DiVincenzo latest Wildcat to dip toe in NBA waters
Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo has decided to see where he stands in the eyes of NBA personnel.
The Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four announced Thursday that he will enter his name in the NBA draft process but not hire an agent.
At the same time, teammates Phil Booth and Eric Paschall said they will return to the Main Line for their senior seasons.
DiVincenzo is the second Wildcat to declare for the draft without hiring an agent. Forward Omari Spellman announced his intention to test the NBA waters Tuesday. Both players have until May 30 to decide whether to stay in the draw or withdraw their names from consideration and return to Villanova.
If he stays in the draft DiVincenzo is projected as a late first- to early second-round pick. NBAdraft. net has DiVincenzo going No. 23 to the Indiana Pacers. SI.com has him going No. 34 to the Dallas Mavericks in its latest mock draft. ESPN has DiVincenzo ranked No. 33 in its list of top 100 draft prospects.
In all, four members of the national championship team have declared for the draft. Guard Jalen Brunson, the consensus national Player of the Year, and All-American and swingman Mikal Bridges announced they will enter the draft and not return for their senior seasons. Bridges has hired an agent and Brunson is in the process of doing so.
“Donte has consistently improved in his time at Villanova through dedication and a commitment to our core values,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said in a statement released by the university. “His play this season has created a unique opportunity for him to receive feedback from NBA teams in the draft process. We support Donte fully and our staff will work together with him and his family to help him assess the next step in his basketball career.”
DiVincenzo had a breakout year capped by a career-high 31-point performance in Villanova’s 79-62 victory over Michigan in the national championship game. The 6-5 redshirt sophomore, a native of Newark, Del., connected on 10 of 15 shots in the national championship game that included a 5-for-7 effort from 3-point range.
For the season, DiVincenzo averaged 13.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists mostly in a reserve role. He did start eight games when Booth went down with a broken bone in his right (shooting) hand. DiVincenzo was named Big East Sixth Man of the Year and earned first-team All-Big 5 honors.
Booth and Paschall were instrumental in Villanova’s run to a second national championship in three seasons. The 6-3 Booth served as a team captain along with Brunson and Bridges. He averaged 10 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists despite missing seven games with the broken hand. Villanova closed out the season with an 11-game winning streak when he returned to the lineup. A native of Baltimore, Booth was the leading scorer (20 points) in Villanova’s 77-74 victory over North Carolina in the 2016 national championship game.
Like DiVincenzo, Paschall has a breakout year in 2017-19. The 6-9 native of Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., averaged 10.6 points and 5.3 rebounds in 38 games. He missed two contests because of a concussion. His best game came in Villanova’s 9579 romp over Kansas in the national semifinals when he shot 10for-11 from the field for 24 points. Paschall was named the Most Improved Player in the Big 5.
“Phil and Eric are two of the cornerstone leaders of our team,” Wright said. “Each of them is widely respected by their teammates, not just for their talent, but for the kind of young men they are. We are thrilled that they will help lead our team again as seniors.”