Villanova coach Jay Wright was the first person to greet guard Collin Gillespie as he came off the floor with 35 seconds left in what ended up as an 81-65 loss to Kansas in the national semifinal at the Superdome in New Orleans Saturday night.
Gillespie received an extended hug from his coach before getting the same reception from assistant coaches George Halcovage and Mike Nardi. Tears flowed down Gillespie’s face as he took his seat on the bench for the final time in a Villanova uniform.
Forward Jermaine Samuels was next to leave the floor and he was greeted in the same manner as Gillespie.
It was an appreciation of five years of dedication to the program, one that included one national championship, two trips to the Final Four and another to the Sweet 16, three Big East regular-season titles and three conference tournament crowns and a 134-36 record in their time on the Main Line.
They leave as two of the most decorated players in program history, Gillespie a two-time Big East Player of the Year, an All-American and the recipient of the 2022 Bob Cousy Award as the top point guard in the country, and Samuels as the South Regional Most Outstanding Players.
“Collin is a legend of Villanova basketball,” said guard Caleb Daniels, who finished with 13 points, five rebounds and two assists. “He’s what Villanova basketball is.”
Make no mistake, there is no Big East Tournament title or run to the Final Four this year if Gilliespie and Samuels don’t take advantage of the COVID year and come back for a fifth season. They put this team on their backs and carried the Wildcats (30-8) to the brink of another shot at a national championship.
Gillespie scored a team-high 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting overall and 5-for-8 from 3-point land in the final game of his career. Samuels was held to nine points, but he did grab seven rebounds and hand out three assists.
Yet that wasn’t enough to offset the fast start by the Jayhawks (33-6) or the inside-outside combination of David McCormack and All-American Ochai Agbai. Kansas scored the first 10 points of the game and never looked back.
McCormack scored a game-high 25 points on 10-for-12 shooting from the field. He also grabbed nine rebounds. Agbai tallied 21 points and was nearly flawless from the field. He shot 6-for-8 overall and 6-for-7 from deep.
The Wildcats did claw back and cut a 19-point, first-half deficit to six, 64-58, with 6:10 to play but it wasn’t enough. The better team won. The Jayhawks were bigger, stronger and hit more shots. Would Justin Moore have made a difference? We’ll never know, but Wright wasn’t using Moore’s absence with a torn Achilles tendon as an excuse.
“They were well-prepared and they really executed,” Wright said of the Jayhawks. “And whenever we have to talk about what we didn’t do well, which there were a number of things, we want to make sure they get the credit they deserve. They played a great game tonight.”
Give Gillespie, Samuels and Dhamir “Dada” Cosby-Roundtree credit, too. They did not come in as one of Wright’s most highly recruited classes but they leave a legacy that will be hard to match.
“I loved every second of it,” Gillespie said. “I have brothers that will last me a lifetime now. And I have coaches that I’ll be friends with for life as well. And I’m just super grateful to have been a part of this. It’s bigger than me, and it’s just a really special place.”
The Link LonkApril 03, 2022 at 08:44AM
https://www.delcotimes.com/2022/04/02/gillespie-samuels-leave-a-legacy-that-will-be-hard-to-match/
Gillespie, Samuels leave a legacy that will be hard to match - The Delaware County Daily Times
https://news.google.com/search?q=hard&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
No comments:
Post a Comment