Black Cager Sports has long been been criticized for having “picks” – favorite players who receive more coverage than others. To that charge, we plead GUILTY!

Yes, indeed… Black Cager Sports has picks… We really like young men and women that are very adept at playing the game of basketball.

In this context, Hakim Hart emerged as one of these favorites due to his remarkable performances at Roman Catholic High School and subsequently at the University of Maryland. However, his decision to transfer to Villanova has raised eyebrows, as his talents seem to be woefully underutilized, leaving fans and scouts wondering if this was a good move.

Hart’s journey to becoming a standout collegiate player started at the University of Maryland, where he transitioned from a minimal role in his freshman year to becoming the starting point guard in his sophomore season. Under Coach Mark Turgeon, Hart thrived in the demanding Big Ten Conference, showcasing his versatility and ball-handling skills while maintaining an impressive record of low turnovers. In his second year, playing 25.5 mpg and assuming primary ball-handling duties in the athletic, physical and highly competitive Big Ten Conference, Hart averaged less that 1 turnover per game.

Over the next two seasons, Hart continued to excel as versatile PG, SG and SF, playing significant minutes in the Big Ten and maintaining a consistent scoring average while minimizing turnovers. Hart played 31.1 and 32.8 mpg in the Big Ten and averaged 10.0 and 11.4 ppg while continuing to limit his turnovers to 0.9 and 1.4 per game. His contributions played a crucial role in Maryland’s success. The Terps played in two NCAA tournaments and had another opportunity cancelled due to Covid.

After graduating, Hart decided to explore his options in the transfer portal, attracting interest from scores of high-profile programs across various conferences. His experience, versatility and shooting were highly valued in the collegiate free agent market. This was evidenced by the offers he received from the following high major programs:

Mississippi State (SEC)
Kansas (Big 12)
Oregon (PAC 12)
Louisville (ACC)
Memphis (AAC)
St Johns (Big East)
DePaul (Big East)
Cincinnati (Big 12)
Boston College (ACC)
Florida State (ACC)
Illinois (Big Ten)
Auburn (SEC)
Georgia (SEC)
Michigan (Big Ten)
Kansas St (Big 12)
Ohio State (Big Ten)
Clemson (ACC)
Arkansas (SEC)
Texas Tech (Big 12)
Miami (ACC)
Oklahoma (Big 12)
Notre Dame (ACC)
Gonzaga (WCC)
Xavier (Big East)

Despite the plethora of enticing offers, Hakim Hart chose to return to his roots and play for Villanova on the Main Line. This decision resonated with fans who remembered his success at Roman Catholic and expected him to make a significant impact for the Wildcats.

However, the reality has been far from what fans anticipated. In Villanova’s early games of the season, Hart has found himself spending an unusual amount of time on the bench. On Monday, November 13, 2023 Hart participated in his first Big 5 game. Villanova travelled a few miles down Lancaster Avenue to the fabled Palestra where Hart led Roman Catholic to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship in 2019.

After playing more than 31 minutes per game the last two seasons at Maryland, Hart spent 31 minutes on the bench Monday night watching the Penn Quakers defeat the 21st ranked Wildcats.

This wasn’t the plan…

For the past two years, Hart played damn near the whole game against Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State and Wisconsin.

Now… He can’t play 10 minutes against a middle of the pack Ivy League team… Da Fuck?

Free Hak Hart!