payitforward wrote:doclinkin wrote:pcbothwel wrote:...Xavier Tillman...
...I've been on Xavier Tillman since last year, and now he has added playmaking and a three point shot to his skills list. ...
This is a really interesting player to think about. We've got 2000 minutes of college ball to look at, & he's put up good numbers all the way along. Like doc, I am impressed by his assist numbers this year.
Currently, NBA Draftroom has him at #49 in R2; I think that would make him a high-value pick -- IOW, I wouldn't take him as high as #37 (where the Bulls pick might put us...), but, I'd be tempted to buy another pick to land him.
Tom Izzo trains good pros. Skill sets developed as a Spartan tend to translate at the next level. Tillman this year has been asked to be a playmaker out of the high pick and roll, setting the pick then taking the pass whether he rolls or pops to the three point line. From that position he either takes the open jumper, or rolls and when the defense collapses he commonly finds a teammate for an open corner three. This is why his three point game and assist game have been developing.
As usual his defense is stellar, he plays smart positional defense. Defense traditionally is one of the skills that takes a while to translate at the next level. MSU players seem to get it quicker than other rookies, in part because Izzo recruits second tier talents who stay longer in his program and develop fundamental skills before are earning a paycheck at the next level. Doesn't matter where you draft them, Izzo's best players will tend to give you good value for the pick.