A Villanova product and Archbishop Wood graduate, Collin Gillespie has emerged as a key contributor for the Phoenix Suns in his second NBA season, writes Matt Breen for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Recruited by Jay Wright in 2017, Gillespie was told he would redshirt his freshman year at Villanova, with a potential complementary role not expected until his fifth year.
“I thought he would get his master’s degree and be a great coach one day,” said Wright. “I was thinking ‘I would love to have this guy on my staff.’”
Gillespie accepted the offer, but he did not believe Wright’s prediction.
“I believed in myself,” he said.
Just fifteen months later, Gillespie played for Wright in the national championship game. By his fifth year, he was named the top point guard in the nation in 2022.
An injury sidelined him after he had signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Denver Nuggets in July, derailing his NBA career. After recovering and playing in the G League, he then signed with the Suns before last season. This season, the 6-foot-1 guard is averaging 13.2 points in 28.1 minutes.
Read more about Archbishop Wood’s Collin Gillespie starting his second NBA season with the Suns in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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