Whatever happens to Collin Gillespie and the Villanova Wildcats in the 2022 National Tournament, they will be finishing their season as the reigning Big East tournament champions. That's after they crushed the conference title dreams of the Creighton Bluejays in a 54-48 win Saturday night.

Gillespie put on a show in the second half to lift Villanova. He finished with 17 points to go with seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals in a complete all-around effort that the Wildcats have come to expect of their floor leader. Gillespie, the Big East Player of the Year, added yet another hardware to his trophy case as he got named the Most Outstanding Player of the Big East Tournament after the showdown with Creighton. But it's probably what he said postgame that will be remembered more.

Via ESPN:

“This is why I came back,” he said as he held his tournament MVP trophy.

It wasn't just all Gillespie, though, for Villanova.  Justin Moore produced 16 points, while the Wildcats' defense held the Bluejays to just 32.8 percent shooting from the field, including an atrocious 3/29 performance form behind the arc. Villanova's win over the Bluejays was just another example as to why Jay Wright's team is tough to beat. The Wildcats can get the job done on either side of the court. They are eighth in adjusted offensive efficiency in the nation and 28th in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.

Villanova is going to be one of the top contenders in March Madness.