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Michigan State Basketball: Xavier Tillman ranked No. 20 player in nation

By Connor Muldowney

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 04: Xavier Tillman #23 of the Michigan State Spartans speaks to the media in the locker room prior to the 2019 NCAA Tournament Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 4, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 04: Xavier Tillman #23 of the Michigan State Spartans speaks to the media in the locker room prior to the 2019 NCAA Tournament Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 4, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /
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Expert Andy Katz ranked Michigan State basketball’s Xavier Tillman the No. 20 player in the nation ahead of the 2019-20 season.

Xavier Tillman rose to the occasion, time and time again. With Nick Ward nursing a broken hand and taking extra time to get his feet wet after returning to the court, Tillman was inserted into the starting lineup for Michigan State and didn’t disappoint.

The sophomore big man went from end-of-bench player as a freshman with a loaded frontcourt in front of him to the center of the show in year two.

In fact, he ended the season on a high note, scoring in double figures in 10 of the Spartans’ final 13 games, recording three double-doubles during that span. He finished the season averaging 10.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks while shooting 61 percent from the floor and 73 percent from the free throw line. He showcased his versatility and range, hitting 30 percent from 3-point land.

This strong finish to the 2018-19 season couple with the fact Michigan State is going to be the preseason No. 1 or No. 2 team in the nation in 2019-20 has led to experts praising Tillman’s skillset and hyping his immediate future.

First, CBS Sports had the soon-to-be junior big man as a first-rounder in its latest 2020 NBA Mock Draft and then Andy Katz ranked him the No. 20 player in all of college basketball for next season.

https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/1148620103170351105

This is a more than favorable ranking for a kid who has a handful of starts under his belt but the only issue fans have had with this ranking was the fact that Trevion Williams is ahead of him. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to rise up this list and prove to be the Big Ten’s top big.

dark. Next. 5 reasons MSU football will contend in 2019

With all of these preseason rankings lists coming out, it’s hard not to get excited about the upcoming basketball season. Is it November yet?

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