Villanova: Hart and Jenkins eager to repeat

Time has flown by for Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins, from when they first met in 2012 at a basketball camp in St. Louis, to their commitment to Villanova, to competing against each other once in high school in Washington, to learning how coach Jay Wright wanted them to play Villanova basketball, to winning a national championship.

Through this entire ride, the two D.C. natives helped each other through their mutual transition to college with their "basketball problems, school problems, girl problems," according to Hart. There were questions about their roles as sophomores, followed by their flourishing into stars as juniors, a season that ended with Jenkins' buzzer-beating three-pointer and a trophy.

Now Hart and Jenkins, joined by fellow senior Darryl Reynolds, are the leaders of the Wildcats in the new season, which launches Friday night against Lafayette at the Pavilion. They are ready to take another run at college basketball's mountaintop. But, just as important, they want to enjoy their final year on campus before going on to whatever the future brings.

"We're going to have our own pro careers, and we'll never have the camaraderie that we do now," Hart said while sitting alongside Jenkins last week during an interview.

"So we're definitely going to take advantage of this time that we have now and honestly do what we've got to do when we step in between these lines. But after that, just have fun being kids for another year, have fun being with your best friends for another year. Then after that, you've got to get ready for the real world."

"The real world waits on no one," Jenkins said. "We're definitely cherishing this time. We're going to miss Villanova when we leave here whether we believe it now or not. So we try not to look too far ahead. We try to just take care of the task at hand and enjoy the time left that we have here."

The two have grown and matured as leaders. There was a time when their fun-loving nature carried on to the practice court, stuff that "used to drive me crazy," Wright said.

"It seemed like every drill we ran was about who got a dunk, who hit a three, talking junk to each other, completely void of any commitment to what we were learning in the drill," the coach said. "It was kind of an immaturity of how to play the game. But it was always incredible competitiveness, and that's what you loved about it."

That has gotten better.

"We know our roles as leaders, and we've all taken huge strides in that regard," Hart said. "We've heard that multiple times. It's something that we've been hearing less, and that's a positive."

Added Jenkins, "We're goofy and fun-loving and let our personalities show when we're not playing basketball. But when we step inside those lines, it's not much joking. It's something we're continuing to get better at."

Off the court, they're together all the time and, yes, having fun. They play video games a lot. And their musical tastes and favorite singers are similar.

"My first two are Drake and J. Cole," Jenkins said of the singers. "His first two are probably J. Cole and Drake."

It's been a process since freshman year when Jenkins (Gonzaga College) and Hart (Sidwell Friends), who attended high schools five miles apart, became roommates, hung out, and held long conversations about the adjustments to college basketball and how much Wright expected from them.

"We were like, 'Man, this guy's crazy,' " Hart said. "He held us to such a high standard. It was difficult at times, definitely very difficult."

"Playing here at Villanova is not easy," Jenkins said. "There's a lot expected of you, but you know that if you do it it will definitely benefit you in the long run. So we were always positive with each other, always kept it real, never sugar-coated anything."

Wright said the two of them, plus Reynolds, were inseparable from the start, "kind of like those three against the world," an attribute that helped them when they became a little frustrated with their roles as sophomores.

"It was a unique dynamic because they stuck together," Wright said. "I don't think any of the three of them were totally happy with their playing time. But all of them loved being at Villanova. They liked being together. I think that got us through that time. Their closeness really helped us."

Hart started just two games that season but won Big East Sixth Man of the Year honors as well as the most outstanding player award in the conference tournament.

The two established themselves on the national stage last season. Hart led the team in scoring and contributed some "wow" moments with his hustle at both ends. Jenkins, after averaging 9.6 points the first half of the season, poured in 17.1 points per game in the second half and knocked down 46 percent of his three-point tries.

Now they want to build on the 97-13 record they've helped the Wildcats compile the last three seasons.

"It's definitely an honor and a great accomplishment," Jenkins said. "But honestly, it just makes us hungrier to have a great year this year, not just because it's our senior year but because we want to sustain the excellence that we've had over these last couple of years."

"Now we know this is our team," Hart said. "This is our year to be great leaders. We've got a smile on our face when we think about everything we've accomplished so far. But we know we've got hopefully 40 more games to build another legacy."

Last season: 35-5 (won Big East regular season championship, won NCAA South Regional championship, defeated North Carolina, 77-74, to win the national championship).

Coach: Jay Wright (16th season at Villanova, 354-157; overall, 476-242).

No Arch, Chef: It will seem strange not to have the leadership and intangibles that Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu provided on the Wildcats' wild ride to the championship. That guidance, plus their high level of play on the court, will be tough to replace.

It's their team now: The Cats' three seniors - Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins and Darryl Reynolds - take over the leadership role. One of their principal jobs will be to make sure there is no lingering hangover from an offseason of celebrations.

Ready to go: Two players who sat out last season - Eric Paschall (transfer from Fordham) and Donte DiVincenzo (medical redshirt) - should become key contributors off the bench. Paschall provides versatility with his skill to play on the perimeter or inside, while DiVincenzo adds deft shooting ability from the arc and beyond.

Inside questions: Reynolds needs to fill Ochefu's role as the team's primary rebounder but must stay out of foul trouble. With Omari Spellman ineligible this season, the Wildcats lack depth on the inside, so Paschall and Jenkins must get their share of rebounds. Freshmen Tim Delaney and Dylan Painter could contribute.

11 Lafayette. . . 6:30

14 at Purdue. . . 7

17 *W. Michigan. . . 11:30 a.m.

18 *UTEP/Wake Forest. . . TBA

20 *TBA. . . TBA

23 *Charleston. . . 7

29 at Penn. . . 7

3 St. Joseph's. . . 1

6 LaSalle. . . 7

10 Notre Dame. . . Noon

13 Temple. . . 7

21 American. . . 6:30

28 DePaul. . . 6:30

31 at Creighton. . . 1

4 at Butler. . . 6:30

7 Marquette. . . 7:30

10 Xavier. . . 7

14 at St. John's. . . Noon

16 Seton Hall. . . 6:30

21 Providence. . . Noon

24 at Marquette. . . 8

29 Virginia. . . 1

1 at Providence. . . 7

4 St. John's. . . 8

7 Georgetown. . . 7

11 at Xavier. . . 2:30

13 at DePaul. . . 9

18 at Seton Hall. . . 12:30

22 Butler. . . 9

25 Creighton. . . 3

4 at Georgetown. . . Noon

*-Gildan Charleston Classic

jjuliano@phillynews.com

@joejulesinq