Villanova in the Pros: Collin Gillespie Smashes Suns’ Franchise Record

Villanova alumnus Collin Gillespie set a Phoenix Suns franchise record for three-pointers made in a single season, draining his 227th triple of the season during the team’s April 2 loss to Charlotte.

Even more impressive, this is Gillespie’s first full season in the NBA: after parts of three seasons in the G-League, he caught on with Phoenix in a midseason promotion last year, securing a big league contract in the offseason as a result of his play.

With five games to go in the regular season, Gillespie has time to continue to pad his record. Grayson Allen (205 made threes) comes in third place behind former top spot holder Quentin Richardson (226 made threes), so Gillespie should hold a comfortable lead on the top spot. He’s taking roughly two-thirds of his shots from beyond the arc this season, converting 40.9 percent of the time.

A member of the Suns’ starting lineup averaging 13.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, Gillespie should also play himself into a much better contract than the one-year, $2,378,870 ‘prove-it’ deal he negotiated last offseason.

The Suns currently hold the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, setting them up for a likely play-in tournament berth; 4.5 games behind No. 6 Minnesota and 2.5 games ahead of No. 8 Portland, they aren’t likely to move in the standings over the last two weeks of the regular season.

Gillespie, who won the 2018 national championship with Villanova and helped lead them to the 2022 Final Four, has established himself as a clutch contributor for Phoenix: his legend could continue to grow as they fight for a spot in the playoff field.