Donte DiVincenzo is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association. He played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats, where he won national championships in 2016 and 2018, being named Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 2018.
DiVincenzo was born in Newark, Delaware to parents John F. and Kathie DiVincenzo. He has a brother, John. Growing up, DiVincenzo played soccer before switching to basketball in high school. He attended the Salesianum School, where he led the team to two consecutive state championships. As a junior, he averaged 15.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game and played basketball in the Nike EYBL for Team Final. DiVincenzo averaged 22.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game as a senior. He was named Delaware Sportswriters and Broadcasters Association’s Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year in 2015.
DiVincenzo appeared in nine games his true freshman year for Villanova before sitting out with a fractured fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot. The following season, in his redshirt freshman season, DiVincenzo averaged 8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. He registered 19 points, three rebounds, and two assists in a 70–57 victory against St. John’s on January 14, 2017. On March 9, DiVincenzo had a season-high 25 points to go with five rebounds and four assists in a 108–67 rematch win over St. John’s. In the NCAA Tournament, he scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a 76–56 victory over Mount St. Mary’s in the first round. DiVincenzo was named to the Big East All-Freshman team and the Philadelphia Big Five Rookie of the Year.
In his redshirt sophomore season, DiVincenzo had a then career-high 30 points in an 86–75 win over Butler on February 10, 2018. At the conclusion of the regular season, he was named Big East Sixth Man of the Year. In the Elite Eight of the 2018 NCAA Tournament, DiVincenzo had 12 points and eight rebounds in a 71–59 win over Texas Tech. DiVincenzo was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player following their championship win over Michigan, in which he scored a career-high 31 points (including five three-point baskets) and recorded five rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. In addition, he scored the most points in an NCAA Final Four game for a player coming off the bench.
DiVincenzo was dubbed the “Big Ragu” by sportscaster Gus Johnson following his last-second tip in a game on January 29, 2017, which gave Villanova the win against the University of Virginia. The nickname was given to him ostensibly due to his Italian heritage and his red hair. When Johnson came up with the nickname, he was probably referring to another “Big Ragu”, a character named Carmine Ragusa on the 1970s–80s sitcom Laverne & Shirley, who was also Italian. On April 19, 2018, DiVincenzo announced he would declare for the 2018 NBA draft without hiring an agent, thereby leaving open the possibility of a return to Villanova. On May 29, 2018, DiVincenzo announced he would remain in the draft and hire an agent, forgoing his final two years of eligibility at Villanova.
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