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2017 March Madness: Top 8 Performers From East Region in Opening Round

By Nick Ziegler

Mar 16, 2017; Buffalo, NY, USA; The Villanova Wildcats mascot performs in the second half against the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers during the first round of the NCAA Tournament at KeyBank Center. Villanova won 76-56. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2017; Buffalo, NY, USA; The Villanova Wildcats mascot performs in the second half against the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers during the first round of the NCAA Tournament at KeyBank Center. Villanova won 76-56. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports /
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2017 March Madness
Mar 11, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Donte DiVincenzo (10) saves the ball from going out of bounds in front of Creighton Bluejays guard Davion Mintz (1) during the first half of the Big East Conference Tournament final game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /

Donte DiVincenzo

Despite a scare in the first half, Villanova was able to defeat Mount St. Mary’s rather easily with a strong second half. One of the reasons for the early struggles of Villanova was because of foul trouble for Josh Hart. As the Big East Player of the Year, having Hart in foul trouble certainly hurt the Wildcats.

Partially due to the foul trouble for Hart, freshman Donte DiVencenzo was able to have a monster game for Villanova. In the win, DiVencenzo was able to total 21 points and 13 rebounds. The 21 points for DiVencenzo came very efficiently as well, as he shot 9-for-15 from the field.

DiVencenzo has been a tough player to figure out for Villanova. In the Big East Tournament, he was able to have a great game against St. John’s. However, he then struggled in the final two games of the tournament.

Getting production from DiVencenzo off the bench certainly helps the Wildcats. Having a player that has the ability to score over 20 points off the bench is luxury few teams have. In addition to the scoring, DiVencenzo also appears to have the ability to be one of the best rebounding guards in the tournament.

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