Donte DiVincenzo

Wheat Hotchkiss

In many ways, it's relatively easy to forecast which players will be first-round draft picks. Scan the top of any mock draft and you'll find a host of players that fit a certain mold.

Many are one-and-done freshman phenoms, the who's who of their high school recruiting class. Others are international stars who have already made a name for themselves playing professionally overseas. Others could have maybe been a first-round pick a year earlier, but elected to return to school and improve their draft stock.

But Keita Bates-Diop and Donte DiVincenzo, two likely first-round picks who took part in Friday's pre-draft workout at the St. Vincent Center, are an exception to the rule.

This time a year ago, neither was on anyone's draft radar. Bates-Diop was forced to redshirt in his third season at Ohio State after sustaining a leg injury. DiVincenzo was a role player as a redshirt freshman at Villanova, an afterthought on a loaded Wildcats roster that featured the likes of Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins, Jalen Brunson, and Mikal Bridges.

But both took quantum leaps over the past 365 days. Bates-Diop was the Big Ten Player of the Year. DiVincenzo was the Most Outstanding Player at the 2018 Final Four. And after testing well at the combine, both players appear to be locks to hear their name called by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in the first round of the draft on June 21 at Barclays Center.

"Honestly, I don't think I could have told you I was going to be in this position last summer," DiVincenzo said on Friday. "If you told me I was going to be in this position, I'd tell you you're crazy. It's been a blessing."

The 6-5 shooting guard had a solid season for Villanova, averaging 13.4 points and 3.5 assists per game while knocking down 40 percent of his 3-point attempts and was named Sixth Man of the Year in the Big East. But it was his performance in the national championship game that really put him on people's radar.

Against Michigan, DiVincenzo exploded for 31 points, five rebounds, and three assists, going 10-for-15 from the field and 5-for-7 from the 3-point line. Suddenly, he went from an NBA afterthought to a hot commodity.

But he's proven that performance wasn't a fluke in the pre-draft process. His athleticism was on full display at the NBA Draft Combine last month in Chicago, where he tied for the highest vertical leap at 42 inches and was one of the best players in 5-on-5 scrimmages, flying all around the court while amassing 17 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and six steals in a pair of games.

In the past few weeks, DiVincenzo's stock has continued to rise in most mock drafts. Some mocks, like a recent one from Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler, have him going to the Pacers with the 23rd overall pick, but many others have him going off the board before Indiana's selection.

Though he mainly projects as a shooting guard, DiVincenzo has the playmaking ability to potentially slide over to point guard on occasion and the athleticism to guard multiple positions on the perimeter.

"I really pride myself on trying to be versatile," he said. "I try to use my athleticism and my strength to be able to guard bigger guys, and being able to guard bigger guys is going to get me more minutes on the floor."

Because of the talent around him at Villanova, DiVincenzo played a very specific "3-and-D" role similar to what he will likely be asked to play in the NBA, so that should help him as he makes his transition to the pro game. As he continues to work out for teams in the days leading up to the draft, DiVincenzo has a focused mindset.

"Just going in there not trying to do anything outside myself, going in knowing what I'm capable of and getting after it," he said. "A lot of guys kind of get complacent with how they do in one game, but I just want to compete. So every game I play in, it's a brand new beginning for me."

Bates-Diop's rise up draft boards hasn't been quite as dramatic, but he had a similar breakthrough over the past year.

Bates-Diop was a solid player as a sophomore in 2015-16, averaging 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game for the Buckeyes, but saw action in just nine contests the next year before a stress fracture in his left leg forced him to redshirt.

He broke out in a big way as a redshirt junior, averaging 19.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game to help Ohio State emerge as one of the surprise teams in all of college basketball. In what was expected to be a down year, the Buckeyes went 15-3 in conference play and were a top-25 team for most of the year.

The biggest reason was the play of Bates-Diop, who demonstrated an ability to score the ball at all three levels and a knack for rising to the occasion in big moments. Look no further than his performance in a stunning Jan. 7 win over Michigan State — then the number one team in the country — when he amassed 32 points, seven rebounds, and three steals.

Bates-Diop credits a lot of his success to Chris Holtmann, who took over the reins in Columbus last spring after four years at Butler.

"We just kind of created a bond," Bates-Diop said. "We played off each other, bounced ideas off each other, and it worked really well."

The Big Ten Player of the Year also has drawn scouts' attention in the pre-draft process. His wingspan was measured at over 7-3 at the combine, meaning he's an ideal fit as a wing defender who can guard multiple positions.

There are questions about his shooting, as he was up-and-down in college, converting 35.9 percent of his 3-point attempts. But physically, Bates-Diop has most of the tools teams are looking for in a wing.

Bates-Diop also could fit a position of need for the Pacers. While Indiana is expected to return most of its core from the team that won 48 games a year ago, there are question marks at the small forward position. Starter Bojan Bogdanovic's contract is only partially guaranteed for next season and even if Indiana elects to bring him back, he'll be 30 years old and a free agent next summer. The only other true small forward with NBA experience on the roster is Glenn Robinson III, who enters free agency this summer.

Indiana could also be an attractive fit for Bates-Diop. He went to high school in Normal, Ill., just a few hours' drive from Indianapolis, and he believes the Pacers' style of play matches his strengths.

"I think I would fit really well on this team just because they're an unselfish team," Bates-Diop said. "Obviously they play through Victor (Oladipo) a lot — he's their best player — but there's a lot of ball movement, a lot of player movement, and that's what I'm good at."

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Breakout Seasons Propel DiVincenzo, Bates-Diop Up Draft Boards

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Height: 6-5
Weight: 200
Position: SG
College: Villanova
Age: 21

PPG: 13.4
RPG: 4.8
APG: 3.5
BLK: 0.2
STL: 1.1

Player BioCourtesy of Villanova Athletics

An athletic guard with a wide range of skills ... Brings long distance shooting range and the ability to make plays off of the dribble ... A good passer who served in a variety of roles during his high school career.

2017-18 Overview: Became the third Wildcats player to earn NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors, after scoring 31 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the field to help the Wildcats down Michigan 79-62 on April 2 in San Antonio ... Averaged 13.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per contest while primarily serving as Villanova's sixth man .. The BIG EAST named him its Sixth Man of the Year and he was also tabbed to the All-Philadelphia Big Five first team ... Announced his plans to enter the NBA Draft process without an agent on April 19.

2018 NCAA TOURNAMENT
Averaged 23.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game at the Final Four ... His15 points and six caroms were instrumental in VU's 95-79 victory over Kansas in the national semifinal on March 31 ... Helped the Wildcats stay ahead of Alabama with 18 first half points in an 81-58 win on March 17 ... Delivered eight assists to go with seven points and four rebounds in an 87-61 win over Radford in Pittsburgh.

2018 BIG EAST TOURNAMENT
Added five points, six rebounds and six assists in a semifinal win over Butler on March 9 .... Supplied eight points in 26 minutes of a 94-70 quarterfinal win over Marquette.

2017-18 REGULAR SEASON
Added 12 points, four rebounds and four assists on Feb. 24 at Creighton ... Helped lead the Wildcats past No. 4 Xavier on Feb. 17 with 21 points, a career high nine assists and nine rebounds ... Notched a career-high 30 points in a caeer-high 40 minutes of an 86-75 win over Butler on Feb. 10 ... Contributed 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a 92-76 win over Seton Hall on Feb. 4 ... Dropped in 23 points, including a key bucket in the final seconds of an 85-82 iwn at Marquette on Jan. 28 ... Contributed 17 points and four rebounds to an 81-61 win at Connecticut on Jan. 20 ... Matched a career high with 25 points to go with seven rebounds and three assists in a 78-71 victory at St. John’s on Jan. 13 ... Now has scored 89 points in four career games vs. the Red Storm (22.3 ppg) ... Added 11 points, four rebounds and four assists to a 103-85 win at DePaul ... Supplied 16 points and five rebounds in a 95-71 win over Hofstra on Dec. 22 at Nassau Coliseum ... Added 12 points and four rebounds to an 87-67 win over Temple on Dec. 13 ... Registered his second career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 77-68 win over La Salle on Dec. 10 ... Scored eight points to go with six rebounds and five assists while making his first start of the season on Dec. 2 at Saint Joseph’s ... Contributed 12 points and seven boards to a 90-62 Big Five win over Penn on Nov. 29 ... Supplied 13 points to go with six rebounds in an 85-76 win over Tennessee on Nov. 24 ... Scored 12 of his 14 points after halftime to help VU down Western Kentucky in the opening round of the Battle 4 Atlantis ... Converted 6-of-8 field goals for 20 pointsto help spak a 113-77 win over Nicholls on Nov. 14.

2016-17 Overview: Emerged as one of the Wildcats' most important players over the course of the campaign ... Named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman team and as the Philadelphia Big Five Rookie of he Year ... His game-winning tip-in against Virginia on Jan. 29 was one of the season's most memorable plays.

2016-17 NCAA Tournament Highlights: Connected on 14-of-26 field goal attempts (.538) and averaged 18.0 ppg in two NCAA Tournament games ... Scored 15 points in a 65-62 loss to Wisconsin, which followed on the heels of a 21-point effort in a 76-56 victory over Mount St. Mary's in the opening round at Buffalo, N.Y.

2016-17 BIG EAST Tournament Highlights: Added eight rebounds in a 74-60 win over Creighton in the BIG EAST Tournament championship game on March 11 .... Connected on 7-of-8 attempts from the field and finished with a career high 25 points to go with five rebounds and four assists in a 108-67 win over St. John's on March 9.

2016-17 BIG EAST Regular Season Highlights: Added nine points to the cause as VU downed Georgetown 81-55 on March 4 .... His nine points and four rebounds helped lift VU past Creighton 79-63 on Feb. 25 ...Supplied 17 points off the bench to help VU down No. 24 Xavier 73-57 on Feb. 11 in Cincinnati ... Offered another bench boost vs. Georgetown on Feb. 7, adding 15 points and six rebounds in a 75-64 win ... Notched a new career high with 20 points and seven rebounds in a 92-79 victory over St. John's on Feb. 4 at the Wells Fargo Center ... Added 10 points and two assists in a 76-46 victory over Seton Hall on Jan. 16 ... Established a new career high with 19 points to go with three rebounds and two assists in a 70-57 win over St. John's on Jan. 14 at Madison Square Garden ...Lifted the Wildcats with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists off the bench in a 79-54 win over No. 15 Xavier on Jan. 10 ... Notched a career-high six assists to go with eight points in a 93-81 victory over Marquette on Jan. 7 ...Added six points and four rebounds at Butler on Jan. 4.

2016-17 Non Conference Highlights: His tip-in of a Josh Hart miss beat the buzzer and allowed VU to upend Virginia 61-59 on Jan. 29 .... Matched a season-high with 13 points in an 82-57 win at Penn ... Added a season-high four steals to go with seven points and four rebounds in a Nov. 23 win over the College of Charleston ...Added 13 points, four rebounds and a blocked shot to help the Wildcats down UCF 67-57 on Nov. 20, new a career high ... Contributed 12 points to go with four rebounds in 20 minutes of a 96-77 win over Wake Forest in the semifinals of the Gildan Charleston Classic.

2015-16 Overview: Appeared in eight games as a reserve before being sidelined by a rfractured fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot that was revealed on Dec. 18 ... Did not appear in uniform for any game after Dec. 7 (vs. Oklahoma).

2015-16 Non-Conference Highlights: A corner 3-pointer in the second half helped Villanova pull away from Georgia Tech in a 69-52 victory in the final of the NIT Season Tipoff on Nov. 20 ... His 3-pointer ignited a 24-0 run that keyed an 86-51 win over ETSU on Nov. 20 ... Finished with five points and five rebounds.

SALESIANUM HIGH SCHOOL
Helped lead his squad to consecutive Delaware State tournament basketball titles ... Tabbed Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association's Boys Basketball Player of the Year as a senior in 2015 ... Averaged 22.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game as a senior in 2014-15 ... He averaged 15.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game at Salesianum High School as a junior and played AAU basketball for Team Final.

PERSONAL
Parents are John F. DiVincenzo and Kathie DiVincenzo ... Born in Newark, Del. ... Has one brother, John A. DiVincenzo (27).

Jay Wright on Donte DiVincenzo: "Donte DiVincenzo is one of the most heralded players to come out of Delaware in a long time. We've had great success with Will Sheridan and Jermaine Medley from Delaware. I think Donte is the same kind of impactful player those guys were. He comes from a terrific high school program at Salesianum Prep and has been well-coached there by Brendan Haley."

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Donte DiVincenzo: 2018 Draft Prospect

The Pacers will hold their second pre-draft workout in preparation for the 2018 NBA Draft on Friday, June 8 at the St. Vincent Center.

The six players scheduled to participate in workouts are Keita Bates-Diop (Ohio State), Gary Clark (Cincinnati), A.J. Davis (Central Florida), Donte DiVincenzo (Villanova), Alize Johnson (Missouri State), Shake Milton (SMU).

The 2018 NBA Draft will take place on Thursday, June 21 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Pacers own two picks in this year's draft, one pick in both the first and second rounds, the 23rd and 50th overall selections.

PROSPECT BIOS: Bates-Diop »   Clark »   Davis »   DiVincenzo »   Johnson »   Milton »

Donte DiVincenzo

Breakout Seasons Propel DiVincenzo, Bates-Diop Up Draft Boards

Donte DiVincenzo: 2018 Draft Prospect

Pacers to Hold Second Pre-Draft Workout on Friday, June 8