Michigan State Basketball: Xavier Tillman robbed of DPOY consideration

Being left off the list of national defensive player of the year finalists, Michigan State basketball’s Xavier Tillman should use the snub as fuel.

When the Naismith Committee released its list of 10 semifinalists for National Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday, it seemed like almost a lock that Xavier Tillman would be on it.

The junior big man is coming off his best defensive game of the season against arguably the national player of the year in Luka Garza, holding him to just one shot attempt in the paint in the final seven minutes of the game. He had been playing great defense all season long, though, and the Garza matchup was just the biggest opportunity for him.

But Tillman was missing from the list.

In fact, the only Big Ten player to make the list is Zavier Simpson from Michigan and many would argue that he hasn’t even been the best defender on his own team this season.

No, Tillman wasn’t the only surprising omission as Kansas’ Udoka Azubuike is even more surprising, but it’s just as shocking.

With Tillman’s critical late-game swat of Garza to help secure the home win over Iowa, he broke the school’s all-time blocks record.

https://twitter.com/MSU_Basketball/status/1232497596238680065?s=20

What’s even more impressive is the fact that Tillman is relatively undersized for the five spot, standing just 6-8 and 245 pounds yet he handles his own every night. He’s shut down a number of Big Ten bigs such as Kofi Cockburn, Jon Teske, Daniel Oturu and held Jalen Smith in check but he rarely gets the credit he deserves.

Tillman has broken the blocks record essentially in two seasons as he played very sparingly as a true freshman.

For a player who does a little of everything well and plays defense at an elite level, it’s a shame he doesn’t get a shot at the National Defensive Player of the Year award.