SPOKANE, Wash. — Editor's note: Watch the video above to see the sights and sounds of Killian Tillie's journey in a Gonzaga uniform.
Killian Tillie's career in a Gonzaga uniform came to an abrupt halt last week.
It was not the storybook ending Gonzaga fans saw for the senior. They saw a national championship as the pinnacle for the Frenchman who gave his heart, body (emphasis on body), and soul to the Bulldogs. The only acceptable outcome seemed to be Tillie raising a trophy over his head in early April. If you're a really optimistic Gonzaga fan, it felt like the only possible outcome.
The amount of injuries Tillie faced made him seem more like a warrior than a basketball player. A hip pointer, a few (badly) sprained ankles, a preventative knee surgery, a partially torn ligament in his foot, a stress fracture in his ankle. It feels like five million years ago that Tillie broke a finger on his left hand his freshman year.
But that's also why Gonzaga fans adored Tillie.
"When he plays basketball he just goes for it," said Mark Few of the forward his freshman season.
Through all of the trials and tribulations, that never wavered.
Whenever Tillie stepped on the floor for Gonzaga, fans knew they wouldn't be getting a watered down version of him. He was always fiery, explosive, and never, ever held back.
Maybe that's what feels so messed up about all of this. Tillie never held back, so it doesn't feel right that something else is holding him back from the end of his career.
Ironically, it's a quote Tillie gave while being injured that may provide the best insight right now.
"Bad luck, yeah. That's life. You've got to think positively. Think about what's after."
TBIYTC.