New UNLV head coach T.J. Otzelberger continues his success on the transfer market this offseason, this time in the form of Utah transfer forward Donnie Tillman. A three-star recruit in 2017, Tillman averaged over 20 minutes per game in both of his seasons in Salt Lake City. This past year, he won the Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year award after averaging 10.5 points, 5.3 rebounds.
Donnie Tillman named Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year!?
?: https://t.co/Lwtw70NMHF#GoUtes?? | #Pac12Hoops pic.twitter.com/QlCMoqwbG2
— Utah Basketball? (@UtahMBB) March 12, 2019
An efficient offensive player, Tillman made 52.8% of his attempts inside the arc and 36.1% of his 122 three-point attempts this past season. He also averaged 1.6 assists per game, a solid mark for a player who stands at 6’7 and weighs 225 pounds. He elected to transfer from Utah for “personal reasons,” and is hoping to get a waiver to play immediately for the Runnin’ Rebels. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
Tillman is Otzelberger’s fifth transfer commitment since he took over in March, following in the footsteps of David Jenkins Jr., Elijah Mitrou-Long, Vitaliy Shibel, and JUCO guard Jonah Antonio. Talented returners Amauri Hardy, Bryce Hamilton, and Cheikh Mbacke Diong, and Cheickna Dembele also elected to remain with the program after flirting with the transfer portal. Otzelberger is building a strong foundation at UNLV, and if Tillman is granted his waiver, the Rebels should be competitive in the Mountain West this year.
