Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
With future bright, Wright bids farewell to his 3 ‘sons’
BUFFALO, N.Y. >> There was a vast array of emotions in the Villanova locker room at the KeyBank Center after Saturday’s shocking 6562 loss to Wisconsin in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Darryl Reynolds cried. Kris Jenkins stared directly ahead. Josh Hart flashed a smile, but the pain was evident on his face.
That is the cruel nature of the NCAA Tournament. It starts with 68 teams, all with a dream of winning it all.
Only one team gets to celebrate. The other 67 go home disappointed.
Villanova experienced the euphoria of being the last team standing a year ago. The Wildcats celebrated amid falling confetti and balloons after beating North Carolina, 77-74, on Jenkins’ 3-pointer at the buzzer.
No such luck this time around. Villanova’s dream of a repeat died as the Badgers went on a 15-5 run to erase a 57-50 deficit in the final five minutes.
For Reynolds, Jenkins and Hart, it wasn’t just the end of a season, but the completion of their remarkable careers. They leave as the greatest class in Villanova history. The numbers back it up.
They went a staggering 129-17 in four seasons, had three straight 30-win seasons, won a national title, four straight Big East regular-season titles, four consecutive Big 5 crowns and two Big East Tournament championships.
Those are just numbers, though. They don’t tell the whole story.
“They’re beloved on campus,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said of his seniors. “They’re great representatives of our university. They’re loved within the student body. They’re humble guys. That’s as important to us as how successful they were on the court.” And they will be missed. “They’re all like your children,” Wright said. “It’s like when your own children graduate from college. You realize they’re moving out of the house. When these guys finish you know you’re not going to be on the court with them anymore. All you can do is thank them and thank God you had them for four years. It was a true blessing to have these three guys and we were lucky to have them for four years.”
“You guys know all the stats, but off the court, they’re my brothers,” sophomore point guard Jalen Brunson said of the senior class. “I get more emotional talking about how much I love them than I do talking about what they did on the court. I just love those guys so much. They’ve taught me so much and I’m definitely going to miss them. We’re a family and they’re like my big brothers.”
And like good, older siblings, Hart, Jenkins and Reynolds set the standard for the likes of Reynolds, Mikal Bridges, Eric Paschall and Donte DiVincenzo to follow. It’s a lesson Hart, Jenkins and Reynolds learned from Daniel Ochefu and Ryan Arcidiacono, who learned it from Darrun Hilliard and JayVaughn Pinkston, who learned it from James Bell and Tony Chennault.
The Villanova way is passed down from class to class and while there may be no seniors on the roster next season, the future the program is in good hands.
Brunson was a unanimous first-team All-Big East selection. DiVincenzo is a star on the rise who found the bright lights of the Big East and NCAA Tournaments to his liking. All the 6-5 redshirt freshman did was average 15 points per game in the postseason.
The 6-7 Bridges is attracting the attention of NBA scouts. He is listed as a firstround pick in 2018 on three draft websites. Paschall looked more comfortable in his new role as the season went on. He was a wing player during his one year at Fordham, but was assumed more of a big man’s role for the Wildcats and was a key performer off the bench. Center Dylan Painter also made great strides for a guy who was expected to redshirt when the season started.
And there is help on the way. Hopefully, guard Phil Booth will be healthy next season. He was the leading scorer in the 2016 national championship game and he was sorely missed this season. And top recruit Omari Spellman will be eligible to play next season. He’s a big man who can score. The Wildcats also hope to have forward Tim Delaney back from the hip injuries that have plagued him for the last two seasons.
As far as recruits, Villanova has three pretty good ones coming in. The prize is Jermaine Samuels, a 6-5 small forward from Massachusetts. He is ranked No. 45 in the ESPN top 100 and will fill a void left by the graduation of Hart and Jenkins.
The other key addition is 6-8 forward Dhamir CrosbyRoundtree out of Neumann-Goretti. He will give the Wildcats some depth up front. And then there is point guard Collin Gillespie from Archbishop Wood. He was the MVP of the Catholic League, which is no small accomplishment when you consider that Quade Green also plays in the league for Neumann. Green is ranked No. 22 in the ESPN top 100 and his headed to Kentucky.
And the Wildcats are also in the running for Jordan Tucker, a 6-7 small forward out of Marietta, Ga., who is the No. 40 player in the ESPN 100.
So, while another secondround exit from the NCAA Tournament is painful, the future looks bright for the Wildcats.