Very rarely do college teammates get to continue their basketball journeys together into the NBA. But, that is what former Villanova Wildcats teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo are doing with the New York Knicks.
The former college champions, along with point guard Ryan Arcidiacono, have all played roles with the Knicks over the last two seasons. Arcidiacono has had two stints with the franchise, followed by Brunson signing as a free agent in 2022.
Hart was acquired ahead of the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline from the Portland Trail Blazers and was an instant hit with the fan base and head coach Tom Thibodeau. DiVincenzo was signed this past offseason and has proven to be the perfect addition to the team as well.
Throughout the 2023-24 NBA season, the Knicks have received excellent contributions from each player. Brunson was a first-time All-Star, Hart is the kind of glue guy that every winning team has and DiVincenzo is one of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA this season.
On Monday night against the Detroit Pistons, that trio accomplished something that hasn’t been done in over 70 years. Brunson led the way with 35 points, while Hart scored 23 and DiVincenzo poured in 21.
According to Alan Hahn, the Nova Knicks are the first college teammates to each score 20+ points in the same NBA game since 1950. The last time it was done was by the Indianapolis Olympians on January 27th, 1950 when Kentucky alums Alex Gorza, Wah Wah Jones and Ralph Beard scored 23, 23, and 22 points, respectively.
It is much rarer nowadays for college teammates to end up on the same team in the NBA as the player pool is much more diverse. For example, that Olympian team had six different players from Kentucky.
What Brunson, Hart and DiVincenzo accomplished was an incredible achievement. It could very easily be another 74 years until it is done, especially with the NBA having such an influx of international players who aren’t even attending colleges any longer.
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