Spellman’s range, IQ already making a difference

It did not take Omari Spellman long to showcase his vast skill set in Villanova’s 113-77 demolition of Nicholls Tuesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

After winning the opening tap, the ball immediately went inside to Spellman on the low block. The 6-8, 260-pound redshirt freshman quickly found a cutting Mikal Bridges for a layup.

The next time down the court, Spellman stepped out and launched a jumper. It didn’t fall, but Eric Paschall grabbed the rebound and found Spellman for a layup. Later in the half, Spellman buried a 3-pointer from the left corner.

Although Villanova is wildly known for its guards, the Wild-

cats have has some good big men over the years. Villanova does not win the national championship in 2016 without Daniel Ochefu. Dante Cunningham helped Villanova get to a regional final in 2008 and the Final Four a year later.

Yet Ochefu and Cunningham were late bloomers. Ochefu did not become a true offensive option until his senior season, the only year he averaged double-figures in points. Cunningham came along a little more quickly and wound up as a member of the 1,000-point club.

Neither started their first games as collegiate players. Nor did they possess the ability to post up and shoot the 3-pointer. (Combined, they shot 1-for-7 from beyond their arc in their Villanova careers.)

Jay Wright had to dig deep into his memory to find a Villanova big man as comfortable in the post and on the wing in his first year as a collegiate player.

“He reminds me a little bit, and this is a stretch, of John Pinone, who could face the basket, but was big and burly enough to play inside,” Wright said.

That’s mighty high praise considering that Pinone ranks eight in program history with 2,024 career points. The 3-pointer did not exist when Pinone played, but even if it did, he was more of a mid-range shooter like Cunningham. He wasn’t a deep threat. Spellman is, even though he is off to a slow start in that department.

Spellman is 1-for-5 from beyond the arc, but you can see that he is comfortable taking the shot.

“I’ve always had that has part of my game,” Spellman said. “It makes me and the team more versatile on the court. It brings a fifth shooter to our offense so I think it helps us out a lot.”

You won’t get any argument from Wright.

“Omari really is one of our top 3-point shooters,” Wright said. “I have to be careful saying that because we have some good ones, but he really is and he does it every day. We do shooting drills and we chart shots and he makes his threes . ... He’s just a little nervous but he can be a 3-point threat.”

That’s not the only offensive skill Spellman brings to the table. He had three assists to go along with nine points, six rebounds and four blocked shots against Nicholls.

“Passing is just being unselfish,” Spellman said. “If I see someone open, I get them the ball. I won’t call myself a good passer; I just try to find the open man.”

Spellman readily admits he wasn’t always that way. He looked to score in high school, but he quickly realized he had to become a better passer, especially out of the post, to thrive in Villanova’s offense.

“In college, you have to be more unselfish,” Spellman said.

Spellman had all three of his assists in the first half against the Colonels and has four assists in two games. Every coach would love to get two assists per game out of the post.

“His passing ability and his basketball IQ, I don’t know if it’s showing yet, but we know he’s got it,” Wright said.

His ability to score inside opens up shooting lanes for the likes of Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Phil Booth and freshman Collin Gillespie and clears the lane for teammates to get to the rim. Teams have to guard him on the perimeter. They can’t leave him alone. The same can be said for 6-9, 260-pound forward Eric Paschall, and that has already paid dividends. Of the 88 points in the paint the Wildcats have scored in two games, 44 have been scored by guards or wing players.

“He can guard, shoot and pass,” Bridges said of Spellman. “He’s a big part of what we do.”

Sitting out last season as an academic redshirt turned out to be a blessing for the man who was Villanova’s prized recruit in the Class of 2016. He was able to make the jump from high school to college on a gradual basis. He was able to work on his game in practice and see from the sidelines what he needed to do to be successful.

“I can see situations now as they develop on the court,” Spellman said. “I have a better feel for the game. The game is a lot slower for me than I think it would have been if I had played right away.”

Spellman is far from a finished product, but his impact is already being felt.

“He’s not just a big guy,” Wright said. “He’s a really good basketball player who works at the game. He comes in every day and works on his shooting, his post moves and all aspects of his game. He’s really a unique player.”