Josh Hart Withdraws from 2016 NBA Draft: Latest Comments and Reaction

Guard Josh Hart was a critical piece of the Villanova Wildcats’ national championship-winning team in 2015-16, and he will be back to help them defend the title in 2016-17.

He took to Twitter on Tuesday to share his decision to withdraw from the 2016 NBA draft:   

Hart’s decision to return to school comes after Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com reported earlier in the offseason the guard would “go through the NBA draft evaluation process.”

He was invited to the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago in mid-May and went through some of that process, but he likely saw a return to the collegiate ranks as his best chance to improve his professional stock.

Hart has demonstrated steady improvement in his three years on campus. He has increased his scoring, rebounding, assists and minutes per game every season as he developed into one of the team’s go-to options alongside Kris Jenkins. Hart led the Wildcats in points per game and finished second in rebounds per game last year despite his status as a 6’5” guard:

Season	Minutes	Points	Assists	Rebounds	Field-Goal Percentage	Three-Point Percentage
2013-14	21.4	7.8	0.9	4.4	50	31.3
2014-15	25.5	10.1	1.5	4.5	51.5	46.4
2015-16	31.4	15.5	1.9	6.8	51.3	35.7

The guard also helped carry the offense in the pressure-packed moments of the NCAA tournament. He scored in double figures in Villanova’s final five games in the Big Dance and torched Oklahoma during a 95-51 blowout in the Final Four with 23 points and eight rebounds.

He tallied 12 points and eight boards against North Carolina in the national title game.

Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress provided a scouting report for Hart that underscored just how effective he is in a number of different areas:

"

[Hart] is one of the best two-way shooting guards in college basketball, bringing a strong defensive and rebounding presence with a solid jump-shot, a high basketball IQ and the ability to play multiple positions and roles depending on what's asked of him on any given night. He spaces the floor effectively and is opportunistic with his ability to create his own shot out of pick and roll and isolation situations.

"

Despite the positive review, Hart was not included in the most recent mock draft on DraftExpress, which was last updated on May 15.

If Hart turns in another strong showing in his senior season, he would likely further land on NBA teams’ radars, especially after winning a national title as a junior. He already made an appearance at the combine, and Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv noted he had workouts scheduled with the San Antonio Spurs and Atlanta Hawks.

Zagoria also said Hart interviewed with a number of teams in Chicago, so he has done enough to at least merit consideration.

He will now have a chance to earn even more consideration as the Wildcats go for back-to-back championships.