This college basketball season was one of the most competitive seasons ever. There were seven different teams that ranked #1 at different times during the season.
We should be buzzing about the Final Four on Saturday, but instead, we’re all probably relying on Netflix’s algorithm for this week’s entertainment. In Part 1, I thanked a couple of undergrads that have declared for the NBA Draft, and this week will focus on seniors that saw their careers end abruptly. Part 2 saw me thank Utah native Sam Merrill for his amazing career at Utah State and elevating the Mountain West Conference. Today, I stay out west with a college senior whose team was really robbed.
Killian Tillie, Gonzaga Forward
Killian Tillie is an absolute beast. He’s a 6’10 guy that can do absolutely everything. The way he can go from knocking down 3’s to blocking shots with ease is a thing of beauty.
He often gave me a reason to stay up late on Thursday nights to watch Gonzaga beat a variety of religious West coast colleges with basketball programs that have no business being on the same floor as Gonzaga.
Watch the alley-oop above. Guys the size of Tillie are not supposed to make steals like that and run the floor like that either. Thank you for dazzling me on those late night broadcasts and running it back in the West Coast Conference yet again.
Tillie battled some ankle injuries this season, which did have an impact on him. He seemed to be getting healthy at the right time for Gonzaga though, and they were poised to make a deep run in this year’s tournament. They probably would be playing this weekend after running through the competition as a #1 seed in the West.
It’s going to be weird watching Gonzaga without Killian Tillie next season, so it’s hard actually coming to terms with that. As detailed above, he’s one of a kind and is an absolute nightmare mismatch for West Coast Conference schools. It’s just a joy seeing how helpless defenders are trying to contain him given his inside-outside game.
Whoever made this video happen deserves an award, so I also want to thank them and Tillie for revealing the Division 1 college basketball content that I didn’t know I needed.