5. Donte DiVincenzo, SG — Villanova
There’s a better than 50 percent chance that Donte DiVincenzo will be gone by the time this pick rolls around, but if he’s there, it would almost be too perfect for the Sixers to pass him up.
Villanova not only plays its home games about 20 miles from the Wells Fargo Center in downtown Philly, but it occasionally plays some of its bigger matchups in the arena itself. The City of Brotherly Love also loves itself a good underdog story, and they don’t get much better than this.
DiVincenzo is a bit of an anomaly. On one hand, he heads into the NBA Draft as a bit of a mystery, with teams uncertain as to just how much of what we saw in the NCAA title game can translate to the pros. On the other hand, this is a player who appeared in 85 games over his three years at Nova. Scouts have had more than enough time to see him on their trips to examine Mikal Bridges, and before him, Josh Hart. They should all know the deal.
And yet, there’s a sense that DiVincenzo – who just tied for the highest vertical leap at the draft combine – has a healthy amount of untapped potential. Some team is going to take a chance on him. Why not the home team?