ESPN 100 five-star Bryan Antoine commits to Villanova

ESPN 100 five-star guard Bryan Antoine announced his verbal commitment to  Villanova on Tuesday, giving the defending national champions their third commitment in the class of 2019.

Why he committed: Antoine trimmed his list to five schools in May -- Villanova, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky and Florida -- but his decision ultimately came down to Villanova and Duke

"Villanova's main priority is family and family means a lot to me," Antoine told ESPN. "Ever since I was a little kid my parents have been able to come to all of my games and for them to continue to be able to do that at a great school like Villanova is a blessing."

What he brings: Antoine is one of the most naturally talented guards in the class. He combines positional size with natural shooting touch and high-level athleticism. He is older for his grade, having celebrated his 18th birthday last April, and is still yet to fill out his frame but he measures in at over 6-foot-4 with shoes on, plays well above the rim in the open floor, and is an increasingly dangerous shooting threat from behind the arc.

Having the proper balance has always been the key to his jumper as any inconsistencies have typically come from not having his legs underneath him. His playmaking ability is also evolving as he's operating with the ball in his hands more frequently, utilizing a solid pull-up jumper, and gradually becoming a better traffic finisher. He's becoming more consistently aggressive and learning to be more efficient.

How the class is shaping up: Antoine becomes the third prospect to commit to Jay Wright so far in 2019, joining fellow ESPN 100 products Eric Dixon and Justin Moore. Dixon gives the team an undersized but long southpaw big man with a wide frame, outstanding hands and increasingly versatile offensive skill up front.

Moore is a versatile perimeter player capable of playing at least two different positions. As a shot-maker, he's an ideal fit for Villanova. While it remains to be seen just how many more prospects they'll target in his class, Villanova had also been heavily involved with the likes of Nico Mannion, Josh Green, Isaiah Wong, Scottie Lewis and others to date.

How he fits: After winning their second national championship in the past three years, Villanova saw an unprecedented number of players jump to the NBA last spring. As a result, the 2018-19 version of the Wildcats will be the youngest one in recent memory.

Antoine will add to a backcourt that is expected to return both Collin Gillespie and  Jahvon Quinerly next season, while bigger wings like Brandon Slater, Saddiq Bey and Moore have quickly reformed the type of size and versatility we've come to expect in the Villanova backcourt in recent years.

Current freshman Cole Swider gives the team a prototypical stretch-four while sophomore  Jermaine Samuels is a modern day combo-forward capable of plugging a variety of holes in the line-up. Dixon and  Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree project as the big men in Villanova's future depth chart.

Who he reminds us of: Don't be surprised if you hear some Kerry Kittles references in the greater Philadelphia area in the next few years. Antoine has the size, fluidity and versatile scoring prowess to remind Villanova fans of one of their all-time greats.