(3) Wed BE 3/3/21 - Bad News, Gillespie Out For The Year.

[GumbyDamnit!]

Bittersweet night. Our warrior goes down but another BE banner goes up. Proud of the other guys. Up 12 when Colin went down and win the game by 12. Withstood a valiant comeback effort by the Jays. Want to be optimistic but you don’t just lose an AA leader and think you’ll be the same. F’ing 2020-21. So fitting.

[sju88grad]

Just awful. Hoping for a speedy recovery.

[jfan]

Any news on Gillespie. He and Nova deserve better than a bad injury! Hope it's just a strain! Nova deserved to win. Congrats on another championship!

[GumbyDamnit!]

Any news on Gillespie. He and Nova deserve better than a bad injury! Hope it's just a strain! Nova deserved to win. Congrats on another championship!

Looks like an ACL tear. Jay almost in tears talking about it after the game.

[jfan]

Oh crap. That is really bad. Sorry guys. Honestly think that Nova has enough talent to still make a run, but losing CG is really bad news!! Bad for Nova, bad for the league and especially bad for Colin!

[MullinMayhem]

Never seen Jay like that...really sad. Heart goes out to Gillespie...my god what a terrible break. The Big East has had probably the worst luck in the country in terms of stars getting hurt and the timing of them. Creighton seems to lose a star player every year and a few times it was right before the tourney. Nova loses Gillespie right before tourney...we lose Posh right as we make one last tourney push. Not good.

Glad we were able to knock off PC without Posh which was kind of shocking honestly. All you have to do to beat us easily right now is keep feeding a decent big man who can score inside. That's really it. But a W is a W and you take it any way you can in this league. Still think we are a major longshot for tourney even if we win against Hall. Just don't see Hall losing 4 straight if we do not have Posh. Doesn't look like he plays the rest of the season but hope I'm wrong.

[hoyahooligan]

What are the chances Gillespie comes back next year now? He could with the new rules. He'd probably be good to go by the BE season and get a do over for his senior year. Not sure who Nova has coming up behind him at PG, but If he's willing you have to keep him on board. He's not an NBA prospect so I think it's possible.

[Novachap]

Well GIT, I'd bust your chops a little this morning, but honestly my heart isn't into it.

On the game, clearly the Jays were as Coach said, emotionally drained in the 1st half. Horrible timing for that whole issue to cause strife in the locker room. That said, played a heck of second half. I saw a clear change in Nova's D. quicker players like Slater (he is really coming along) and antoine when he was in, more aggressively than normal helped and raked (although did not double) at the ball on penetration to disrupt inside out passes. It worked somewhat. then of course Mitch started connecting from the logo! The PG by committee worked for a while---particularly when JRE was bringing the ball up. But, the pressure put on Moore when JRE was out by a quicker guard led to a lot of issues and that is troublesome going forward. the Jays clearly weren't on fire like the last time and shot only 30% from 3, Nova wasn't a whole lot better at just under 35%. It was nice to see Moore break out of his recent slump, now Daniels needs to get back to where he was.

I have never seen Jay so despondent on camera before, really tough to watch. Anyway, odd game all around and as Gumby said, #11 BE regular season title is very bittersweet.

[Fieldhouse Flyer]

.
Best wishes to Collin Gillespie, and to his family, friends, teammates, coaches, and fans. It’s a rotten way to end a season – or college basketball career.

Villanova star point guard Collin Gillespie leaves game with knee injury; coach Jay Wright says 'it's serious' - Matt Norlander, CBS Sports – March 3, 2021

The Wildcats clinched another Big East title with a win vs. Creighton Wednesday night, but it was a pyrrhic victory

Villanova's Final Four hopes could well rest on what MRI results show Thursday in regard to star point guard Collin Gillespie's left knee.

The senior leader tangled legs with Creighton's Damien Jefferson in the first half of No. 10 Villanova's 72-60 Senior Night home victory over the 14th-ranked Bluejays. He had to be helped off the floor and would later return to the sideline with his left knee in heavy bandaging. Wildcats coach Jay Wright said on FS1 afterward that Gillespie's injury is "serious," per the immediate diagnosis of the team's trainer.

In his postgame media availability, Wright reiterated the apparent gravity of the injury and said Gillespie would have an MRI conducted Thursday morning.

Villanova stiffened offensively without Gillespie, going on an eight-minute drought in the second half before ultimately righting itself and pulling away to win the Big East regular-season title for the seventh time in eight years. Villanova now has the most regular season championships in conference history with 11.

Wright said his team was "devastated at first" over Gillespie's injury, but their ability to gather themselves was a sign of how well they embrace a challenge. Wright added he doesn't expect Gillespie back for Villanova's season finale at Providence on Saturday. He wouldn't speculate on his star point guard's availability -- meaning for the Big East and NCAA tournaments -- thereafter.

"There's probably not been one player that's had such an impact on a team in a year as Collin does here," Wright said. "He's our spiritual leader, work ethic he's our leader, on court he is. He's tough to replace. We're going to have to grow up real quick."

Villanova, projected as a No. 3 seed in Jerry Palm's latest Bracketology, has lost its last three road games.

[gtmoBlue]

Congrats Radnorites. Villanova wins another in a line of BE Championships.

I am greatly dispondent as our guys had their shot, but didn't rise to the challenge.
At least they didn't totally quit...small consolation though.

Again, Congrats to the Villanova Wildcats on another great season.