Jalen Brunson
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Jalen Marquis Brunson (born August 31, 1996) is an American professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player for the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA). He played college basketball for
Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic church, Roman Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinians in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Sa ...
, where he was the
National Player of the Year National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
as a junior and won two national championships. Brunson ended his junior year of high school for Stevenson High School in
Lincolnshire, Illinois Lincolnshire is a village in Vernon Township, Lake County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The village is a northern suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 7,940. Lincolnshire was incorporated on August 5, 1957, from the un ...
as one of the top
point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...
s in the country. He was selected as the 2014 Illinois Boys Basketball
Gatorade Player of the Year The Gatorade Player of the Year awards are given annually to up and coming high school student-athletes in the United States. They are given for boys' baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine playe ...
. He was selected to participate in the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game as well as the 2015
Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school All-Star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys in the senior class including alumns like Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Bl ...
and to represent the Team USA in the
Nike Hoop Summit The Nike Hoop Summit is an international men's basketball all-star game sponsored by Nike, held once a year since 1995, except from 2001–2003, which features the USA Basketball Men's Junior Select Team against a World Select Team of internationa ...
. As a senior, he repeated as the 2015 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year and earned a third
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All-state recognition (2nd first team). That year, he led Stevenson to the
Illinois High School Association The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is an association that regulates competition of interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level for the state of Illinois. It is a charter member of the National Fed ...
(IHSA) Class 4A championship. Following the season, he won
Illinois Mr. Basketball The Illinois Mr. Basketball award is given to the person chosen as the best high school boys basketball player in the U.S. state of Illinois. Most of the award winners have gone on to play at the highest levels of college basketball, and many have ...
. He completed his senior season in the 2014–15 academic year. Brunson holds the IHSA playoff single-game and the IHSA Class 4A championship game
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records and set the
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single-game
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record for the
FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship The FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship is the Americas basketball championship for players under 18 years that take place every two years among national teams of the FIBA Americas zone. Before the 2006 edition, the tournament was played by unde ...
. He earned the MVP of the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Cup for the gold medal-winning Team USA. He began his college career as the 2015–16 Big East Conference Preseason Freshman of the Year and was a Big East All-Freshman Team selection following the season. As a starter, he helped the 2015–16 Wildcats win the
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of the 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. As a sophomore, he was a unanimous 2016–17 All-Big East first team selection for the 2016–17 Wildcats. As a junior, he was the
National Player of the Year National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...
and a Consensus first-team 2018 All-Americans and he helped the 2017–18 Wildcats win the
championship game In sport, a championship is a Competition#Sports, competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match sy ...
of the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament to give Villanova their second National Championship in three years. On July 12, 2022, he signed with the New York Knicks.


Early life

Born in
New Brunswick, New Jersey New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Rick Rick may refer to: People *Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name *Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality *Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...
and Sandra Brunson. He has a sister Erica (born c. 2001). His parents met at
Temple University Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public state-related research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist minister Russell Conwell and his congregation Grace Baptist Church of Philadelphia then called Ba ...
where Rick played for the Owls men's basketball team and Sandra played volleyball. Rick went on to spend nine seasons in the NBA. The family first settled in
Cherry Hill, New Jersey Cherry Hill is a township within Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a population of 74,553, which reflected an increase of 3,508 (+4.94%) from the 71,045 counted in the 2010 census.
but moved seven times before settling in
Lincolnshire, Illinois Lincolnshire is a village in Vernon Township, Lake County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The village is a northern suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 7,940. Lincolnshire was incorporated on August 5, 1957, from the un ...
in 2010 where Jalen played his high school career for Stevenson High School.


High school career

As a freshman, Brunson was an All– Lake County honorable mention selection in 2012, as Stevenson finished the season with a 17–11 record. During his sophomore season, Stevenson started the season 10–4 before going on a 19-game winning streak. That year, Brunson led Stevenson to the March 16, 2013, IHSA Class 4A championship game against
Jabari Parker Jabari Ali Parker (born March 15, 1995) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the second overall pick in th ...
and Kendrick Nunn's three-time defending state champion
Simeon Career Academy Neal F. Simeon Career Academy (formerly known as Westcott Vocational High School, Neal F. Simeon Vocational High School, Neal F. Simeon Career Technical Academy), locally known simply as Simeon, is a public four-year vocational high school locat ...
, where he got the Simeon backcourt in foul trouble in the first half before being held to one
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in the second half of a 58–40 loss. Stevenson finished the season 29–5. Following the season, the
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named him to the Class 4A All-state second team as the only sophomore on the first or second team. Brunson averaged 21.5 points that season. On February 21, 2014, junior Brunson scored 57 points in a double
overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society) ...
victory over Lake Forest High School. The performance gave him both the school single-game and career scoring records. On March 21, Brunson set the IHSA playoff single game scoring record against the
Jahlil Okafor Jahlil Obika Okafor (pronounced ; born December 15, 1995) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for the Capitanes de Ciudad de México of the NBA G League. He played his freshman season of college basketball for the 2014–15 ...
–led Whitney Young High School by scoring 56 points in a 75–68 state playoff semi-final loss. In the game, still images of a movement by Brunson appeared to be an obscene gesture, but video of the gesture were deemed to be inconclusive and an initial suspension for the subsequent consolation game was overturned. Brunson averaged 26.1 points, 5.4
rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...
, 4.7 assists, and 2.9 steals for a Stevenson team that finished the season with a 32–2 record. Two members of his high school team were
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
athletes' offspring: Matt Morrissey and Cameron Green. Brunson was named Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Illinois as a junior. Following the season,
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
named him as the only non-senior on the Class 4A All-state first team that also included Okafor,
Cliff Alexander Cliff Alexander (born November 16, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for Sagesse Club of the Lebanese Basketball League, he last played for Suwon KT Sonicboom of the Korean Basketball League. He completed his freshman seaso ...
,
Tyler Ulis Tyler Ulis (born January 5, 1996) is an American professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the Kentucky Wildcats of the SEC. He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. At Kentucky in 2015, he led his team in ass ...
and Sean O'Mara. He finished fourth in the 2014
Illinois Mr. Basketball The Illinois Mr. Basketball award is given to the person chosen as the best high school boys basketball player in the U.S. state of Illinois. Most of the award winners have gone on to play at the highest levels of college basketball, and many have ...
voting. In April 2014,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
,
Purdue Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
,
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
and Villanova had in-home visits. On May 3, 2014, he announced the eight schools that he was considering playing college basketball for:
UConn The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Ha ...
,
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
, Illinois, Kansas, Purdue, Villanova,
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
and Temple. That summer he was the number one rated point guard according to ESPN, although the class had a notable shortage of elite pure point guards. On June 25—the day after Jalen won a gold medal at the 2014 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship—Rick Brunson received an offer as an on-bench assistant coach from Temple. The Temple offer fell through when Rick Brunson was arrested on various charges on July 25, and Temple fell out of the running for Jalen's services. Brunson participated in the July 9–11 LeBron James Skills Academy. On August 5, he announced official visits to Illinois on August 29–31, Villanova on September 4–6 and then Temple from September 11–13 and on August 9, he announced official visits to Michigan State from September 19–21 and Purdue on September 26–28. On September 8, Brunson announced that he would be curtailing his recruitment and making his decision between Illinois and Villanova on September 10. On that date, Brunson committed to Villanova. At the time of his decision, he was ranked as the number one point guard in the national class of 2015 by
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. Stevenson was a preseason top-10 team in the
MaxPreps MaxPreps is an American website that specializes in coverage of American high school sports. The site is owned by Paramount Global and is a division of CBS Sports. Founded on August 1, 2002, the company has covered up to 29 sports, including b ...
national high school rankings. A lot was expected of Brunson's team after losing to teams led by Parker and Okafor in the IHSA tournament final four in 2013 and 2014 even though no team from Lake County has ever won a state basketball championship. The team rattled off 11 straight victories to start the season before losing 88–81 to Chaminade Prep and its star
Jayson Tatum Jayson Christopher Tatum Sr. (; born March 3, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A McDonald's All-American in high school in Missouri, he played college baske ...
in the Cancer Research Classic in
Wheeling, WV Wheeling is a city in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Located almost entirely in Ohio County, of which it is the county seat, it lies along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and also contains a tiny portion extending ...
, despite 48 points from Brunson. On January 17, Brunson and Stevenson faced Derryck Thornton, Jr. and
Findlay Prep Findlay Prep is a former high school basketball program located in Henderson, Nevada. The program was created in 2006 by local businessman Cliff Findlay, who owns several car dealerships in the Las Vegas area.Abramson, Mitch"Former Knick Jerome W ...
at the Hoophall Classic. At the time, Brunson was the number 3 ranked point guard in the class of 2015 and Thornton was the number 2 ranked point guard in the class of 2016 for the number 1 team in the country according to ''
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''. Findlay, who was led by
Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
signee
Allonzo Trier Allonzo Brian Trier (born January 17, 1996) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Iowa Wolves of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats. As a sophomore in 2016–17, he earned sec ...
's 27 points, held Brunson to 26 in the second loss of the season for Stevenson, who had been 15–1. On January 28, he was named to the 2015 McDonald's All-American Boys Game roster, becoming the second player from Lake County to earn such recognition. On February 2, he was named to the 11-man Team USA for the
Nike Hoop Summit The Nike Hoop Summit is an international men's basketball all-star game sponsored by Nike, held once a year since 1995, except from 2001–2003, which features the USA Basketball Men's Junior Select Team against a World Select Team of internationa ...
. On February 21, Stevenson lost to Simeon as Brunson posted 25 points on 9–24 shooting, ending a 22-game in-state streak in a game that featured the top two teams in the state. The Simeon frontline featured three
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
signees: D. J. Williams (Illinois), Ed Morrow (Nebraska) and Isaiah Moss (Iowa). On March 5, he was named to the
Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school All-Star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys in the senior class including alumns like Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Bl ...
roster. On March 17, Brunson helped Stevenson qualify for a third consecutive appearance in the IHSA final four with a victory over
Riverside Brookfield Township High School Riverside may refer to: Places Australia * Riverside, Tasmania, a suburb of Launceston, Tasmania Canada * Riverside (electoral district), in the Yukon * Riverside, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Alberta * Riverside, Manitoba, a former rural ...
. In the game, Brunson became the Lake County career scoring record holder. On March 19, Brunson received the highest vote total for the Illinois Class 4A Associated Press All-state team. On March 20, he repeated as Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year. Brunson led Stevenson to the IHSA final four for a third consecutive time, but he led the team to the first state championship by a Lake county school with an IHSA Class 4A title-game record 30 points in a 57–40 victory over Normal Community High School. Brunson was 9-for-15 from the field and 9-for-9 from the
free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the Key (basketball), restricted ...
line. 2015 was Lake county's ninth consecutive year with a team reaching the IHSA final four; Stevenson became the first school in the large school division and the third school overall to win IHSA football and basketball state championships in the same year. The win got him out of the shadow of IHSA final four losses to Parker- and Okafor-led teams. Following the season, he won
Illinois Mr. Basketball The Illinois Mr. Basketball award is given to the person chosen as the best high school boys basketball player in the U.S. state of Illinois. Most of the award winners have gone on to play at the highest levels of college basketball, and many have ...
with 552 points and 99 of the 132 first place votes, ahead of fellow Jordan Brand All-American selection Charles Matthews, who had 157 points. Brunson finished his senior season with averages of 23.3 points, 5.2 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game and with shooting percentages of 38% on three-point shots and 83% on free throws. At the March 30 POWERADE Jam Fest associated with the McDonald's All-American game, Brunson won the skills competition over finalists Carlton Bragg and Isaiah Briscoe and was a finalist for the three-point shooting contest. Brunson was a first-team ''Parade'' All-American, as well as a third-team
USA Today All-USA high school basketball team Each year, ''USA Today'', an American newspaper, awards outstanding high school basketball players with a place on its male and female All-USA high school basketball teams. The newspaper names athletes whom it believes to be the best basketball pla ...
selection. In the April 11 Nike Hoops Summit, Brunson had 12 points and seven assists in a 103–101 loss. In the April 17 Jordan Brand Classic, Brunson had a game-high three steals. He finished his high school career ranked No. 16 in the ESPN 100 and as the #2-point guard behind Isaiah Briscoe.


Recruiting

Brunson, like his father, is a
left-handed In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...
basketball player. In what was regarded as a weak point guard class, Brunson was the only true point guard that was ranked in the top 25 players at the conclusion of the class of 2015's junior season. In addition to high ratings by the recruiting services, Brunson's peers voted him to be the best passer in high school basketball prior to his senior season.


College career


Freshman season

Brunson was a selection to the 20-man
Bob Cousy Award The Bob Cousy Award presented by The College of the Holy Cross (or Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award) is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the top men's collegiate point guard. ...
preseason watchlist. He was also selected as the 2015–16 Big East Conference Preseason Freshman of the Year by the conference coaches although
Henry Ellenson Henry John Ellenson (born January 13, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for Club Joventut Badalona of the Liga ACB. He played one season of college basketball for Marquette, before being drafted 18th overall by the Pistons i ...
was the only freshman selected to the 2015–16 Preseason All-Big East First or Second Team. Brunson's 2015–16 Wildcats were the unanimous coaches preseason selection to win the conference. In preseason top 100 player rankings Brunson was ranked 46 by
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
and 41 by
NBC Sports NBC Sports is an American programming division of the broadcast network NBC, owned and operated by NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast. The division is responsible for sports broadcasts on the network, and its d ...
. During the preseason, Mike Rutherford of
SB Nation ''SB Nation'' (an abbreviation for their full name ''SportsBlogs Nation'') is a sports blogging network owned by Vox Media. It was co-founded by Tyler Bleszinski, Markos Moulitsas, and Jerome Armstrong in 2005. The blog from which the network ...
selected Brunson as one of its 10 most important college basketball players for 2015–16. He made the initial 50-man
John R. Wooden Award The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award, and recognizing the ...
watch list on November 17. On December 2, Brunson earned recognition on the 18-man
Wayman Tisdale Award The USBWA National Freshman of the Year, with the men's and women's versions respectively named the Wayman Tisdale Award and Tamika Catchings Award, is an annual basketball award given to college basketball's most outstanding freshman male player ...
watchlist. Brunson opened the season in the starting lineup with 12 points and 4 assists against the
Fairleigh Dickinson Knights The Fairleigh Dickinson Knights refer to the 17 sports teams representing Fairleigh Dickinson University's Metropolitan campus in Teaneck & Hackensack, New Jersey. Fairleigh Dickinson University or (FDU) offers a variety of sports on the Divisi ...
on November 13. On November 26 in the semi-finals of the
NIT Season Tip-Off The NIT Season Tip-Off is an annual college basketball tournament that takes place in November of each year, toward the beginning of the season. The first two rounds are held at campus sites, while the semifinals and the finals are held during the ...
against
Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
, Brunson posted 18 points. On December 28, he posted a then career-high 22 points against Penn. The 22-point effort was part of a 3–0 week for Villanova in which Brunson averaged 15.3 points and earned Big East Freshman of the Week. On February 8, the 2015–16 Wildcats became the first
Villanova Wildcats men's basketball The Villanova Wildcats men's basketball program represent Villanova University in men's college basketball and competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. Their first season was the 1920–21 season. Named the "Wildcats", Villanova is ...
team to reach number one in the
AP Poll The Associated Press poll (AP poll) provides weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling 62 sportswriters and broadca ...
by climbing to the top of the
2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings Two human polls make up the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. Legend AP Poll USA Today Coaches Poll The Coaches Poll is the second ol ...
. Following the 2015–16 Big East season, he was a unanimous Big East All-Freshman Team selection. In the 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament regional final against
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
Brunson made the final two free throws that gave the Wildcats a two-possession lead with 3.5 seconds left. The 2015–16 Wildcats won the
championship game In sport, a championship is a Competition#Sports, competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match sy ...
of the tournament by defeating the
North Carolina Tar Heels The North Carolina Tar Heels are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the ''Tar Heel ...
77–74, with Brunson as a starter.


Sophomore season

Brunson was a selection to the 20-man
Bob Cousy Award The Bob Cousy Award presented by The College of the Holy Cross (or Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award) is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the top men's collegiate point guard. ...
preseason watchlist again as a sophomore. He was a preseason All-Big East honorable mention selection. On December 5, the 2016–17 Wildcats ascended into the top position in the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings. The following night, Brunson posted a then career-high 26 points in a Philadelphia Big 5 win over La Salle. After helping guide Villanova to a victory in its 2016–17 Big East season opener against DePaul on December 28, Brunson scored a career high 27 points in an 80–70 December 31 win over No. 10 Creighton to propel No. 1 Villanova to a 14–0 record and 2–0 in conference play. These two performances earned Brunson Big East player of the week recognition on January 2. Brunson was named to the February 9
Naismith Award Naismith Award is a basketball award named after James Naismith, and awarded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Naismith Awards include: * Naismith College Player of the Year (men's and women's; NCAA Division I basketball) * Naismith College Coach of t ...
Top 30 watch list. On February 18, against
Seton Hall Seton Hall University (SHU) is a private Catholic research university in South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by then-Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after his aunt, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesa ...
, Brunson posted his first career double double with a career-high 10 assists and 22 points. Following the regular season, he was one of four unanimous selections to the 2016–17 All-Big East first team. After averaging 14.7 points and 4.1 assists as a sophomore, Brunson decided to return to Villanova for his junior season. After the season ended and the
2017 NBA draft The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...
class was finalized, Brunson was projected to be a preseason All-American by
NBC Sports NBC Sports is an American programming division of the broadcast network NBC, owned and operated by NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal and subsidiary of Comcast. The division is responsible for sports broadcasts on the network, and its d ...
.


Junior season

He was the 2017–18 preseason All-Big East player of the year. He was a pre-season All-American selection by Associated Press (1st team) and ESPN (2nd team). He was a preseason
John R. Wooden Award The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award, and recognizing the ...
,
Oscar Robertson Trophy The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to the outstanding men's college basketball player by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). The trophy is considered to be the oldest of its kind and has been given out since 195 ...
,
Lute Olson Award The Lute Olson Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's college basketball player in NCAA Division I competition. The award was established in 2010 and is named for former Arizona Wildcats head coach Lute Olson Robert Lut ...
and
Naismith College Player of the Year The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. History an ...
watchlist honoree. Brunson led Villanova to the championship of the 2017 Battle 4 Atlantis, earning the MVP of the tournament and being recognized on November 27 as the Big East Player of the Week. On December 13, Brunson scored a career-high 31 points, including 22 in the first half, to lift the Wildcats over
Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
87–67. The next time he would score 31 points in a game was on December 30, 2017, when Villanova lost its first game of the season to
Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...
. He posted a third 31-point total on January 28 to help Villanova to an 85–82 victory over Marquette. Brunson was named as an Academic All-District selection, making him one of 40 finalists for the 15-man Academic All-America team. He was named as one of 10 semi-finalists for the
Naismith Award Naismith Award is a basketball award named after James Naismith, and awarded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Naismith Awards include: * Naismith College Player of the Year (men's and women's; NCAA Division I basketball) * Naismith College Coach of t ...
. He was named as one of 20 late-season finalists for the
Wooden Award The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award, and recognizing the ...
. Following the regular season, Brunson was one of three unanimous 2017–18 All-Big East selections, and he was named both the
Big East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year The Big East Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year award is given to the men's basketball player in the Big East Conference voted as the top performer by the conference coaches. It was first awarded at the end of the league's inaugural sea ...
and the Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year a few days later. As a scholar, he was on pace to graduate during the summer after his junior season. He was a consensus first-team All-American after being selected as a first-team All-American by ''
Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
'',
USBWA The United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) was founded in 1956 by National Collegiate Athletic Association director Walter Byers to serve the interests of journalists who cover college basketball. Scholarships The USBWA annually awar ...
,
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
, and NABC. He was also awarded the USBWA
Oscar Robertson Trophy The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to the outstanding men's college basketball player by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). The trophy is considered to be the oldest of its kind and has been given out since 195 ...
the
Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year The Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year award was established in 1961 to recognize the best men's college basketball player of the year, as voted upon by the Associated Press (AP). The only three-time winner is Ralph Sampson of ...
, the
Naismith College Player of the Year The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. History an ...
, the
John R. Wooden Award The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award, and recognizing the ...
, the
NABC Player of the Year The NABC Player of the Year is an award given annually by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) to recognize the top player in men's college basketball. The award has been given since the 1974–75 season to National Collegiate Athl ...
, CBS Sports National Player of the Year, the
Bob Cousy Award The Bob Cousy Award presented by The College of the Holy Cross (or Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award) is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the top men's collegiate point guard. ...
, and ''Sporting News''
Player of the Year Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year (POY) . In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award. Association football In association football, this award is he ...
. Brunson was a second-team
Academic All-America The Academic All-America program is a student-athlete recognition program. The program selects an honorary sports team composed of the most outstanding student-athletes of a specific season for positions in various sports—who in turn are giv ...
selection. Brunson was named Most Outstanding Player of the East Region and was joined on the East Region All-tournament team by
Omari Spellman Omari Spellman (born July 21, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for Anyang KGC of the Korean Basketball League (KBL). He played college basketball for the Villanova Wildcats men's basketball, Villanova Wildcats, winning a nation ...
and Eric Paschall. Villanova won the National Championship Game of the 2018 NCAA men's basketball tournament. Following his junior season, he declared for the
2018 NBA draft The 2018 NBA Draft was held on June 21, 2018, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including inte ...
and hired an agent. On December 17, 2019, Brunson was named college basketball player of the decade by ''
Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
''.


Professional career


Dallas Mavericks (2018–2022)

On June 21, 2018, the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
drafted Brunson with the 33rd overall pick. He was the fourth and final Villanova player to be selected in the
2018 NBA draft The 2018 NBA Draft was held on June 21, 2018, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including inte ...
. Brunson did not sign until after he completed his
2018 NBA Summer League The 2018 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Sacramento Kings's California Classic Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League. The Sacra ...
play and was accorded a 4-year contract similar to a first round selection with 3-years guaranteed. He made his NBA debut on October 17, 2018, recording three points, one rebound, and an assist, in a 100–121 loss against the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
. After coming off the bench for his first four NBA games, Brunson started in place of the injured
Dennis Smith Jr. Dennis Cliff Smith Jr. (born November 25, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended North Carolina State University for one season of college basketba ...
on October 26, against the
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...
, scoring eight points, four assists, and three rebounds. On November 8, Brunson posted 11 points against
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
. Brunson replaced Smith in the starting lineup and posted career highs of 14 points on December 8 against the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
and 17 points on December 10 against the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
. On January 5, he was honored by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association as its Amateur Athlete of the Year. That same night, with J. J. Barea and
Devin Harris Devin Lamar Harris (born February 27, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. Harris attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Harris was selected with the fifth pick in the 2004 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards. E ...
sidelined, Brunson posted 13 points, a career-high 11 rebounds, and what was then a career-high eight assists against the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
for his first professional double-double. Starting in place of
Luka Dončić Luka Dončić ( ; ; born February 28, 1999) is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the Slovenian national team. Born in Ljubljana, Dončić shone ...
on February 22, Brunson posted a then career-high 22 points against the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
. On March 12, 2019, Brunson improved upon his career high with 34 points with five rebounds, four assists, and a steal in a 105–112 loss to the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...
. On April 7, Brunson posted a then career-high ten assists along with 12 points against the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
for his second career double-double. With Dončić out of the lineup on December 16, 2019, and Brunson starting, the 2019–20 Mavericks ended an 18-game win streak by the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...
, on a night when Brunson posted a career-high 11 assists and his first double-double of the season (13 points). On March 13, 2020, Brunson was reported to have undergone surgery to fix a labrum injury in his right shoulder. During the 2020–21 NBA season, Brunson averaged career highs in points, rebounds, and assists, finishing fourth in voting for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. On April 16, 2022, during Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, Brunson logged 24 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in a 93–99 loss to the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
. On April 18, during Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs, Brunson put up a career-high 41 points, along with eight rebounds and five assists in a 110–104 win over the Jazz.


New York Knicks (2022–present)

On July 12, 2022, Brunson signed a four-year, $104 million contract with the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
. The Knicks were later punished for engaging in conversations with Brunson before the free agency window opened. On October 19, he made his debut in a 115–112 loss in overtime to the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...
, scoring 15 points along with nine assists and six rebounds. On October 26, Brunson scored 27 points, recorded 13 assists, and grabbed 7 rebounds during a 134–131 overtime victory against the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
.


National team career

On May 5, 2014,
USA Basketball USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States Olympi ...
announced the 21 athletes (including Brunson) invited to try out from June 10 to 19 for the 12-member USA national team for the June 20–24, 2014 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship. Eventually, 24 players tried out for the team and the roster was cut to 15 on June 12. Brunson made the final 12-man roster that was announced on June 15. In the opening game, Brunson surpassed
Stephon Marbury Stephon Xavier Marbury (born February 20, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player and current head coach in the Chinese Basketball Association. After his freshman year with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, he was selected as th ...
's 12 assists against Brazil in the 1994 FIBA Americas U18 Championship by recording 13 against Uruguay to set a new USA Basketball U18 single-game assist record. The United States claimed a gold medal in the tournament. On August 16, Brunson was named to the Nike Global Challenge USA All-Tournament team along with Stephen Zimmerman, D. J. Hogg,
Malik Monk Malik Ahmad Monk (born February 4, 1998) is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats, earning consensus ...
,
Jaylen Brown Jaylen Marselles Brown (born October 24, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one year of college basketball for the California Golden Bears, being n ...
, and
Bam Adebayo Edrice Femi "Bam" Adebayo (born July 18, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats before being selected by the He ...
. Brunson led the Midwest team to a third-place finish in the eight-team tournament. On June 18, 2015, Brunson was announced as a member of the 12-man 2015 USA Basketball Men's U19 World Cup Team for the 2015 FIBA Under-19 World Cup. Brunson earned MVP of the tournament, after leading the team with 5.6 assists and 2.1 steals for the tournament. He posted a game-high 30 points in the semi-finals against Greece, and he tallied a team-high 14 points including six in overtime as well as seven assists, five rebounds, and a steal in the gold medal game against Croatia. Brunson tied teammate Harry Giles, with a 14.0 average for the tournament. He dominated in the final two games. Based on this performance, he was recognized as the
USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year The USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year is an annual award issued by USA Basketball USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States ...
, on December 21.


Career statistics


NBA


Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, 73 , , 38 , , 21.8 , , .467 , , .348 , , .725 , , 2.3 , , 3.2 , , .5 , , .1 , , 9.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, 57 , , 16 , , 17.9 , , .466 , , .358 , , .813 , , 2.4 , , 3.3 , , .4 , , .1 , , 8.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, 68 , , 12 , , 25.0 , , .523 , , .405 , , .795 , , 3.4 , , 3.5 , , .5 , , .0 , , 12.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, 79 , , 61 , , 31.9 , , .502 , , .373 , , .840, , 3.9 , , 4.8 , , .8 , , .0 , , 16.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 277 , , 127 , , 24.7 , , .494 , , .373 , , .800 , , 3.0 , , 3.7 , , .6 , , .0 , , 11.9


Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, 7 , , 0 , , 16.3 , , .455 , , .462 , , .749 , , 2.6 , , 1.4 , , .0 , , .0 , , 8.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, 18 , , 18 , , 34.9 , , .466 , , .347 , , .800 , , 4.6 , , 3.7 , , .8 , , .1 , , 21.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 25 , , 18 , , 29.7 , , .465 , , .364 , , .796 , , 4.0 , , 3.0 , , .6 , , .0 , , 17.8


College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;", Villanova , 40 , , 39 , , 24.0 , , .452 , , .383 , , .774 , , 1.8 , , 2.5 , , .7 , , .0 , , 9.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;", Villanova , 36 , , 36 , , 31.1 , , .541 , , .378 , , .876 , , 2.6 , , 4.1 , , .9 , , .0 , , 14.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2017–18 , style="text-align:left;", Villanova , 40 , , 40 , , 31.8 , , .521 , , .408 , , .802 , , 3.1 , , 4.6 , , .9 , , .0 , , 18.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 116 , , 115 , , 28.9 , , .510 , , .393 , , .820 , , 2.5 , , 3.7 , , .8 , , .0 , , 14.4


References


External links

*
Villanova Wildcats bioESPN page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brunson, Jalen 1996 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Illinois Basketball players from New Jersey Dallas Mavericks draft picks Dallas Mavericks players McDonald's High School All-Americans New York Knicks players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Cherry Hill, New Jersey People from Lincolnshire, Illinois Point guards Sportspeople from Camden County, New Jersey Sportspeople from the Chicago metropolitan area Sportspeople from New Brunswick, New Jersey Villanova Wildcats men's basketball players