“Arcidiacono. Gives it to Jenkins. For the championship!” These words marked a historic NCAA championship run from the Villanova Wildcats in 2016. Now, nearly seven years later the core players of this team look to win a different championship, but this time in the NBA.
As of September 15, the New York Knicks signed yet another former Wildcat in Ryan Arcidiacono, now making it four players from the 2016 March Madness winning team. This comes nearly two months after the Knicks signed Donte Divincenzo to a four-year $50 million deal. These two join star point guard Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, giving them the nickname “The Nova Knicks.”
Meet the Knicks
Each of these players provide different, but important value to this Knicks team that will look to be legit contenders this season.
Jalen Brunson leads the way for the team as he is arguably their best player, although Julius Randle and RJ Barrett can make their case too. Regardless, he is the team’s true point guard and was one of the main reasons the Knicks performed so well last season.
He averaged 24.0 points, 6.2 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game, reaching career highs in points, assists, and steals. Brunson also led the team in assists per game and sits 1 PPG behind Randle for the team lead in points. He also proved to be efficient from all over the court holding shooting splits of 49.1/41.6/82.9 (FG/3P/FT). Much like he did in college, Brunson was a driving force for this team in the postseason, making him the top Wildcat on this roster.
Next up is Josh Hart, who joined the team in the middle of last season via trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. Ironically, his newest teammate, Arcidiacono, was included in this trade for Hart, delaying the 2016 NCAA Championship reunion to this upcoming season.
Hart was a glue guy for the Knicks as he did everything for them. Whether he started or played off the bench he always put his heart on the court. He’s by far one of the hardest working players in the league, something Villanova seems to produce. In his twenty-five games with the Knicks he put up 10.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.4 SPG, and 0.5 BPG. He was also an extremely efficient shooter in his 25 games, shooting 58.6% from the field and 51.9% from three-point land. He was a crucial part of this team and will look to continue his hard work in the 2023-24 season.
Donte Divincenzo is entering his sixth NBA season and will be joining his third team in the Knicks. Throughout his career he has been a crucial rotational piece for winning teams. In his career he put up stats of 9.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, and 1.2 SPG. He won an NBA championship in 2021 with the Milwaukee Bucks; the only “Nova Knicks” player to get a ring in both the NBA and the NCAA. He now looks to earn another ring with his former college teammates.
Up last is the Knicks newest acquisition in Ryan Arcidiacono, but he is no stranger to this team. This will be his third season with the Knicks despite a quick tenure with the Trailblazers due to the Josh Hart trade. Throughout his whole career he’s been a valuable piece off the bench, something he looks to continue with the Knicks this season. Although he doesn’t have the best stats, he’s proven to be a hard-working leader. He’ll also provide team chemistry joining his 2016 NCAA winning teammates.
These four Wildcats-turned-Knicks will prove to be a top team in the Eastern conference this season. As the NBA season nears a return, look out for the “Nova Knicks” to make a deep playoff run and potentially an NBA title.
