On Tuesday night, the final Villanova commit of the 2022 class, shooting guard Brendan Hausen, reaffirmed his commitment to the ‘Cats. With the news, all three members of the class maintained their commitments, as fellow guard Mark Armstrong announced his decision to stay on Friday and forward Cam Whitmore did the same on Monday.

Hausen announced his decision with a post on Instagram, saying “Run it back @novambb for life let’s get it.” He also changed his profile picture back to himself in a Villanova jersey, after removing the picture entirely following the news of former head coach Jay Wright’s retirement last Wednesday.

Hausen’s decision came after a visit Tuesday to Villanova. Hausen told The Villanovan on Friday that he was planning on coming to campus on Monday to “see what it’s about,” but flight issues delayed his visit to Tuesday.

When asked what he was hoping to see in his visit, Hausen was clear.

“Reassurance,” Hausen said. “Honestly just comfort. Just to be back, to see Villanova and also see why I chose Villanova. I just want to make sure that, with the guys having a new coach and there being a new coach, everything’s still the same, and kinda just get a feel again.”

Clearly Hausen left Villanova feeling comfortable.

Wright and new head coach Kyle Neptune were both confident that all three recruits would stay with Villanova, and Wright went as far as to welcome both Armstrong and Whitmore “to the family” at Thursday’s 2021-2022 Awards banquet. Both were in attendance for the ceremony.

However, Hausen was seen as less of a sure thing. The majority of Villanova recruits come from the Northeast, but Hausen, from Amarillo, Texas, was facing the prospect of a cross-country move to play in an uncertain situation under a new head coach. Hausen talked regularly with Wright, Neptune and Armstrong in between the news of Wright’s retirement and Tuesday’s decision, and it seems that the three were able to show Hausen that Villanova basketball was still the place for him.

Armstrong was quick to react to the decision on Twitter, tweeting “Now it is 3 / 3 — Mark, Cam, Brendan ; Cam, Brendan, Mark ; Brendan, Mark, Cam” and tagging both Hausen and Armstrong.

With Hausen’s decision finalized, Villanova maintains the 16th ranked recruiting class in the country, per 247sports. Although the Wildcats lose graduates Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels next season, Villanova is projected as a top-15 team in the country and is expected to compete for the Big East title. 

Now, the only decision left for Villanova is that of guard Caleb Daniels, who is expected to return and utilize a fifth year of eligibility. Daniels was rumored Tuesday to be leaving for non-basketball “professional reasons,” but he shut those rumors down quickly. 

With Hausen’s decision and if Daniels does return, Villanova’s roster is likely set. The two graduates would not count against Villanova’s maximum of 13 scholarships, meaning that the Wildcats would have two to offer to transfers. Villanova is reported to have reached out to several transfer guards, including Texas’s Courtney Ramey, Princeton’s Jaelin Llewellyn and Tampa’s Max Jones, but going above 13 players may lead to rotation difficulties for Neptune.

After the addition of Hausen, the Villanova guard room will be crowded in 2022-2023. Current junior, guard Justin Moore, is projected to return from Achilles surgery mid-season, and will rejoin the starting lineup when healthy. Before then, minutes will be shared between Daniels, junior Bryan Antoine, freshman Jordan Longino, junior Chris Arcidiacono, freshman Angelo Brizzi and recruits Hausen and Armstrong. 

Although Hausen took the time to gather information and make his decision, he told The Villanovan on Friday that seeing the team play in San Antonio in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight earlier in March “gave [him] even more clarity on why [he] chose Villanova.”

“Honestly, getting to see it up live was so much different,” Hausen said. “Being there around the Villanova fans and community, even though there wasn’t many (in San Antonio), they just welcomed me with open arms and really brought me in.”

Hausen said it would be “a tough decision,” but after meeting with Neptune on Tuesday, he made his decision: a decision to stay. Now, he joins a Villanova program in transition, but more importantly to Hausen, he joins a “family.”

“People say family all the time,” Hausen said of his time watching the team in San Antonio, “but I truly feel like the Villanova community is a family and we definitely felt that when we were there.”