Michigan State Basketball: Pros and cons of Xavier Tillman’s NBA Draft decision

Pros of Xavier Tillman remaining at Michigan State

As great as Tillman has looked in the past couple of years, an argument can be made that he has been completely overshadowed by Cassius Winston. The former Big Ten Player of the Year and All-American has put up all-time numbers and accolades with the Spartans and has exhausted his eligibility.

That could open up an opportunity for Tillman to be the new star of Michigan State Basketball and be the focal point of the offense. There are still some questions as to how good the backcourt will be for the team next season and as the top returning scorer and lone senior on the roster, Tillman could absolutely put himself in a position to put up mega stats and be a Big Ten Player of the Year himself.

Don’t underestimate the positive impact of being a star player on a quality team. As someone projected to go potentially in the 1st round, the Spartan big man still has some room to grow and with more of a spotlight on him without Winston out of the way, Tillman can benefit just from a public relations standpoint.

He also can use this year to grow on his shooting. Tillman went from not taking a single three-point attempt as a freshman to going 13/50 (26%) from deep this past season. His willingness to expand his range is a good sign but as someone who would be an undersized center at the next level, Tillman has to show a consistency to both take and make a three-pointer. If he does that, his draft stock would automatically jump and he’ll have the ball in his hands plenty enough to make it happen.