HOUSTON, TEXAS – APRIL 04: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats reacts in the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the 2016 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game at NRG Stadium on April 4, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

As Jay Wright’s Villanova Wildcats prepare to defend their National Championship, they’ll have to do it without a player who figured to be a huge piece to their puzzle in the Big East and beyond, in freshman center Omari Spellman. The 6’9″, 255-pound Spellman has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA. Spellman will remain in school and on scholarship.

“We are extremely disappointed for Omari,” said Villanova coach Jay Wright. “While we don’t agree with the NCAA’s decision, we are members of the association and respect it. We understand why the NCAA felt it had to rule this way. We will make a positive out of this for Omari. He will concentrate on his academics and individual development this season. In the long run, Omari will be a better student and player for this experience.”

Spellman was expected to replace a lot of the production lost when senior center Daniel Ochefu graduated. Ochefu — now a member of the NBA’s Washington Wizards — averaged 10 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game last season for the Wildcats. It is a massive loss for the Wildcats without question, but they still enter the season as Big East favorites at the very least. The Wildcats will have to turn to Darryl Reynolds — a 6’8” forward who backed up Ochefu last season — to help pick up some of the slack.

[CBS Sports]

About Matt Lichtenstadter

Recent Maryland graduate. I've written for many sites including World Soccer Talk, GianlucaDiMarzio.com, Testudo Times, Yahoo's Puck Daddy Blog and more. Houndstooth is still cool, at least to me. Follow me @MattsMusings1 on Twitter, e-mail me about life and potential jobs at matthewaaron9 at Yahoo dot com.