Blaise Vespe always bets on himself. It’s paying off at Florida Gulf Coast — and on social media.

Blaise Vespe is a safe bet.

That’s what the 6-foot-7 forward for Florida Gulf Coast and Cherry Hill native has gleaned along his difficult path toward college basketball.

“I’ve learned to believe in myself,” Vespe said in a recent phone interview. “I’ve always been willing to bet on myself and take a risk. If it doesn’t go well, at least I know that I put the work in and I went down trying.”

Vespe, a 2021 graduate of Neumann Goretti, has bet big and won big various times, including when he joined ultra-talented teams in Philly and Florida, where desperate days could have doused his competitive fire.

Last year, Vespe — whose father, Will, was drafted by the Minnesota Twins and is in the South Jersey Baseball Hall of Fame — even wagered some of his collegiate eligibility.

He’s also already seeing dividends from the bet he made to grow his social media presence years ago.

After the 76ers spent the No. 16 overall draft pick last month on Duke guard Jared McCain, who has amassed nearly 4 million followers across social media, Vespe, who has nearly 400,000 followers, could join the growing trend of college athlete influencers who make it to the pros.

“There have been a lot of situations where I just bet on myself, and I was confident because I always put the work in,” said Vespe, who’ll be a junior this season. “I would say the confidence is what got me where I’m at today.”

Just don’t let his social media presence fool you. Vespe seems focused on improving his game, not just his fame.

Unlike McCain — a McDonald’s All American who earned ACC all-rookie team honors before being considered among the best shooters in the NBA draft — Vespe often has felt overlooked.

He left St. Augustine Prep to make a 45-minute daily trek to Neumann Goretti in his sophomore season. His father still remembers murmurs about whether his son could cut it in South Philly.

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“He’s never shied away,” Will Vespe said. “He’s never been intimidated. He’s always made the most of every situation.”

Vespe earned a starting spot by his junior season. He was a role player on a squad with future NBA player Jordan Hall and Division I guards Hysier Miller, Hakim Byrd (now at Jefferson), and Cam Young (now at East Stroudsburg).

The Saints claimed the Catholic League crown that season, beating two-time defending champion Roman Catholic thanks, in part, to Vespe’s versatility.

Although he was not a traditional big man, Vespe’s defense on 6-10 Roman center Jalen Duren, now a member of the Detroit Pistons, is still praised by coaches.

“He was a hardworking, athletic kid who fit perfectly with that team,” Neumann Goretti coach Carl Arrigale said. “I enjoyed coaching Blaise. … He hit open threes, guarded the other team’s bigs, and rebounded the ball for us.”

Arrigale also praised Vespe’s unselfishness. That trait, however, almost worked against him a few years later.

Vespe had three Division I offers after his junior season. His senior year, however, was scuttled by COVID-19, so Vespe took another chance.

He chose a postgrad year at Florida-based powerhouse IMG Academy, which was loaded with high-level Division I recruits such as Alex Karaban, who later helped Connecticut win consecutive NCAA championships.

His father, who starred on the diamond at Gloucester Catholic before the University of Miami, said his son declined to join IMG’s academic squad, which would have meant a bigger role.

But on IMG’s main squad, which had 12 Division I players, Vespe did not see much action early.

“I started getting nervous, thinking to myself, ‘Maybe I should’ve taken those offers,’” Vespe said.

His mindset, Vespe said, was still on winning, being unselfish, and doing the little things that help teams prevail.

IMG’s star-studded cast, however, did not need that. Meanwhile, Vespe’s fear and stress grew as time and opportunities dwindled.

“Every night I’d go back to my dorm, and, honestly, I was getting really frustrated because a lot of my teammates were already committed to high-major schools,” he said. “All these kids were already set, and I was there in panic mode.”

After several concerned calls with his parents, Vespe knew what needed to be done.

“I didn’t stop,” he said. “I kept working, no matter what. I would say a different level of desperation kicked into me.”

He added an extra workout in the morning and another at night in addition to IMG’s already rigorous team requirements.

The extra work, he said, also gave him the confidence to be more assertive on the court. In the last 10 games of the season, Vespe averaged about 20 points and 10 rebounds and caught the eye of Florida Gulf Coast coach Pat Chambers.

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Vespe started his sophomore campaign as a redshirt because he had already played sparingly as a freshman and did not see more playing time in his future behind FGCU’s veteran squad.

That changed, however, after several players were injured 10 games into the season. Vespe said his coaches asked him to give up his redshirt season, essentially forfeiting a year of eligibility.

“Another gamble,” Vespe said. “I could’ve stayed in the redshirt, but I wanted to be there for my team.”

The sacrifice went beyond sports, he added. He could have earned a master’s degree with that extra year.

It didn’t take long, however, for the gamble to pay off. In just his third game that season, Vespe hit a game-winning three-pointer in overtime just before time expired. Now, he hopes to have an even bigger role this season.

“He’s a winner,” Will Vespe said. “He’s going to be a winner everywhere he goes.” Later, he added: “I’m very proud of him. I don’t think sometimes he realizes how proud of him I am.”

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Perhaps that’s because father and son have been known to butt heads.

“I’ve learned a lot from my dad,” Vespe said. “He’s very hard on me, but he’s also taught me a lot. I was very hardheaded growing up. Now as I get older, I realize he really does know what he’s talking about. I was a teenager. I thought I knew it all …”

Vespe may also have picked up some of his father’s business acumen.

Will Vespe owns a successful construction company based in Jersey, while his son has become his own business.

Vespe said he arrived on campus with about 3,000 followers on Instagram. He now has 105,000. He has another 124,000 followers on TikTok and 160,000 more on Snapchat.

“We have to take advantage of our personal socials to get ourselves some deals,” he said.

Vespe’s mother, Deborah, marvels at his maturity, and he’s now represented by an agency that procures name, image, and likeness deals on his behalf. He has partnered with McDonald’s, among other businesses.

It should not be a surprise that his major is entrepreneurship. Of course, like most college hoopers, his goal is to play professionally.

Based on his track record, you probably shouldn’t bet against him.

“I think Blaise has all the winning characteristics in life,” Will Vespe said. “That is, at the end of the day, what really matters.”