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SPORTS Wednesday 4 april 2018

Villanova’s 6th man breaks out in starring role vs Michigan

By RALPH D. RUSSO go through in their matura-
AP College Sports Writer tion in this game, and he’s
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Don- done that, and what a spe-
te DiVincenzo’s biggest cial player.”
contribution to Villanova’s DiVincenzo was on the
2016 national champion- bench when Kris Jenkins hit
ship was made at practice, the winner at the buzzer to
often playing the role of the give Villanova the champi-
opponents’ best player. onship against North Caro-
The Michael Jordan of Del- lina.
aware, as his teammates In this title gamer, on a
call him, has come a long team with AP player of the
way from a redshirt fresh- year Jalen Brunson and po-
man season that was frus- tential NBA lottery pick Mi-
trating at times, but prob- kal Bridges, DiVincenzo was
ably helped set the stage the go-to guy.
for a bigger role toward The Big Ragu, another nick-
Villanova’s next national name, finished 10 for 15
championship. from the field, with five re-
DiVincenzo was the break- bounds, three assists and
out star of the NCAA Tour- two blocked shots.
nament title game Monday DiVincenzo said adjusting
night, scoring a career-high to coming off the bench
31 points against Michigan early this season was not
in a 79-62 victory that gave easy at first. Now?
the Wildcats two titles in “I wouldn’t want it any
three seasons. other way, honestly,” said
“Donte’s willingness to DiVincenzo, who came in
come off the bench this averaging 13 points per
year and be the sixth man game. “If I was starting
really separated us from this year and we made
other teams. He was a sixth a change in the midway
starter,” Villanova coach through the year or some-
Jay Wright said. “He had thing like that, it would
a clear head and he did have messed up what we
whatever we needed all had. And those guys know
year. Tonight we needed Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo (10) goes up for a shot past Michigan’s Charles Matthews (1) during what I was bringing off the
31. I didn’t think we’d need the second half in the championship game of the Final Four NCAA college basketball tournament, bench and I knew what
him to do that but he has Monday, April 2, 2018, in San Antonio. those guys started with. So
done it, so we’ll take it.” Angeles Clippers. against Kentucky. there competing with these I didn’t want to mess that
When Villanova was strug- “Me and Josh have a “Honestly, when I got into guys,” DiVincenzo said. up.”
gling with its shots early in unique relationship,” DiVin- the game, all I was trying to He was healthy enough to What DiVincenzo brought
the first half, DiVincenzo cenzo said as he held court do was play hard,” DiVin- practice and played the Monday night was the
provided a wakeup call with reporters in the locker cenzo said. “I just wanted role of Oklahoma All-Amer- highest scoring game for
for the Wildcats. He scored room long after most of the to help my team offensive- ican Buddy Hield as the any single player against
16 and was the main rea- players were done doing ly.” Wildcats prepared to play Michigan this season and
son why the Wildcats were interviews. “We compete DiVincenzo was just a the Sooners in the 2016 na- the most points ever in
able to erase an early sev- against each other so hard. cheerleader and practice tional semifinals. an NCAA championship
en-point deficit against a We got into a lot. I think squad player for Villanova “Here’s a kid that went to game by a non-starter.
Michigan defense that was we’re so similar, that’s the during that championship Villanova and redshirted “He’s a killer,” Brunson said.
one of the stingiest in the reason why. I knew he was run in the 2015-16 sea- a year,” Michigan coach “He carried us tonight.”q
nation. proud at that moment.” son. The sophomore from John Beilein said. “You say,
In the second half, when DiVincenzo became the Newark, Delaware, broke ‘redshirt,’ to a kid right now,
Michigan tried to make first non-starter to win most his foot early in his fresh- it’s like, ‘Hey, how would you
a move, DiVincenzo put outstanding player of the man season and was lim- like to have the bubonic
down the uprising with 11 Final Four since Luke Han- ited to eight games and a plague?’ And he redshirts,
straight points and a wink cock in 2013 Louisville, medical redshirt, though and there he is right now,
toward the sideline at his and the first player with a he probably could have scoring 30-some points in
buddy and former Wildcats 30-point NCAA champi- played later. the national championship
star Josh Hart, who is in his onship game since Miles “That year versus this year game. There’s a process
rookie season with the Los Simon of Arizona in 1997 it was tough not being out that young men have to