Healthy Tillie big boost for Gonzaga
Published 1:30 am Friday, March 22, 2019
Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY — Gonzaga forward Killian Tillie returned from a foot injury in January, only to injure it again.
The Zags were a bit more aggressive with Tillie’s rehab the second time around and it seems to have paid off.
Playing fast and free, Tillie was superb in top-seeded Gonzaga’s blowout win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday night in the NCAA tournament’s West Region.
The 6-foot-10 Frenchman scored 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the Zags’ opener and proved he’s feeling good with a dunk over two Fairleigh Dickinson defenders that brought his teammates to their feet.
“He’s actually moving better than when he came back in January because he was in a no weight-bearing (situation) and his legs weren’t quite there, Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “This last time we were able to kind of do more things in his recovery, so he’s moving better and has a little bit more pop.”
Gonzaga (31-3) is going to need that pop in its second-round game against Baylor on Saturday.
The Zags faced a tired and overmatched team in Fairleigh Dickinson, which had a short turnaround after winning its First Four game in Dayton on Tuesday. Gonzaga jumped on the Knights from the start and had the game pretty much out of reach long before halftime in the 87-49 victory.
Baylor (20-13) will be a much bigger challenge, on both ends of the court.
The ninth-seeded Bears shot their way over and past Syracuse’s vaunted zone in their opener, hitting a school NCAA tournament-record 16 3-pointers in the 79-68 win.
Baylor had a few lapses defensively against the Orange, but plays a 1-3-1 zone that’s difficult to prepare for, particularly with the quick turnaround that comes with playing in the NCAA tournament.
“The whole point of the zone is to take you out of your rhythm and possessions can seem like they’re stagnant,” Gonzaga forward and King’s High School alum Corey Kispert said. “As long as you can get a good shot against the zone, it’s a win.”
A big part of Baylor’s defensive scheme will revolve around stopping Gonzaga forward Rui Hachimura. The Zags have plenty of weapons, but the Japanese big man is the most dangerous.
Able to play in the post, beat defenders off the dribble or knock down shots with his superb mid-range game, Hachimura leads Gonzaga with 20.1 points per game and shoots 61 percent. He’s also a 47 percent shooter from 3-point range.
“Someone said can you describe his game to someone. I said, ‘Yeah, it’s a lot of guys I see playing in the NBA,’” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “With his size, his power, his skill set, he’s a real tough matchup.”
Hachimura had 21 points and eight rebounds against Fairleigh Dickinson.
