The main goal of any upcoming college baller is to make the NBA. If they are good enough to make the jump straight to a professional level after just a single season in college, they will do so. Following Jalen Brunson’s sophomore season, Villanova head coach Jay Wright had similar hopes for him.
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However, Brunson’s family ensured the coach slowed down a bit. After the 2015-16 season, Villanova won the NCAA National Championship. Brunson was a key contributor as a freshman but was far from dominant. In his sophomore season, he made a jump that showed Wright he was ready to play with the big boys.
Brunson averaged 14.7 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game on an efficient 54.1% from the field. Wright’s focus may have been on developing Villanova into a powerhouse, but he also had his players’ best interests at heart.
“After [Jalen Brunson’s] sophomore year, I had you, your mom, and your dad come in and I had a meeting,” Wright revealed on the Roommates Show. “I said, ‘Look, I think he’s ready. He’s ready to go to the NBA.'”
Typically, those words would result in both parents being overwhelmed with joy. Wright didn’t expect that Brunson’s mother would oppose the suggestion.
“His mom’s like, ‘Is that all you had to say?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ She said, ‘Well, he’s not leaving till he gets his degree,’” Wright recalled.
Brunson didn’t have much of a say or choice. Jalen’s mother, Sandra, made it clear that finishing with a degree was a top priority. Immediately, Wright looked over to Jalen’s father, former NBA player Rick Brunson.
“His dad said, ‘He’s not good enough yet,'” Wright said. Just like that, the meeting concluded. Wright would’ve loved for Brunson to take that next step, but another season at Villanova was good news for Wright.
In hindsight, Brunson’s decision to stay another year aged amazingly. The 6-foot-2 point guard led the Wildcats to their second National Championship in three years.
Brunson was pursuing a major in communications. Conveniently, his program was three years in length. He topped off his second NCAA title with a degree, satisfying his mother in the process.
Eventually, Brunson would prove to his father that he was ready for the NBA in the 2018 NBA Draft. The Dallas Mavericks selected him in the second round with the 33rd overall pick. The rest is history.
