Oct. 4, 2010
The Nova Notebook, by director of media relations Mike Sheridan, introduces us to another Wildcat newcomer for 2010-11.
His powerful 6-6 frame suggests it and JayVaughn Pinkston says that it is as much a part of his game as a perimeter jump shot that would be the envy of some guards.
"I think I came here with some toughness," says Pinkston, who has spent the past few months acclimating himself to the demands of college life after emerging as one of the East's most coveted prep prospects at Brooklyn's Bishop Loughlin High School, the alma mater of ex-Cat standout Curtis Sumpter.
Peer into Pinkston's past and you learn of another telling clue as to how much grit he brings to a program that relishes that quality.
"Before I played basketball," he says, "I used to box."
For a period of four years, between the ages of seven and 11, Pinkston dabbled in competitive boxing in junior Golden Gloves tournaments. Even at that point in his life, he was gifted with a dose of size and power. In particular, he recalls his first match just before he turned eight years of age.
"I knocked a kid out," he recalls.
It was less a transcendent moment than a jittery one. A young Pinkston wasn't quite sure how to react to the outcome in front of family and friends.
"I was just so nervous," he says now.
Despite the impressive debut, Pinkston was never consumed by the sport. He would box on occasion but found his sporting passion a few years later when a cousin, Tyren Bay, introduced him to basketball.
"The first time I really played was at the Rec center," Pinkston recalls, "and I didn't know what to do. So that summer and the next summer I just started taking it more seriously with my cousin's help."
Despite the late start, Pinkston caught on quickly, helped in part by some of the skills he had developed during his stint in the Golden Gloves.
"(Boxing) helped me," he says. "I already had the footwork and hand-eye coordination when I started playing basketball. Once I started, I couldn't put the basketball down."
By the time it came time to consider his options for high school, Pinkston was beginning to attract some notice for his hoops game. In consultation with his mother Kerry Pinkston and other family members there was one factor that was paramount.
"My mom," he says, "really wanted me to go to Loughlin for the education. It's always been important."
Bishop Loughlin also has a rich basketball heritage and it wasn't long before the versatile Pinkston became a rising talent. College programs, including Villanova, took notice and by the time he was a junior he was swimming in scholarship offers. One of those coaches who took extra time with him was Kimani Young.
"He just helped me with the basics of basketball," notes Pinkston.
By the time he was a senior, Pinkston was a certified New York City standout. He was in the limelight as Bishop Loughlin's headline attraction. When it came time to select a college during his senior season, the 6-7, 235 pound athlete chose Villanova.
"There were a lot of things I liked about it," he says now. "I liked the coaching staff and the players on the team. Everybody is close to each other and a lot of us are from New York, New Jersey, Philly and D.C. Plus, it was close to home so my family could see me play and it's a great education here."
Pinkston closed out his prep career with a host of honors. He averaged 25 points and 13 rebounds per game en route to being named a McDonald's All-American. In addition, he was named a second team All-American by Parade Magazine.
When pressed for high school highlights, though, Pinkston lists none of those prestigious awards.
"The biggest thing to me," he says, "was graduating from Bishop Loughlin High School. That meant a lot to me and my family. My family has been there for me through thick and thin for me." Now, Pinkston is excited to tackle his next challenge as a college student and member of the Wildcats.
"JayVaughn is an incredibly talented young man who has a unique passion for the game," states Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "He has been well-coached by Edwin Gonzalez and Kimani Young. He can play multiple positions and was a leader at Bishop Loughlin for four years."
Pinkston has toiled diligently in the off-season to re-shape his body under the tutelage of strength coach Lon Record. "That has gone well," says Pinkston. "I've lost some weight and I'm in better shape now than when I got here. I thank (Record) for that. I can feel the improvement in my stamina when I'm on the court."
Now he is very much looking forward to the start of his freshman campaign. His goals are very direct - the aim is to play hard, be a factor on defense and do what he can to help his team win games.
"I can do a little bit of everything," he says. "Whatever the team needs me to do, I can do. The main thing is to just play hard."
As he takes the next step in what promises to be a long basketball career, Pinkston clearly has nurtured a love of the game. And while he gives a nod to the sport he first sampled, he rarely takes notice of it these days.
"I'll watch (boxing) once in a blue," he says, "but not much more than that."
There is no need after all. He took its required toughness and has applied it to a diverse set of talents to become a Wildcat worth watching in 2010-11.
Wildcats at the Waldorf
There is still time to purchase tickets for a special night of Villanova Baskeball Oct. 13 in New York City at the famed Waldorf Astoria Hotel. That night head coach Jay Wright and the 2010-11 Wildcats will be on hand for a unique fundraiser to benefit the men's basketball program.
The evening includes a reception from 6:30-7:30 followed by dinner from 7:30-9. Individual tickets are $300 and a table of eight can be purchased for $2,000. Reservations can be made by calling 610-519-8056. For additional information, please contact Senior Director of Advancement for Men's Basketball Steve Pinone (steve.pinone@villanova.edu).
