EAST LANSING, Mich. (BVM) — Xavier Tillman’s path to the NBA is one of resiliency, grit and hard work. If someone had said that Tillman would be drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2020, just three years after being enrolled at Michigan State University, it would have been shocking.

The former Spartan was not the most polished prospect Tom Izzo had ever recruited. He averaged just shy of nine minutes per game and almost three points per game his freshman season, and one of the biggest factors in Tillman’s lack of production his first season was his fitness. He weighed nearly 280 pounds his first year, and the pace of the Big Ten was much different than his high school hoops at Grand Rapids Christian High.

During the summer after his freshman season, Tillman underwent a surprising transformation going from nearly 280 pounds down to under 250 pounds and looking like he was ready to make a major contribution to his team. During the 2018-2019 season, Tillman would do just that. 

The former Spartan would play 39 games — starting 14 of those — averaging 24 minutes, 10 points and just over seven rebounds per game all while shooting 61% from the field. Tillman also helped lead the Spartans to another B1G regular season championship, another B1G Tournament championship and another Final Four appearance. 

On top of the team accomplishments, Tillman would also earn an individual award as the B1G Sixth Man of the Year. This was Tillman’s breakout year and it happened just in time for the Spartans.

Tillman’s last season for Michigan State would see him as one of the most important players for the Spartans as Nick Ward — the starting center from the 2018-2019 season — had departed for the NBA Draft. During the 2019-2020 season, Tillman played with another Spartan legend in Cassius Winston, and the two would lead their team to its third straight B1G regular season championship in exciting fashion. 

During this stretch, Tillman would average just shy of 14 points, over 10 rebounds and three assists per game playing in 31 games and starting all of them. Unfortunately for Tillman and the rest of the college basketball world, the remainder of the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although his season was cut short, Tillman once again showed great strides in his basketball career, winning B1G Defensive Player of the Year.

After just three seasons with the Spartans, Tillman would forgo his last year of eligibility as he made the next step in his basketball career by announcing his decision to enter his name into the NBA Draft.

The former Spartan was drafted at No. 35 overall to the Sacramento Kings in the 2020 NBA Draft, but was immediately traded to the Memphis Grizzlies where he would reunite with another former Spartan and good friend of his, Jaren Jackson Jr. 

For Tillman, the Grizzlies are a perfect situation for his adolescent basketball career. The team is full of young stars looking to make a name for themselves, something Tillman has been doing for years. In a crazy season that was shortened to only 72 games, Tillman would average almost seven points and over four rebounds in only 18 minutes per game while shooting 56% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc.

Tillman saw early action this season with the Grizzlies, and even helped to secure the No. 8 seed for his team in the NBA play-in game against the Golden State Warriors. In the game, Tillman had 11 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. With 1:27 left in overtime, the former Spartan hit a big shot from beyond the arc to put Memphis up 110-109 which helped to shift the momentum back to the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies would go on to play the Utah Jazz where Tillman didn’t see much of the floor, but gained valuable playoff experience in a series Utah would win in five games.  

From Michigan to Memphis, Tillman has made his mark. Expect more minutes from Tillman next season as he continues to improve his craft and increase his role with the Grizzlies.

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