City of Basketball Love

Varun Kumar (@VRKumar8)
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While on his visit to Villanova last week, Kyle McCloskey met with Jay Wright, a longtime family friend.

Though their conversation was -- by McCloskey’s admission -- not too serious, Wright told the rising senior from Germantown Academy that he would have a roster spot awaiting him if he ever wanted to play hoops.

However, McCloskey turned down the offer.

The standout guard, who helped lead the Patriots to a fourth straight Inter-Ac title on the hardwood, will indeed attend Villanova -- as a quarterback.

“Football is such a commitment,” he said. “I really want to do my best to excel in that, and be a championship contender [in football]. I want to make us the best team possible and make myself the best player possible. That requires full focus on football.”

Along with his success on the gridiron, McCloskey, has also excelled over the past year on the court for both GA and Jersey Shore Warriors. As an off-guard, his improving handle and shot combined with the aforementioned athleticism has made him much tougher to stop on the offensive end as the season progressed. His development was a big reason the Fort Washington, Pa. school won the Inter-Ac once again and advanced to its first PAISAA championship game since 2013.

He unsurprisingly received interest from a few schools-- Penn, Lafayette and Bucknell-- wondering if he would consider being a two-sport athlete in college. He likely would’ve garnered significantly more interest as basketball player had he focused on hoops instead.

Despite being heavily recruited (in football) by several schools across the Northeast and Midwest, he knew after his visit that the place for him was much closer to home.

The 6-foot-4 signal-caller chose the Wildcats over FBS offers from Bowling Green, Buffalo, Ohio University and Toledo as well as FCS offers from Penn, Lehigh, Lafayette, Bucknell, Princeton and Harvard, among others.

Villanova, located less than 30 minutes from his home, was, in his words, the perfect fit across the board. He received “raving reviews” from the numerous friends who are alumni or current students. Academically, he is also planning on enrolling in the highly-regarded School of Business.

“It's the complete college experience,” he said. “You've got a football team and a basketball team that are national championship contenders. It's a fantastic academic school and it's close to home. It's really somewhere I see myself socially and academically. I’m really excited about that.”

Though the close proximity was obviously just one factor in his decision, it very much pushed Nova ahead of some of the other schools he was considering. Seeing his two older sisters, both of whom are Division I athletes at nearby schools in Lehigh and Penn State, helped his decision-making in the recruiting process.

“I wanted to find the right school,” he said. “But after I found a couple schools that I really liked, [location] came into play because for the next four years, some of my friends who go to school around here, my old coaches, my parents and family can come to the games and watch, which would be pretty awesome.”

The McCloskey family is, of course, no stranger to Division I football. His father, Mike, a tight end who played five seasons in the NFL, was a standout for Penn State’s 1982 consensus national championship team. Mike McCloskey also starred at Father Judge and was named a Parade Magazine High School All-American in 1978.

The younger McCloskey, a gifted lefty with prototypical size/arm strength, is headed to the Main Line during a transition period for the Villanova football program. The legendary Andy Talley, who has been the only coach the school has had since it brought back football in 1985, will hand over the reins to longtime assistant Mark Ferrante after the 2016 season.

Despite the coaching change, McCloskey was not concerned at all, especially after speaking with both the current and future head coaches.

“When I was on my visit, I got to talk to Coach Talley,” he said. “He couldn't speak any higher of Coach Ferrante, and knowing in what high regards that Coach Talley is kept, it’s pretty awesome to see he has the utmost faith in his successor. That's pretty comforting. He's got nothing but the warmest reviews from everyone I've talked to.”