Camila Sosa
One of the most successful members in recent years will once again have a chance to win the NCAA national title, the Villanova Wildcats is a program that has been growing year after year with two wins in the last five editions of the March Madness, despite one of the most lauded legendary universities in the past. Today they have several big names in the NBA, proving that they are a born producer of talent.
Ahead of their game against the Kansas Jayhawks for the Final Four this weekend, we feature five players who came through Villanova University and today excel in the best basketball in the world.
Josh Hart – Portland Trail Blazers
The shooting guard was drafted in 2013 by the Wildcats, and would go on to be one of their most successful players as well as one of the most experienced members of the team that won the national championship in 2016. Among Hart’s individual awards in his NCAA era, he earned two selections to the All-American quintet (2016 and 2017), a Julius Erving Award (2017), Big East Conference Player of the Year (2017), two selections to the Big East quintet (2016 and 2017), Sixth Man of the Year in the Big East (2015) and a selection to the Freshman quintet in 2014.
He would end up averaging 13.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 146 games during his career with the Wildcats. Hart would be selected in the 2017 draft by the Utah Jazz with the final pick of the first round. He is currently having the best year of his career with Portland, averaging 14.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals through 54 NBA games.
Kyle Lowry – Miami Heat
The 36-year-old point guard’s career has been illustrious at the professional level, but much more discreet at the academic level, only playing a couple of seasons with the Wildcats where he accumulated one All-Big East and one All-Freshman selection in his first season, averaging 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.9 steals in 57 games for Villanova.
In the NBA on the other hand, Lowry has been one of the longest and most consistent starters, in addition to being a league champion in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors, a team with which he saw the most success. He was selected in the 2006 draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, and has earned six All-Star Game selections and a selection to the 2015-2016 All-NBA quintet. Today he plays for the Miami Heat, and averages 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.1 steals along with 2.3 three-pointers on 37.3% efficiency over 60 games.
His #1 bib is retired within the Villanova Wildcats team.
Saddiq Bey – Detroit Pistons
As a freshman at Villanova in 2018, he didn’t have much involvement, but during his second season with the team he was one of the best players in the nation, averaging 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 31 games, enough to earn the Julius Erving Award, an honorable mention All-American quintet and a selection to the Big East all-conference quintet.
He would be selected in the 2020 draft with the 19th overall pick by the Detroit Pistons, and in only two seasons he is one of the pillars in the rebuilding of the franchise, currently averaging 16.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.6 three-pointers on 35% efficiency through 76 games.
Mikal Bridges – Phoenix Suns
Drafted by Villanova in 2015, he gradually became the team’s most important defensive player, and during his three years with the team he earned two national championships, a Julius Erving Award, a selection to the All-American quintet, another selection to the Big East All-Conference quintet and tournament MVP, all in 2018 (his second national championship year). He averaged 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 steals and nearly a block in 116 games played with the Wildcats.
He would be selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2018 draft, 10th overall, then traded a year later to his current team, the Phoenix Suns, where he would Bridges has become one of the best defensive players in the entire NBA, as well as a deadly three-point shooter. Today he averages 14.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals with a 37.7% efficiency in three-pointers through 76 games.
Jalen Brunson – Dallas Mavericks
Little is said about the 25-year-old point guard, but his career as a pre-NBA prospect has been illustrious to say the least: he managed to become the nation’s number one prospect at his position and achieving several accolades during his time in high school (as well as a state championship), he would be drafted by Villanova in 2015 and become one of the most important players on coach Jay Wright’s squad the next three years.
Averaging 14.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists through 116 games in three seasons with Villanova, Brunson earned two national championships with Villanova University in 2016 and 2018 (sharing teams with other pros in the NBA today like Mikal Bridges, Erich Paschall and Donte DiVicenzo) and individually earned national Player of the Year honors in 2018, along with a selection to the All-American team, Big East Conference Player of the Year, two selections to the Big East All-Conference Quintet and a mention in the 2015-2016 season’s Freshman Quintet.
Today he is an important member of the Dallas Mavericks (who selected him in the second round of the 2018 draft), averaging 16.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 32.1 minutes per game, having played 74 so far.
