Nov. 20, 2015 SPOKANE, Wash. - Gonzaga men's basketball head coach Mark Few announced the signing of four players to National Letters of Intent on Friday.
The group includes a broad mix of talents across multiple positions and ability levels, including two top-100 Americans and two high-profile international players. The class was recently ranked No. 13 by 247sports.com and 23rd by ESPN.com.
Zach Collins, 7-0, Center, Las Vegas, Nev. (Bishop Gorman)
Collins brings size and experience playing in big games from one of the most successful high schools in Nevada, Bishop Gorman. He's been a part of three state championships for BGHS and played in the FIBA U-18 3-on-3 World Championships for Team USA this past summer. Collins is ranked No. 32 nationally by Rivals.com and No. 57 nationally by ESPN Top 100, while also ranking as the No. 1 player in Nevada by ESPN. This summer at Adidas Uprising, he ranked tied for fourth in rebounds at 9.4 per game and in blocks at 3.0 per game. Collins also earned All-Sunset Conference honors last season at Bishop Gorman, averaging 8.2 points and 7.4 rebounds on the way to a state title. He chose Gonzaga over Utah, Cal, New Mexico and San Diego State.
Few on Collins:
"Zach is the type of guy that can play multiple positions in the front court. I think he'll remind people of Domas [Sabonis] and Kelly [Olynyk]. He's really a combo of those two with his physicality and how well he moves."
Zachary Norvell, 6-5, Guard, Chicago, Ill. (Simeon)
Norvell comes to Gonzaga from a basketball-rich high school in Chicago, Simeon Career Academy, which has graduated players like Derrick Rose and Jabari Parker in recent years. He's a left-handed shooting guard that has shown a combination of range and athleticism. This summer, the No. 76-ranked recruit nationally by ESPN Top 100 wowed onlookers at an AAU game in Las Vegas in which he put up 53 points, including 14 three-pointers with 11 in the first half. Norvell averaged 13 points, four rebounds and three assists last season for Simeon, which went 27-3 and won its Section Final before falling just two games shy of the state championship. He was also named a Chicago Tribune All-State special mention. Norvell chose Gonzaga over Florida State, Georgetown and Iowa State.
Few on Norvell:
"Zach has some great size at the wing spot. He's a great shooter, but also he's got a great makeup. He's really tough and has a good feel for the game with playing some point guard as well."
Killian Tillie, 6-8, Forward, Antibes, France (INSEP)
Tillie, along with fellow signee Larsen, follows in the footsteps of current Zags Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania) and Przemek Karnowski (Poland), crossing the Atlantic Ocean to play for Gonzaga. On the way to winning MVP honors and helping his team to the title at the 2013 FIBA U16 Division A European Championships, he averaged 14.3 points and 9.6 rebounds and a tournament-leading 63.4 field-goal percentage. Tillie also led his country to a bronze medal at the 2015 FIBA 3-on-3 U18 World Championships. He comes from a deep athletic background as brother Kim played basketball for the University of Utah and brother Kevin won back-to-back NCAA volleyball titles at UC-Irvine and now plays for father Laurent, the head coach of the French national volleyball team. Laurent also played volleyball in the Olympics in 1988 and 1992, while his wife Caroline was the captain of the Netherlands volleyball team. Tillie chose Gonzaga over Georgia Tech and Utah.
Few on Tillie:
"Killian is a dynamic athlete that will end up being a very good faceup-type four. Once we get him in the weight room and work on his strength, he'll be a very good player at the highest level."
Jacob Larsen, 6-10, Center, Holte, Denmark (SISU Copenhagen)
Larsen, like Tillie, continues the long line of international big men to make their way to Gonzaga. The Denmark native helped his country win the 2013 FIBA U16 Division B European Championship, earning MVP honors. He averaged 20.0 points and 12.1 rebounds, while shooting a tournament-best 67.4 percent from the field. Larsen posted 24 points and 16 rebounds in the championship game victory. For his efforts, Eurobasket.com named him the U16 Division B Best Player and Best Center. Last February, Larsen was selected to play in the NBA's Basketball Without Borders at All-Star Weekend. At the 2015 Adidas Next Generation tournament, Larsen posted three-game averages of 16.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He chose Gonzaga over Marquette and Maryland.
Few on Larsen:
"Jacob has great size and is doing a great job continuing to develop. We can afford to be patient with him, and in the long run, we feel he is going to be an excellent player."