Report: Villanova Pushing for Top 2026 Wing Prospect

Villanova Men’s Basketball had an eye to the future in building their 2025-26 roster, aiming for players with more than one year of eligibility remaining so that they can rely on continuity moving forward, but they’re still in the mix for some of the top prospects in the upcoming recruiting class of 2026.

Per a report from Jamie Shaw of On3, Wildcats assistant coach Ashley Howard, the lone assistant retained from the Kyle Neptune regime, has built a close relationship with Philadelphia area small forward Luca Foster, a 6-foot-5, 170 pound prospect who checks in at No. 35 on ESPN’s Top 100 rankings for his class.

According to Shaw’s report, Foster said that the Wildcats want to host him for an unofficial visit so that he gets a chance to meet the new coaching staff. Foster also said that he views Villanova as his hometown team: he attended Archbishop Carroll for the first three seasons of his high school career, less than ten minutes down the road from Villanova’s campus. Foster will transfer to Missouri’s Link Academy, a prestigious prep program, for his final year in high school.

As coaching changes can throw a wrench in recruiting efforts, it’s a good sign that Foster remains close with at least one member of the Wildcats’ staff, especially because new head coach Kevin Willard and company didn’t recruit Foster during their time at Maryland.

In other recruiting news, power forward Justin Caldwell, another member of the Class of 2026 who already stands 6-foot-9, ranked Villanova among the top ten teams vying for his commitment per a report from Jake Lieberman of JAL Hoops. 247Sports ranks Caldwell among the top 200 prospects in his class.

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