Villanova in the Pros: Jalen Brunson Starts All-Star Game

Former Villanova Wildcat Jalen Brunson took part in his second straight All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 16, suiting up for Team Kenny (drafted and led by former NBA point guard and TV personality Kenny Smith) as the NBA experimented with a new format for the exhibition.

Facing off against Team Chuck (drafted and captained by NBA legend Charles Barkley) in the first-to-40-points format, Brunson racked up three points on 1-of-5 shooting (1-of-4 from three). With his shot not falling, Brunson switched gears into a facilitator role, picking up three assists, a steal and no turnovers: not too shabby for the equivalent of a quarter of play against the best of the best.

Nevertheless, Team Kenny fell 40-32 in the semifinals and Brunson’s night ended there.

The 28-year-old point guard, who won a pair of national championships with Villanova and received a bevy of honors as the most outstanding player in the country during his 2017-18 season, also participated in the NBA Skills Challenge, taking part in the 3-Point Contest.

The contest gave each player 70 seconds to attempt 27 pointers at various points around the arc, with bonus points awarded for deep shots and specially marked “money balls”. While Brunson drained one of the deep shots, he only managed to rack up 18 points within the time limit (regular shots counting for just one point rather than three) and was eliminated in the first round.

With the All-Star Weekend festivities concluded, Brunson will take the court next on Thursday. Feb. 20 when his Knicks host the Chicago Bulls.