The Villanova Wildcats have provided an update on injured freshman guard Collin Gillespie, upgrading his injury to a fractured bone in the hand and offering no timetable for his return.
Here’s the official release in full:
Further evaluation of the injured left hand of Villanova guard Collin Gillespie (Warminster, Pa./Archbishop Wood High School) has revealed a fractured bone that will continue to keep the freshman out of the Wildcats’ lineup. The 6-3 guard suffered the injury during practice prior to the Dec. 10 game vs. La Salle..
There is presently no timetable for a return to full basketball activities for Gillespie. The freshman averaged 4.4 points and 13.2 minutes per outing over the Wildcats’ first nine games in 2017-18 before suffering the injury.
“We’re really disappointed for Collin,” stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright. “He was playing great for us. We miss him on this team. We’re still struggling to replace him. But I know with his positive attitude and work ethic he’ll get back on the court as soon as he can.”
“We’ll continue to evaluate Collin’s situation as we move ahead.”
You’ll remember that Coach Wright originally suggested that a ‘wrist injury’ would keep Gillespie out for ~3-4 weeks.
Villanova’s release comes on the heels of Gillespie reportedly confirming on Jay Wright’s Radio Show last night that he would return in February. So, mixed messages to say the least.
My take: If Gillespie gets healthy by February as we might expect given the injury, he’ll be back on the court this season. The ‘no timetable’ comment from the school is the program hedging in case they want to save him for a medical redshirt.
With Villanova proving to be one of the best teams in the country, and Wright bemoaning his lack of depth last year, I’d expect Wright and Gillespie to both push for a return this season. He can provide valuable minutes off the bench as Villanova looks for another National Championship.