Seven assists in a single game from a center.
Even in a scrimmage against a mid-major opponent, that number is wildly impressive. That’s how many Christoph Tilly had against Ohio during Ohio State’s 103-74 exhibition victory on Sunday. For reference, no Buckeye center recorded more than two assists in a game during the 2024-25 season. In 2023-24, the highest number of assists by a center wearing scarlet and gray was four by Zed Key against Miami (Ohio).
There was always a thought that Tilly’s skill could kill if he acclimated the right way to Ohio State after transferring from Santa Clara, and the scrimmage against the Bobcats showed that he’s got passing and court vision that should translate throughout the season.
“You saw his versatility on full display, his ability to get fouled because he can drive and we're able to space,” Diebler said after the scrimmage win. “And he's a high-level decision-maker, which was, I mean, seven assists, no turnovers, really impressive. So, happy for him, because he's worked really hard this offseason. And we're expecting big things from him.”
Tilly’s passing capabilities were cultivated by coaches during his club basketball days in Germany. They moved the now seven-foot center to point guard for a season so he could learn the ins and outs of passing, dribbling and shooting for a more well-rounded and modern game down low.
“It started a couple of years ago, like seven years,” Tilly said. “Before I went to college, my coach made me play point guard just to see where everybody is and develop that court vision. I think it's a good advantage to have, especially the way basketball is played right now. You have a big guy who understands the game, but also sees his teammates and can pass.”
That experience is clearly paying dividends. Tilly averaged 1.9 assists per game each of the past two seasons at Santa Clara, where he transferred to Ohio State from. Last season, he added 12.5 points per game, shooting 58.7% from the field and 31.5% from 3-point range.
The talent he’ll face in the Big Ten during his senior season will be a major step up from what he saw with the Broncos, but Sunday made it clear that there’s a clear step up in the talent surrounding Tilly, too. That enabled his distribution skills to be put on full display.
It started less than three minutes into the game against Ohio, when Tilly’s fluid offense set power forward Brandon Noel up for an easy bucket. In one smooth string of motions, he handed the ball to guard John Mobley Jr. at the top of the key, set a screen for Mobley, rolled toward the basket, stopped to catch a pass and avoid a charge, then immediately found Noel for a reverse layup.
In the second half, Tilly grabbed an offensive rebound before finding a cutting Noel again with a clinical bounce pass.
That's good basketball.@ChristophTilly x @bnoel811
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) October 26, 2025
B1G+ pic.twitter.com/KkcBreCDso
That opened a stretch of four assists in less than two and a half minutes, the best of which was this dish to Colin White that split two defenders to beat the shot clock with a layup.
Tilly added 14 points and five rebounds to his seven dimes, which came with zero turnovers. That’s an assist to turnover rate of infinity, for those who don’t want to crunch the numbers. Diebler also wanted him to be more assertive in taking some shots from distance – he impressed with his 3-point shooting during Ohio State’s practices open to the media.
“We love his versatility, and I thought he should have been a little more aggressive there at the top of the key a couple times,” Diebler said. “I want him to take some threes. He's been ultra-aggressive from three and shot it really well. So he and I talked about that before we got off the court. I want him to shoot a couple of those.”
One area for Tilly and the team to grow is in the rebounding department. It was a major issue for the Buckeyes in 2024-25. They finished 277th nationally in rebounds per game and were outrebounded by their opponents by 0.3 boards per game, surrendering 10.4 offensive rebounds per contest. For Tilly’s part, his rebounding numbers last season were underwhelming for a seven-footer, a pedestrian 4.9 rebounds per game and 8.7 per 40 minutes. The 6-foot-6 Devin Royal had 6.9 rebounds per game and 9.6 per 40 minutes for Ohio State last year.
Ohio reinvigorated fears of rebounding deficiency on Sunday, picking up 14 offensive rebounds against the Buckeyes, though Ohio State won the overall battle of the boards 40-31.
“I think for us, we're kind of in this place where we're, we're rebounding well at times, and we're not maybe rebounding as well as we can be,” Diebler said. “And that's where we're trying to keep fighting and striving for. Part of it is we're getting ourselves in rotation a little bit too much, and that's putting us at a disadvantage on the glass. We've got to shore up some of that defensively. Part of that's a communication thing, which, we've gotten better.”
That will be something for Tilly and the team to work on as Ohio State’s regular season opens on Nov. 3. But on the offensive end, it’s clear his skill – particularly as a passer – gives the Buckeyes a big boost over what they had at the center position in Diebler’s first year.
“I think it's the way I read the game,” Tilly said. “If I see somebody open, and that's a better shot than I can get, I'm going to pass them the ball. I think it's not only me, but also the teammates I have around me. They know I can pass. So, every time I catch the ball, they try to get open somehow. They know that I'll find them.”
