Kevin Willard has strong ties to the Baltimore, MD area, and with the commitment of 2026 prospect Carter Fisk he dipped into that pool again. The 6’2” guard from St. Frances Academy is an unranked recruit, but one that Willard was near the front of the line to offer back in December. Fisk has been a late riser, who initially received offers from the likes of Albany, Morehead State, Binghampton and George Washington. But towards the end of his recruiting process, Fisk received offers from other “power conference” schools such as Ole Miss, Penn State and Virginia Tech. The combination of pursuit and pedigree is what gave Villanova the edge come decision time.
As far as the expectations for the upcoming season, it’s hard to envision a scenario (outside of injury) where Fisk is able to be a part of the rotation. The Wildcats have brought in upper classmen Elijah Crawford and Darryl Simmons II to man the point, and at the off-guard spot Willard got commitments from senior guard Jake Fiegen and top-50 freshman Adam Oumiddoch. These additions, coupled with more playing time at the two for Tyler Perkins, don’t leave much (if anything) left for Fisk.
That said, this is the type of commitment that Willard should be going for at the end of rosters. Villanova is no stranger to finding diamonds in the rough, especially at the guard spot. And with the looming “5 in 5” ruling, Fisk will not need to redshirt this season. In games where the Wildcats are up handily (or down, but hopefully not), the freshman will have an opportunity to gain valuable game experience. And should his number be called later in the season, he would be more ready to step in. Realistically though, the hope is for Fisk to use this season as a developmental year and be in the conversation for a rotation spot in 2027-28.