‘Always a Wildcat’: Jalen Brunson’s efforts remembered, revived and retired into the rafters at Villanova

As basketball coaches at Villanova, it’s no surprise that for Jay Wright and Kyle Neptune, their favorite Jalen Brunson moments didn’t center around any of the dazzling offensive plays he made during his three seasons at the school.

Rather, when asked ahead of Brunson’s Wednesday night jersey retirement at Villanova, their answers centered on his leadership skills and work ethic.

Neptune, who was a longtime assistant under Wright before taking over the program this year, pointed to the 2018 national championship game vs. Michigan. Brunson, now a star with the New York Knicks, was on the bench with foul trouble in the second half. The game was basically decided already thanks to Donte DiVincenzo’s heroics, but Brunson, the 2018 National Player of the Year, was like another coach on the bench.

“I don’t think he sat down the whole time,” Neptune said. “I’ll always remember him in those moments.”

For Wright, it was more of a series of moments. The former Villanova coach, who was also honored Wednesday night, said he used to take Brunson out of games during his freshman year when Villanova needed defensive stops. Brunson didn’t like it, but Wright told him: “Everybody else has seen you play defense, I’m not hiding it.”

“He went and became a great defensive player,” Wright said. “There are players that aren’t as talented as him that don’t want to be pushed anymore and don’t understand ‘I can get a lot better, this guy sees a lot in me.’ It’s his intelligence that does it.”

It’s that intelligence, that desire to get better, that mentality to buy into the Villanova Basketball way, that was recognized Wednesday night during halftime of Villanova’s win over DePaul. And it’s those same traits that have helped Brunson, the 33rd overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, go from second round to stardom. He joined the Knicks in free agency this summer, signing a four-year, $104 million deal. At age 26, he’s posting career highs in points (23.2), assists (6.2), three-point percentage (40.6%), free-throw percentage (84.2%) while playing a career-high 34.9 minutes per game.

» READ MORE: Villanova salutes Jay Wright, who doesn’t miss coaching ‘at all’

Kris Jenkins may have hit the greatest shot in Villanova basketball history, a three-point buzzer-beater to win the national championship in 2016, but he said Wednesday night that Brunson probably had the greatest Villanova basketball career.

It may be a bit myopic, but in the modern era, it’s hard to argue. Brunson’s list of accomplishments could probably get its own Wikipedia page. He’s a two-time national champion; a National Player of the Year; a two-time first-team All-Big East selection; an All-American; a Big East Player of the Year; a Cousy Award winner; and ... you get the point.

He also graduated in three years.

“He’s the GOAT of Villanova basketball,” said Ryan Arcidiacono, who has had a front-row seat to Brunson’s work ethic on two occasions, first as his point guard mentor at Villanova and as a reserve player on the Knicks.

Brunson, Arcidiacono said, is the same person today that he was when he showed up on Villanova’s campus from Stevenson High School in Illinois.

“Humble as can be and the hardest working dude in the gym,” Arcidiacono said.

Arcidiacono, like Wright, pointed to how Brunson was raised by his parents, Rick, who is now an assistant coach with the Knicks, and Sandra.

“They raised him to be such a killer on the court and off the court a really good dude who respected what was currently being built,” Arcidiacono said.

Even at such a young age. Arcidiacono said Brunson gelled with the team as soon as he arrived on campus. There was no ego, just a young guard who wanted to be great.

“He respected me and I respected him,” Arcidiacono said. “He bought into the values and what coach Wright was preaching and only enhanced our environment that much more.”

Jenkins said Brunson’s leadership and work ethic as a freshman were surprising at first, but ... “once you got to know him you realize that’s just who he is,” Jenkins said. “It’s in his DNA.”

» READ MORE: Jalen Brunson even set the tone for how Villanova would celebrate | Mike Jensen

Brunson said being honored Wednesday meant “the world.” Some of Brunson’s Knicks teammates were there to support him. So were his parents, sister, who is currently a Villanova senior, and fiancée.

Villanova doesn’t retire numbers, except for Paul Arizin’s No. 11. But a plaque honoring Brunson will take its place in the main lobby of Finneran Pavilion, where the other retired jerseys are located.

Brunson’s accomplishments at Villanova were celebrated during a halftime ceremony, and he took the microphone and thanked the crowd, his teammates and family for always supporting him. An Eagles fan, he also finished the ceremony off with a “go Birds.”

“I didn’t come here to get my jersey retired or be honored in any way,” Brunson had said earlier during a news conference. “I came here to be part of something special. I came here to help the team win and came here to be with a special group of men. The things we were able to accomplish in a short period of time is beyond special.”

Members of the Villanova basketball family love repeating the phrase so much, it’s become a mantra around the program: Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.

Of course, most former college athletes take pride in their alma mater, but Villanova players tend to take it a bit further. Take last month for example: With Villanova struggling in its first season under new coach Kyle Neptune, Brunson, Collin Gillespie and others took part in what a Villanova basketball podcast called a “group therapy session” on Twitter Spaces. They defended Neptune, the program, and preached patience.

“It’s not just me,” Brunson said Wednesday. “Even though I was in on that, it’s every single player that’s been through this program. They know what it’s about.

“It’s a pride that all of the former and current players have. That’s just going to be me for the rest of my life.”

“It’s not about the championships, the banners, the guys in the NBA,” Wright said. “It’s about that family that we have. That Villanova basketball family. We take great pride in it, and I take pride that these guys are the ones that perpetuate it.”

It’s even sweeter when they get to do it together.

Arcidiacono was talking to The Inquirer about Brunson when someone interrupted with a breaking news alert on their phone. Former Villanova guard Josh Hart was being traded to the Knicks.

“Holy [expletive], are you kidding me?” Arcidiacono said, a smile flashing across his face.

On the other side of Finneran Pavilion, Brunson was told the news. In a video that went viral, Brunson is seen throwing his arms in the air in celebration.

Three Wildcats teammates under one roof? It sounds almost too good to be true. On a night when Villanova basketball greatness was celebrated, it was. The reality of their professional lives showed itself.

Just minutes after ESPN reported that Hart was on the move to the Knicks, details of the package going back to Portland emerged. Arcidiacono was heading west.

(Later, former Villanova forward Mikal Bridges was traded to Brooklyn in the blockbuster Kevin Durant trade to Phoenix.)

There were a few minutes, though, when Arcidiacono thought it would be 2016 all over again. So he continued on about the Villanova basketball tradition, and how he and Brunson — and now Hart — try to embody it with the Knicks.

“Villanova is a special place,” said Arcidiacono, who had his jersey retired in 2020. “As former Wildcats, we take pride, whether dudes are playing in the NBA, the G League, overseas, we know that once you play here you’re always going to be able to come back and enjoy the relationships you’ve built and you’re always going to have a home at Villanova.”

As they all learned Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, it’s the only thing they can count on never changing.