Donte DiVincenzo Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Ivey, DiVincenzo, Lin, Bridges

May 23rd, 2018 at 10:39pm CST by clarkcrum

In some similar news for two different franchises from the Atlantic Division, both the Knicks and the Sixers are reportedly interested in hiring Royal Ivey as an assistant coach, reports Michael Scotto of The Athletic and Ian Begley of ESPN.

Ivey, who is from New York City, has been an assistant coach for the Thunder for the last two seasons after starting his post-playing career as a coach for their G League team, the Blue, but could perhaps be looking for an opportunity closer to home.

Per Begley, Ivey has already interviewed with the Knicks for a position of new coach David Fizdale’s staff, while the Sixers are reported to simply have interest in the 36 year old at this time.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Celtics’ President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge is apparently interested in combine standout and Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo, as the former NBA guard and the current Wildcat went to lunch together after DiVincenzo’s workout in Boston, reports Adam Zagoria of SportsNet New York.
In a wide-ranging piece for The Athletic, Mike Vorkunov details the return from injury for Nets’ point guard Jeremy Lin, who signed a three-year, $36 million contract in 2016 but has been unable to play very often since signing the deal, appearing in only 37 games in the past two seasons. Lin now says he is nearly ready to play and “pretty much at that point where everything is good to go.”
One target and/or option for the Knicks at No. 9 in the upcoming 2018 NBA Draft is Villanova swingman Mikal Bridges. Per Ian Begley of ESPN, team president Steve Mills, GM Scott Perry, and director of scouting Kristian Petesi were all at his pro day today in New York.

Draft Notes: Bowen, Vital, Shabazz, Ona Embo

May 22nd, 2018 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

After being linked to a scandal at Louisville, 6’7″ wing Brian Bowen II transferred to South Carolina, but has still not been cleared by the NCAA or played in a single college game. As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes, it has been a frustrating journey for Bowen, who calls it “the biggest thing I’ve ever been through in my life.”

The NCAA’s deadline for early entrants to withdraw from the NBA draft and retain their college eligibility is May 30, meaning Bowen only has about another week to make up his mind. As of now, the NCAA has offered little clarity on whether or not he can expect to be cleared for the 2018/19 season, complicating his decision. Still, as Reynolds details, Bowen is trying to stay positive.

“Everything happens for a reason,” Bowen said. “Somebody’s situation is always going to be worse than mine. Other people in my family have worse situations than I have. I just have to learn, use it as a learning experience, use it as motivation and have a chip on my shoulder.”

Here’s more on the 2018 NBA draft:

UConn guard Christian Vital has officially withdrawn his name from the 2018 draft pool, tweets Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com. Vital, who averaged 14.9 PPG and 5.4 RPG in his sophomore year with the Huskies, had announced his decision with a tweet that suggested he has “unfinished business” at UConn.
Appalachian State junior guard Ronshad Shabazz confirmed to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman (Twitter link) that he’ll be removing his name from the 2018 NBA draft. Shabazz, who wasn’t considered likely to be drafted, was facing a May 30 deadline for his decision to withdraw.
Tulane guard Ray Ona Embo, who had been testing the draft waters without an agent, is expected to head back to school for his junior season, tweets Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. Embo averaged 10.1 PPG, 3.3 APG, and 3.2 RPG with a .432/.365/.719 shooting line in 2017/18.
Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post rounds up several of his observations from last week’s draft combine, writing that Kevin Huerter (Maryland), Donte DiVincenzo (Villanova), and Grayson Allen (Duke) were among the big winners in Chicago.

Donte DiVincenzo Expected To Remain In Draft

May 21st, 2018 at 1:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Villanova sophomore guard Donte DiVincenzo is expected to remain the draft barring an injury or significant change in performance during workouts, according to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.

DiVincenzo’s stock soared during last week’s draft combine, according to Scott Gleeson of USA Today. He tied the combine’s best with a 42-inch vertical leap, Gleeson notes. He also hustled, defended well, made pinpoint passes and showed playmaking ability, Gleeson adds.

The 6’5” combo guard was ranked No. 33 on ESPN Jonathan Givony’s Top 100 prospects list prior to the combine and has now proven himself to be a first-round talent.

DiVincenzo worked out for the Celtics on Monday, Adam Zagoria of the New York Times tweets. Boston owns the No. 27 overall pick.

DiVincenzo was the breakout star in the national championship game against Michigan, pouring in 31 points and draining five 3-pointers. He averaged 13.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 3.5 APG in 29.3 MPG during the Wildcats’ championship season while making 40.1% of his 3-pointers.

DiVincenzo is showing that he can do more than just fill up the net, as he told Charania.

“I’m more than just a shooter,” he said. “I want to show teams that I can do more. Playing point guard is one big thing that teams want to see — if I can control the tempo, get into the offense, get shots and pocket passes.”

Draft Notes: DiVincenzo, Spellman, Walker, Bearden

May 19th, 2018 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Coach Jay Wright will recommend to Donte DiVincenzo and Omari Spellman that they return to Villanova if it doesn’t look like they’ll be drafted in the first round, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. DiVincenzo goes to the Mavericks at No. 33 in the latest mock draft compiled by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, while Spellman isn’t projected to be taken. Players have until May 30 to make their decisions.

“Omari and Donte are out there to try to prove themselves as first-round picks,” Wright said of his players’ trips to the NBA Draft Combine. “For them, I hope they are. And I think this process has been good for them. I think they will get some good information.”

DiVincenzo met with the Lakers, Magic, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, Spurs, Hawks and Grizzlies at the combine and said he received a lot of “positive feedback.” Spellman has upcoming workouts with the Lakers [May 23], Clippers [May 24], Spurs [26] and Jazz [28] that will likely influence his decision, Zagoria adds.

There’s more draft news as the deadline for decisions draws closer:

The Sixers may consider Miami guard Lonnie Walker at No. 10, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Walker met with Philadelphia officials Friday and was impressed by the experience. “It went well,” he said. “See a little bit of Elton Brand and all those guys, I felt like a little kid, seeing guys I watched on TV.” Givony has Walker projected at No. 13 to the Clippers.
Lamonte Bearden of Western Kentucky will sign with an agent and stay in the draft, tweets ESPN’s Jeff Goodman. The guard averaged 11.8 points and 3.4 assists as a redshirt junior.
Kent State’s Jaylin Walker tweeted that he will return to school for his senior season. He averaged 16.6 points per game for the Golden Flashes this season.
The Nuggets have pre-draft workouts scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, the team announced in an e-mail. Scheduled to appear at Monday’s session are Tyler Davis of Texas A&M, Cody Martin of Nevada, William McDowell-White of Brose Bamberg, Isaiah Reese of Canisius, Admiral Schofield of Tennessee and Reid Travis of Stanford. Tuesday’s schedule features Tyler Cook of Iowa, Jon Elmore of Marshall, Ethan Happ of Wisconsin, Mustapha Heron of Auburn, Charles Matthews of Michigan and Shamorie Ponds of St. John’s.

Combine Notes: Bridges, Sixers, DiVincenzo, Sexton

May 18th, 2018 at 2:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Michigan State wing Miles Bridges, a probable lottery pick, interviewed with the Bulls, Pacers, Kings, Cavaliers, Spurs, Nuggets, and Clippers earlier this week, and was set to meet with the Sixers, Hornets, and Knicks on Friday, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Bridges is one of several intriguing prospects the Sixers are meeting with in Chicago this week, according to Pompey, who adds Missouri forward Michael Porter Jr., Michigan State power forward Jaren Jackson Jr., and IMG Academy guard Anfernee Simons to that list. Kentucky’s Hamidou Diallo was also scheduled to interview with Philadelphia on Friday, Pompey tweets.

Finally, Pompey has details on Villanova’s Donte DiVincenzo, who has been impressing NBA evaluators at this week’s combine and says he’s received plenty of “positive feedback.” According to Pompey, DiVincenzo has had meetings with the Lakers, Magic, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Cavaliers, Spurs, Hawks, and Grizzlies in Chicago.

Here’s more on meetings taking place at the combine:

Creighton guard Khyri Thomas has met – or will meet – with the Trail Blazers, Suns, Bulls, Wizards, Hawks, Celtics, and Lakers at this week’s draft combine, writes Jason Quick of The Oregonian. Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News adds the Jazz to that list. Thomas is viewed as a potential first-round pick, ranking 23rd on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com.
Miami guard Lonnie Walker, the No. 14 prospect on Givony’s top 100, met with the Knicks and a few other top-10 teams at the combine, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com.
Landry Shamet (Wichita State), Moritz Wagner (Michigan), and Wendell Carter Jr. (Duke) were among the prospects to interview with the Timberwolves this week, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
Miami swingman Bruce Brown Jr. and Alabama guard Collin Sexton are among the combine participants who have met with the Magic, according to Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links). According to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer, Sexton also met with the Hornets this week and expects to work out for Charlotte sometime before the draft.
The Grizzlies and Hawks were among the teams to interview Kansas guard Devonte’ Graham this week, writes Eric Woodard of The Deseret News.
South Carolina wing Brian Bowen may not stay in the draft, but he has been busy lately. According to Woodyard, Bowen had pre-draft workouts with the Nets, Celtics, Spurs, and Jazz, and interviewed with the Timberwolves, Raptors, and Kings at the combine.

Draft Notes: DiVincenzo, Hutchison, Bamba, Cheatham

May 17th, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Villanova sophomore Donte DiVincenzo, who is participating in 5-on-5 play at this week’s draft combine in Chicago, has yet to hire an agent, which gives him the opportunity of returning to the Wildcats for his junior year. However, he tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that he expects to go pro if he’s confident by the May 30 withdrawal deadline that he’ll be drafted in the first round.

“I think I have a really good chance to being a late first-round pick,” DiVincenzo told Wojnarowski. “Obviously, things can change, other people can fall in the draft. I’m aware of that. But my confidence level is that I can be a first-round pick.”

As DiVincenzo looks to prove his worth, let’s round up a few more draft-related items…

We heard on Wednesday that Boise State’s Chandler Hutchison had withdrawn from the combine, though at the time the reason was unclear. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony tweets that Hutchison has also canceled all his workouts after receiving assurances that he’s found a “safe landing spot.” Givony speculates that a team picking in the 20s may have given Hutchison a promise.
The NBA released the official list of measurements for 2018’s draft combine participants today, and there are some interesting results hidden within that list. The most notable measurement might belong to Mohamed Bamba, who has a staggering 7’10” wingspan.
Florida Gulf Coast guard Haanif Cheatham, who had been testing the NBA draft waters without an agent, will return to school for his senior year, coach Michael Fly tells ESPN’s Jeff Goodman (Twitter link).

Draft Notes: Childs, Combine, DiVincenzo, Knox

May 16th, 2018 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

BYU forward Yoeli Childs is the latest early entrant to remove his name from 2018’s NBA draft class, announcing late on Tuesday night (via Twitter) that he won’t be going pro quite yet.

“After several weeks of prayer, talking with my family, those close to me, and NBA teams, I feel the best decision for my future and my family is to return to BYU for my junior year!” Childs wrote in his statement.

In his sophomore year, Childs averaged 17.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 1.8 BPG for the Cougars. However, his odds to be drafted in 2018 weren’t great. The 6’8″ forward will head back to BYU looking to improve his draft stock during his junior year in 2018/19.

Here are more draft-related notes and rumors from around the league:

With the NBA draft combine set to begin today in Chicago, Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz of ESPN.com preview the event, providing a schedule of what to expect for the rest of the week and identifying several prospects who could most significantly hurt or help their draft stocks in the coming days.
According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link), Villanova sharpshooter Donte DiVincenzo “has some real fans in NBA circles,” and is a legit candidate to come off the board late in the first round. DiVincenzo is still technically just testing the draft waters without an agent, but he’s probably a good bet to go pro if he gets that sort of feedback from NBA evaluators.
Kyler passes along another note from the combine, tweeting that Kevin Knox‘s stock may be on the rise, as his initial workout schedule includes several teams in the top 10.
Former Seton Hall forward Desi Rodriguez has worked out for the Nets and Celtics so far in the pre-draft process, tweets Zach Braziller of The New York Post.

Donte DiVincenzo To Test NBA Draft Waters

April 19th, 2018 at 10:16am CST by Luke Adams

The star of the 2018 NCAA National Championship is considering going pro, as Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo confirmed today he’ll test the NBA draft waters. According to a press release from the Wildcats, DiVincenzo won’t hire an agent, retaining his remaining NCAA eligibility if he decides to withdraw before next month’s deadline.

[RELATED: 2018 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]

A redshirt sophomore, DiVincenzo enjoyed a breakout season for Villanova in 2017/18, recording 13.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, and 3.5 APG with a .481/.401/.710 shooting line for the eventual champs. He capped the year by racking up 31 points on 10-of-15 shooting off the bench in the Wildcats’ title game win over Michigan.

DiVincenzo is the 33rd-ranked prospect on Jonathan Givony’s big board at ESPN.com. However, the Villanova guard didn’t show up on Givony’s most recent two-round mock draft.

Villanova underclassmen Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson have already declared for the 2018 NBA draft and won’t return to school. DiVincenzo now joins teammate Omari Spellman among potential Wildcats early entrants who are testing the waters. The school announced today that two more underclassmen – Phil Booth and Eric Paschall – will return for their senior years.