Parrish-Tillman ranks 2nd in blocks nation-wide

Late in the second quarter, Summit Charter’s No. 23 drives down the lane, fakes left and jumps for the lay up. The ball leaves his hand, but the crowd erupts as No. 24 Tyus Parrish-Tillman, ’22, sends the ball in the opposite direction and starts a fast break for the Eagles.

This year’s boys varsity basketball team can start an all six-foot line-up, and at six feet six inches, freshman Tyus Parrish-Tillman is the tallest on the team. He not only leads the team in blocks, but according to MaxPreps, ranked as high as second in the nation in blocks per game.

Parrish-Tillman’s 35 blocks in league games contributes to the Eagles defense, which has held league teams to just 31.8 points per game.

A solid block often turns to a steal, fast break and layup, in addition to raising the crowd to its feet. Parrish-Tillman, has blocked players 127 times yet this season, earning him a current ranking as the third highest blocker on MaxPreps. Boys basketball head coach Jon Penberthy says Parrish-Tillman makes an impact beyond defense, as he scores from all areas of the court.

“Ty’s size obviously makes him stand out,” Penberthy said, “but we’ve also played him at three different positions, which shows his versatility. Tyus is a great two way player, he can score and has expanded his range to the three-point line. And he does a great job defensively by blocking shots and altering opponent’s shots.”

Parrish-Tillman joined FC his eighth grade year with the hope of playing with his AAU teammate Orion Tomlinson, ’22. He and Tomlinson competed together on AAU team 24/7 Basketball starting in sixth grade, but this is their first year playing on the same school team. Tomlinson says years of practicing and competing together translate into playing at FCS.

“I think Tyus’ strongest area is in the post, getting blocks and put backs and getting layups,” Tomlinson said. “My favorite part about playing on a team with him is he’s my best friend. Also, he gets lots of rebounds and we pass the ball to each other and play off each other.”

Over Christmas break, Parrish-Tillman blocked 48 shots in the Hoover and Clovis Elks tournaments against division I, II and III teams. Imamu Tomlinson, who coaches 24/7 Basketball, shares his excitement over Parrish-Tillman’s growth on and off the court.

In the following podcast, Bryce Foshee talks with Orion Tomlinson as they chat about Tyus Parrish-Tillman.

“Blocking shots is definitely his strongest area,” Imamu said, “Although he’s made huge improvements in dribbling, shooting and attacking the basket. He’s also starting to play above the rim which is huge!”

“My favorite part about coaching Tyus is watching him growing as a young man and a Christian,” Imamu continued. “Learning lessons from basketball and watching him grow has been so special.”

The Feather posted two of Parrish-Tillman’s dunks vs Summit Charter in the following Instagram post.

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Did you see these monster dunks from freshman, Tyus Parrish Tillman, in the campus varsity basketball team’s game against Summit Charter last night, Jan. 10? Standing at 6’6”, Tillman leads the team with two dunks in the first half. The game against Summit Charter, postponed at half due to weather concerns. Stay tuned for a status update. Be sure to head out and watch the team for more plays like this! The JV and varsity host Madera South, Jan. 12, 4:30/6 p.m. #thefeather #fcbasketball @fresnochristianschools

A post shared by The Feather (@thefeatheronline) on Jan 11, 2019 at 8:34am PST

Despite playing on a team with five veteran seniors, No. 24 scores over 16 points a game. Parrish-Tillman enjoys playing in front of the Nut House and the rest of the FC fans, and shares his and the team’s goals for the rest of this season.

“In a basketball game, I like getting blocks, dunking, making the fans happy and having lots of fun,” Parrish-Tillman said. “It’s different playing here because there’s more people in the stands. It feels like there’s a lot more pressure but there’s really not. We want to make it to the valleys and then hopefully to state so we can get a ring.”

Whether a key block, electrifying dunk, or three-pointer, Parrish-Tillman gives the crowd a reason to yell. As a freshman, he makes an impact on defense and offense.

With six more regular season games, the boys basketball team hopes to extend their ten-game win streak through playoffs.

Stay tuned for an article about sophomore Rylee Schwab, who currently ranks second in California for goals scored this season.

For more articles read Living to see the dream, community remembers Martin Luther King, Jr. and Fikse gears up for final basketball season.

Bryce Foshee can be reached via Twitter @brycer_f and via email.