Gonzaga wing Corey Kispert ‘close’ to returning

Freshman wing Corey Kispert sat out Friday’s game after suffering a left ankle sprain in Wednesday’s blowout of Incarnate Word. He said he was “close” to returning.

“It really blew up and swelled up on me (Wednesday night), like sprains do,” said Kispert, who is sporting a walking boot. “I was in with the trainers all Thursday and Friday, it just didn’t respond quite as fast as we wanted it to.

“But I’m in there every day until we leave for New York.”

The Zags take on No. 4 Villanova on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. Kispert said he’ll test out the ankle leading up to the game to determine if he can play.