It was fitting, really, that Xavier Tillman’s Zoom call with reporters on Wednesday was delayed by a few seconds.
As Tillman’s camera fired up, he wasn’t busy with a workout or an interview with an NBA team. Instead, Tillman was trying to get a mask to stay on the face of his 3-year-old daughter, Ayanna. Or, as Tillman described, “my super hero.”
It’s one way Michigan State fans came to know Tillman over the last three years. Not only did the 6-foot-8 center from Grand Rapids transform from promising young big man into surefire NBA draft pick, but he did so raising a family, as well.