Tyrone Wallace Goes to Utah Jazz

Tyrone Wallace Goes to Utah Jazz

Story Links

Tyrone Wallace had to hold out until the very end, but at last he heard his name called when the Utah Jazz selected him with the 60th and final pick of the 2016 NBA Draft Thursday night.

Wallace joins Jaylen Brown, who was taken No. 3 by the Boston Celtics, as new members of NBA rosters. The last time Cal had two players chosen in the same year was 2008 when Ryan Anderson went in the first round to the New Jersey Nets and DeVon Hardin went in the second round to the Seattle SuperSonics.

"They got another big guard with a 7-foot wingspan," ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said. "Not necessarily a good shooter, but he's more of a playmaker. Very good at pick-and-roll situations. He has a very good defensive rating among Pac-12 guards. Just a good player that can do a lot of different things and will improve as a shooter as he puts more time into it."

Wallace, a 6-5, 200-pound guard, paced the Bears with 15.3 ppg this past year, while also contributing 5.4 rpg and 4.4 apg. He finished his career as the only player in school history ranked among Cal's all-time top 10 in scoring, assists and steals, as well as top 15 in rebounding. Wallace's 1,613 total points put him eighth in Cal history.

Wallace considered leaving school for the professional ranks after his junior season, but decided to return for a final season with the Bears, in part, to keep a promise to his late grandfather that he would complete his degree. Wallace graduated with his bachelor's degree in social welfare this past May.

With Brown and Wallace in the lineup, Cal ended the 2015-16 season with a 23-11 overall record and tied for third in the Pac-12 with a 12-6 mark. The Bears' No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament was the highest regional seed in school history.

Print Friendly Version