DiVincenzo is more than a one-game wonder. Just ask Marquette.
Ben Steele
Casual college basketball observers know Donte DiVincenzo from the 31 points that he dropped in Villanova’s 79-62 victory over Michigan in the national championship game.
But Marquette fans were well aware of DiVincenzo’s talent before the transcendent performance that helped propel him to being the No. 17 pick by the Milwaukee Bucks in Thursday’s NBA draft.
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound DiVincenzo had 45 points on 17-of-32 shooting over three games – all Villanova victories – against the Golden Eagles in his junior season.
"I think it's a great pick for the Bucks," Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski said on Thursday. "Donte is an explosive athlete, tremendous playmaker and a big-time winner. He will be an immediate impact guy in the NBA."
In the teams' first matchup, DiVincenzo, playing his traditional role as sixth man, had 14 points in Villanova's 100-90 victory at the Wells Fargo Center on Jan. 6.
DiVincenzo was inserted in the Wildcats' starting lineup after Phil Booth suffered a broken hand in late January.
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DiVincenzo then had one of his better regular-season games against the Golden Eagles at the BMO Harris Bradley Center on Jan. 28, pouring in 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting.
He had the clinching lay-in of Villanova's 85-82 victory after an offensive board by Mikal Bridges in the waning seconds.
“He just does so many things, and he is so valuable for us off the bench, because whatever is going on in the game … you know it is going to be a surge of energy,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said of DiVincenzo after that game. “I was concerned today if he could maintain that, and he did a great job.”
DiVincenzo was back to his reserve role when Villanova rolled to a 94-70 victory over MU in the second round of the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 8.
He really turned heads in his final two collegiate games, getting 15 points and six rebounds against Kansas in the Final Four and then his performance for the ages against Michigan.
DiVincenzo shot 10 of 15 against the Wolverines and set the record for most points by a non-starter in an NCAA title game.
"We've been scouting Donte and all these players for their entire careers," Bucks general manager Jon Horst said. "He's had a really successful career with the Villanova team — part of two national championship teams, a most outstanding player most recently, and just part of winning at a really high level. So we've had a lot of opportunities to watch Donte play."
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer was impressed with DiVincenzo's willingness to play as a reserve.
“When you talk to Donte and you think about the sacrifices he made as a guy that came off the bench and now is the 17th pick in the draft, we went pretty deep on that and his understanding of how important it was for my team," Budenholzer said. "For me, I shared with him how invaluable that was for his coach, to have a player that would sacrifice and be willing to come off the bench because he knew that gave his team the best chance to win, the best chance to win a championship.”
Horst also thinks Villanova's style will help DiVincenzo adjust to the NBA.
"There's no doubt Villanova plays a pro-style game," Horst said. "And I think things like that absolutely help a player acclimate quicker than maybe guys who don't.
"Not every college team plays a pro style, but Nova does and I think because of it you've seen guys in the past like Josh Hart and others who've been able to come in and plug-and-play sooner than others and that was a factor for sure."
