Boeheim’s Army 2019 Player Series: John Gillon

In this Boeheim’s Army 2019 Player Series we will feature the members of this year’s TBT (The Basketball Tournament) squad, and what’s happened since we saw them last. Up next: John Gillon.

Boeheim’s Army is back again this year for another chance at the $2 million cash prize in The Basketball Tournament. Led by former Syracuse basketball standouts ranging over a decade this squad may be better than ever before. Among this amazing group of stars is the one-year phenom, John Gillon.

Coming out of Colorado State, Gillon came to Syracuse basketball in 2016 as a transfer point guard for his graduate year. He was not highly thought of, or considered an NBA prospect, but he quickly earned the love of Syracuse fans everywhere.

His ability to drive the lane and get to the rim despite his 6-foot height (which looked much shorter on the court) and hit clutch outside shots in crunch time made him a player Syracuse fans will not soon forget.

Probably his most memorable moment though was his last-second buzzer-beating three to down Duke in the Carrier Dome. With just moments on the clock, he received a pass across the halfcourt, stopped right before the three-point arc and heaved a three over two Duke defenders. The shot would bounce off the backboard and go in and make the hometown crowd go wild.

Since then Gillon has been successful in the NBA’s G-League with the Erie Bayhawks and Greensboro Swarm averaging 13.3 points, six assists per game overall, according to Syracuse.com. His three-point shooting is still very much a part of his game as he averaged 36.3% last year, and his confidence still not shaken despite constantly being taken lightly.

Gillon’s Play Last Year in TBT

Gillon was a beast in last year’s TBT for Boeheim’s Army. He immediately made his presence felt in the first game against the South Jamaica Kings scoring 32 points to pair with three assists, two rebounds, two steals, according to the TheTournament.com. He would go 9-for-10 from the field overall of which he went 6-for-7 from three and 8-for-10 from the free-throw line. It was a heck of a display and one that shows what Gillon is capable of for this team if they need him to score rather than distribute.

Though Gillon is a talented scorer, he is also a talented passer. That was on display in his second game against the eighth seed team- Team Fancy. He would only score 12 points overall for Boeheim’s Army, but he would distribute the ball well from the point guard position to the tune of six assists.

In the third game against Armored Athlete which ended up being a tight affair, Gillon really struggled. He would only shoot 2-for-6 for five points and two assists overall. Luckily the team had good enough depth to pull out the squeaker and advance to the quarterfinals.

In the quarterfinals against the Golden Eagles (Marquette Alumni), which Boeheim’ Army would go on to lose to, Gillon would again struggle and that may have been the difference for the Boeheim’s Army. He would shoot 2-for-6 again for nine points overall to pair with three assists. Though we can’t point to Gillon necessarily for losing that game, his scoring was definitely missed. Despite his lackluster offensive performance, his leadership for Boeheim’s Army kept them in the game much like how it was when he played for Syracuse.

If there’s anything that can be learned from all this, it’s that Gillon is a leader on this team that will be needed for both scoring and distributing. His ability to make buckets in crunch time whether that is from outside the arc or at the foul line, Gillon can also be a valuable asset in an Elam Ending setting like TBT is. Though not the tallest guy on the court, he has the heart, confidence, and talent to take on anybody, and in The Basketball Tournament that goes a long way!