Villanova Basketball manages to make Sweet 16 without Collin Gillespie

Diversifying the scoring

With Collin Gillespie (14 ppg, 4.6 apg) in the line up the Wildcats averaged 77 points over twenty games, in the four games since his injury they have averaged 70 points, with their last performance being their sixth-highest output of the season.

The reason for this offensive success versus North Texas is that the Wildcats still have four legitimate scoring options on the floor and if the aforementioned zone defense can keep Cole Swider on the court as a 6’9 threat from the perimeter, the WIldcats’ scoring option increase to five.

Maybe even more important to the Wildcats’ offense than Gillespie’s team-leading two three-pointers per game average, was his ability to post up opposing point guards. at 6’3 / 190 Gillespie is the smallest of the WIldcats’ guards and this aspect of their offense does not need to change, especially against the bigger more defensive-minded Baylor guards.

At 6’2 / 205 Davion Mitchell will find it difficult to prevent anybody other than Chris Arcidiacono from posting up. Regardless that the WIldcats have not slowed down their three-point shooting as they have attempted 25 and 30 three-pointers in their two respective tournament games, an opportunity to diversify their scoring and maintain some consistency from the season, the Villanova bigger guards in Caleb Daniels, Justin Moore and Grandon Slater will be able to work not only the clock but their man in the paint.