Former Gonzaga forward makes debut with French senior national team

Gonzaga has four former players participating in FIBA World Cup qualifiers

March 9, 2020; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Killian Tillie (33) shoots the basketball giants San Francisco Dons guard Charles Minlend (14) during the first half during the semifinal game in the WCC Basketball Championships at Orleans Arena | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have a rich history of bringing international talent to Spokane, a tradition that continues to this day with freshman Mario Saint-Supery (Spain), sophomore Ismaila Diagne (Senegal) and 2026 commit Jack Kayil (Germany).

Of the many countries where Gonzaga has scouted, recruited, and developed talent, France has arguably been the most lucrative for the Zags. Ronny Turiaf, Joel Ayayi, and Killian Tillie are three program icons, all hailing from France, who have all had at least an opportunity to play in the NBA after leaving Spokane.

Tillie has battled injuries throughout his career, but he is healthy currently and recently received a major honor: the chance to compete for the French Senior Men's National Team at the 2027 FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers.

France debuted in group play on Friday, Nov. 28, against Belgium, picking up a 79-63 win. Tillie came off the bench and scored five points with two rebounds and an assist in 13 minutes of action.

Tillie starred at Gonzaga from 2016-2020, appearing in 108 games and averaging 9.5 points and 4.6 rebounds while earning All-WCC honors twice. He made brief appearances in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies, but the injury issues that plagued him while at Gonzaga followed him into the league and ultimately led to him washing out after 54 games played across two seasons.

Feb 29, 2020; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Killian Tillie, center, is greeted by the student section as a part of senior night before a game against the St. Mary's Gaels at McCarthey Athletic Center. | James Snook-Imagn Images

The 6'10 big man is currently playing for Unicaja Malaga in Spain's top league - the same team Saint-Supery played for as a teenager, which shows how high the level of experience he gained overseas truly is.

Tillie is not the only former (or future) Zag participating in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. Ryan Woolridge is representing Team USA for the first time in his career. He came off the bench in USA's 102-67 win over Nicaragua, scoring four points with one rebound and one assist in just over five minutes of action.

Elsewhere in the America qualifiers, Kyle Wiltjer (Canada) and Angel Nuńez (Dominican Republic) are both back representing their home countries. Wiltjer scored a game-high 22 points for Canada in a 111-75 win over the Bahamas, shooting 3-7 from three while grabbing six rebounds.

Meanwhile, Nuńez had three points, two rebounds, and two blocks in 14 minutes for the DR as they took down Mexico, 92-85.

March 22, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Domantas Sabonis (11), forward Angel Nunez (2) and guard Kyle Dranginis (3). | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Lastly, the aforementioned Kayil is representing Germany in the European qualifiers, and the 19-year-old helped lead the Germans to an 89-69 win over Israel in the first round, scoring eight points with four assists in 18 minutes of action.

Kayil is part of Gonzaga's top 15-ranked recruiting class in 2026, alongside 4-star wing Luca Foster and 4-star center Sam Funches.