The past year of Xavier Tillman Sr.’s life must have been surreal. Tillman got married last May and had his second child during the 2019-20 basketball season, and still managed to have one of the best seasons in the country outside of that. Tillman has already been named a Second Team Academic All-American and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. On Tuesday, he was named a Third-Team All-American by NBC Sports.
From NBC Sports’ Rob Dauster:
“The most underrated player in college basketball. The stats speak for themselves. What doesn’t necessarily show up in these stats is just how good of a defender he is. He can take away any five in the country. He’s also just a terrific passer and decision-maker when forced into 4-on-3 situations after teams double Cassius Winston in ball-screens. He’s one of those guys that makes things just run more smoothly whenever he is on the floor, and he will get the proper credit for that here.”
You can’t really argue with any of that. Cassius Winston was also recognized by NBC Sports, being named a Second-Team All-American.
