The Sun’s Arizin: Collin Gillespie Appreciation Day

Happy Wednesday Nova Nation! What a game! Villanova went into a hostile environment against a Top 10 team, came out swinging, and closed down the stretch. It was everything Villanova fans have been wanting to see this team do over the course of an entire game, and a good indicator that Jay Wright has his team trending in the right direction for March.

And at the center of all of it was Collin Gillespie. Just think of how far this man has come. Five years ago, he was the scrappy shooter that could be a nice complimentary piece. Last night he was Villanova’s unquestioned leader, elevating those around him along with his own game. We’ve literally watched him go from “Give me three youngin’”, to a career high 33 when his team needed it most.

No one saw this as the ceiling for Gillespie when he first came to Villanova. Not the fans, not the coaches, and probably not even himself. But that’s something fans think about, putting limitations and ceilings on a players career. The great players don’t worry about how far they’ll get, they just worry about getting better. Tell me if any of these sound familiar:

• Freshman Year (2018): “Jay’s good at finding these diamond in the rough guys, but he’s not going to crack the rotation on this team.” Gillespie averaged over 14 minutes a game on the 2018 National Championship team, even getting a start for a game as a freshman.
• Sophomore Year (2019): “Gillespie’s a good catch and shoot guy, but Quinerly is the future at point guard”. Gillespie played nearly 30 minutes a game, starting every game that season and sharing point guard responsibilities with Phil Booth.
• Junior Year (2020): “No seniors on this team, can Gillespie really be a leader and run the whole show on his own?” Gillespie is the team’s unquestioned leader, praised by coaches and teammates alike, and gets Villanova to the end of the season ranked Top 10.
• Senior Year (2021): “I don’t know what we’d do without Gillespie.” Villanova loses Gillespie to season ending knee injury. Still, Gillespie trying to get back into the game and still traveling with the team and to the NCAA tournament as soon as his surgery allowed to support and lead his team.
• Super Senior Year (2022): “If there’s any flaw in his game, it’s that he can be beat on defense.” Gillespie leads the team to their best KenPom Defensive Efficiency rating since 2017, and has them poised for a high seed and deep push in March.

Gillespie may not win all the accolades that his predecessor Jalen Brunson did. He may not have the charming charisma of a Josh Hart or Mikal Bridges. He doesn’t have that one shining moment like Kris Jenkins (yet). He doesn’t have the “rebuilt the program” moniker of an Ryan Arcidiacono or DanielOchefu. He won’t be scoring legend like Scottie Reynolds, or a future NBA star like Randy Foye or Kyle Lowry. But make no mistake about it, Collin Gillespie’s name belongs right there among all of these Villanova greats. He will go down as one of the best players to come through the Main Line, and I wouldn’t want anyone else in college basketball today leading this team.

In other news...

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A packed house in Providence got what it showed up for in a Big East battle. Gillespie scored a career-high 33 points.

Collin Gillespie from 3. Collin Gillespie in the post. Collin Gillespie from everywhere, to beat Providence | The Athletic
Gillespie scored a career-high 31 points, including a back-breaking 3 in the final seconds, to lead Villanova to the road win.

Collin Gillespie Hands Friars First Home Loss: Villanova defeats Providence 89-84 in career night for Gillespie | Big East Coast Bias
Villanova defeats Providence 89-84 in career night for Gillespie

No. 10 Villanova escapes with road win over No. 8 Providence | Sports Naut
Collin Gillespie scored 33 points and hit a clutch three-pointer in the final minute to help No. 10 Villanova outlast No. 8 Providence for an 89-84 win in a

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Villanova Men’s Basketball

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NBA Wildcats

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How excited should Portland fans be about their new wing? For now, very.

Villanova Women’s Basketball

MADDY SIEGRIST NAMED USBWA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK | Villanova University
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Villanova Football

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Villanova Athletics

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