Jaren Jackson Jr. and Xavier Tillman Sr. are creating a new norm for the Memphis Grizzlies
The exciting part about Jackson and Tillman playing together in Memphis isn’t just the fact that they both played for my favorite college program… Well, it actually is, but it’s bigger than that.
The most compelling part is the possibility that these two guys could establish a new tradition in the coming years — a tradition of success for MSU big men in Memphis. A tradition the origin of which would be credited to another former Spartan you all know and love.
Zach Randolph, arguably the greatest Grizzly of all time, only played one season under coach Tom Izzo, and I was only five years old when he was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers. So, to be honest, I used to constantly forget he’s an MSU guy. He is though and, looking back from now, he isn’t the only one in this team’s history.
Memphis picked up another former Spartan back in 2015, a young center named Deyonta Davis. He gave the Grizzlies some decent minutes for a couple of years, including an average of 15.2 per game with 5.8 PPG and 4 RPG during his second season.
But he came and went, and I hadn’t even thought about the connection there at all.
Then, a few years later in 2018, the Grizzlies drafted another MSU guy, this time in the lottery. And then, last year, they drafted another. After that, it became hard to forget about the Spartans’ ties to Memphis.