoff on Nov. 19.
“Mouph is a terrific player,” said Montrose Christian coach Stu Vetter, who coached Yarou last year. “I think it will take him some time [to get ready]. Mouph is not a player who has played basketball since he was a very young player and because of that his feel for the game is not as good as maybe an American player. But his talent and natural ability is superior. Once he’s comfortable within the system he’ll be an outstanding player.”
Villanova opens Big East play Jan. 2 at Marquette (3:30 p.m., ESPN2).
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
