It's a muggy late spring afternoon outside the Davis Center at Villanova but inside it feels a bit like January. Within the facility are most of the 2019-20 Wildcats, enrolled in summer classes by morning and usually on the court in the afternoon for team workouts, strength training or open gym.

            On a roster that will feature no fewer than six newcomers – freshmen Bryan Antoine, Chris Arcidiacono, Eric Dixon, Justin Moore, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and transfer Caleb Daniels – and zero scholarship seniors, familiar faces aren't quite as plentiful as they've been in recent years.

            The business of on-court leadership now falls largely to a trio of juniors: Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels. Hard though it may to digest, these are the only remaining Wildcats who saw action in the 2017-18 NCAA national championship season.

            "I think the new guys are adjusting really well," notes Gillespie, who is the Wildcats top returning scorer at 10.9 points per game. "They're open to learning, open to coaching. We've gotten to know each other being here together in the summer session."

            Gillespie and Samuels will have the unique opportunity to grow further next month. On Tuesday it was announced that both Wildcats will be part of the 15-plyaer roster comprised of BIG EAST players which will represent the United States at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. The squad will gather in Providence from July 21-26 under the direction of head coach Ed Cooley and assistant coach Kevin Willard before heading to Peru.

            This is the first-time athletes from a single conference have represented the United States. The roster includes an elite crop of returning BIG EAST performers, including Seton Hall's Myles Powell, Providence's Alpha Diallo and Creighton's Ty-Shon Alexander. Twelve of the 15 invited players will be active for the Pan American Games and three are to serve as alternates.

            "To be chosen to compete for your country is a great honor," Samuels states. "I'm excited and ready to go."

            "It's an honor to be selected for this," adds Gillespie. "I've never been selected for a team like this, in high school or here. I'm just going to go up there and play hard."

            In the case of Samuels, this moment adds another chapter to what has been a most productive 2019on the hardwood. After dealing with a broken bone in his wrist that interrupted his freshman season, the native of Franklin, Mass., became a key cog in the Wildcats' attack over the final weeks of his sophomore campaign. In Villanova's last seven games, he averaged 13.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per outing as the 'Cats rallied to grab both the BIG EAST regular season and tournament championships.

            "I feel like I know what college basketball is now," Samuels states of his own trek that included 23 starting assignments in 2018-19. "I've been in this program for two years now and for me it's all about taking the young guys along and continuing to play Villanova Basketball."

            As a native of New Englander, Samuels has been acquainted with Cooley for some time.

            "Providence recruited me when I was a freshman and sophomore in high school," Samuels notes. "From playing against them I expect we'll work on defense and a lot of different sets. Coach Cooley's a great coach and I know I'll learn a lot from this experience."

            Both Samuels and Gillespie appreciate that they'll share this experience.

            "That's a bonus," says Samuels. "Collin is one of my biggest brothers' on the team. I'm just fortunate that he'll be along with me on this."

            "Having Jermaine there will be really helpful," states Gillespie. "We know each other game's really well. We've played with each other for two years now so being on the court with him will be helpful."

            They will be joined by athletes they have done battle with in BIG EAST play for each of the last two seasons.

            "It should be fun," Gillespie says. "We've competed against these guys the last two years so playing with them will definitely be different. I'm looking forward to it. I think we'll have a good time. We're going to go (to Peru) and try and win."

            Team USA will play five games in five days in Lima.  It will open play in Pool A against Virgin Islands on July 31 followed by contests against Venezuela on Aug. 1 and Puerto Rico on Aug. 2 before medal round play on Aug. 3-4.  The Pool B Participants are: Argentina, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Uruguay.