SPOKANE, Wash. -- When Gonzaga star Rui Hachimura caught teammate Killian Tillie singing like the viral "yodeling kid" while staring in the mirror at their off-campus apartment last summer, he reacted like any college kid would.
"He was practicing by himself," said Hachimura, a projected lottery pick and preseason All-American from Japan who averaged 25.0 points through Gonzaga's first two games. "I was like, 'What the f---?'"
The promising, 6-foot-8 combo forward communicates like a seasoned American, sprinkling clichés, song lyrics and some occasional profanity into conversations. He's never cautious.
During his first year on Gonzaga's campus, however, Hachimura only understood Japanese, which interrupted everything he attempted to do on the court, in his social life and during his studies.