SAN ANTONIO — The last time Villanova reached the Final Four, in 2016, the Wildcats had a date in the national semifinals with Oklahoma and its senior superstar Buddy Hield, a 3-point-shooting guard who was college basketball’s player of the year that season.
Drafted to play as Hield for Villanova’s practice scout team was Donte DiVincenzo, a freshman who had appeared in eight games but then fractured his right foot and was redshirted.
On Monday night, after DiVincenzo led Villanova to its 79-62 victory over Michigan in this year’s N.C.A.A. title game, teammates remembered his performance as Hield on the scout team.