Josh Hart

Josh Hart (born March 6, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz with the 30th overall pick before being traded on draft night to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Josh Hart
No. 3 – New Orleans Pelicans
PositionShooting guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1995-03-06) March 6, 1995
Silver Spring, Maryland
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolSidwell Friends School
(Washington, D.C.)
CollegeVillanova (2013–2017)
NBA draft2017 / Round: 1 / Pick: 30th overall
Selected by the Utah Jazz
Playing career2017–present
Career history
2017–2019Los Angeles Lakers
2017→South Bay Lakers
2019–presentNew Orleans Pelicans
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Hart played college basketball for Villanova. As a sophomore, Hart was named the Big East Tournament most outstanding player. He was named a third-team All-American as a junior, when he helped lead the Wildcats to a national championship in 2016. As a senior in 2017, he was a consensus first-team All-American. He played two seasons for the Lakers before being traded to New Orleans in 2019 in a package for Anthony Davis.

Early life

Hart was born on March 6, 1995, in Silver Spring, Maryland, to Moses and Pat Hart. He has two siblings, Moses Joseph Hart and Aimee Hart.[1] He is also the great-nephew of the baseball catcher Elston Howard. Growing up, Hart gravitated toward basketball and earned a reputation as a high-energy player.[2] While he excelled in basketball from a young age, Hart didn't get any interest from private schools and enrolled at Wheaton High School. He briefly attended Wheaton before transferring to Sidwell Friends School, where as a junior he averaged 20.6 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.[1] However, he was nearly kicked out of school due to poor grades until several students and parents petitioned the school to give him a second chance.[3] As a senior, Hart averaged 24.3 points, 13.4 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game in leading the team to a 22–9 record. He was a first-team All-Met selection by The Washington Post and Rivals.com's 82nd-ranked prospect in the class of 2013. After considering Rutgers and Penn State, Hart signed a letter of intent with Villanova in November 2012.[1] "It's about doing the things that the coaches want me to do," he said after committing. "I might not hit the winning three but I'm going to be the one that goes and gets a rebound when we need it and goes on the floor for a loose ball, anything to win."[4] He got to know future Villanova teammate Kris Jenkins while playing AAU basketball in the Washington area.[5]

Hart was awarded Boy Scouts of America's highest rank, Eagle Scout, and became one of only three known Eagle Scouts who have played in the NCAA's Final Four (along with Princeton's Bill Bradley and Stanford's Mark Madsen). He is the only Eagle Scout to ever start on an NCAA Men's Basketball Championship team.

College career

Freshman

A 2013-14 Big East All-Rookie Team selection, Hart averaged 7.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest as a freshman at Villanova. He was named Big East Rookie of the Week three times.[1] He did not shoot the ball particularly well, making 31 percent of his three-point tries, but possessed "amazing confidence," according to assistant coach Baker Dunleavy.[6] In the second game of his collegiate career, a 90–59 win over Mount St. Mary's, Hart posted a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds.[7] He scored a season-high 19 points in an 88–67 win over Rider on December 21, 2013.[8] Hart had 18 points and eight rebounds in a loss to Seton Hall in the Big East tournament quarterfinals.[5]

Sophomore

Hart and teammate Darrun Hilliard both scored 20 points in an 85–62 rout of Temple on December 14, 2014.[9] Hart scored 21 points in a December 20 game against Syracuse. The Wildcats never led in regulation and were down by 14 points in the second half, but managed to pull out an 82–77 overtime win.[10] On February 28, 2015, in the second half of a game against Xavier, Hart was hit in the mouth during a scramble for the ball, requiring stitches on his lip.[6]

As a sophomore, Hart was named the Big East's sixth man of the year at the conclusion of the regular season. "He's the perfect sixth man because he can come in and play any position except probably point guard," head coach Jay Wright said.[11] Hart was the most outstanding player of the 2015 Big East Men's Basketball Tournament, the first bench player to receive the honor. He was the tournament's leading scorer at 17.7 points per game,[12] including a 20-point performance in an 84-49 quarterfinals victory over Marquette.[13] He improved his three-point shooting to 47.3 percent, forcing opposing teams to guard him more on the perimeter.[6] He improved his season averages to 10.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.[1]

Junior

Hart's 2015–16 Wildcats were the unanimous coaches preseason selection to win the conference.[14] In the NIT season tip-off, Hart scored a career-high 27 points to help Villanova defeat Akron by a score of 75–56.[15] On January 2, 2016, Hart scored 25 points in a win over Creighton.[16] Hart led the Wildcats to reach number one in the AP Poll by climbing to the top of the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings on February 8.[17] He was named to the 35-man midseason watchlist for the Naismith Trophy on February 11.[18]

At the conclusion of the regular season, Hart was unanimously selected first-team All-Big East.[19] Hart was named a third-team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches[20] He then helped Villanova win its second national championship in school history, and first since 1985. On the season, he averaged 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Hart briefly thought about the 2016 NBA Draft, but pulled his name out before the deadline.[21]

Senior
Hart as a Villanova senior in 2017

Coming into his senior season, Hart's Wildcats were projected to win the Big East by the coaches and he was named Preseason Player of the Year.[22] He was named to the Associated Press preseason All-America team on November 2, 2016.[23]

In November Hart scored a then-career high 30 points vs Wake Forest in a 96–77 win at the Charleston Classic.[24] On December 10, Hart scored a career-high 37 points along with 11 rebounds and four assists in a 74–66 win over Notre Dame to push No. 1 Villanova to a 10–0 record.[25]

On March 11, 2017, in the regular season finale versus Creighton Bluejays Hart scored 29 points in a 74–60 win.[26] Unlike the previous season, Hart's Villanova career would end in disappointment, when Bronson Koenig outgunned Hart and the other Wildcats while leading the Wisconsin Badgers to a 55–53 victory in the 2nd round.

Professional career

Los Angeles Lakers (2017–2019)

Hart was selected in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz with the 30th overall pick. He was subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers along with the 42nd overall pick, Thomas Bryant, in exchange for the Lakers' 28th overall pick, Tony Bradley.[27] In his first start on December 14, 2017, Hart recorded a double-double against the Cleveland Cavaliers, scoring 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.[28] Hart fractured his left hand in practice on February 28 and was sidelined until the end of March. In his final game as a rookie, Hart scored a career-high 30 points against the Los Angeles Clippers, shooting 7 of 9 from three. Hart finished the season averaging 7.9 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game, recording 8 double-doubles. Hart shot 39.6% from three, leading the team in three-point percentage.

Hart was named the league MVP of the 2018 NBA Summer League after averaging 24.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and setting a new Summer League game-high of 37 points for the Lakers' players.[29] Prior to the 2018–19 season, he switched his jersey to No. 3 after playing with No. 5 as a rookie.[30] On March 28, 2019, the Lakers announced that Hart had undergone a successful ultrasonic debridement procedure on his right knee patellar tendon and was expected to miss the remainder of 2018–19 season.[31]

New Orleans Pelicans (2019–present)

On July 6, 2019, the Lakers traded Hart, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, the draft rights to De'Andre Hunter, two first round picks, a first-round pick swap and cash to the New Orleans Pelicans for All-Star Anthony Davis.[32]

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2017–18 L.A. Lakers 632323.2.469.396.7024.21.3.7.37.9
2018–19 L.A. Lakers 672225.6.407.336.6883.71.41.0.67.8
Career 1304524.4.435.361.6953.91.3.9.47.9

College
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2013–14 Villanova 34121.4.500.313.6774.4.9.6.37.8
2014–15 Villanova 36225.5.515.464.6704.51.51.1.410.1
2015–16 Villanova 403931.4.513.357.7526.81.91.2.315.5
2016–17 Villanova 363533.1.510.404.7476.42.91.6.318.7
Career 1467728.0.511.389.7205.61.81.1.313.2

Awards and honors
College
Hart dunking the basketball in 2017

Personal life

Hart plays video games, such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare on his Twitch channel.[33]

Hart is a fan of his hometown club Washington Football Team, and is also a fan of Chelsea Football Club.[34]

gollark: We just pull from the bus and hope everything can sustain the necessary throughput.
gollark: Nobody was to know that I was secretly amazing and brilliant at factorio. That totally* is the case.
gollark: Tomorrow I mean.
gollark: I can engage in relief efforts.
gollark: This is because I am a highly intellectual intellectual who obtains pictures from arbitrary Wikipedia articles.

References
  1. "Josh Hart Biography". Villanova Wildcats. Villanova University. Archived from the original on June 22, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  2. Juliano, Joe (January 28, 2015). "Villanova's Hart says he'll never stop hustling". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  3. Donnellon, Sam (March 13, 2015). "Hart puts his soul into Villanova's win over Marquette". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  4. Juliano, Joe (October 17, 2013). "Villanova gets commitment from Washington, D.C. swing man". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  5. Juliano, Joe (March 21, 2014). "'Nova freshmen Hart and Jenkins make their mark". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  6. Sielski, Mike (March 23, 2015). "'Nova's Josh Hart has earned respect with his shooting". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  7. "Villanova shoots downs Mount St. Mary's 90-59". ESPN. Associated Press. November 13, 2013. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  8. "Josh Hart scores 19 points as No. 8 Villanova tops Rider". ESPN. Associated Press. December 21, 2013. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  9. "No. 7 Villanova stays undefeated, routs Temple". ESPN. Associated Press. December 14, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  10. Rubin, Roger (December 20, 2014). "Villanova storms back in OT win over Syracuse, 82-77". New York Daily News. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  11. Frank, Reuben (March 15, 2015). "Big East preview: 6th man Josh Hart Villanova's unsung hero". CSNPhilly. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  12. Frank, Reuben (March 15, 2015). "Villanova's Josh Hart an unlikely Big East tournament MVP". CSNPhilly. Archived from the original on May 22, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  13. "No. 4 Villanova routs Marquette 84-49 in Big East quarters". ESPN. Associated Press. March 12, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  14. Hille, Bob (October 14, 2015). "Coaches unanimously pick Villanova to win Big East again". Sporting News. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  15. "Hart's 27 points lead No. 11 Villanova over Akron 75-56". ESPN. Associated Press. November 22, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2015.
  16. "Hart, Ochefu lead No. 16 'Nova to 85-71 win over Creighton". ESPN. Associated Press. January 2, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  17. Beaton, Andrew (February 8, 2016). "Villanova Ranked No. 1 for First Time in AP Poll". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  18. Payne, Terrence (February 11, 2016). "Naismith Trophy midseason list announced". Fox Sports. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  19. "Four Named Unanimously to MBB All-BIG EAST First Team". Big East Conference. March 6, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  20. Martin, Derek (March 28, 2016). "ISU's Niang named second-team All-America by NABC".
  21. Norlander, Matt (May 26, 2016). "Villanova's leading scorer, Josh Hart, pulls out of NBA Draft and will return to school". CBS Sports. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  22. Norlander, Matt (October 11, 2016). "Coaches Pick Villanova to win Big East, Josh Hart as Player of the Year". CBS Sports. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  23. "Duke's Allen leads AP preseason All-America team". Foxsports.com. November 2, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  24. "Hart scores 30, leads No. 3 Villanova over Wake Forest 96-77". ESPN. Associated Press. November 18, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  25. "No. 1 Villanova beats No. 23 Notre Dame 74-66". ESPN. Associated Press. December 10, 2016. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  26. "Defending champion Villanova in line for No. 1 overall seed after Big East tournament title". ESPN. Associated Press. March 11, 2017. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  27. "Lakers Acquire Josh Hart, Thomas Bryant in Trade with Utah". NBA.com. June 22, 2017. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  28. "Lakers' Josh Hart: Starting at shooting guard Wednesday". CBS Sports. December 21, 2017. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  29. Youngmisuk, Ong (July 17, 2018). "Lakers' Josh Hart, who set out to dominate, named summer league MVP". ESPN. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
  30. Moreno, Matthew (July 27, 2018). "Lakers Offseason: Josh Hart Changes To Jersey No. 3". Lakers Nation. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  31. "Josh Hart Medical Update". NBA.com. March 28, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  32. "Lakers Acquire Anthony Davis" (Press release). Los Angeles Lakers. July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019.
  33. Polacek, Scott. "Video: Watch Pelicans' Josh Hart Get Roasted by Call of Duty Players on Twitch]]". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  34. Walsh, Jackie. "Josh Hart tries to recruit Stefon Diggs to Redskins amidst trade rumors". NBC Sports Washington. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
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