Donte DiVincenzo, G, Villanova
Height: 6’4″ | Weight: 200 | Age: 21
Stats: 13.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.5 APG
One of the more intriguing prospects in the NBA Draft is Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo. In a recent mock draft from CBS Sports, Reid Forgrave has him going to the Utah Jazz. Here’s what Forgrave had to say:
"What do the Jazz need most? A secondary scorer outside of Donovan Mitchell. DiVincenzo is one of the best raw athletes in this draft, plays with incredible intensity on offense and defense, and can flat-out score. DiVincenzo shot 40 percent from 3-point range for a Villanova team that was one of the most efficient offenses of all time. After DiVincenzo went ham in the national title game, scoring 31 points, former Villanova point guard Ryan Arcidiacono told a couple of reporters that DiVincenzo could end up becoming the best NBA player to ever come from Villanova. Perhaps this is too early for DiVincenzo, but there’s no obvious weakness in his arsenal."
I’m pretty high on DiVincenzo myself and I loved the summary from the aforementioned Sports Illustrated mock draft as well, so I thought I’d include it here, too:
"DiVincenzo broke out in a major way at the combine and fortified the strong impression he left in March and over the course of Villanova’s season. It’s clear he’s not a flash in the pan, as his consistent level of focus, instincts for forcing turnovers and grabbing rebounds and ability to hit open jumpers build in a degree of safety. He was one of the top athletes at the combine, but more importantly, his athletic ability actually pops within the context of his game. DiVincenzo has to improve as a man-to-man defender and doesn’t consistently create great shots for himself, but he knows how to play with and off of others and clearly has the makings of a quality role player. He’s likely punched his first-round ticket, and seems likely to remain in the draft."
My two cents: This is one of, if not my favorite draft prospect for the Utah Jazz. He’s more NBA ready than many incoming players and with an NCAA Championship under his belt, Donte DiVincenzo simply knows how to win. He has a lot of the skills and smarts that would set him apart as an ideal Jazzman, including the potential for a deadly three-ball, and I think Utah will be highly interested in him. He was part of their first set of pre-draft workouts.
After raising his stock so significantly by playing well in the NBA Draft Combine, I worry he may not be available when the Jazz pick at No. 21.