“Annoying 5-star recruit” – Josh Hart details college animosity toward Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges

By now, the Villanova pipeline to the New York Knicks is well documented. Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges were teammates on a Wildcats roster that won national championships in 2016 and 2018. Eight years later, the trio is doing their thing in New York and only two games away from bringing the Larry O’Brien trophy to the Big Apple.

However, the chemistry that looks so natural now didn’t exactly start that way. Hart, never one to pull punches, admitted that when he saw Brunson and Bridges, he wasn’t exactly thrilled.

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First impressions

Among the three, Hart had the longest tenure at Villanova. He was already a junior when both Bridges and Brunson came to campus, which was also the year the Wildcats won the NCAA title. In 2017, Hart finished his four-year eligibility and entered the NBA Draft. Brunson and Bridges led the school to another natty in 2018 and decided to join the Draft that same year.

Feb 4, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Mikal Bridges (25) and guard Jalen Brunson (1) and forward Darryl Reynolds (45) and forward Kris Jenkins (2) and guard Josh Hart (3) watch on as St. John’s Red Storm guard Federico Mussini (4) shoots a technical during the second half at Wells Fargo. The Villanova Wildcats won 92-79. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

As the eldest of the three, Hart admitted he wasn’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for either of them. If anything, he was threatened and irked by their presence.

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“I hated Jalen, I thought he was an annoying 5-star recruit that come in entitled. Unfortunately, he was the opposite and we sparked a friendship and we’re still friends to this day. We still keep in touch,” Hart jokingly said in a press conference before Game 1 of the NBA FInals.

“That’s my thought process. I hated him to start. I hated him during his visit. The beginning of his freshman year, I hated him,” he added.

Brunson was a five-star recruit, alright. He was ranked the top point guard of his…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/annoying-5-star-recruit-josh-223252838.html

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Publish date : 2026-06-06 22:32:00

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