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Killian Tillie is most likely going to see some action on the court against Pepperdine tonight, his first time since suffering a partially torn ligament in his foot on Feb. 7, 2019.
Gonzaga's Killian Tillie (foot) will play tonight against Pepperdine "If he feels good after shootaround", per Mark Few. Few: "That is the plan".
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 11, 2019
Needless to say, it has been a bad year for Tillie on the health front. The talented Gonzaga big man has played in only nine games this season. He missed the first half of the season with a stress fracture in his ankle, and then injured his foot in what appeared to be just a normal basketball shot in a game against Santa Clara.
Last season, Tillie averaged 12.9 points and 5.9 rebounds, while shooting 47.9 percent from long range. With the emergence of Brandon Clarke, the Gonzaga frontcourt has been fine this season, but adding Tillie will provide some desperately needed depth in time for the NCAA Tournament.
Freshman Filip Petrusev started out the season nicely, but his overall play, especially on the defensive end, made him a liability that Mark Few did not want to employ, even during blowout games in conference play. Petrusev only averaged 8.3 minutes per game during conference play, down from 14.9 in non-conference play.
Tillie only averaged six points per game in 17.2 minutes in his limited time this season. He also only shot 30 percent from three, and struggled with fouls, logging 3.3 in his short time on the court. Hopefully, Tillie is able to get some decent minutes in the WCC Tournament which will help prep him for the NCAA Tournament.