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.”
DiVincenzo arrived at Villanova in 2015 and played eight games in 2015-16 before suffering a broken bone in his foot that sidelined him for the remainder of that season. He returned in 2016-17 and became an integral rotation piece for the Wildcats, earning BIG EAST All-Freshman team honors while averaging 7,2 points and 3.8 rebounds per outing.
DiVincenzo had the highest Max Vertical Jump (42″) at the combine and played well in the five-on-five drills. He interviewed at the Combine with the Lakers, Magic, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, Spurs, Hawks and Grizzlies.
“I’m more than just a shooter,” DiVincenzo told Yahoo Sports during the combine. “I want to show teams that I can do more. Playing point guard is one big thing that teams want to see — if I can control the tempo, get into the offense, get shots and pocket passes.
Despite losing DiVincenzo, Villanova will bring in Albany grad transfer Joe Cremo, who will be immediately eligbile for the 2018-19 season. Cremo averaged 17.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists last season.
Villanova still awaits word on Omari Spellman, who is testing the waters without an agent. Villanova forward Mikal Bridges and point guard Jalen Brunson have also entered their names in the 2018 NBA Draft and hired agents.
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
