We could call them the “New York Wildcats” or the “Nova Knicks”! With the acquisition last night of Mikal Bridges coming from the Nets, the Knicks have further strengthened their ties with Villanova University. The squad already had three players in its ranks who had passed through the Wildcats at the same time, with Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart And Donte DiVincenzo. With Mikal Bridges as the fourth recruit, the Gotham franchise could simply break an NBA record.
Already close to signing the highest total of minutes spent by players from the same university in 2023/24, with 7,839 minutes for former Villanova players, the Knicks should seize the best historical mark with the inclusion of Mikal Bridges in the rotation.
Number 1 in the NBA in minutes played, the former Suns player is in fact expected in a major role, and if he could nibble a few minutes at positions 2 and 3 from Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart, the quartet should still be part from the base of Tom Thibodeau, fan of XXL playing time.
The largest total, unearthed by HoopsHypeuntil then belonged to the Lakers of the 1975/76 season, who relied largely on a local contingent, made in UCLA. Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Gail Goodrich and the leader Lucious Allen were simply the three most playing time of the Angelinos with 8,413 cumulative minutes. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (41 minutes on average) finished the season MVP, and with the highest number of minutes played in the year. New York will, however, hope for a better fate than these Lakers, who finished with a negative record (40-42) and missed the playoffs.
Not (yet) the largest contingent from the same university
Kentucky offered the Pelicans in 2017/18 (8,357 minutes with Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo, Darius Miller And DeAndre Liggins) and the 1997/98 Celtics (8,296 minutes with Anthony Walker, Ron Mercer, Walter McCarthyand Reggie Hanson) the second and third groups coming out of the same program with the highest total minutes, ahead of this season's Knicks (7,839 minutes).
With their quartet Brunson – Bridges – DiVincenzo – Hart, NCAA champions together in 2016, the Knicks should already match – barring an upheaval during “free agency” the Magicthe only team this season to have four players from the same university, that of Michigan with the brothers Wagner (Franz And Moritz), Caleb Houstan And Jett Howard. The New York team would still be missing one element to equal another record: the five Pelicans players in 2018 who came out of Kentucky and were named above, and this same New Orleans team which two years later had five former Duke players (Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, JJ Redick, Jahlil Okafor And Frank Jacksonwho will play in Nanterre next season).
The Knicks can still get even stronger this summer with one of the seven other ex-Wildcats currently in the NBA like Kyle Lowry, at the end of the lease with the Sixers. Or Ryan Arcidiacono, who left New York in January…
