ROSEMONT, Ill. — Villanova is relying on a familiar face in its push for another national title.

Familiar to the Wildcats, at least.

Donte DiVincenzo was an unsung hero during last year’s historic run, even if injury kept him from the floor for most of the season. The true freshman rounded into shape around the Big East tournament, played several scout-team roles and, as it would turn out, served notice for what to this point has been a remarkable encore campaign for the defending champs, who earned the selection committee’s projected No. 1 overall seed Saturday.

“We couldn’t stop him,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said of DiVincenzo last year. “The one that really hits me was before we played Oklahoma and he was (Buddy) Hield. He got us prepared for Hield. Our guys said: ‘Donte was just tough to guard.’ So we kind of knew he was gonna have a good year.”

Good doesn’t quite sum up the lift DiVincenzo has provided the ever-resourceful Wildcats thus far. Such is life with what, at the moment, is essentially a six-man rotation.

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Wright went about his business-as-usual approach after Monday’s 75-62 win at DePaul, playing down any potential signs of fatigue. But when a team loses a five-star freshman big man to NCAA eligibility issues before the season (Omari Spellman), when it loses its top scorer from last year’s title game (Phil Booth, left knee inflammation) for most of the season and when its second-tallest player (6-foot-9 Darryl Reynolds) is day-to-day after missing two games with a rib injury, those questions are going to linger.

DiVincenzo, along with fellow reserve-turned-starter Eric Paschall, have done their best to quell concerns. DiVincenzo had scored 15 or more points in three straight games before posting a pedestrian line Monday of four points, 3 assists and 2 blocks in 28 minutes. But the stat sheet hardly told the story of the redshirt freshman’s night against the Blue Demons.

Whether it was guarding 6-foot-10 Levi Cook on one possession or pinning 6-7 Tre’Darius McCallum’s layup against the backboard, the 6-5 DiVincenzo made his presence felt. He had a nifty second-half baseline save off a DePaul player’s back, leading to a tumble out-of-bounds and a rendezvous with an Allstate Arena beer vendor.

“Just trying to be tough,” DiVincenzo said. “I just know that I’m quick enough and athletic enough to guard small guys. I’m also strong enough and tough enough to get down in the post and guard the bigger guys, so just trying to guard everybody.”

The Wilmington, Del., native attributes that toughness and advanced footwork to a love affair with soccer, a sport he reluctantly surrendered upon arriving to high school and devoting his attention to the hardwood. At Salesianum High, DiVincenzo won consecutive state titles and a state player of the year honor to cap a prep career that earned him the hyperbolic “Michael Jordan of Delaware” moniker.

The red-head saw action in eight games as a college freshman before fracturing the fifth metatarsal in his foot, costing him the campaign but saving a year of eligibility. By the time DiVincenzo got healthier in March, he was mimicking Hield so well in practice that the Wildcats ended up holding the consensus national player of the year to 9 points in a semifinal rout.

Wright was sure to acknowledge DiVincenzo’s value to the title, but it naturally took time and perspective for the then-rookie to understand his impact behind-the-scenes.

“At first I questioned myself at practice,” DiVincenzo said. “Obviously in the games, they would all say: ‘Listen, we did a great job because in practice we did this.’ But really after the season, once everything died down, I really got a feel for how much day in and day out I got those guys ready.”

In Big East play, DiVincenzo is averaging 8.7 points, 2 rebounds and 1.92 assists per game. His biggest highlight, though, came last month when his tip-in at the buzzer beat Virginia.

Fittingly, it was DiVincenzo’s only shot attempt of the day. The man who’s made a habit of saving his best for last is only now getting public recognition for the trait.

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Matt Fortuna is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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