Xavier Tillman Chooses Michigan State Over Marquette

For the first time all month, something didn’t go in Steve Wojciechowski’s favor.

On Friday, Xavier Tillman, a top 100 power forward in the class of 2017, made a verbal commitment to Michigan State, choosing the Spartans over Marquette and Purdue. He visited all three schools in the month of September, wrapping things up with a trip to Milwaukee a week ago.

Tillman was the third of four high school seniors to take a visit to Marquette in the month of September, making the Al McGuire Center a very busy spot over the last month. Two of the other three, Theo John and Jamal Cain, have already committed to Marquette, while Hasahn French is still taking official visits before making a decision.

Ultimately, it’s not a big deal for Marquette to miss out on Tillman. Yes, he would have been the highest ranked recruit in the 2017 class at #89 in the country according to the 247 Sports Composite system. But Marquette already added desperately needed size to the roster in John, Cain, and Ike Eke, MU’s first commitment for next fall, so Tillman was not going to fill an obvious vacancy or weakness.

MU still has one scholarship projected to be available for the fall of 2017, and there are multiple possibilities for that spot. In addition to French, Marquette is primarily looking at Jordan Nwora and Jacob Epperson. Nwora, a wing who attends Vermont Academy, earned a visit from Wojo on the first day of the fall recruiting period, while Wojo recently went to an open gym/combine hosted by La Lumiere School in Indiana, where Epperson, a native of Australia, is spending his final year of prep school.

Here’s a look at MU’s scholarship situation for right now: