When the Knicks acquired Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets, it gave them 4 gamers from the 2016 nationwide champion Villanova Wildcats, with Bridges becoming a member of faculty teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo, who of whom have come to the Massive Apple during the last two years. The Knicks additionally earlier employed Villanova alumnus Ryan Arcidiacono – who rejoined the workforce after being included in New York’s commerce for Hart on the earlier deadline – earlier than buying and selling him to the Detroit Pistons in February.
4 former Wildcats matches probably the most gamers from one college on an NBA roster in latest reminiscence. The 2015-16 Phoenix Suns had 4 Kentucky Wildcats in Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker, Archie Goodwin and Brandon Knight. The 1997-98 Boston Celtics, led by former UK coach Rick Pitino, additionally briefly had 4 Wildcats in the course of the eight video games Reggie Hansen performed alongside Antoine Walker, Ron Mercer and Walter McCarty. And the woeful 2014-15 Philadelphia 76ers rostered 4 former UCLA Bruins in the course of the season, however by no means greater than two at one time.
There are some essential variations with this present Knicks squad, although. Their 4 guys aren’t simply from the identical faculty. They’re from the identical workforce. These 4 Wildcats additionally gained a nationwide title collectively. Three of them gained a second with out Hart in 2018. These Knicks are a contender, too, whereas these different groups weren’t cracking the .500 mark.
They might very nicely make it 5 in the event that they determine to convey again Arcidiacono as a fifteenth man (although it is unlikely they’d do this) whereas including Lowry to get to 6 Villanova alums. It is unlikely they will attempt to add ex-NBA gamers Eric Paschall and Omari Spellman, final seen taking part in professionally in Puerto Rico and South Korea, respectively.
What NBA workforce had probably the most alumni from one faculty directly? That might be the 1949-50 Indianapolis Olympians, who had six former Kentucky gamers (plus Mac McMullen, who performed two years at UK earlier than transferring to Xavier).
The Cincinnati Royals constructed a robust workforce within the mid-60’s based mostly on gamers from native faculties, together with Corridor of Famers Oscar Robertson and Jack Twyman from the College of Cincinnati. However that was within the age of “territorial picks,” when groups may forfeit their first-round choose to signal any participant from inside 50 miles of their residence enviornment. They benefited from an uncommon quantity of high quality “territorial” gamers from Dayton, Miami of Ohio, Louisville and Ohio State earlier than the draft was revamped in 1966.
However this Knicks workforce is unprecedented. The previous Wildcats all like one another and so they’re all good gamers. If the franchise was merely including Villanova guys resulting from an government whims, that is likely to be disastrous, however these gamers are additionally complementary.
The largest hazard will come on the finish of the season. What if Villanova makes a deep run within the NCAA Event? March Insanity may very well be distracting a full third of the Knicks roster for 3 weekends. And if it does not work out with this group, Knicks proprietor James Dolan can all the time begin amassing gamers from UConn as a substitute.