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Nova's Omari Joins NBA Draft

VILLANOVA, Pa. (CBS) –  They say all good things must come to an end. For the championship Villanova men's basketball team, such is the case with players moving on to other things.

The school just announced  Villanova redshirt freshman forward Omari Spellman (Cleveland, Ohio) will enter his name into the 2018 National Basketball Association Draft process but won't hire an agent, it was announced today.

Michigan v Villanova
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 02: Moritz Wagner #13 of the Michigan Wolverines handles the ball against Omari Spellman #14 of the Villanova Wildcats in the first half during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four National Championship game at the Alamodome on April 2, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

Spellman was tabbed BIG EAST Freshman of the Year and Philadelphia Big Five Rookie of the Year for his work in 2017-18. He started 39 of Villanova's 40 games last season and averaged 10.9 points and 8.0 rebounds as the Wildcats set a school record with 36 victories on their way to the NCAA national championship. Spellman connected on .433 of his attempts from beyond the 3-point arc and led the Wildcats with 59 blocked shots.

 

"Omari's intelligence and willingness to be coached allowed him to make great strides last season," stated Wildcats head coach Jay Wright. "His development as a complete Villanova Basketball player was instrumental to our team's success. We look forward to working together with Omari and his family in the coming weeks as they go through the process of evaluating the next step in his basketball career."

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