Tag: Xavier Tillman NBA Draft

WATCH: Xavier Tillman watches film with ESPN NBA Draft analyst Mike Schmitz

Tillman talks about his defense and tells some stories from his time at MSU.

Xavier Tillman is a polarizing prospect in this year’s NBA Draft, but anytime he can be seen breaking down film is a good one for him.

Tillman, regarded for his off-ball (and on-ball) defense en route to winning the 2019 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Award, joined ESPN NBA Draft analyst Mike Schmitz to break down some aspects of his game and tell some fun stories from his time at MSU. Check it out.

The NBA Draft is scheduled for October 16.

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Cassius Winston tells The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie why teams should draft Xavier Tillman

Michigan State basketball player Cassius Winston gives a pitch to Sam Vecenie on why teams should draft his former teammate Xavier Tillman.

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Cassius Winston recently sat down with Sam Vecenie of The Athletic for an interview on the “Game Theory” podcast. In this interview, Winston and Vecenie discussed the 2020 NBA Draft but with a twist.

Vecenie asked Cassius for a pitch on why NBA teams should draft fellow teammate Xavier Tillman.

Listen to Winston’s pitch for Tillman in the draft below:

Putting aside my bias, Cassius Winston is 100% right on Xavier Tillman’s draft stock and potential in the league. Tillman is a sturdy defender in the paint, an exceptional rebounder and he can set reliable screens for teammates. A smart team will steal Tillman with a late, first-round draft pick.

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Rookie Wire has Xavier Tillman, Cassius Winston in second-round of 2020 NBA Mock draft

The most recent version of the Rookie Wire has Xavier Tillman and Cassius Winston both projected as second-round picks. Read more info here.

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Rookie Wire’s 2020 NBA Draft Big Board 3.0 has Xavier Tillman and Cassius Winston both listed as second-round picks. Tillman has officially declared for the 2020 NBA Draft and will not return to East Lansing for another season. This certainly changes the outlook of the 2020 NBA draft, especially as other Big Ten players return to the NCAA.

Here is where Rookie Wire writer Bryan Kalbrosky projects each player along with his thoughts:

Xavier Tillman – No. 31 Pick

Xavier Tillman was averaging 13.7 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game before the season abruptly ended. He had been among the most prolific pick-and-roll finishers in the NCAA this season. His assist percentage (18.3%) ranked in the top 15 nationally among all players 6-foot-8 or taller. Outside of Stanford’s Tyrell Terry, his decision to remain in the 2020 NBA Draft was far and away the most notable among all prospects who were testing the waters — which explains why he jumped so high in our rankings as we had previously expected him to return to college.

Cassius Winston – No. 44 Pick

Cassius Winston had a career assist rate (43.1%) that ranks sixth-best among college players since the 2009-10 season. Winston is already an incredibly capable finisher and distributor out of the pick-and-roll, which will help his game translate to the next level. He also has been productive as a shooter off the catch, off the dribble and off screens — shooting above 40% from 3-point range on each of those attempts.

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Locked On Spartans Podcast: Xavier Tillman stays in the NBA Draft, Aaron Henry returns

MSU loses Tillman, but keeps Henry. What does it mean for the 2020 team?

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Wil tries to provide perspective on MSU football’s recruiting struggles. Then he and Matt talk about the basketball team losing Xavier Tillman, but keeping Aaron Henry.

You can find the episode on iTunes, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

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Cassius Winston, Xavier Tillman, Aaron Henry among top prospects for NBA Combine

All three Spartans are listed as potential NBA combine invitees.

The NBA is attempting to trudge through the 2020 pre-draft process while simultaneously finishing the current season in a COVID-19 induced Orlando bubble and in that process the league has decided to attempt to put together its annual combine.

All three of Michigan State’s current entrants in the NBA Draft, Cassius Winston, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Aaron Henry, are on the list of the top prospects to be invited to an eventual combine.

The combine process has been a little murkier this year for obvious reasons. Right now the above list has been compiled after a survey of NBA executives  and while all of the invitees have not been confirmed, indications are that the names on this list will be the ones eventually invited to the combine.

The fact that Winston and Tillman are on the list is no surprise as both are considered fringe-first round picks. Henry’s stock is a little bit lower, but he has been squarely in the top 100 of most prospect lists, usually in the 70s.

While Winston will most likely participate in any combine event, the same can’t be said for Tillman and Henry. There is no set date for the combine yet and the NCAA deadline for underclassmen to withdraw from the draft is August 3.

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NBC Sports lists Xavier Tillman among 16 most influential stay-or-go 2020 NBA Draft decisions

NBC Sports ranks Xavier Tillman’s draft decision among the 16 most important stay-or-go 2020 NBA Draft decisions.

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Rob Dauster of NBC Sports has been covering the 2020 NBA Draft and recently released a list of the 16 NBA draft stay-or-go decisions that will shape the 2020-21 college basketball season. Dauster ranks Xavier Tillman No. 2 on this list behind another Big Ten big man in Iowa’s Luka Garza.

Dauster recognizes the talent on the 2020-21 MSU basketball and the potential return of Aaron Henry but says without Tillman this is all “window dressing”.

Here is what Dauster had to say about Tillman’s decision:

I would draft Tillman in the late first round if I was an NBA team. I think he’s the best two-way big man available in this year’s draft and a player that can impact an NBA game today. He’s already married. He had his second child in February. He’s mature and carries himself as a professional as it is. The smart financial decision here would probably be to enter the draft.

That said, he may be a guy that can improve his draft spot by being the focal point offensively. He’s also said that he will not be leaving campus without a guaranteed contract, and for some reasons, there are questions about whether or not he can get one. The way that Michigan State has set him and his family up on campus is wonderful, and he has a really good thing going while sitting a year away from a college degree.

At this point, I think Tillman is a legitimate 50-50 decision.

The key here is Dauster’s hypothetical decision making as an NBA GM. He says he would draft Tillman in the late first-round which very much lines up with nearly any and all mock drafts we cover. Personally, I would be shocked if Xavier Tillman returns to East Lansing next year.

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Cassius Winston, Xavier Tillman in The Ringer’s top 50 NBA Draft prospects

Winston and Tillman both make the top 50 for NBA writer Kevin O’Connor

We don’t know when the NBA Draft will be, but that won’t stop the pre-draft media evaluation of prospects.

Cassius Winston and Xavier Tillman both made The Ringer’s top 50 prospects, put together by their NBA writer Kevin O’Connor. O’Connor and the Ringer staff did a fantastic job putting together an all-encompassing look at this year’s crop of prospects, so I can’t recommend enough you go give the full draft guide a look.

As for the MSU prospects; Winston checks in first at No. 34. Among his strengths O’Connor lists feel for the game, perimeter shooting, and playmaking. Winston’s blurb reads, “Gritty, unselfish point guard who plays winning basketball and made progress each season as a scorer,” with comparisons to Kyle Lowry and Yogi Ferrell. O’Connor also details strengths and weaknesses with the strengths being Winston’s shot-making and passing ability and his weaknesses being mostly athleticism related.

Tillman checks in a few spots later at No. 41. His blurb reads, “Winning player who can easily pair with star shot creators because of his playmaking and versatility,” with comparisons to Horace Grant and PJ Tucker. O’Connor praises Tillman’s defense and passing ability while worrying about his size and lack of explosiveness.

The 2020 NBA Draft is tentatively scheduled for June 25, but will likely be moved back as the NBA looks to continue its suspended season sometime in June.

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Three Michigan State NBA Draft prospects ranked in CBS Sports top 100 prospects

Xavier Tillman, Cassius Winston, and Aaron Henry all appear in CBS Sports’ top 100 NBA Draft prospects rankings.

Michigan State has three current and former players entered in the NBA Draft right now and all of them are ranked in the top 100 of CBS Sports’ NBA prospects rankings.

Junior Xavier Tillman, who says he is 50/50 on whether to stay in the draft or return to school for his senior season, is the top-rated Spartan, coming in at No. 26 overall. This is right in line with many of Tillman’s projections, which usually have him slotted somewhere between Nos. 20 and 40 in the class.

Outgoing senior Cassius Winston is next on the list at No. 42. That would put Winston squarely in the middle of the second round and give him a good chance of making an NBA roster for the 2020-2021 season. Sophomore Aaron Henry is third among the Spartans coming in at No. 62. That would slot him just outside of the 60 players that get drafted, but would likely leave him as one of the top undrafted players.

Also of note to MSU fans is Karim Mane, who appears on the list at No. 77. The Canadian high schooler is MSU’s top recruit target left on the board and will be deciding between turning pro or going to college. If Mane goes to college, Michigan State is thought to be the leader in landing him.

The deadline for Tillman and Henry to withdraw from the draft and retain their eligibility to return to MSU was initially scheduled for June 3, but the NCAA moved back the deadline indefinitely amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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