(5:45 p.m. update: It’s Villanova.) 

In a little more than an hour from now, Markus Kennedy, one of WVU’s biggest recruiting targets for the 2010 recruiting class, will commit to either Villanova, WVU or Temple. Strong indications point to it being a Big East school, just not yours.

Markus Kennedy will make a verbal commitment today that should make some college basketball coach happy. Sources have told the Daily News that he will select Villanova over West Virginia and Temple. Kennedy won’t say officially until today at 1:30 at his press conference at Living Faith Christian Academy, in Pennsauken, N.J.

What Villanova will be getting is a 6-9, 250-pound rising senior power forward who has three-point range, can bang inside, if needed, and fill coach Jay Wright’s void for a large presence near the basket in 2010.

I’m told it’s a veritable jump ball here. Kennedy apparently loved his unofficial visit April 9, but was also very impressed by Villanova’s Final Four run and his visit to its campus, which isn’t very far from home … and Kennedy is a bit of a family guy.