Michigan State University Athletics
Spartan Profile: Gavin Schilling
1/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Nick Barnowski, MSU Athletic Communications
After missing the first 11 games of the season, junior Gavin Schilling is finally healthy and ready to help Michigan State reach the Final Four for the second consecutive season.
While missing that many games was tough on Schilling, who was out due to a turf toe injury, he was able to spend the time learning about the different ways he could help the Spartans after his return to the court.
"You see a lot of little things," the 6-foot-9 forward said. "That's really an advantage, on top of watching a lot of film and watching them play. You really see the game on a different level when you're sitting on the bench."
Now in his third season at Michigan State, Schilling has taken his game to a different level. After starting in just one game as a freshman, Schilling played a large role on last year's Final Four squad, starting 33 times while putting up 5.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
On MSU's summer trip to Italy last August, many people believed that Schilling was one of the team's top performers. Against the Georgia National Team, he led MSU in points with 17 and put up the same number on the Russian National Team.
"I was just playing with a lot of confidence out there, letting the game come to me and not worrying so much about other things," he said. "I think that's the reason why I was playing so well. Playing against pro, European competition helped me when I got back and it's still helping me."
The turf toe injury held him out until Dec. 19 against Northeastern, but Schilling is ready to prove why he could be one of MSU's most important players come Big Ten season.
"I think (my game) will help because it adds more depth to the front court and we'll be a better team," he said.
Schilling's growth as a player can be attributed to spending more time on the court and the old adage of learning something new about the game every day. Playing time has come with improved play â€" as a freshman, Schilling appeared in only 6.4 minutes per game, compared to the 16.9 minutes a game he got last year.
During MSU's Final Four season, he shot a team best .582 from the floor and recorded seven double-doubles, showing his maturation as a player.
"I've grown more experience wise, of course," he said. "My basketball IQ has gotten better on the court and I'm understanding the game better.
"Off the court, I've become more of a man. More mature and understanding life and who I am more. This program has really brought me to the next step in life."
Of course, with that step, MSU head coach Tom Izzo has been there by his side the whole time.
"He's really shown me the way to handle myself on and off the court," he said of MSU's legendary coach. "I'm just trying to be the best I can in following his direction."
Part of that process has involved helping his younger teammates also grow and develop as players on and off the court. Just as Adreian Payne took a younger Schilling under his wing, the German-born forward has taken the same approach with freshman Deyonta Davis.
"(Davis) reminds me of me when I was a freshman," Schilling said. "Adreian used to coach me, helped get me acclimated and that's what we're trying to do right now with Deyonta. He's really doing a good job of taking all this information in and doing it out on the court."
Payne isn't the only role model Schilling has had in his life. His father, Andreas, was a professional team handball player in Germany, and helped show Schilling what it takes to become a high-level athlete.
"It helped me a lot because he focused a lot on discipline and doing things the right way on and off the court," he said. "He really guided me growing up and that helped me a lot."
Shortly after his birth in Munich, Germany, Schilling's family moved to Strasbourg, France, where he began to play basketball as a kid. He starting taking the sport seriously in eighth grade, despite also playing soccer, football and baseball. Basketball won out in the end though, a decision that came after he realized it was the sport he loved.
Schilling played with German youth national teams as a kid, an experience that he said helped prepare for the many different styles of basketball he could potentially play against.
"I've played against guys from all kinds of countries," he said. "It's helped me a lot because the Europeans play a different style of basketball, so to adapt to that and to be able to see two different styles helps me understand the game more."
Schilling also speaks three languages fluently â€" English, French and German â€" and is currently working toward his advertising degree. He hopes to eventually find a job in sports advertising, but until then, only one thing is on his mind: a national championship. Finally healthy, this year's individual journey for Schilling starts now.
"My main goal right now is to get back and pick up where I left off," he said. "I want to play with a lot of energy and contribute as much as I can and see if we can reach our goals at the end of the season."
