Donte DiVincenzo Will Remain in 2018 NBA Draft, Won't Return to Villanova

Villanova Wildcats sophomore guard Donte DiVincenzo will remain in the 2018 NBA draft and forgo his final two years of eligibility, Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania reported Tuesday.

DiVincenzo averaged 13.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 2017-18. He won Final Four Most Outstanding Player after scoring a game-high 31 points in Villanova's national championship victory over the Michigan Wolverines.

In addition to his NCAA tournament heroics, DiVincenzo gave a strong showing at the NBA's predraft combine.

"He continued to make an impression with his energy and athleticism by pushing the pace, creating turnovers and rising above bigs in traffic to grab rebounds," Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman wrote of DiVincenzo. "Exiting the combine with the highest standing leap (34.5"), tied for the top max vertical (42.0") and the fifth-fastest lane agility time (10.72), DiVincenzo was an obvious winner."

Wasserman ranked DiVincenzo at No. 17 in his most recent big board.

Since he looks like a solid bet for the first round, staying in the 2018 draft is a sensible decision for DiVincenzo. He could've potentially improved his draft stock with another season at Villanova, but there's only so much higher he would've climbed if he's already considered a mid-first-rounder. And one major injury is all it takes to significantly alter a player's pro prospects.

Between DiVincenzo, Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson, the defending national champions are losing a lot of talent from last year's squad. The Wildcats are welcoming a 2018 recruiting class that includes 5-star point guard Jahvon Quinerly and a pair of 4-star forwards, Cole Swider and Brandon Slater.

Those three freshmen will likely need to assume big roles for Villanova as it looks to get back to the Final Four in 2019.