Seniors - Thank you ( + Post Game Media Coverage )
The last home game at the Kennel is always a bittersweet one. On one hand, it's the end of conference play (most times) and we all can start looking forward to postseason play. On the other, it's the end of the road for some guys who have represented Gonzaga for however long they've been here.
Ryan Woolridge - grad transferred from U of North Texas, played 1 year.
Ryan was originally going to end up somewhere else before receiving a phone call from GU & committed after visiting campus and speaking with Mark Few. Despite coming from a lower conference and having injury issues tied to him, GU took him in and made him an integral part of the rotation. Ryan's a true warrior, having spent the entire season playing with 2 screws in his knee from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his kneecap. The rep on him was that he was a very good defender with some questions about his offense. Few himself has heaped tons of praise on Ryan as a defender and his offensive game went up a level or 2 here at GU, yet another example of GU's elite development program. Ryan's on track to post the best shooting %'s of his collegiate career, 2P%, 3P% and overall as well as his best FT% (even though it's only 62%). He's doing all of that while chasing around the opposing team's primary/best ball-handler. It's just about unarguable that this team wouldn't be where it is without Ryan's threat of speed and timely plays and veteran presence. Thank you, Ryan.
Admon Gilder - grad transferred from Texas A&M, played 1 year.
Admon, like Ryan, came over from Texas with some injury questions; however a tantalizing level of talent. Before his strange blood clot injury in 2019, Admon had helped Texas A&M to the sweet 16 in 2018, including a massive beat down on #2 UNC. After 2017-18, Admon was hailed as a strong 2-way player with 1st round potential. Admon started the year as the starting 2 guard and had a very slow start to the year before being replaced by a hot Joel Ayayi in the Bahamas, mostly due to his nagging knee flaring up again and preventing him from consistently practicing with the team. Admon probably had the most to overcome of any Zag this year, from being away from his family (young daughter), having to learn an entirely new system and team, and being challenged to grow as a person & overcome some of his quiet, introverted nature. In the 2nd half of the season, Admon finally looks healthy & confident and that's resulting in some strong performances off the bench for a very short rotation. His growth from day 1 to now is one of the year's best stories, in my opinion. Thank you, Admon.
To both Ryan & Admon, you've done a spectacular job of coming in and embodying Zag culture & showing what it really means to be a Zag. You two played very integral and significant roles in helping this year's team surpass expectations and carry the torch of the Zag brotherhood forward in a year of massive turnover. That alone deserves praise. I look forward to following your professional careers and hope the NBA gives you 2 at least a cup of coffee.
Killian Tillie - 2016 - 2020, 4 years.
Killian is easily one of the more *unluckiest players in Zag history with his diverse portfolio of injuries. However, his skill and tantalizing potential have always been undeniable. Had he not been injured at the most inopportune times, it's likely he'd have delivered some very big-time performances along with the ones he already has logged. Nobody will forget when he got thrown in late in the Final Four game against South Carolina in a tight game, high-pressure situation as a rebounder with GU only up 2. Tillie got the rebound, got fouled, and went ahead to send GU to its first ever National Championship in program history by icing the game with 2 clutch free throws after sitting nearly the entire game. To date, it's one of the most clutch moments by a Zag. With the amount of frustrating injuries, it would have been easy for Killian to get down on himself, perhaps give up. The man preserved and became a great voice in the locker room, a leader. His easy going and fun personality this year is consistently referenced as a big role in this team's success. His leadership and wealth of knowledge will pay off for Gonzaga one last time in the freshman bigs - Timme, Watson, Ballo, and Zakharov. On the floor, Killian is a nightmare matchup for 99% of teams. Mark Few loves referring to him as his "problem-solver". His unique combination of size, skill, and efficiency will be a huge subtraction next year when he moves on to a hopefully healthy professional career. In a career filled with what-if's, I truly and sincerely hope he gets the opportunity to rewrite the label of his career this March. Thank you, Killian.
The 3 of those men carry a bulk of success for this year's team. They will be missed. Thank you. Now, one final time, beat the f'ing Gaels and go get that glory.
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Originally Posted by 23dpg
