He’s only been around for four years. It only seems a lot longer if you’re an opposing player or coach. But after four splendid seasons on the Main Line, we very well could be seeing the final games in the career of Villanova’s superb point guard Collin Gillespie.
If you wonder why opposing coaches and players are hoping for an end of the Gillespie Era at Nova, just consider all the 6-3 guard has accomplished in his time with the Wildcats. There’s plenty to unpack here, so get comfortable for a minute or two.
During his reign at Nova, the Cats have compiled:
An astounding 101-24 overall record.
A brilliant 50-16 mark in conference play.
Two BIG EAST regular-season titles, including a share last season.
A pair of BIG EAST Tournament crowns.
And, ah yes, one National Championship, which came in Gillespie’s freshman season.
There most likely would have been more to add to that glowing resume had COVID-19 not robbed him (and the rest of us) of the BIG EAST and NCAA Tournaments last season. Which is why Gillespie said he will be drinking in all that March has to offer this season, especially getting back on the court at Madison Square Garden for the conference tournament before heading to Indianapolis for the Big Dance next month.
“It’s definitely exciting after last year and not being able to participate in any postseason play,” said Gillespie, who is averaging 14.4 points a game for the eighth-ranked Wildcats. “With it being my last year, being a senior, I definitely wanted to get that in and try to make one last run.”
The old adage which states “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone” certainly applies to this season as Gillespie said he is appreciating everything about his senior season after the way his junior campaign came to a sudden halt last March due to the budding pandemic.
“I think last year taught us a lot, just about missing the BIG EAST (tournament) and missing the NCAA tournament and having the season cut short,” Gillespie said. “It taught us a lot about being grateful for every game, every practice and even just being around my teammates in the locker room and being able to see them because we weren’t able to see each other in the summer. So you’re grateful for everything you can get and you’re not taking anything for granted.”
Gillespie said he has not yet decided if he’ll come back for an extra season of eligibility which the NCAA has granted due to the coronavirus saying, “That’s something I’ll do after the season. It’s up in the air.”
But if this does mark the beginning of the end of Gillespie’s storied career in Philly, how does he feel his career has played out at Villanova?
“Up to this point it’s been really good,” he said. “Coming in as a freshman you don’t know what to expect and you’re coming into a team that has seven guys and four walk-ons that have been in the program for three or four years. So you’re not expecting to do much except learn, watch and see how things go around here. But I think I got a really good concept of what this program is really about and the culture here. Then (in my sophomore season) we were younger but we still had two really experienced fifth-year guys in Eric (Paschal) and Phil (Booth) so it was just really special to learn from guys that came before me and be able to talk to them and hear about their experiences. Every (Villanova) team has a different journey and every team’s situation is very different but the end goal is the same for every team.”
Gillespie’s name is not hard to find when looking through the BIG EAST statistical leaders. Just look in the top and you’re sure to find him. His 14.4 points per game places him 10th in the conference while his assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.1 has him second in the league. He is third in both assists per game with 4.9 and free throw percentage (83.3%) while sitting in eighth place in 3-pointers made per game with 2.3. Not bad for a guy who wasn’t very heavily recruited as he entered his senior season at Archbishop Wood High School just outside Philadelphia. But Gillespie said he’s to blame a bit for being late to the Division I recruiting party.
“I had the utmost confidence in myself that I could play at the highest level but I wouldn’t say it was people missing out on me,” Gillespie said. “I played football for two years in high school and I didn’t start (in basketball) until my junior year and I didn’t play on the circuit in AAU so I didn’t have a lot of exposure to high-major coaches. So I didn’t think it was about them missing out on me but I just didn’t get myself out there. And I didn’t really grow into my body and become the player that I was until my senior year.”
That senior year at Archbishop Wood saw Gillespie end his high school career in brilliant fashion as he averaged 24.1 points a game and led the Vikings to the Philadelphia Catholic League title and the PIAA state championship while being named Philadelphia Player of the Year by the Philadelphia Daily News. He then signed on with Villanova in April of 2017.
But with all Gillespie has accomplished so far there are still a few items he still may put in his grocery cart before all is said and done - like a Bob Cousy Award, for instance. Gillespie was recently named one of the five finalists for the prestigious award along with Jared Butler of Baylor, Jaren Suggs of Gonzaga, Ayo Dosunmu of Illinois and Cade Cunningham of Oklahoma State.
“That’s a great individual honor but none of that happens without my teammates and my coaches,” Gillespie said. “My coaches have done a great job of helping me stay prepared for every game, knowing that we were going to get everybody’s best shot. But it would be cool because guys like (former Villanova star) Jalen (Brunson) won that award and he was kind of my mentor and somebody who I looked up to my freshman year. So it would be cool but it’s not really about individual honors for me. I just want to win. It’s my last year right now whether I come back or not. I’m just focused on winning and making sure that we become a great Villanova basketball team.”
But even as Gillespie tries to deflect praise about individual awards, it should also be noted that he is very much in the conversation for BIG EAST Player of the Year as well. Something else for his cart.
With just three games remaining in the regular season, beginning with Sunday’s game at Butler (CBS, noon ET), Gillespie was asked if the Wildcats were looking forward to a rematch with Creighton after the Bluejays claimed an 86-70 victory on Feb. 13 in Omaha.
“Not at all. We’re focused on Butler on Sunday,” Gillespie said. “That’s our most important game because it’s our next game and that’s just the way we talk about things around here. Our most important game is always our next game.”
It’s that kind of mindset that has worked superbly for the Wildcats.
But with March just around the corner, and his time in Villanova blue and white ticking down in what could be his final season, how does Gillespie think this Villanova team stacks up with his others, and just what is this Wildcat outfit capable of once the BIG EAST and NCAA Tournaments tip off?
“I think we’re capable of a lot because we have guys who have been in the program for a few years now,” Gillespie said. “We have sophomores who have played in big games, as well, and juniors and seniors who have played in big games. So I think we’re capable and we’re getting there. We just have to continue to grow and continue to learn from each game, each day, because we know we can get a lot better. I think we have a good team to make a run but we have to continue to grow and get better and learn each day.”
And with Gillespie as the Wildcats’ senior teacher and leader, would it really come as a surprise to anyone to see Villanova make another magical March run?