A key member of arguably the top recruiting class in the country thus far, Villanova commit James Bell (#61 Scout, #98 Rivals, #38 ESPN) did a nice job showing his credentials as a terrific role player for the collegiate level.
Slightly undersized for a small forward (or even the power forward position he plays at times), Bell is a physically developed, athletic wing player with a very versatile game. He is a tough, competitive player first and foremost, showing excellent defensive instincts, and being extremely physical both contesting shots on the perimeter and mixing things up inside. Despite his lack of size he showed no qualms about making his presence felt in the paint, primarily by crashing the glass, but also posting up.
An average ball-handler in the half-court, Bell can get to the basket thanks to his solid first step and aggressive mentality. He made a number of highlight reel passes to opponents cutting to the basket, and appears to be a real team player who plays extremely unselfishly---always cheering on his teammates in the game and from the bench. He displayed a very nice stroke from outside, hitting a couple of big 3-pointers in this game, although he also showed his age at times with some very poor decision making. Turnovers appear to be somewhat of an issue at this point, and hes generally not the most polished player youll find offensively.
Obviously extremely young, and with a long ways to go before becoming a complete player, Bell has a really nice framework of tools and budding skills to build upon, and seems to be a really good fit for Jay Wrights system at Villanova.
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