2018 NBA Mock Draft: Where did the prospects go?

Tillie is a tough player to peg, alternating great performances like the outburst he put together against BYU in the WCC tournament a couple weeks ago with two duds in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. The sophomore scored nine combined points across those two games, culminating in a disappointing night all around against Ohio State on Saturday.

Offense fluctuates for Tillie due to his reliance on 3-pointers and Gonzaga’s oversaturated rotation. There are a lot of guys with a lot of talent competing for touches and shots, and Mark Few has seemingly developed a program where the hot hand is valued over prospect status or team hierarchy. Tillie’s inefficient start to the tournament is not as worrisome as his defense.

After effectively starting the game as the center against the Buckeyes’ small lineup, Tillie slid over to defend Keita Bates-Diop whenever reserve big man Rui Hachimura came into the game. Jonathan Williams was in foul trouble and has lost playing time throughout March to Hachimura, meaning Few trusted the Bates-Diop matchup to Tillie quite often throughout the game.

It appears the development process will be long for Tillie as a defender in space, but perhaps he develops the vertical leaping ability and court vision to become a playable rim protector. Playing center in the NBA would certainly make his offensive skill set more valuable.