Jordan Longino, rising senior at Germantown Academy, donned a Wildcats t-shirt to announce his verbal commitment to Villanova Men’s Basketball team over social media on July 23rd. After receiving around a dozen offers, he had made his decision to play there next fall. But how did he get to this point?
Over the course of this year, Longino received offers from Virginia, Indiana, Maryland, and Florida, among many other schools. He said he “officially knew I wanted to be a Wildcat about two weeks ago when me and Coach [Jay] Wright had a phone call and he really gave me a clear and transparent look into what my time at Villanova would be like.” Longino’s decision came down to what program he would fit best into, and Villanova had exactly what he was looking for.
Coach Matt Dolan, the varsity boys basketball coach at GA, said that “recruiting can be both challenging and extremely rewarding.” Longino explains that “trying to grow an honest relationship with every school that is recruiting you” is one of the many challenges. He advises that other students going through the recruitment process “really listen closely to how the coaching staff and especially the head coach talks about your playing style” in order to ensure you are finding the right fit for you. Coach Dolan and the coaching staff emphasize that “its all about the fit” and recommend athletes to“control your effort and attitude, visit the schools that are contacting you, and focus on places that will challenge you both academically and athletically.”
Longino emphasized that “the fun part [of recruitment] was getting a chance to grow relationships with head coaches that are considered legends.” Longino mentioned that he “was pretty star struck” the first time he talked to Coach Wright one-on-one.” Longino’s teammate, Jake Hsu, said, “it was definitely fun to be around Jordan during his recruiting process considering all of the coaches that came to our games” and that “it adds more fuel to the fire to go out and play your absolute hardest.” Longino said that as he neared his decision, “sometimes the whole entire [Villanova basketball] staff would be on a zoom call with myself and my family.”
Throughout his recruiting journey, Jordan displayed maturity and dedication. Another one of Longino’s teammates, Casey Traina, said that “Jordan largely kept his recruitment a secret” and that “basketball recruiting is much more individualized than social media makes it seem”. Hsu added that Longino was “humble” throughout the whole recruiting process. Coach Dolan emphasized that “Jordan has worked extremely hard to have this opportunity, and has the personality and drive to continue to get better each day in an environment that will positively challenge him.”
Although his signing day ceremony is a few months away, Longino is excited for what’s to come as a future Wildcat. He is joining three other rising seniors from around the country who have committed to Villanova Men’s Basketball, and they are considered the No. 1 recruiting class of 2021, according to 247sports.com. Jordan wrapped up our interview by sharing that, “Nova Nation to me is the best fanbase in the country. I can’t wait to give them my best as a player and person.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/sports/ncaabasketball/college-basketball-recruiting.html