For decades, New Jersey has boasted some of the top high school basketball programs in the country.

St. Patrick High School is currently No. 3 in the nation, St. Benedict’s Prep of Newark is No. 5 and St. Anthony, coached by the legendary Bob Hurley, is one of the most successful high school programs of all time.

Year after year, college coaches trek to the basketball-rich region in hopes of plucking one of the area’s talented young stars. But until recently, Philadelphia-based Villanova (19-1, 8-0 Big East) has missed the boat entirely. Players like Jay Williams and Samuel Dalembert opted out of the Big East school right in their own backyard.

But all that changed when Jay Wright was hired as Villanova’s head coach in 2001.

When Wright was brought on, the Wildcats were a team consistently bound for the NIT and far removed from the heyday of the mid-1980s. Since 2004, Wright has had five consecutive 20-win seasons, an Elite Eight appearance and a trip to the Final Four. And he has done it by working the New Jersey pipeline.

No. 3 Villanova is on track to secure a top seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, and much of the team’s success can be attributed to the once-high school superstars of New Jersey. Junior guard Corey Fisher is an alumnus of St. Patrick, junior guard Cory Stokes attended St. Benedict’s Prep and freshman guard Dominic Cheek played for Hurley at St. Anthony.

‘Jay Wright is so respected in that corridor of the country,’ said Dave Telep, the national high school basketball recruiting director for Scout.com. ‘Secondly, Philadelphia is such a unique place recruiting-wise. Being where Villanova is in the mid-Atlantic region, the corridors they have definitely help. If you’re from New York or New Jersey and you want to get away from home but you still want to play in the Big East, you go north to Connecticut or you go south to Villanova.’

While Villanova’s proximity to New Jersey is definitely a plus, some of the credit for the Wildcats’ success must be given to, of all people, another Big East coach. Rutgers coach Fred Hill, who was an assistant for Wright at Villanova from 2001-05, has several ties to north Jersey. During his tenure at Villanova, Hill helped the Wildcats become relevant in that highly talented neck of the woods.

Since Hill departed in 2005, Wright and his staff have built upon the past and have consistently trekked up the New Jersey Turnpike to find their next superstar.

Thus far this season, Fisher is averaging 13.1 points and 4.2 assists, while Stokes is averaging 8.9 points and 4.3 rebounds. Cheek is coming off the bench, but he is expected to eventually become a star for the Wildcats as he matures and gets stronger.

On Jan. 20, Cheek gave a glimpse of his potential, scoring 17 points in 17 minutes against Rutgers. The freshman guard was all over the court.

‘I think he’s got all the tools to be an outstanding Big East basketball player, and I really mean outstanding,’ said Wright. ‘He’s just got everything. He can handle the ball. He can shoot it. He drives it. He defends. He rebounds. He’s just a pure basketball player and has the ability to do anything on the court. I think the sky’s the limit for him.’

Villanova has a reputation for relying heavily on guard play, and the fact that Fisher, Stokes and Cheek all play the ‘1’ or ‘2’ is no coincidence. Jerome Smart, who coached Cheek in AAU ball, believes that Villanova’s emphasis on guards helps to lure the quick, athletic types typical in north Jersey.

‘Coach Wright has had success choosing players from this area and using the Northeast style of play with penetrating guards, up-tempo play, and the use of smaller and quicker lineups,’ Smart said. ‘I think Villanova has become an attractive place for players who are 6-5, 6-6 and under.’

Other Big East schools have had recruiting success in north Jersey. Seton Hall will get its occasional players, as will Rutgers and Uconn. Even Syracuse, located more than four hours away from north Jersey, has done damage in that area with big men Terrence Roberts and Darryl Watkins. But with Villanova’s prime location and style of play, the Wildcats may be in a position to remain a Big East force for a very long time.

‘It’s almost like a perfect storm for Villanova right now,’ Telep said. ‘They’ve had success, and they have guys in the pros. They have a very high-profile guard-oriented offense, and it’s a major recruiting attraction right now.’

Player to watch

Dominique Jones

South Florida’s Jones made history this week, scoring 46 points as USF (12-7, 2-5 Big East) defeated Providence (12-8, 4-4) in overtime. Jones’ point total is the most for a Bull since 1982 and the second-highest scoring total in Big East history. The preseason All-Big East Second Team selection also added 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Earlier in the week, Jones scored 21 points and had 6 boards as the Bulls fell to Cincinnati (13-7, 4-4). Jones is currently third in the Big East in scoring with 21 points per game and is averaging 25.1 points in league play.

Game to watch

No. 17 Pittsburgh vs. No. 9 West Virginia

Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Two of the top Big East squads will meet in Morgantown, W. Va., when West Virginia (16-3, 5-2) hosts Pittsburgh (15-4, 5-2) in the WVU Coliseum. The Mountaineers and the Panthers are No. 3 and No. 4 in the Big East, respectively, both with five Big East victories. West Virginia has won four of its last five games, including an impressive non-conference win against No. 20 Ohio State on Jan. 23. The Panthers, arguably the biggest surprise in the conference this season, have dropped their last two against Georgetown and Seton Hall. This will be the first of two meetings between these teams this season, as the Mountaineers travel to the Petersen Events Center on Feb. 12.

[email protected]

Published on January 27, 2010 at 12:00 pm