Earlier this week, we continued our celebration of the previous decade of Villanova basketball by dropping our starters for the program’s all-decade team. There were a few slam-dunk selections and a few that required some debate, but ultimately, we thought the starting five should be Ryan Arcidiacono, Jalen Brunson, Phil Booth, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart.
Today, we’ll round out the roster with the rest of our picks for the all-decade team.
G Maalik Wayns
12.5 points, 3.4 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 0.9 steals
We start the list with some players who played with the Wildcats before their ascension to their current heights. That eventual rise makes the early part of the decade feel longer ago than it really was, but the fact remains that they were excellent players who played a role in laying the foundation for where the program currently is, and we’d be remiss if we were to forget about their contributions.
Wayns was one of the first elite members of the team in the early days of the decade, hitting the Main Line as a highly touted recruit who lived up to the billing immediately by claiming a spot on the Big East All-Freshman team in 2010. In 2011-12, his third and final season at Villanova, Wayns was named All-Big East Second Team after averaging 17.6 points, 4.6 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and one steal.
He proceeded to represent Villanova in the NBA and ranks 22nd in assists in program history.
G James Bell
8.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.4 blocks
The numbers aren’t overwhelming, but there’s no denying Bell’s contributions to the program. He was an early poster boy for the type of player that would ultimately define Villanova’s future success. A four-year player, Bell showed steady improvement year-over-year and embraced his evolving role from season to season.
During his senior season he averaged 14.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.3 steals as a leader on the team that served as the jumping-off point for what the program would become over the second half of the decade. In the win over Kansas at the Battle 4 Atlantis that we often cite as a turning point for the program, it was Bell who secured the final rebound and iced the game at the free-throw line after Arcidiacono’s go-ahead three.
His efforts in 2013-14 earned him a First Team All-Big East selection, and he left Villanova ranked 64th in points and tied for 33rd in steals.
F JayVaughn Pinkston
11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.6 blocks
Pinkston was another player who embraced the culture at Villanova and helped to build said culture, playing whatever role was asked of him. A look at his shots demonstrates his changing role within the program. As a freshman, Pinkston attempted 41 three-pointers, connecting at a 36.6 percent clip. His number of long-range attempts would decrease each year at ‘Nova, with him taking only six as a senior. His overall field goal attempts paint a similar picture, peaking in his junior season with 307. But as a senior, he attempted fewer shots (225) than he did as a freshman (238).
For a player of Pinkston’s caliber, that’s not usually how things play out at Villanova, or at the collegiate level in general. Yet through it all, we never heard even a hint of a complaint. Instead, he kept doing what he was asked. He continued to rebound, defend, and lead. He often was there in big moments and exemplified the team-first attitude that has come to define the program and has played such a big part in its success.
Despite the changes in role, Pinkston earned two All-Big East selections, a third-team nod in 2012-13 and a second-team selection in 2013-14.
His contributions are recognized in the program’s all-time numbers, where he ranks 23rd in points, 20th in rebounds, 31st in steals, and 18th in blocks.
G Darrun Hilliard
11.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.4 steals
Hillard his yet another beacon of the culture at Villanova and of what can be accomplished by buying into the system and putting in the work.
Arriving at ‘Nova as an unheralded recruit, he averaged 4.8 points and shot 29.2 percent from three as a freshman. As a senior, he averaged 14.3 points and connected on 38.7 percent of his long-range shots. He started every game of his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons, helping the ‘Cats transition into the juggernaut they have become.
After his junior season, he was recognized for his improvement by being named the Big East’s Most Improved Player and capped his career with First Team All-Conference and First Team All-Big East Tournament selections before representing Villanova in the NBA.
Hilliard ranks 30th in Villanova history in points, is tied for 34th in assists, and is 11th in steals.
F/C Daniel Ochefu
7.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.3 blocks
Another player whose numbers don’t jump off the page but who was indispensable to the program’s success.
A steadily improving offensive game combined with his attention to detail helped Ochefu become a key cog on the 2016 national championship team. Perhaps nothing highlights that better than the late stages of that title game against North Carolina when Ochefu took a mop to ensure the spot on the court where he would set a crucial screen on the final play of the game was dried properly.
Ochefu brought great leadership and helped to instill a calm mentality on an incredibly talented team that was under great pressure to shake the moniker of a regular-season juggernaut that couldn’t perform under the pressure of March.
He secured a Big East Most Improved Player Award in addition to being named NCAA All-Region during the 2016 title run and would add another notch to the ‘Nova players in the NBA list. Ochefu ranks 7th in school history in rebounds and 5th in blocks. He is also tied for 65th in points and is 36th in steals.
F Kris Jenkins
9.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists
All we really need to say is that the guy hit the biggest shot in Villanova history, and one of the biggest in the history of college basketball, to lift ‘Nova to its first national championship in 30 years. But Kris Jenkins is much more than just that one incredible moment.
Jenkins three-point proficiency was integral to the spacing and flow of Villanova’s offense and helped the program fully embrace something that Jay Wright and staff had been exploring: more three’s are better.
In addition to his shot for the ages, Jenkins was twice named First Team All-Big East Tournament and was NCAA All-Region in 2016. He ranks 38th in school history in points, 42nd in assists, and is tied for 40th in steals.
G Donte DiVincenzo
10.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals
DiVincenzo represents one of the more meteoric rises we’ve ever seen at Villanova. His story shares some parallels with Hilliard and Mikal Bridges. Like Hilliard, he arrived at ‘Nova somewhat unheralded, ranked 120th in his class by Rivals. Like Bridges, the pure athleticism and tantalizing potential were evident from day one, as were the questions as to whether he could put it all together.
And put it all together he did. After an injury-shortened freshman campaign in which he averaged 1.7 points and shot just 28.6 percent from the field and 17.6 percent from three, he averaged 13.4 points on 48.1 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from three in his final season on the Main Line. He scored 31 points off the bench to propel the ‘Cats to their second national title in three years and became a top-20 pick in the NBA Draft. All in the course of three years.
By the time he moved on to the NBA, he piled up a Big East All-Freshman selection, a Big East Sixth Man of the Year Award, an NCAA All-Tournament honor, and an NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Award.
F Omari Spellman
10.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocks
Despite a short stay at Villanova Spellman made an outsized impact. He was integral to the success of the 2018 national championship team and was representative of the evolution we are seeing in the game of basketball.
At 6-9, he was considered a big man and could certainly bang down low and make an impact clearing the boards and being disruptive at the rim. But it was his three-point shooting that made him so special, and so important to Villanova’s success.
Shooting 43.3 percent from deep in his lone season at Villanova, Spellman created matchup nightmares for the opposition. Forced to choose between using a traditional defender who Spellman could draw out to the perimeter or a smaller one who could be punished inside, Villanova was presented with near-constant advantages that allowed the offense to thrive.
Spellman was an excellent representative of the program, handling a questionable NCAA decision that forced him to sit out a year with the utmost class despite his clear frustration and disappointment. During his time off the court, he dedicated himself to getting his body right while preparing as much as possible for his return to the court. The results speak for themselves.
Spellman was named to the Big East All-Freshman Team in addition to being the league’s Rookie of the Year. He topped it off with selection to the NCAA Tournament All-Region team before becoming yet another representative of the program in the NBA.
F Eric Paschall
11.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists
A transfer from Fordham that lived up to his billing, we wrap up our list of the Villanova Players of the Decade with another integral part of the 2018 championship team and the overall success of the program in the second half of the decade.
After an atrocious start from beyond the arc, Paschall found his stroke and became a reliable three-point threat in addition to being a consistent rebounder and inside scorer. His athleticism was huge for the ‘Cats at both ends of the floor, and it all added up to him being a key component of Villanova’s impressive success.
He leaves ‘Nova with an All-Big East First Team selection, a First Team All-Big East Tournament Team selection, and an NCAA All-Tournament selection. He ranks 48th in school history in scoring, tied for 41st in rebounds, and tied for 22nd in blocks. Next season, he will join the ranks of players representing Villanova in the NBA.
