In the ninth installment of our summer Nova Notebook series on the 2020-21 Wildcats, we check in with sophomore guard Bryan Antoine.
 
            In the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic Bryan Antoine found himself searching for simple ways to retain his basketball conditioning. With all but essential business in his native New Jersey closed – including gyms and schools – there were few options.
 
            "I was running a lot," he says now. "I would do laps around my house."
 
            The easing of COVID restrictions as spring turned to summer allowed him to return to more natural basketball activity before this week's return to Villanova. But the running metaphor seems appropriate for a high-profile prep standout from the Ranney School who spent the entirety of his freshman year of 2019-20 racing to catch up.
 
            In Antoine's case, the culprit was a right (shooting) shoulder that had troubled him throughout his senior season at Ranney. Upon his initial examination prior to enrolling at summer school in late May 2019, doctors found an injury that would require surgery and a layoff lasting six months.
 
            Though his recovery went as planned, the delay was an enormous blow to his hopes to contribute quickly as a Wildcat. By the time Antoine was cleared for full basketball activity, the regular season was underway. But lost in the interim was a tutorial in Villanova Basketball that is especially important for newcomers.
 
            Still, there were flashes of the tantalizing gifts the versatile 6-5 guard offers when healthy. A handful of those were visible in games, including a nine-point effort in his college debut against Middle Tennessee at the Myrtle Beach Invitational. More commonly, though, they were seen only by those inside the Wildcats' practice sessions.
 
            "There be would be these moments in practice when he would make two or three plays in row and I would be like 'whoa'", notes Villanova assistant coach Mike Nardi. "He'd make a steal or a move in the open court and you could just see some of the things he can do."
 
            For Nardi, Antoine's resolve in the face of a less than ideal circumstance called to mind the undaunted approach of a former teammate during his career as a Wildcats' guard (2003-07).
 
            "They're obviously different players in very different situations," noted Nardi, "but Bryan's approach reminded me of being around Jason Fraser. Like Jason, Byran took an extremely mature approach to his recovery. Every day he competed.
 
            "That's a really tough spot to be in. Bryan had a great high school career and a big following based on his achievements. It would have been easy to get down about not playing as much as people may have expected. But he was able to focus on working, getting better, and learning every day. I thought it was really impressive."
 
            Nardi was not alone in that assessment.
 
            "Bryan handled it amazingly well," stated classmate Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. "I feel like there are very few Top 10 recruits that could come in, be in that situation and then you never hear a complaint from them. You have to be a special dude to handle it like Bryan did and I really feel like that's going to help him in the future."
 
            For his part, Antoine points to a core group of people around him including his parents, teammates, coaches and staff for helping him to remain upbeat in the face of a challenge.
 
            "From the very first day I got to Villanova, I just have had a great cast of people supporting me," he notes. "In the summer (of 2019) I was with (head athletic trainer) Jeff Pierce and Shack (strength coach John Shackleton) every day, rehabbing. Our coaches and my teammates were constantly encouraging me.
 
            "I just tried to get better every day and remember that this was a minor setback that I could learn from by keeping a great attitude."
 
            Antoine took that knowledge home with him in mid-March when the pandemic halted the 2019-20 campaign and University classes shifted online. He was determined to make the most of his time away from campus. In addition to honing his skills where possible, the sophomore also learned more about the social justice movement from teammates like senior Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree.
 
            "We have great leaders in DaDa (Cosby-Roundtree), Collin (Gillespie) and Jermaine (Samuels)," Antoine states. "I just thought it was very important to become better informed. DaDa really did a good job of asking questions that made me think."
 
            As he prepared to return to Villanova with his teammates this week ahead of the Aug. 17 start of the fall semester, Antoine believes he is in a far better place than he was a year ago. Part of the reason the shoulder injury was limiting was that it prevented him from adding critical upper body strength until after he was full cleared to resume weightlifting.
 
            "That was part of his challenge last year," Nardi states. "I think he did a great job of pouring himself into that once he could. It's just hard to add that in season."
 
            By February, Antoine was often paired against teammate Caleb Daniels in 1-on-1 workouts where he held his own against the transfer.
 
            "Caleb is a physical player," Nardi states. "Bryan did a good job holding his ground in those battles."
 
            The Wildcats have resumed small group workouts within COVID protocols. Projecting where a fully healthy and up to speed Antoine fits in 2020-21 is a tantalizing prospect to those who know him best.
 
            "Bryan is an elite basketball player," says Robinson-Earl. "He's a great offensive player with a great handle and shot who is also quick and athletic. Those things help him on defense too, where he can stay in front of guards, get rebounds, contest shots, and get steals. I feel like that's just an overall great guard that anyone would want to have on their team."
 
            "With all the work Bryan's done and the confidence he's built, I think he's in a really good place heading into his second year," adds Nardi.
 
            Antoine's injury left him facing a stacked deck in his debut. As a sophomore he's eager to apply the lessons learned from that rugged journey to a fresh slate in 2020-21.