Michigan State Basketball: Top-100 forward Xavier Tillman commits to Spartans

Michigan State basketball head coach Tom Izzo continued his September recruiting momentum.

Tom Izzo just cannot be stopped.

2017 forward Xavier Tillman, a native of Grand Rapids, MI and an ESPN top 100 recruit, chose the Michigan State Spartans on Friday over other suitors such as Marquette and Purdue.

The 6′ 8″ forward helps the Spartans continue to build their future front court. Michigan State has already added two 2016 recruits, small forward Miles Bridges and power forward Nick Ward, and one 2017 talent, power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. All three players are consensus top-50 recruits.

Tillman brings an energy and skill set that will complement the above players.

When he gets to East Lansing, Tillman will most likely slide into the center position for the Spartans. He is undersized at 6′ 8″, but plays basketball like a bulldog with a knack for gathering loose balls and cleaning up offensive rebound opportunities.

With a 270-pound frame that is ready for the rigors of college basketball, Tillman will be able to take the beating that Big Ten players deal with on a nightly basis. Expect him to likely become a fan-favorite in East Lansing for his effort and motor plays.

From an improvement standpoint, Tillman needs to expand his offensive game. Scoring-wise, he is not a threat other than put backs, lay-ups and dunks.

He also must develop defensively. Tillman will never be much of a shot-blocker or rim protector, so he will have to get creative in terms of impacting the game on that end of the floor.

Guarding on the perimeter will also be a concern because he doesn’t have the athleticism of other Big Ten wings.

Look for him to utilize his strength to keep opponents at bay underneath or in the post. But successful results on defense might not become apparent until his junior and senior year.

With the Tillman commitment, Izzo’s 2017 class is now almost into the 247 top-20. Expect their class to rise even higher as the Spartans are likely to land a target or two at guard and could add five-star forward Brian Bowen.

As the Izzo-era in East Lansing begins to move towards a potential finish line (7-10 years?), opportunities at Final Fours and championships become more urgent. Last year ended with a shocking first round loss, but due to great recruiting in 2015, ’16 and ’17, the Spartans are loaded for another run.

Tillman is part of that group, so expect him to be a great program-guy and four-year player.