Villanova's Collin Gillespie to Miss NCAA Tournament with Knee Injury

Laurence Kesterson/Associated Press

Villanova will be without one of its senior leaders for the rest of the season and the NCAA men's basketball tournament. 

According to Jeff Borzello of ESPN, guard Collin Gillespie suffered a torn MCL during Wednesday's victory over Creighton and will likely miss the rest of the season. This is a devastating loss for the Wildcats, who are national title contenders, Big East champions and competing for a top seed in the Big Dance.

Villanova head coach Jay Wright thanked people for their support in wake of the news:

"We are all devastated for Collin," Wright said. "He is the heart and soul of our program. We know we can't replace him. We all just want to step up and play so that we honor him. ... Collin is as mentally tough and resilient as any player we have had here. I know he will get through this and make it a positive for his career."

Gillespie is second on the Wildcats in points (14.0) and leads them in both assists (4.6) and steals (1.0) per game, underscoring how valuable he is in a number of areas.

He is also shooting 37.6 percent from three-point range as someone who can hit from the outside, attack the basket off the bounce and set up teammates as the floor general for the Big East champions.

Villanova will likely rely even more on the combination of Caleb Daniels and Bryan Antoine in the backcourt with Gillespie sidelined.

✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content

The Wildcats are scheduled to finish their regular season Saturday against Providence.