Villanova's Jalen Brunson credits success to father's tough love

HOUSTON (WPVI) -- Ryan Arcidiacono may be their star and leading scorer in the tournament, but Villanova would not be in the Final Four without Jalen Brunson.

He may be a freshman, but he is so poised, so polished, sometimes Jay Wright says he doesn't know where he gets it from.

"It really hasn't hit me. I'm at the Final Four," said Jalen Brunson.

Brunson says he never would've made it this far at 19 years old without the help from his father - former Temple star and NBA guard Rick Brunson, who's by his side in Houston.

"I think my dad just toughened me up, and got me ready for Coach Wright with the workouts, the yelling, the coaching," said Jalen Brunson.

"The whole time we were recruiting him, Rick was telling me, 'I'm preparing him to be coached by you," said Wright.

That tough love during the years Rick Brunson learned form Temple Coach John Chaney, and he's passed it down.

But this Final Four story isn't like father, like son.

Brunson only made it to the Elite Eight with Temple during his college days in the 1990s.

"I wasn't able to so I'm just so happy that he did it for our family and for Villanova," said Rick Brunson. "It's amazing. I'm just watching, taking it in, enjoying it. A little nervous."

"He doesn't want me to be satisfied just getting here," said Jalen Brunson. "He wants me to keep pushing forward, and actually try to win it."