Villanova Basketball: How will NBA Draft decisions affect the Wildcats?

Two Villanova basketball stars have declared for the NBA Draft without hiring an agent. How will the final decisions of these players affect the 2018-19 team?

Villanova basketball is in the midst of starting a dynasty. Jay Wright’s program has won the national championship in two of the last three years and there is potential for more. The Wildcats’ staying power lies in the fact that they are becoming powerhouses on the recruiting trail as well as on the court during the season. However, there are holes to fill heading into next season.

Star players Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges have already declared for the NBA Draft and signed with agents. For most programs, this would be devastating offseason news. While these departures will certainly hurt the Wildcats, they were expected and therefore accounted for by the coaching staff. However, the potential departures of Donte DiVincenzo and Omari Spellman were harder to predict.

DiVincenzo and Spellman were instrumental pieces in Villanova’s national championship run in 2018. Potentially sensing that this year will be the highest ever for their draft stock, both players have declared for the NBA Draft without signing an agent. Thankfully, they have left open the possibility to return to Philly for at least one more year and these decisions will greatly affect the team next season.

What will it mean if they both stay?

In 2017-18, DiVincenzo (13.4 points) and Spellman (10.9 points) were the third and fourth leading scorers of the Wildcats, respectively. In addition, they were both solid defenders and did the little things for Coach Wright. Specifically, DiVincenzo was the “energizer bunny” of the team, consistently providing a massive boost with his all-around game of shooting, distributing, and rebounding. As for Spellman, he was the only true big man in the starting lineup and was the team’s leading rebounder (8.0 boards per game).

In terms of next season, the duo would be the primary scoring options for Coach Wright and the focal points of the offense should they return for another year. This would allow the younger players in the program to have a chance at developing under older stars before taking the reigns for themselves in the coming years. It is because of this reason that these NBA Draft decisions will dictate the future of Villanova basketball further down the road than just next season.

In addition, the return of both players would assure Villanova’s placement in the preseason top-5 for next season. Their return, along with those of seniors Eric Paschall and Phil Booth, would push the team towards the top of the list in terms of national title contenders in 2018-19. The previously mentioned losses of Brunson and Bridges will certainly hurt but there are others who can step up.

Most notably, sophomores Collin Gillespie, Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, and Jermaine Samuels will be ready to take on larger roles in their second seasons. In addition, Villanova’s 2018 recruiting class, which ranks No. 15 in the nation by 247Sports, won’t hurt.

What will it mean if they both remain in the NBA Draft?

Even if both players decide to stay in the NBA Draft, Villanova basketball will have plenty of talent to make another deep run in the NCAA Tournament. They will be the preseason favorites to win the Big East and a top-25 team in the country regardless of the decisions of DiVincenzo and Spellman. Departures of both players, though, would put a tremendous amount of pressure on the youngsters within the program.

Villanova basketball has aspirations of competing for a national title every season. With the recent success the Wildcats have had, there is no reason why they shouldn’t be a perennial top-25 team. Living up to those expectations, though, is never going to be easy. Without DiVincenzo or Spellman, the team would lose a ton of experience. Even with Paschall and Booth, that roster would be one of the youngest ever coached by Jay Wright.

This does not mean that Villanova will be out of contention to be national champions without the duo, but it would be exponentially more difficult. Poise and experience are vital in the NCAA Tournament and three of the four potential departees (Spellman was just a freshman this past year) had those qualities in droves. The hope in Philly is that both players will return but at the very least the future is in great shape thanks to the previously mentioned underclassmen.

Next: 2018 Big East recruiting classes

Obviously, this will be an interesting storyline to follow in the Big East throughout the next month. Regardless of these decisions, Villanova will be the favorite to win the conference in 2018-19. However, the impending choices could determine just how likely Villanova is to defend their title as national champions.