NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Pennsylvania of last decade

3. Collin Gillespie – Villanova

A 6’3 guard from Warminster, Gillespie was certainly cut in the cloth of a successful Villanova player and he proved that in his career. He arrived in Villanova in 2017, playing a small role on the Wildcats’ national title team during his freshman year. Across his next four years, Gillespie developed not only into Villanova’s starting point guard but a star, both in the Big East at the national level.

After that minimal role in the title run, Gillespie was a full-time starter over the next four years, including his bonus year from the pandemic. He averaged double-digit points each of those seasons and helped the Wildcats win two more Big East Tournament titles. After missing the end of his senior season with an MCL injury, he bounced back in a major way in his final season. Gillespie averaged 15.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game, helping to lead the Wildcats back to the Final Four, their third trip in seven years.

Named All-Big East First Team in his final two seasons, Gillespie had quite a career with the Wildcats. He was Big East Player of the Year, Tournament MVP, and won the Bob Cousy Award for that incredible final season, creating his own postseason magic with the Wildcats. He also was the Big East’s best 3-point shooter during that final season and clearly emerged as one of the best point guards in the game. While he wasn’t drafted this past summer, he did sign with the Denver Nuggets.