Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Great Valley grad Bridges declares for draft
It did not take Mikal Bridges long to decide if he was going to return to Villanova for one more season or make himself available for the NBA Draft.
Eight days after guiding the Wildcats to a second national title in three years. Bridges announced on ESPN’s “Get Up” that he is entering the draft.
“After talking to my parents, my family, my coaches, I’ve declared for the NBA draft,” Bridges said on ESPN. “Villanova’s been great — a great four years. I graduate in May so very excited for that. That’s just another big step. I’m ready to move on to another step in my life and I’ll prepare now.”
The 6-7 swingman from Great Valley is projected as a lottery pick by most mock drafts. He is the first Villanova player to forgo his senior season since Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek following their junior seasons in 2012.
“I’m blessed to be in a spot where the NBA looks for guys like me,” Bridges said. “I can shoot the ball and I defend really well. I work really hard and so I’m going to progress on my game and to be the best player I can be.”
Bridges’ versatility is what the NBA scouts like. He can shoot the 3-pointer and defend several positions. He compared himself to a pair of pretty good players in the NBA: Oklahoma City’s Paul George and San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard.
“They weren’t these phenoms, like how LeBron was coming out,” Bridges said. “They worked their way up throughout the NBA and they’re both two-way players. They both can shoot. They defend and they can also go off the dribble and make plays.”
Bridges sat out his freshman season as a redshirt and grew into one of the top swingmen in the country in three years. Last Friday, he was the second straight player from Villanova to win the Julius Erving Award as the top small forward in the country. Josh Hart won it last year.
As a junior, Bridges averaged 17.7 points and 5.3 rebounds. He was the outstanding player in the Big East tournament and made several All-America teams.
In his three years on the court, he scored 1,311 points and made 163 steals. The Wildcats went 103-13 in that span with two national championships, two Big East regular-season and two Big East tournament titles.
“Mikal has been an exemplary student-athlete during his four years with us at Villanova,” coach Jay Wright said in a statement released by the university. “His work ethic and willingness to accept coaching have helped him grow steadily in his time here. He’s a great teammate and leader. I’m confident he will enjoy a very successful professional career.”