Donte DiVincenzo to sign with agent, keep name in NBA draft

Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo announced Tuesday he will sign with an agent and keep his name in the NBA draft.

I want to thank Nova Nation for an amazing season this year and the unbelievable amount of support throughout. The Villanova Community has done nothing but support and motivate me to become the best player and person I can be. I love everything about college and Villanova including the amazing people from the professors, staff members, and all the fans across the country. I want to thank my teammates and coaches for helping me get to this point. My teammates are my brothers and will share a bond forever. I thank Coach Wright for challenging me day in and day out all while loving me like a son. I would not be in the position I am today if it was not for him and the Villanova Basketball program. After gathering all of the information possible, my decision is to keep my name in the NBA draft and plan to hire an agent. I thank everyone who has helped me reach this decision because it was not easy. I strive to get better as a person and a player everyday, everything that Villanova has instilled in me will allow me to reach all goals I have in mind. Thank you everyone who has supported me and the continuous support going forward. Once a Wildcat, Always a Wildcat. I love you Nova Nation. \\\///

A post shared by Donte Divincenzo (@divincenzo10) on May 29, 2018 at 11:45am PDT

DiVincenzo's stock soared during the NCAA tournament, when he won Final Four Most Outstanding Player and helped lead the Wildcats to a national championship. He scored 31 points in Villanova's title game victory over Michigan after finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds against Kansas in the semifinals.

DiVincenzo worked out for multiple NBA teams over the past several weeks and impressed at the NBA draft combine.

The decision caps a rapid ascension for DiVincenzo, a borderline first-round pick in most mock drafts, since his college career began. The 6-foot-5 Delaware native redshirted his first season at Villanova after being unranked as a high school senior.

He played a key bench role as a redshirt freshman before breaking out last season, averaging 13.4 points and 4.8 rebounds to win Big East Sixth Man of the Year.

Villanova coach Jay Wright sent congratulations to DiVincenzo via Twitter on Tuesday.

Wright and the Wildcats now wait for a decision from Omari Spellman, who entered the draft but did not sign with an agent. Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson announced in early April they were both leaving college and signing with agents.

The deadline for players to withdraw from the draft is Wednesday.