Virginia Head Basketball Coach Ryan Odom Provides An Injury Update On Devin Tillis

In his media availability session on Wednesday, head coach Ryan Odom provided an update on Wednesday about the latest guarding Tillis.

“We don't have an exact target date. It's really just day by day. You know, testing him, giving him a little bit more each day. And so, he's entering the mix with our guys now, you know, we're hopeful that he can play sooner than later,” said Odom.

Tillis had knee surgery prior to the season after his knee swelled and blew up after an exhibition with the Villanova Wildcats. Since the surgery, he has been rehabbing and trying to get back to form. There is still no timeline on when he will be back and suit up for the Hoos in 2025.

Tiilis is a transfer from UC Irvine who has yet to suit up for Virginia this season. He spent three seasons at UC Irvine and was a quality player. Last season, he started 38 of 39 games and averaged 13.7 points and 7.8 rebounds in nearly 30 minutes of play. He was also efficient, shooting 53.5% from the floor and 39.5% from three-point range. Tillis also recorded seven double-doubles and hit double-figures in 26 of the 39 contests he played in.

He was named to the Big West Second team after another good season. It was a career year for Tillis, who drew a lot of interest from top Division 1 programs across the country. Prior to his time at UC Irvine, he began his career with UNLV, where he played a season with the Rebels before transferring.

Tillis was expected to come in and provide valuable depth to an already solid frontcourt of players that includes Thijs De Rideer, Johann Grünloh, and Ugonna Onynenso. Tillis stands at 6’7 and 240 pounds and can be dominant for stretches of a game. His floor spacing is a thing he provides instantly for the Hoos who have shot the ball well this season. His ability on the offensive end helps them tremendously. An area where he adds more to this team is his rebounding. It’s been an area of focus for Coach Odom.

“The rebounding is improving. The offensive rebounding has been really good. Yeah, definitely defensive rebounding. Certainly, we need to improve on our defensive rebounding, and we're working through that now,” said Odom.

This is an area Tiilis specializes in and should be a great boost to the team when he eventually returns to be another helper on the glass and provide that extra body on the inside. Despite how good Virginia has been this season on both ends of the floor, they will be even better when Tillis returns, and he is making an impact off the bench for the Hoos. He always makes his presence felt and will be a great addition to what looks like a tournament team this year.

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