As we’re all going to see in the weeks ahead, everyone loves Villanova’s chances to be a Top 10 team this season. The Wildcats, after all, have their entire backcourt back, and they’ve also added a recruiting class that’s been ranked among the nation’s best. But — there’s always a “but,” isn’t there — maybejustmaybe ‘Nova could have bigger problems than simply trying to find playing time for all that talent this winter. And Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News, in an interview with a blog called Searching for Billy Edelin, might have stumbled upon the biggest “but” out there. Consider:

I’m surprised so many people are walking right past the losses of Dwayne Anderson, Shane Clark and Dante Cunningham to pick the Wildcats [to win the Big East]. I think Villanova is strong enough in the backcourt to be a top-10 team, but the frontcourt is very young. Maybe I’ll be wrong about this. If so, I’ll be surprised.

It’s a point worth considering. Yes, Mouphtaou Yarou and Isaiah Armwood are among the country’s highest-ranked frontcourt recruits, but — and there’s that word again — they will be freshmen. Maybe they can grow right away, maybe they won’t. One thing’s for sure: Their youth and inexperience will be something coach Jay Wright will mention plenty as the local season previews are published/aired/posted.

The entire DeCourcy Q&A, which is mostly about other stuff, can be read here.

Links: ESPNU’s take on ‘Nova’s 2009 recruiting class [ESPNU]
Q&A with TSN’s Mike DeCourcy [Searching for Billy Edelin]