Healthy Tillie big boost for Gonzaga
SALT LAKE CITY — Gonzaga forward Killian Tillie returned from a foot injury in January, only to injure it again.
The Zags were a bit more aggressive with Tillie’s rehab the second time around and it seems to have paid off.
Playing fast and free, Tillie was superb in top-seeded Gonzaga’s blowout win over Fairleigh Dickinson on Thursday night in the NCAA tournament’s West Region.
The 6-foot-10 Frenchman scored 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the Zags’ opener and proved he’s feeling good with a dunk over two Fairleigh Dickinson defenders that brought his teammates to their feet.
“He’s actually moving better than when he came back in January because he was in a no weight-bearing (situation) and his legs weren’t quite there, Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “This last time we were able to kind of do more things in his recovery, so he’s moving better and has a little bit more pop.”
Gonzaga (31-3) is going to need that pop in its second-round game against Baylor on Saturday.
The Zags faced a tired and overmatched team in Fairleigh Dickinson, which had a short turnaround after winning its First Four game in Dayton on Tuesday. Gonzaga jumped on the Knights from the start and had the game pretty much out of reach long before halftime in the 87-49 victory.
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