As the Villanova Basketball season approaches, a former Wildcat has already begun to settle into his new role on the biggest stage of the game. 

Josh Hart ‘17 is off to a stellar start in his first few games as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Hart was drafted 30 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. However, he was later involved in a trade package that sent him to Los Angeles. 

A four year member of the Wildcats, Hart was an integral part of the 2016 National Championship team and is considered one of the greatest ‘Cats of all time. He’s a two time First-Team All-BIG EAST member. Hart also earned the Julius Erving Award along with BIG EAST Player of the Year award in 2017. 

The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off a disappointing 26-56 record during the 2016-2017 campaign. They had the second overall pick in the draft and selected the highly touted Lonzo Ball. They also got forward Kyle Kuzma along with Josh Hart at the end of the first round. The Lakers are an incredibly young team that look toward building chemistry throughout this season. 

So far this season, the Lakers are off to a 2-4 start. Hart has seen an increase in minutes and opportunities as each game goes on. Hart missed the season opener against the Los Angeles Clippers due to an achilles injury he suffered in practice. He made his NBA Debut against the Phoenix Suns and registered four minutes of play. Hart went on to record 15, 16 and 20 minutes in the following three games against the New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Wizard and Toronto Raptors. 

Against Toronto, Hart registered nine points and was a perfect 4-4 from the field. He also added four rebounds, two steals and one block. In his most recent game against the the Utah Jazz, Hart recorded six points and two assists in 16 minutes of play during a 96-81 loss. 

Hart has provided a spark for the Lakers coming off the bench, which hasn’t gone unnoticed. Head Coach Luke Walton stated that Hart has earned increased minutes due to his strong start this season. 

With his NBA career just starting, it’s impressive, yet not surprising, that Hart has already played such a big role. During his freshman year at Villanova, he was thrown into the fold and averaged 7.8 points per game during the 2013-2014 season.

He improved each season and developed into a star and one of the Nation’s best college players. Throughout his career, Hart has proven that he is capable of adjusting quickly to playing at a high level no matter what stage he is on. 

Nova Nation wishes Hart the best of luck this season as he looks forward to building upon his early success with the Los Angeles Lakers.