Collin Gillespie – Call Him Kid Fearless

ROBBINS NEST The New York Extra/TheNYExtra.com

By Lenn Robbins

There are two choices one can make when faced with constant doubt and degradation: One can wilt and fade into the background or develop a resolve and fearlessness that in the words of Rocky’s trainer Mickey Goldmill can make you a very dangerous person.

Collin Gillespie, Villanova’s 6-3, 195-point guard, doesn’t look very threatening, unless he has the basketball in his hands – especially in late-game situations. Then he embodies the “Villanova” way. He cuts you up with one of his whip-quick baseline drives, or scalpel sharp passes, or gut-punches you with an end of shot clock 3.

In leading the Wildcats to their sixth Big East Conference Tournament title and a No.2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Gillespie disemboweled UConn with 10 assists (one turnover!) in the semifinals and deflated Creighton with back-to-back clutch 3’s, 40 seconds apart in the final 2:49 of the 54-48 championship game victory.

“I look at it as no fear of failure,” coach Jay Wright said of Gillespie. “He has no fear that if he misses those shots and we lose it’s not going to affect how he thinks of himself.

“So he’s just playing with absolutely no fear because he knows he’s put the work in. He knows he’s got a great family that loves him. He knows his teammates love him. That’s what he cares about. Did I work hard? Did I prepare? Win or lose I’ll take the result. It’s a unique mindset. That’s what the great ones have.”

There’s a perfect irony that Gillespie, who Wright has called the best leader he’s ever coached, wears No.2. He heard countless times throughout his high school years at Archbishop Wood outside of Philadelphia that he was a low-level Division I prospect, despite leading the Vikings to a Catholic League city title and a state championship.

He chose Nova, which mysteriously remains just on the periphery of discussions of best college programs even though it has won the fourth most games (128) since 2017-2018. The schools ahead of Nova are Gonzaga, Houston and Kansas. Nova is the only one with an NCAA Tournament title in that span. Another came in 2016.

By winning the league tournament title and posting a 26-7 record, the Wildcats got the No.2 seed in the South Regional and will face Colonial Athletic Association champion Delaware (22-12) on Saturday in Pittsburgh. The Fighting Blue Hens shoot 35.2-percent on 3’s and are led by Nova transfer Dylan Painter who averages 11.9 points and 6.6 rebounds.

“Really, really proud to get a two seed,” said Wright. “I think it was hard-earned. It took a difficult schedule. Probably took a Big East championship. Probably took a couple of breaks with other games. We have a tough opponent because they’re experienced team; they know us well.”

Villanova’s success has always been shrouded in a veil of skepticism if not unorthodoxy. This Catholic university on Philly’s Main Line is not the landing spot for one-and-dones, rather a program in which recruits come to develop and get baptized in “The Villanova Way.”

“But the things that are consistent are high character, intelligence and willingness to be coached,” Wright said of his program. “And more desire to be coached. And so they’re all different kind of players. But they all are intelligent. They have high character, and they want you to coach them and make them better. That’s rare. And we’re blessed to have those guys.”

Only one program will be blessed to cut down the nets in The Caesars Coliseum in New Orleans. Nova is one of 8-to-10 programs that are considered legitimate threats to do that. Arizona, Baylor, Kansas and Gonzaga, the four No.1 seeds, along with the No.2 seeds – Duke, Kentucky, Auburn and Nova – are in the mix. SEC Tournament champ Tennessee, Big Ten Tournament champ Iowa and American Athletic Conference tournament champ Houston is capable as is Purdue, the Big Ten regular season champion.

After the low-scoring, six-point win over Creighton, the Nova naysayers were on their bullhorns. The Wildcats are too undersized. They don’t have a 6-foot-6ish superstar who can get a basket at will. The bench is short. All are legitimate criticisms.

  But the real adrenaline boost of this tournament is that there is no overwhelming favorite or two as was the case last season when Baylor crushed Gonzaga, 86-70 Can Nova get there – again? Are they Villalongshots? Maybe. But consider:

Nova is the nation’s best free throw shooting team (82.3 percent), they are 14^4h in turnovers (10 per game) – critical factors in a one-and-done format. With a lineup that boasts five players in the 6-4 to 6-7 range, Nova switches and defends with a vengeance. Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels know what it takes to cut down the nets, as they did when Nova routed Michigan, 79-62, in the 2018 title game.

In Gillespie, they have a fearless face even if it is somewhat baby-faced. The Wildcats could be very dangerous persons. They have accomplished too much of late to be considered an underdog Rocky in this tournament but they have heard the doubt and degradation and developed a resolve and fearlessness that has anointed Villanova with the most intimidating of March Madness monikers: A team you don’t want to face.

“We’re going to go out there and battle and try to play Villanova basketball for 40 minutes,” said Gillespie, who has a Derek Jeter-like approach to speaking to media. “If we’re doing that, we can come back in the locker room after a game and look each other in the eye and know that we gave it up for each other, then we’ll live with the result.”