Following a meteoric performance in the title game against the Michigan Wolverines, junior shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo chose the best possible time to pour in a career-high 31 points, leading the Villanova Wildcats to a 79-62 win to crown themselves champions for the second time in three years.
In a team full of NBA prospects like Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson, DiVincenzo wasn't the most popular pick to win the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, but he did — thanks to a torrid 10-of-15 shooting night from the floor, including a blistering 5-of-7 from deep, and a couple of highlight-reel blocks.
DiVincenzo had scored 30 once before this season, in an 11-of-20 night against Butler on Feb. 10 — but his line of 31 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two blocks showed just how versatile a player he can be when the lights shine the brightest — a skill that have made scouts' heads turn.
“He had the game of his life,” one veteran scout said in a text, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports. “Helped him probably get some first-round looks.”
Former teammate Josh Hart; now a rookie with the Los Angeles Lakers, called him “the best player on the floor.”
Another scout added: “I think [tonight] will have a large impact” — making reference to a brilliant 5-of-7 night from beyond the arc that ignited a team that was an ice-cold 1-of-9 before he checked into the game in the first half.
DiVincenzo's average of 13.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals indicates he's a versatile player — and he wouldn't be the last sixth man to make a dent in the NBA.
Remember Devin Booker? A sixth man that scored the third-most points for the team, playing behind the Harrison brothers at Kentucky.
Drafted 13th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 2015, a year later he was the starting shooting guard and proving his coach's instinct right, dropping 70 points on the road against the Boston Celtics at age 20.
Booker had less-impressive stats than DiVincenzo, only posting 10 points, 2.1 rebounds and one assist per game in his lone season at Kentucky, yet the bet paid off, and it could pay off for those who bet in DiVincenzo too.
Some scouts said the junior could go in the second round or go undrafted, but there had already been some interest even before he won the MOP award last night, even catching his coach Jay Wright off guard when asked of his players' chances to crack the NBA Draft board.
“I don’t know,” Wright said of DiVincenzo. “But we’ll find out. We’ll definitely look into it.”
The man known as the “Big Ragu” for his fiery red hair will have until Apr. 22 to declare and could do so without an agent, as many athletes not in the top-15 have chosen to do.
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