N.J. hoops star to visit Villanova

By Keith Pompey INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

Posted: October 01, 2009

Michael Gilchrist, a basketball player at St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, N.J., who commutes from Somerdale, Camden County, will make an unofficial visit to Villanova on Saturday.

Scout.com and Rivals.com rank the 6-foot-7 junior swingman as the nation's top prospect, regardless of class.

Gilchrist, who turned 16 on Saturday, also made an unofficial visit to Villanova last year.

"What we are hoping to get out of this visit is more of the academic side," said Cindy Richardson, Gilchrist's mother. "We already know what Michael is going to do for that program. . . . So we want to know what Villanova is going to do for Michael.

"We are going to find out how they are going to support Michael from a basketball standpoint and academic standpoint."

Gilchrist, who made an unofficial visit to Michigan last weekend, wants to make unofficial visits to Kentucky, Connecticut, Oregon, and Louisiana State before the start of the high school basketball season. As of yesterday, Gilchrist had not scheduled any visits to those schools.

There's an expectation that Gilchrist eventually will sign with Kentucky. That's because he revealed two years ago that he wanted to play for John Calipari at Memphis. In April, Calipari became the head coach at Kentucky. And since Gilchrist's uncle, William Wesley, and Calipari are close friends, people think he's a lock to sign with the Wildcats.

Gilchrist, however, said he hasn't made a decision and wants to be recruited by other colleges.

"I'm just having fun with my selection of colleges," he said. "But it's early. I'm just starting my process."

Contact staff writer Keith Pompey at 610-313-8029 or kpompey@phillynews.com.