Villanova Teammate: Donte DiVincenzo Will 'Fit Right In' With Knicks
It's deja VU all over again.
The New York Knicks' apparent quest to stage 41 homecoming events for Villanova University has landed them both Donte DiVincenzo and at least one more season with Josh Hart. That duo will rejoin fellow former Wildcat Jalen Brunson, the newly-minted franchise face after enjoying a breakout year in the first season of a $104 million contract.
Count Phil Booth among those excited to see the blue band back together. He was one of the trio's most reliable allies during their shared time on the Main Line, notably coming off the bench to score 20 points in the 2016 national title game win over North Carolina.
Now playing professionally in France for SIG Strasbourg, Booth believes that DiVincenzo, the newest New Yorker after inking a four-year, $50 million deal, will seamlessly fit into what the Knicks are trying to build. New York is looking to capitalize on a 47-win campaign that featured their first playoff series victory since 2013.
“Bringing energy, playing defense, playing tough, he’ll fit what the Knicks want to do," Booth told Zach Braziller of the New York Post. “His physicality, his energy, he plays hard (is a) tough player. (He) plays very good defense, can shoot the ball well, too. He can handle the ball as well, has a good basketball IQ, (is a) good decision-maker."
"They‘re a tough team (and) physical. Their coach likes to play defense and play hard, and Donte fits that role.”
Booth played 148 games with the Wildcats. Like Brunson and DiVincenzo, Booth was on both national championship teams in the Jay Wright era in 2016 and 2018 (Hart moved onto the NBA in 2017). DiVincenzo played a historic role in the latter title win over Michigan, setting a Final Four record with 31 points off the bench.
Well-versed with DiVincenzo's antics, Booth believes the Knicks are due for a jolt similar to the one they experienced when Hart came over from Portland at February's trade deadline. While the Knicks exceeded expectations behind the efforts of Brunson and All-Star Julius Randle, they took an undeniable step forward when Hart arrived. closing out the regular season on a 17-8 note to lock up the fifth seed on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket.
"Just (like) how Josh was for the Knicks (last season), I think Donte is going to bring that same spark. I think he’ll fit right into what the Knicks want,” Booth said. "I thought it was cool when (Brunson) got there, and then Josh comes over. Now it’s Donte. It all happened in a year. So it’s nice to see them (together), especially on a team like the Knicks. It’s as big as it gets."
"Hopefully they get a few years to play together.”
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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