When Donte DiVincenzo announced Tuesday he was leaving Villanova for the NBA, it wasn't much of a surprise.
Wednesday's news that big man Omari Spellman would also be leaving the defending champs will definitely be a shocker to many. In an Instagram post, Spellman announced that he's leaving the Wildcats after just one season.
After missing the 2016-17 season while entrenched in a weird academic eligibility battle, Spellman showed the reason he was a five-star recruit. The redshirt freshman recorded 10.9 points and eight rebounds a night. He also shot an impressive 43 percent on 3.8 threes a game.
Spellman's skill set should be appealing to NBA teams looking for a stretch four or mobile five. At 6-foot-9 (7-foot-2 wingspan) and 253 pounds, Spellman has an NBA body. He's a great athlete and an instinctive rebounder who has a shooting touch that extends to the three-point line. The only question may come on the defensive end of the floor when he's asked to cover quicker stretch fours or true centers.
With his decision to stay in the draft, you have to believe he's been told he has a chance to go in the first round. If he does, he'll likely join teammates Mikal Bridges (a projected lottery pick), Jalen Brunson and DiVincenzo as a first-rounder.
The NBA draft takes place on June 21 at Barclays Center in New York.
