The 6-foot-2 guard will continue with the draft process and forgo the rest of his college eligibility.
Villanova guard Mark Armstrong will remain in the NBA Draft and forgo the remainder of his college eligibility, the team announced on Monday afternoon.
Armstrong, who became a full-time starter for the ‘Cats this season, averaged 8.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, while shooting 41.7% overall and 28.2% from deep.
“After careful consideration and counsel with my parents and team, I have made the decision to remain in the NBA Draft, I would like to thank Nova Nation for their endless support,” Armstrong said in a statement. “Thank you Coach Wright for recruiting me and welcoming me into the Villanova family.
“Thank you Coach Neptune and the staff for carrying on that same belief in me over the past two years. To all of my teammates, thank you for supporting me and looking out for me since the day I stepped on campus. I will forever cherish the memories we made together. I’ll forever be a part of the Nova Nation.”
Wishing our guy @markarmstr0ng1 all the best as he pursues his dream of playing in the @NBA ! ✌️#OnceAWildcatAlwaysAWildcat pic.twitter.com/at0vzLSQgK
— Villanova MBB (@NovaMBB) May 6, 2024
He appeared in 68 games throughout his two years at Villanova. An athletic, quick guard from South Orange, N.J., Armstrong cracked the rotation as a freshman upon his arrival.
He averaged 5.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game, primarily playing off the bench in 34 games as a freshman.
This past season saw Armstrong take a bigger role as a sophomore. He started in 32 of 34 games.
His best performance came in an 87-74 road loss at Marquette, where Armstrong tallied a career-high 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including a 5-for-9 clip from long range, and got two rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal.
Armstrong was offered an invite to the G-League Combine this past weekend.
“Mark has made the decision to commit to the pursuit of his dream of becoming an NBA player, after receiving positive feedback in the process and our staff is fully supportive of that choice,” Villanova coach Kyle Neptune said in a statement. “In his two years at Villanova, Mark put in the work to get better in every part of his game. We look forward to watching him continue to grow at the next level with the knowledge that he will always be a part of the Villanova family.”
Armstrong’s departure leaves Villanova with three guaranteed open scholarship spots. There could potentially be a fourth, depending on the decision of Eric Dixon.
It also means that there are no more players left from the original 2022 Villanova high school recruiting class, which featured Armstrong, Cam Whitmore (NBA Draft, Houston Rockets) and Brendan Hausen (transferred to Kansas State).