Milwaukee Bucks draft Donte DiVincenzo with 17th pick

The Milwaukee Bucks stayed in their spot and selected Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo at the 17th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

With a number of highly touted prospects perceived to have fallen on draft night, the Milwaukee Bucks had a wide range of options when it was their turn to pick at 17th overall on Thursday night.

The decision was kept tightly under wraps right up until moments before the selection, in line with a secretive draft process overall, before ESPN’s Jonathan Givony broke the news of Donte DiVincenzo’s selection.

Milwaukee will select Donte DiVincenzo at No. 17.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 22, 2018

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DiVincenzo, who was one of the prospects in attendance at the Barclays Center green room, took to the stage donning a Bucks hat to shake NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s hand, and then provided his reaction to ESPN.

Speaking on the broadcast, DiVincenzo relayed details of his communication with the Bucks prior to draft night:

"“I got to visit there, I got to sit down with the whole front office and the coaches. I really loved it. We talked for a very long time. Some of the players were there working out, so I got to talk to them and it’s going to be a great feeling when I get there.”"

DiVincenzo will be a familiar name and face to many having been a key cog of Jay Wright’s successful program at Villanova in recent years.

The 21-year-old won his second national championship this season with the Wildcats, starring on the big stage en route to Final Four Outstanding Player honors.

At 6’5″, DiVincenzo will enter the NBA with combo guard size and the potential to switch over to the 3 spot in spurts. The Delaware native’s role as a sixth man at Villanova saw him tasked with playmaking responsibilities as well as taking up his share of the scoring load.

DiVincenzo improved significantly as a shooter in his junior season, making 40.1 percent of his triples on 5.3 attempts per game. Jon Horst and Co. will be hoping that efficiency holds up as DiVincenzo wasn’t quite as consistent in his first two seasons in college.

Considering his role on a successful and prominent college team, DiVincenzo should offer some readiness to contribute for Milwaukee, but the concerns will center on his potential lack of upside. As it stands, DiVincenzo is far from an impact-maker defensively, in spite of his hard-nosed demeanor on the court.

With a wingspan of just 6’6″, DiVincenzo will certainly make for a change from recent Bucks’ draft picks.

Profiling DiVincenzo and considering his fit with the Bucks in recent weeks, our own Jordan Treske summed up how the Big Ragu, as Gus Johnson nicknamed him, would look in Milwaukee.

"“Adding a player of DiVincenzo’s various offensive capabilities would do wonders for a Bucks team that needs to broaden their offensive repertoire and improve upon their potency from three-point range under new head coach Mike Budenholzer.The pros regarding potentially taking DiVincenzo go beyond his production as his drive and high work ethic are characteristics that any NBA team, much less the Bucks, covet highly when weighing a decision of this nature.Of course, that would also mean having to reconcile with the fact that DiVincenzo’s defensive shortcomings will always loom over his game until he proves otherwise, that is if he ever does.”"

Next: NBA Draft 2018 Prospect Watch: Donte DiVincenzo

Stick with us for more reaction and analysis to DiVincenzo’s selection in the coming hours and days!

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