Freddie Gillespie
Frederick Gillespie (born June 14, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Hustle of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Baylor Bears.
 Gillespie in November 2019 | |
| No. 33 – Memphis Hustle | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward |
| League | NBA G League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 14, 1997 |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | East Ridge (Woodbury, Minnesota) |
| College | |
| NBA draft | 2020 / Undrafted |
| Playing career | 2020–present |
| Career history | |
| 2021–present | Memphis Hustle |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Early life and high school career
Gillespie grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota and played football growing up until trying basketball in eighth grade.[1] He entered East Ridge High School at 5'11 and did not play basketball in his first year thereafter breaking his ankle on the first day of tryouts for the freshman team.[2] He grew to 6'4 by the time he was a sophomore and played on the junior varsity team. Gillespie played varsity as a junior but tore his ACL late in the season, causing him to miss the summer AAU circuit.[3] He finally returned to the court healthy in his senior season despite not being able to run and jump like before, and impressed high school coach Paul Virgin with his rebounding and defense though Gillespie did not receive all-conference honors.[1] After receiving no Division I or II scholarship offers, Gillespie, opted to attend Division III Carleton College.[4]
College career
Gillespie started his collegiate career at Division III Carleton College, choosing the school due to its academic pedigree. He played only 16 total minutes in his true freshman season despite being, in his words, “the most athletic, biggest guy in that whole conference." As a sophomore, Gillespie averaged 10.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game, shooting 53.2 percent from the field. He was named second-team All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.[5] Following the season, he decided to attempt to transfer to a Division I program. A friend of Gillespie's mother, former Minnesota player and assistant coach Al Nuness, was able to put him in contact with Baylor coach Scott Drew through his son, Jared Nuness, who is a member of the Baylor coaching staff.[6]
Gillespie joined the Baylor basketball team as a walk-on, sitting out a year due to NCAA transfer rules and earning a scholarship at the end of the year.[7] As a redshirt junior, he averaged 5.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in 26 games played.[2] On December 9, 2019, Gillespie was named Big 12 player of the week after contributing 17 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks in a win over Arizona.[8] At the conclusion of the regular season, Gillespie was named Big 12 Most Improved Player, Second Team All-Big 12 and to the All-Defensive Team after averaging 9.6 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.[9][10]
Professional career
After going undrafted in the 2020 NBA draft, Gillespie signed a training camp contract with the Dallas Mavericks.[11] He did not make the final roster.[12]
On January 11, 2021, the Memphis Hustle selected Gillespie with the 2nd pick overall in the 2020-2021 NBA G League draft. [13]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
References
- Frederick, Jace (January 17, 2020). "Late-blooming Freddie Gillespie goes from East Ridge role player to Baylor beast". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- Fuller, Marcus (January 17, 2020). "Surprise, surprise: Freddie Gillespie's leap from low-level hoops to Final Four dreams". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- Werner, John (February 15, 2019). "Gillespie makes big leap, major impact for Baylor men". Waco Tribune-Herald. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- Heyen, Billy (March 20, 2019). "'No idea this would happen': Freddie Gillespie's rise from a D-III player to an important Baylor big". The Daily Orange. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- Hines, Travis (November 8, 2019). "'I had no idea I'd end up being here': Freddie Gillespie's path from Division III to Baylor starter". NBCSports.com. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- Eisenberg, Jeff (June 8, 2017). "Late-blooming big man attempts to make the leap from Division III to Baylor". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- "Baylor walk-on Gillespie gets men's basketball scholarship". Waco Tribune-Herald. May 17, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
- "First Time Honorees Receive Men's Basketball Awards". Big 12 Conference. December 9, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- "Men's Basketball All-Big 12 Awards Announced". Big 12 Conference (Press release). March 8, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
- "This year, Minnesotans took over college basketball. Here's our best of the best". St. Paul Pioneer Press. March 13, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
- "Mavericks sign eight, including Barea, Iwundu, Burke". mavs.com. December 1, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- "Mavericks briefs: These players are 'dumb and dumber,' plus roster is set". mavs.com. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- "NBA G League 2020-21 Draft Results". NBA G League. Retrieved 2021-02-01.