Villanova Product Collin Gillespie Powers Suns Comeback

Villanova graduate Collin Gillespie enjoyed his best night as a professional on Tuesday, Feb. 3, scoring a career-high 30 points as his Phoenix Suns erased a 19-point lead. Gillespie led Phoenix in scoring, converting on 10 of 17 shots (8-of-14 from three). He also put up ten assists to just one turnover.

The Suns’ win maintains their hold on the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference: both they and the Minnesota Timberwolves have a 31-20 record, but Phoenix holds the tiebreaker… and every win will count down the stretch. The NBA adopted a new postseason format ahead of the 2021-22 season, with the top six seeds in each conference punching their playoff ticket outright. Seeds seven through ten have to make their way through the play-in tournament in order to secure a postseason spot, so Gillespie’s heroics play a major role in maintaining the Suns’ standing.

After breaking into the NBA with Phoenix last season, Gillespie signed a one-year, $2.3 million ‘prove-it’ deal over the summer. With 50 games played (31 starts) and an average of 13.8 points and 4.7 assists per game this season, he’s certainly proved he belongs in the big leagues.

Elsewhere in the NBA, Villanova product Saddiq Bey continued his recent hot streak, dropping 34 points in his Pelicans’ loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 31. Philadelphia native and Roman Catholic alumnus Jalen Duren also marked a major career first, earning an All-Star Game nomination as a reserve. There he’ll suit up with Wildcats’ alumnus Jalen Brunson, who earned a starting nod to the exhibition for the second season in a row.

For a related story, Collin Gillespie discussed the lessons he learned from head coach Jay Wright in a recent podcast appearance.