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Donte DiVincenzo’s decision likely means he’s a first rounder

By Rucker Haringey

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 31: Donte DiVincenzo #10 of the Villanova Wildcats handles the ball on offense against the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 31: Donte DiVincenzo #10 of the Villanova Wildcats handles the ball on offense against the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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Donte DiVincenzo’s decision to enter the NBA Draft is a tough blow for Villanova and other guards on the first round bubble.

Villanova is still sweating out the draft decision of Omari Spellman, but the Wildcats know that Donte DiVincenzo is taking his talents to the NBA next season. The talented guard’s call to forego his collegiate eligibility sends a pretty strong signal that he expects to hear his name called in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft.

DiVincenzo joins teammates Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges as Wildcats who will definitely be drafted. Coach Jay Wright elected to take the high road regarding his guard’s decision. He took to social media to express his pride in the sweet-shooting guard as well as his confidence that DiVincenzo will be successful at the next level.

The Villanova guard had one of the most interesting choices to make about whether or not to make the jump. If he’d elected to stay in school, he would’ve assumed a much larger role in Wright’s guard-friendly offense next season. It’s very likely he could have surged up the 2019 draft board by putting up bigger numbers for the Wildcats.

Of course, there’s always the risk that staying in school would allow scouts to nitpick his game. There is such a thing as overexposure for draft prospects. Even so, it’s hard to imagine DiVincenzo falling out of the lottery if he stayed another season at Villanova.

DiVincenzo and his representatives clearly understood that dynamic. That’s why it’s so easy to draw conclusions about what the guard’s decision to go pro this season means. Specifically, DiVincenzo and his representatives have to feel like he’ll be a first round pick this season.

The financial compensation of second round picks is on the rise, but squeezing into the first round still provides players with more financial security. A smart player like DiVincenzo wouldn’t have left a good situation at Villanova to face uncertainty at the next level.

Instead, it’s a distinct possibility that DiVincenzo has received a promise from a team with a pick late in round one. At the very least, he’s received positive feedback from NBA executives that he won’t slip into round two. If he really believed he’d fall into the 40s, he would’ve made the choice to stay at Villanova for another season.

It will be easy to tell whether or not DiVincenzo is operating with a promise or simply positive feedback. If it’s the former, he’ll either cancel workouts outright or he’ll befall some sort of mysterious injury or illness in the coming days. Any team who gave him a promise won’t honor it if he’s still out there working to improve his draft stock.

If it’s just positive feedback then he’ll continue to work out for as many teams as possible. Even teams who don’t have a pick in the back half of round one could choose to make a move to swoop in to take DiVincenzo. His combination of offensive polish and athleticism will be attractive to both title contenders and franchises looking to rebuild.

Next: Villanova lands big time transfer

The only certainty here is that DiVincenzo believes he’s going to be a first round pick. That’s the only reason he’d turn down the chance to go back to college and improve his stock ahead of the 2019 NBA Draft.

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