Bridges started his college career at Villanova as a …

Article excerpt

Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson's relationship at Villanova had unexpected origins: Brunson wasn't always Bridges' protector, but rather someone who tried to antagonize him during practice. When Bridges arrived as a redshirt freshman, Brunson was already an upperclassman who despised practice sessions. Coaches, including head coach Jay Wright, would deliberately provoke Brunson with words to extract maximum effort from him during drills. The dynamic between the two players has clearly evolved since those early college days.