Utes hope Donnie Tillman finds his way through freshman growing pains sooner than later

Utah freshman Donnie Tillman showed electrifying potential in his first collegiate season, but he’ll likely need to take it a step further and show significant progress for the Utes to make a run at a top-four spot in the Pac-12 Conference and a potential NCAA Tournament bid.

Tillman, a high-energy 6-foot-7, 225-pound combination of wing and power forward, made a name for himself almost immediately this season. He provided a nightly boost offensively and on the boards coming off the bench early in the season.

He has returned to the lineup after a foot sprain that sidelined him for the end of nonconference play and the start of conference games, but Tillman hasn’t had the same impact, at least not steadily. He didn’t dress for last week’s game against Stanford while dealing with illness but played Saturday against Cal.

The Utes will try to move up the conference standings with a win against Washington at 7 p.m. (MT) Thursday in Seattle. Coincidentally, the last game Tillman scored 10 points or more came against Washington in Salt Lake on Jan. 18.

“It’s hard being in and out like that,” Tillman said. “I was being consistent early on in the season, and that’s the thing. I try to pride myself on getting better. Since I’ve been in and out with injury, sickness, it’s hard to come back and get a rhythm right away. If anything, I know I’m just going to keep working.”

Tillman, a Detroit native who played his prep basketball at national powerhouse Findlay in Nevada, averaged 22.9 minutes per game in the first nine games he played. He scored 10 points or more in seven consecutive games during that span, including a 20-point game at Butler.

Tillman had been the team’s third-leading scorer (10.7 points per game) while shooting 53 percent from the field and tied for the team lead in rebounds (6.2 per game). Then he missed six of the next seven games with the foot injury. His play has fluctuated since returning.

He had a 14-point, eight-rebound night and grabbed two offensive rebounds late in a one-possession game to help clinch a victory against Washington. He experienced foul trouble and played just seven minutes the next game against Washington State. He committed three turnovers and several defensive breakdowns in a loss against Colorado.

Tillman has averaged 6.0 points and 3.0 rebounds while having shot 38 percent from the field in his past five games. Finding his way against conference opponents will be part of the growing pains for him, as it is for most freshmen.

“The scouting report — they know everything you’re about to do,” Tillman said about conference play. “Especially a team like us. We take pride in that.

“But they’re calling out our plays. You catch it, they’re calling out your best move, your strengths — he likes to pump fake, he’s a shooter — things of that nature. Teams are on it. At the end of the day, players make plays.”

Tillman has focused on being more patient when he catches the ball, not trying to do too much on his own and becoming more consistent with his jump shot. At the same time, he’s had to adjust to matchups with bigger longer defenders and at times chasing smaller, quicker offensive players in the Pac-12.

“That’s the Pac-12 for you, it just makes you better,” Tillman said.

“We’re hard-driving him,” Utes coach Larry Krystkowiak said last week. “I think you understand as a freshman maybe you come in and people don’t know what to expect. He was healthy. He was playing a high level. Then all of a sudden you have some accolades, people start talking, there’s a little bit of a buzz about you, and other teams — the higher you move up that scouting report — are going to be prepared for you in conference play. Nothing comes easy.”

Krystkowiak said the foot injury set Tillman’s conditioning back, but the coach quickly added it’s not a time for excuses in regard to Tillman or anyone else.

“You’ve got to get guys playing above [where they are] and at a high level if you want to be in those discussions in March,” Krystkowiak said.