Prospect Spotlight: Josh Gillespie (2021) Mountain View High School
On November 15 Idaho High School basketball officially begins. For 6’3″ 180 lb Josh Gillespie (2021) of Mountain View High School it can’t come fast enough. Gillespie (2021) is currently ranked as the #5 Junior in the state of Idaho.…
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Continue ReadingOn November 15 Idaho High School basketball officially begins. For 6’3″ 180 lb Josh Gillespie (2021) of Mountain View High School it can’t come fast enough. Gillespie (2021) is currently ranked as the #5 Junior in the state of Idaho. Last year as a sophomore Gillespie (2021) worked his way into the starting line up six games into the season for Coach Nettleton and the Mavericks, and was a big part of their success and them making the state tournament. “We ended up making state but lost in the first round. We played a total of three games at state. We got sixth place for state. We ended up on the top 1/3 of the 5A schools in the state. Every game we improved.”
Photo Courtesy of Josh GillespieThis year Gillespie (2021) hopes to make a return visit to the state tournament and make a run for the state championship game. “I hope that my high school season this year will be a lot better than last year, last year was a good year for me but I want this year to be the best it can be. I want to be a good teammate on and off the court every day. Also to improve my game everyday. Every game I have to be focused.”
Gillespie (2021) has been playing basketball since he was able to walk. Both his parents were coaches in Garden Valley so he pretty much grew up in the gym. In 2nd grade he began playing competitive basketball with a team from Garden Valley. From 5th-7th grade he played for Team TBD and Coach Ron Shepherd. In the 8th and 9th grade he played for Coach Tony Bobbitt and team Idaho Force. This past year Gillespie (2021) played for Coach Roberto Bergersen and Hoop Dreams and plans on playing for Coach Bergersen again next year.
All of this playing experience has helped Gillespie (2021) rise above the competition. “Playing AAU ball has improved me as a player by expanding my knowledge for the game of basketball and also making my game fundamentally sound.” Along with playing AAU Gillespie (2021) works hard off the court to improve his game. “In the past I have trained at off the field and T3. I’m currently not training with anyone specific but I will go to Lewis and Clark middle school and work out and put up shots. I will start going to off the field again to train there with some friends.”
With his 6’3″ 180 lb frame Gillespie (2021) is a very versatile player who can play any position on the court. “I would describe my game as an all around player. I’m not just a shooter or a post, I can play any position on the court. My strengths are I can shoot, I can take the ball to the rim, I’m a smart player, I know how to make my teammates better, and I am coach-able. On defense, I can steal the ball and get deflections with my long wingspan, and I can block shots, but I can also sit down and play defense.” He is also a good teammate who can lift others. “My strengths are that I am a good teammate and I lift my teammates up if they mess up on the court. I can take care of the ball and take control of the game.”
Photo Courtesy of Josh GillespieGillespie (2021) also realizes that there is always things to work on to make himself better. “I’m trying to improve my strength, if I improve my strength I can improve my game on both ends of the court.”
Playing basketball for so many years has provided Gillespie (2021) with a lot of good memories. “One of my favorite basketball memories happened last fall in 2018. My Mountain View team went to play in the Idaho Falls area for our first out of town games at the beginning of our season. We all rode a bus for 3-4 hours and stayed in a hotel for 3 days. It was fun bonding as a team.” Another part of playing for his high school team he likes is the time spent with his teammates. “Second, I really enjoyed having team meals we had at Mountain View every Monday after practice. Last but not least I enjoyed going to Gonzaga this summer with the team for the second time.”
Gillespie (2021) has played in tournaments all over the west coast. This spring he played in the Nike Hoop Summit Spring Showcase in Portland Oregon, the LA Showcase Garden Grove and also the Utah Tournament. This summer he played in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Last weekend Gillespie (2021) and his AAU team traveled to LA where they won the High School Hoop Fest Tournament.
This upcoming season is going to be a big one for Gillespie (2021). Look for him and his Mountain View Mavericks to make a run for the state championship.