Nova reels in Fisher

Corey Fisher told anyone that would listen that he was open to all comers on the recruiting front. Talk about a good smoke screen. The 6-foot-1 junior point guard from St. Patrick's High School in Elizabeth, N.J. verbally committed to Villanova on Wednesday night.

At the City of Palms tournament in Florida last month, Fisher said he was wide open and looking at all of his options. Less than a month later, he decided was ready to call Jay Wright and tell him he was coming to Villanova.

"I picked 'Nova because they play my type of basketball and use three or four guards in their system," Fisher said. "They are tough city kids and one of the top teams in the country in one of the best conferences in the nation. I loved everything about it."

Fisher said he needed to convince his family members the same thing. After his mother and other family members visited the Main Line school, the decision was made, he said.

"They didn't know what to expect so I told them to go down and check it out and after they did that they liked it too and saw it was the best fit for me," Fisher said.

Fisher, a well-built guard, has some similarities to current Villanova guard Kyle Lowery. Fisher said he's hoping he can suit up with the former Philly prep star in the Big East.

"A lot of people say me and Kyle are the same kind of player," Fisher said. "If he's still there and doesn't go pro, it will be crazy. That's what he told me on the phone when I called him. Me, him, Antonio Pena (a 2006 commitment), that's fine with me. We can be one of the best teams in the country."

St. Patrick's head coach Kevin Boyle has been pleased with the play of Fisher this season and hopes to have Fisher playing like a guy ready to contribute from day one.

"I've told him that if he wants to be a 12 to 17 points scorer in college, he's going to need to be a better shooter," Boyle said. "Right now, he's a streaky shooter but he needs to become a good shooter in order to be an outstanding shooter.

"He's working on it. He's taking 300 to 500 shots a day on his own…He's also becoming a more vocal leader and involving his teammates more. Last year, he was an emotional leader but now he's learning how to be a guy that directs his teammates and being more vocal. I told him to watch Lowery because that is what he does. He did that last night against Rutgers."

Fisher has been a solid force for St. Patrick's this season. In a huge 45-44 win over St. Benedicts, Fisher scored 22 points and helped the Celtics claim their biggest win of the year.