It’s safe to say Kris Jenkins’ Villanova legacy is secure. Still, the man who won the Wildcats the NCAA title in March with a game-winning three at the buzzer is coming back for more.
Jenkins announced Monday he will withdraw from the NBA draft to return to Nova for his senior season.
https://twitter.com/bigticket2/status/727298722506412032
Jenkins isn’t considered a big-time NBA prospect, and it’s no guarantee he would have been drafted. If you squint you can kind of see him as a stretch four in a small-ball lineup, but he’s a 6-foot-6 power forward who has battled weight problems, which seems like a problem even in a world in which Draymond Green plays center for the best team of all-time.
So instead of going and getting swallowed in the pros, Jenkins gets to return to campus, where he will be a hero as long as he’s alive. That doesn’t sound so bad.
Jenkins averaged 13.9 points per game for Villanova last year, while shooting 38.6 percent from behind the three-point arc. With Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu graduating, there will be more points up for grabs next season, and Jenkins figures to team with Josh Hart for lead the Wildcats’ repeat bid.
Maybe with a big year Jenkins can turn himself into an NBA draft pick. It feels like a decade ago he’d have no shot, but with the persistent shrinking of pro lineups, there’s as good a chance now as ever. In the meantime, the senior will enjoy some time as the (extremely) big man on campus.