Villanova’s Omari Spellman intends to keep name in NBA Draft
Villanova redshirt freshman Omari Spellman will forego his
Villanova redshirt freshman Omari Spellman will forego his
By JACOB POLACHECK
Villanova sophomore Donte DiVincenzo has decided to stay in the 2018 NBA Draft, as first reported by Yahoo Sports Tuesday. DiVincenzo will sign with an agent and forgo his remaining college eligibility.
“After gathering all of the information possible, my decision is to keep my name in the NBA draft and plan to hire an agent,” said DiVincenzo in a statement released via Instagram. “I thank everyone who has helped me reach this decision because it was not easy. I strive to get better as a person and a player every day, everything that Villanova has instilled in me will allow me to reach all goals I have in mind.”
The native of Wilmington, Del., earned 2017-18 Big East Sixth Man of the Year honors and then capped his campaign with a 31-point explosion in the NCAA National Championship game against Michigan on April 2. DiVincenzo, a redshirt sophomore, averaged 13.4 points and 4.8 rebounds for the Wildcats while appearing in all 40 games in ’17-18.
He is projected as the No. 33 pick in the NBA Draft, per ESPN.com.
“Donte has handled this process intelligently and received very positive feedback from the NBA teams about his prospects in this year’s draft,” said Villanova head coach Jay Wright. “We fully support this decision and are excited about what the future holds for him at the next level. Donte is an outstanding young man and the Nova Nation will always take pride in his accomplishments.”
By ADAM ZAGORIA Villanova coach Jay Wright says
By ADAM ZAGORIA
Donte DiVincenzo appeared to impress NBA scouts during his first 5-on-5 scrimmage at the NBA Draft Combine on Thursday in Chicago.
He also had the highest max vertical jump at 42 inches.
And that could turn out to be good news for DiVincenzo and bad news for Villanova fans. The 6-foot-5 DiVincenzo told ESPN.com that he expects to be a first-round pick and is inclined to remain in the Draft if he is.
“I think I have a really good chance to being a late first-round pick,” DiVincenzo told ESPN. “Obviously, things can change, other people can fall in the draft. I’m aware of that. But my confidence level is that I can be a first-round pick.”
The 2018 Gavitt Tipoff Games will run
By ADAM ZAGORIA
Villanova will learn a lot about next year’s roster in the coming days and weeks as Donte DiVincenzo and Omari Spellman head into the NBA Draft Combine as they test the draft waters.
But no matter what happens with those two, the future looks especially bright for the NCAA champion Wildcats.
“There’s an embarrassment of riches at Villanova,” ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla said this week by phone. “Because of the mystique of the program, the national championships and the NBA cachet, they are about to hit the lottery in recruiting. I think everybody senses the next year or two are going to be very fruitful for Villanova.”
Villanova coach Jay Wright, one of only three active coaches with more than one NCAA championship ring (Mike Krzyzewski, Roy Williams) said repeatedly during his team’s March run that he was open to having one-and-done players coming to the school but they had to fit in with the “Villanova Way.”
