Jay Wright should get a ring if the Villanova Knicks lead the team to the promised land.
The former Villanova coach gushed over the Wildcats presence on the Knicks following Tuesday’s blockbuster to acquire Mikal Bridges from the Nets.
“Boys are blessed to be together. No one ever gets this opportunity in the @NBA,” Wright tweeted Wednesday morning. “A lot of work to do ! ! Let’s go !! @nyknicks @NovaMBB !”
With the addition of Bridges, the Knicks now employ four players from Wright’s 2016 and 2018 championship teams, including Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo.
The Knicks had already essentially served as the Villanova Alumni Association but they now are close to seeing if a college national championship team can win another title at the professional level.
Under Wright’s tutelage, the four all won titles together in 2016 when Villanova triumphed over North Carolina, while all but Hart won a second championship in 2018 when the Wildcats bested Michigan.
“NOVA KNICKS” Kris Jenkins, who hit the game-winning shot against the Tar Heels, wrote on X.
The 76ers then drafted Bridges 10th overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, while DiVincenzo went to the Bucks at No. 17 and Brunson fell to Dallas at pick No. 33.
The Jazz previously selected Hart with the 30th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Wright gushed over the Knicks’ Villanova trio earlier this year during the team’s eventual Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Pacers.
“It’s kind of cool to watch them and see that they’ve chosen to take a lot of what they learned [at Villanova] with them. Really cool,” Wright said on “The Anthony Gargano Show.”
“That’s kind of what we tried to teach these guys. You can’t control if you’re going to run into people that are more talented than you, you can’t control if you run into people that are bigger or stronger than you, you can’t control if you run into a team that is just faster or more athletic than you.
“But you can control your effort every night, every play, and you can control your attitude and how you approach every play and every game and every day. That was our whole program, that’s what it was about. And it’s really fulfilling to watch those guys embody that.”
Wright led Villanova until stepping down following the 2022 season, but with the ‘Nova Knicks, he’ll essentially have a chance to add a third championship ring to his Hall of Fame resume.
