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Villanova Wildcats: Omari Spellman provides Atlanta Hawks with reliable big man

By Dan Parzych

SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 02: Omari Spellman #14 of the Villanova Wildcats reacts against the Michigan Wolverines in the second 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)
SAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 02: Omari Spellman #14 of the Villanova Wildcats reacts against the Michigan Wolverines in the second 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) /
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Former Villanova Wildcats big man Omari Spellman has the chance to make an immediate impact on the Atlanta Hawks.

After winning their second NCAA title in three seasons, basketball fans expected numerous members of the Villanova Wildcats to be selected in the 2018 NBA Draft, which was exactly the case.

From Mikal Bridges going at No. 10 by the Philadelphia 76ers before being traded to the Phoenix Suns to Donte DiVincenzo going seven picks later to the Milwaukee Bucks, Jay Wright has plenty to be proud of when it comes to his former players heading to the NBA.

Along with Bridges and DiVincenzo, Omari Spellman happened to be selected by the Atlanta Hawks at No. 3 to give the Wildcats three picks in the first round.

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Once again, this is another example of just how dominate of a team Villanova had this past season on their way to another title, and when it comes to the Hawks landing Spellman to close out the first round, the team has to be thrilled over the consistency by the big man.

Following an impressive streak of 10 playoff appearances in a row, Atlanta took a major step back during the 2017-18 season by only winning 24 games, putting them at the way bottom of the Eastern Conference.

Obviously, the loss of numerous key players, including Paul Millsap, put the team in a tough position, as they would have to go through a year of rebuilding, but nobody expected them to look that bad. At least with the big body of Spellman plus the additions of other first rounders in Luka Doncic and Kevin Huerter, the Hawks deserve credit for taking the necessary steps to get back on the winning track.

Compared to his teammates, some believe Spellman would have been better off staying another year at Villanova, but also his impact as a freshman shows he has all sorts of potential for the NBA.

Whether it was his stellar performance against West Virginia in the tournament when he scored 18 points while draining four 3’s from beyond the arc or his double-double against Kansas in the Final Four, Spellman is clearly a special player.

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Even if Spellman takes a little bit of extra time to adjust to the NBA, this selection should still be worth it in the long run for Atlanta. Plus, with Spellman’s winning experience with the Wildcats, this could even give the rookie an extra advantage during his first NBA season.

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