Donte DiVincenzo’s draft stock started rising after a breakout performance in the NCAA Tournament championship game.

Now the sixth man for Villanova’s title-winning squad is a first-round draft choice for one of the NBA’s up-and-coming teams. The Milwaukee Bucks selected DiVincenzo with the 17th overall pick of the NBA draft on Thursday night.

DiVincenzo fills a critical need for a perimeter shooter in Milwaukee Andrew Sendejo Jersey , where he should feel comfortable coming off the bench as a rookie.

”And to watch him come off the bench the majority of the time and contribute and produce the way that he did, shows that he really not only says that he wants to play a role in winning and will sacrifice and do whatever it takes to win, but he actually did it,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said. ”And not only did he do it, he did it at a high level.”

Starting just 10 games last year, DiVincenzo was named the top sixth man in the Big East after averaging 13.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. His 31-point outburst against Michigan in the title game, including five 3-pointers, helped scouts take notice of the 6-foot-5 sophomore.

They were also wowed by DiVincenzo’s combine-best 42-inch vertical leap. His athleticism fits a roster with a core led by All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 6-foot-11 forward with a 7-3 wingspan.

Perhaps most important to the Bucks, DiVincenzo shot 40 percent from 3-point range last season.

The Bucks shot 35.5 percent from 3-point range last season Craig Mager Jersey , tied for 21st in the NBA. They averaged just 8.8 3s a game, 27th in the league. Better shooting from teammates could give Antetokounmpo even more room to maneuver in the lane for a highlight-reel bucket.

”Unreal,” DiVincenzo said at the draft in Brooklyn when asked about playing with Antetokounmpo. ”My job is to just to go in there and make sure he has all the confidence in the world that I’m on the court with him.”

The Bucks had their pick of wings with shooting ability with the 17th pick, with Miami’s Lonnie Walker and Maryland’s Kevin Huerter also on the board. They could also use a rugged interior defender and rebounder.

But DiVincenzo was too good to pass up. He also played in a pro-style system at Villanova, which Horst said could help the guard get better acclimated to the NBA.

”But for us to be able to get him … a guy that has positional size, that can shoot, pass, dribble, defend at a high level, compete and, again Landon Collins Jersey , to win at a high level, he’s proven he can do that. Very excited to have him,” Horst said.

DiVincenzo will still have to earn playing time from Mike Budenholzer, who was hired last month to replace interim coach Joe Prunty. In Budenholzer, Horst hired a coach with a reputation for player development who took the Atlanta Hawks to the Eastern Conference finals in 2015.

One of the league’s up-and-coming franchises hopes to take another step forward after first-round playoff exits in three of the past four seasons. The Bucks are also moving into a new arena this fall.

”They’re a playoff team and they’re … on the rise,” DiVincenzo said. ”My job is just coming there with no ego and just be the hardest worker and just build confidence in the people around me.”

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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Jamal Adams was surprised by what he saw when he first came to the New York Jets: a negative environment the likes of which he wasn’t familiar.

The second-year safety told Bleacher Report in a story published Tuesday that the Jets appeared used to losing and some players wanted to do only the bare minimum. The interview was conducted a few months ago.

“I’m very passionate,” Adams said Tuesday when asked about his comments. “Coming in, I was wide-eyed. I just wanted to come in and work hard and make an impact. The things that came out, I didn’t feel very strong as far as me saying that.”

Adams said he has no regrets about the comments, which made for some buzz on a hot Anthony Barr Jersey , steamy day at training camp.

“Everybody was used to losing,” Adams said in the Bleacher Report story. “You can always tell that vibe. I came in, and it was like everybody wanted to do the bare minimum. They didn’t want to go above and beyond. They didn’t want to take that extra step.”

Adams, the Jets’ first-round pick out of LSU last year, insisted he never meant to disparage any of his teammates. He also acknowledged that he was speaking about players who are no longer with the team, but did not identify them.

Despite being in the NFL for just one year, Adams is already considered a leader on the Jets because of his work ethic and willingness to lead by example.

“I do things a little different as far as how passionate I am when I’m on the field,” he said Tuesday. “In this world, period, not everybody works as hard as someone else. Those things are left unsaid and we’re moving forward.”

Coach Todd Bowles said he spoke to Adams twice about the player’s comments — on Tuesday and a few weeks ago.

“Jamal is a very young player, and he’s a very smart player Andrew Adams Jersey , and he speaks from his heart,” Bowles said. “We talked about it. He didn’t mean a lot of the things that came out wrong.”

Teammate Leonard Williams said Adams’ comments were “a little bold,” and thought he perhaps needed to say things differently — although Williams was not critical of him.

“I don’t blame Jamal at all for what he said,” Williams said. “He probably just didn’t word it in the best way. He’s a young guy. He has a lot to learn on and off the field. This is part of the off-the-field stuff he has to learn.”

Adams wouldn’t directly address the comments, but insisted that the culture of the team is much better now than it was a year ago — and that his teammates are “gelling.”

“I never want to bash any of my teammates, that’s not what I’m here for,” Adams said. “Those guys know that. Again, it’s never going to be about me. It’s always going to be about this team and what we can do to build this culture up each and every day.”

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