Archbishop Wood basketball star stirs up a Big 5 battle on Instagram

Call this college hoops recruiting, Philly style.

Or does it count as Philly?

That’s the subtext of a little Instagram one-on-one game this week, Collin Gillespie representing Villanova, Shizz Alston in the game for Temple. Where was the court? On the Instagram feed of Archbishop Wood High hoop star Jalil Bethea, who now holds scholarship offers from both schools.

Bethea actually set it all up with an Instagram post showing him in a Temple uniform, holding a basketball. His caption: “should I stay home? (shrug emoji) #notcommitted #goowls (Owls emoji)

Standard fare on social media. (So don’t get too excited just yet, Temple fans.)

The fun really began when Gillespie chimed in, “[Word more suitable for Instagram than The Inquirer] no, if you staying home we know where you going.”

Gillespie standing up for the alma mater. He gets points for that. But Shizz Alston couldn’t resist: “that’s not home bro that don’t count as Philly lol.”

Game on …

Gillespie: “That’s fine if he staying in pa it’ll be at nova cause temple ain’t it.”

Gillespie added: “no disrespect neither bro he just better than that and need somewhere to showcase his talent.”

Alston: “that stage bright enough at Temple, he can do the same thing he would do at nova and Temple …and the city gone love him.”

Gillespie: “disagree. And the city gonna love him wherever he go.”

Alston: “that ain’t always true … he need go to Temple and play for a coach who played in the league and follow his blue print. … Nova ain’t got a good track record with guys from the city.”

The subtext is not a new one. (Even if Kyle Lowry might want to chime in about that city track record. Also, bonus point for Alston bringing up Aaron McKie’s NBA experience.)

“It’s a long debate if we consider Nova Philly,” Alston said in a text Wednesday night. “Us Temple guys don’t think so.”

A couple of more points here. Gillespie’s own Northeast Philly roots are vast and deep, although he grew up just over the line in Huntingdon Valley. (He also might get bonus points for not saying, “Yo, last time you saw me at Nova, wasn’t that the Final Four?”)

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Also, before starring at point guard on North Broad Street, Alston himself went to high school at the Haverford School, out on the Main Line, just down Lancaster Avenue from Villanova.

“I’m considering that Philly haha,” Alston said in a text. (He grew up in North Philly.)

Alston and Gillespie overlapped for a couple of seasons as Alston was finishing up at Temple and Gillespie was starting up at Villanova, “then a little pickup in the summer two years ago,” Alston said.

There’s no debate that these aren’t just two lock Big 5 Hall of Famers, but if there was a category within that for most mentally tough Big 5 players, Alston and Gillespie would be first ballot there, too.

“Collin loves where he came from,” noted Archbishop Wood coach John Mosco, who set up a group text with Bethea and a reporter.

Realize that after a breakout sophomore season and a big summer on the Nike circuit with Team Final, Bethea has many college options, from St. Joseph’s and Penn State and Rutgers to Miami and Virginia Tech and UCLA. Temple offered Bethea last November. Villanova offered in July.

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As for Bethea … don’t assume he’s tipping his hand. Just a little fun that turned into a little more fun. Pretty cool, Bethea texted, that two players “who dominated at both of the schools” going back and forth.

“I just wasn’t expecting that,” Bethea said.

He shouldn’t be surprised. It’s Philly. (Or is it?)