Okay, so today I wanna talk about something I messed around with recently: figuring out Mikal Bridges’ game during his Villanova days. I mean, the guy’s a baller now, but I was curious about his roots, you know?
First thing I did, obviously, was hit up YouTube. I typed in “Mikal Bridges Villanova highlights” and boom, a ton of videos popped up. Started watching a few, just trying to get a feel for his style back then.
Digging Through the Film
- Spot-Up Shooter: Right away, I noticed he was a deadly spot-up shooter. Villanova’s offense was all about ball movement, and he was always ready to catch and fire. I started paying attention to his release – quick and high.
- Defensive Hustle: It wasn’t just offense. He was all over the place on defense, getting steals and deflections. You could tell he had a nose for the ball even back then. I paused the videos a bunch of times just to catch his off-ball movement defensively.
- Athleticism: Dude was bouncy! Lots of highlight reel dunks and fast-break finishes. I saw a few plays where he just elevated over defenders.
Then I wanted to get past the highlight reels. So, I went looking for full game replays. ESPN+ had a few old Villanova games, thankfully! I picked a couple from his junior year – the one where they won the national championship.
Real Game Grind
Watching the full games was a totally different experience. Here’s what I picked up:
- Role Player: He wasn’t the guy, you know? Jalen Brunson was running the show. Bridges played his role perfectly – hit open shots, defended like crazy, and made smart decisions.
- Improved Dribbling: I noticed he wasn’t as polished with the ball as he is now. He mostly stuck to simple dribble moves to create space for his shot. Definitely something he’s worked on since then.
- Team Player: Seriously, the guy was always making the extra pass, setting screens, doing the little things that don’t always show up in the box score. That Villanova team was all about teamwork, and he embodied that.
Stats and Stuff
After watching the games, I wanted to see the numbers. Went to Sports-Reference to check out his stats at Villanova. His junior year, he averaged like 17 points, 5 rebounds, and a couple of steals per game. Solid numbers, but it was more than just the stats. It was his efficiency – shooting over 40% from three.
Takeaways
So, what did I learn? Mikal Bridges at Villanova was a super valuable role player on a championship team. He was a great shooter, a tenacious defender, and a smart player. You could see the potential for him to become a star, but he was willing to do whatever it took to win. It was cool to see how his game has evolved since then, but his foundation was definitely built at Villanova.
One Last Thing
I even dug up some old interviews with him and Coach Wright. They talked about his work ethic and his willingness to learn. It sounds cliché, but it seems like he was just a really dedicated guy who put in the time to improve. That’s the kinda stuff that makes you a fan, you know? Anyway, that was my little Mikal Bridges Villanova deep dive. Hope you found it interesting!
