Villanova signs prized power forward Omari Spellman

Another national signing day has brought another nationally ranked basketball recruit to Villanova.

Omari Spellman, a mammoth forward from Ohio, signed a national letter of intent on Wednesday to play for coach Jay Wright and the Wildcats. The 6-foot-9, 275-pounder is a five-star recruit according to ESPN and Rivals.com. ESPN ranks Spellman as the nation's 16th-best recruit and grades him at 94 on a scale of one to 100. Spellman is Villanova's highest-graded recruit since 2010.

Spellman's commitment marks the eighth straight year that Villanova has earned a commitment from at least one of ESPN's top 100 recruits. It is the second straight signing day that Villanova has locked down a five-star recruit. Last year, Wright scored point guard Jalen Brunson, who also was ranked as the nation's 16th-best recruit.

The Wildcats also secured a commitment Wednesday from Hershey High power forward Dylan Painter. Rivals ranked Painter as a three-star recruit. His exposure peaked this summer on the AAU circuit with Philadelphia-based Team Final. The 6-foot-10 player chose the Wildcats over St. Joseph's, Penn State, Xavier, North Carolina State, and others.

"They've had success the past couple of years," Spellman said when he committed in September. "That's a big plus. As a culture, I liked the players, the coaches, the managers and everything. I really feel that's a place where I can reach my full potential."

Spellman will play this season at St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Conn. He spent his junior year at the MacDuffie School in Granby, Mass., where he had transferred from his high school in suburban Cleveland. Both of Spellman's parents played basketball at Youngstown State.

Ohio State appeared to be the favorite to land the native Ohioan. He committed to Villanova on Feb. 20 as a way to honor his mother, Teresita Jones-Thomas, on her birthday. Spellman also held scholarship offers from Florida, Indiana, Miami, UNLV, Virginia Tech, and others. Kentucky was reported to be in the mix, but the Wildcats never extended a scholarship offer.

Despite his size, Spellman has proved to be an athletic post player. He excels on the offensive end, dunks with ease, and does not shy away from contact. Spellman can even play well in transition, which will help him fit in Villanova's guard-oriented system. He stood out this summer against the nation's best talent at the NBA Player's Association Top 100 camp at the University of Virginia.

Spellman's arrival at Villanova will fill the void left by forward Daniel Ochefu, who is set to graduate in the spring. Next season, the Wildcats - who have limited options this season on the low post - will be able to mix in Spellman and Painter with forwards Tim Delaney and Darryl Reynolds. Delaney is likely out for the season after having hip surgery last month.