27. SG Josh Hart, Villanova
Hart was a major cog for Villanova in their title run last season, and decided to remain in school for a chance at repeating in his senior year. As somebody who has filled a plethora of roles for Nova over the course of his career there, Hart has given NBA teams a lot to like with his versatility and skill set, even if he’s somewhat underwhelming from an athletic standpoint.
Offensively, Hart is, in some ways, a poor man’s Denzel Valentine in terms of how he approaches the game. He isn’t physically dominating in any way, but he understands how to position his body of success depending on the state of the game, and has a number of skills he’s able to fall back on and produce with.
As a scorer, Hart’s 3-point shooting with make him an immediate asset at the next level. He shot just under 36% from beyond the arc last season, and improved his aptness in creating offense for himself off the dribble when needed.
Hart is also an excellent passer from the wing, something that could intrigue a number of teams. He sees the floor well at 6-6, and excels when finding his spots on the floor and distributing the ball from there. He was the Wildcats’ secondary ball handler behind Ryan Arcidiacono for the majority of the past couple of seasons, and gave Nova another playmaker that greatly upped their offensive production.
Hart also overcomes his lacking of quickness with unyielding aggression on the defensive side of the ball. He sees the floor very well and can get into passing lanes and force turnovers before the offense has a chance to attack him in isolation. He’s not afraid to be physical on that side of the ball, and will get in the opposing player’s grill, even if he is outmatched in some form or fashion.
He doesn’t wow you with his play, but Hart simply understands how to play the game of basketball. He makes the right plays with the ball in his hands and has the tools needed to produce when it’s not. What he lacks in physical NBA-readiness, Hart makes up for with one of the most impressive basketball I.Q.s in college ball.
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