Villepigue Plans Pair of Trips; Likes West Coast
Dustin Villepigue may not have settled on a college choice yet, but this much is clear: he'd prefer to stay on the West Coast.
A native of Simi Valley, Calif., Villepigue played at Dixie State College in St. George, Ut., in 2003-2004.
Advertisement
After playing sparingly in two years at Gonzaga (one as a red-shirt), Villepigue used the season at Dixie to bounce back on the Division I level.
Thus far, the strategy appears to be paying off. Villepigue has scheduled visits for UNLV this weekend (Apr. 16-18) and Utah next weekend (Apr. 23-25).
"UNLV has been recruiting me the whole way," Villepigue said. "After Coach Kruger got the job, he came over here to watch us. He's an exciting coach and the program needs a big guy."
Villepigue has some familiarity with new Utah Head Coach Ray Giacoletti. He was a student-athlete at Gonzaga when Giacoletti was honing his craft at nearby Eastern Washington University.
"Coach Jack is a great guy," Villepigue said. "He came down to watch me play last week and offered a scholarship."
South Carolina, Pepperdine and Washington State have also contacted Villepigue this spring to express interest. Those programs will have to make up some ground if they're to beat out UNLV or Utah.
"It looks like it's coming down to those two schools," Villepigue said. "They're two good programs, and I don't see how I can pass one of them up, with both being on the West Coast."
Despite tearing two of the three ligaments in his right ankle, Villepigue missed only six games at Dixie this past season. He started 20 of 25 games for the Rebels, averaging 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Villepigue shot 65 percent from the field and 62 percent from the foul line this past season, playing an average of 26 minutes per contest. Dixie finished 22-9 overall, dropping a 74-64 decision to Southern Idaho in the Region 18 semis last month.
"I am a big guy that wants to be around players that love to win," Villepigue said. "I have a winning mentality, I work hard, and I can play both inside and out."
Wherever he chooses to go, Villepigue will have two years of eligibility remaining at the Division I level.
JUCO Junction will keep you posted on his situation until he reaches a decision, so stay tuned.