Summary
Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVincenzo were two of Villanova's biggest recruits in 2015. The two freshmen shared a dorm room, a short jump shot away from each other. They bonded over one specific thing: Josh Hart, the annoying person.
The New York Knicks are a playoff team held together by close friends Brunson, DiVincenzo and Hart. Brunson described Hart as "a dog that needs to mark his territory" The team started 7-0, with seven double-digit wins, to rise to No. 8 in the country.
Former teammates say Hart is a live wire who picks his moments to go hard. Brunson was a key addition to the rotation, scoring 9.6 PPG in 24 minutes per night. "They really play off each other well," DiVincenzo says.
DiVincenzo was cleared to return to the court for practice in early February. He was in freshman eligibility purgatory -- he was likely to be granted a medical redshirt if he didn't return. The fabric of that relationship? Despising Josh Hart.
DiVincenzo was a red pinny, torching the Wildcats every practice. "Practice is your game day," Howard kept telling him. "The shots he was hitting were absurd," Hart says. "I remember feeling like if we compete hard, we could beat Oklahoma after that"
DiVincenzo and Hart were teammates at the University of Villanova. DiVincanzo says Hart was "a bully. A playful bully" DiVinzo says he and Hart are now friends. Divinzo: "I think he likes to know he has guys around him who are as tough as him"
Hart and DiVincenzo made it work during the 2016-17 season. They both thought they were never going to be friends, and they both decided that was OK. Hart was the Big East Player of the Year, leading the team in scoring (18.7) and rebounding (6.4 RPG)
The team got to 22-1 and No. 1 in the rankings, emerging as a legit national title contender. But a bizarre flood of midyear injuries -- including three guys with broken hands -- had Nova down to six or seven healthy players. The team sagged badly down the stretch, culminating in a late-season loss at Creighton.
Villanova players were upset with the way their team was treated on a flight back from Omaha. But the players rallied around coach Jay Wright, and the team went on to win the NCAA title. The team is now playing in the NBA, and they face the New York Knicks.
DiVincenzo and Brunson were teammates at the University of Michigan. They were teammates when Hart left for the NBA, and they would be now, too. What were the odds they'd ever be teammates again? "Hey, you never know..."
