Los Angeles Lakers selected Pokes forward 27th overall

Larry Nance Jr. accepted the fact that the University of Wyoming’s loss to Northern Iowa in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in March was probably his last basketball game.

The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t.

On Thursday, the Lakers selected the former Cowboys forward 27th overall during the first round of the NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The selection made Nance Jr. the 28th Cowboy in UW men’s basketball history to be drafted, and the first since Theo Ratliff in 1995, a development Nance Jr. didn’t see coming after the season ended.

“It was insane,” Nance Jr. said during a conference call Friday from his home in Akron, Ohio. “Two months ago, I didn’t know if I was going to hear my named called at all. To go through this process, and with everybody that has helped me helping me, to sneak into the first round and hearing my name called by probably the greatest franchise in NBA history was a heck of an honor.

“I’m still in shock.”

Nance Jr., a 6-8, 235-pound rebound and dunking machine, helped UW to a 25-10 record and a Mountain West Conference title last season. He averaged 16.1 points and 7.2 rebounds to go with 2.5 assists, 1.2. blocks and 1.2 steals. His 51 percent from the field was third in the Mountain West and 60th in the NCAA. He notched seven double-doubles during the year, including 10 games with 20-or-more points. His efforts earned him selections on the All-MW First Team, All-Defensive Team and All-Tournament Team, and he was also named the MW’s co-Defensive Player of the Year. 

Still, Nance Jr., was unsure if that was enough to push him to the next level. He worked out for a dozen NBA teams, but said he felt he had his best workout for the Lakers.

“I think I tested really well athletically in L.A.,” he said. “That’s where I tested with the 44-inch vertical and improved all my numbers from the combine. I think they got to see what not too many other teams got to see. I had a really good day for them. I’m just so thankful it paid off.”

Nance Jr. will have big shoes to fill as he prepares to follow in the steps of his father, Larry Nance Sr. The elder Larry played 13 seasons for the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers between 1981 and 1994, averaging 17 points and eight rebounds. He was a three-time All-Star and winner of the first NBA Dunk Contest in 1984.

“He called me the enemy because he played for the Suns, and he and the Lakers used to have good games,” Nance Jr. joked when asked about his dad’s reaction. “He said, ‘Now you’re the enemy.’

“He’s my biggest fan, biggest critic. I love the way he could play above the rim and all his aerial acrobatics, but at the same time, he gave me his mind. Basketball IQ is the one thing that I learned from him and will continue to learn from him.”

Nance Jr., joins a Lakers team that suffered through a down year in 2014-15, going 21-61 and earning the second selection in this year’s draft while playing without 36-year-old star Kobe Bryant for 47 games. On Thursday, the Lakers selected Ohio State point guard D’Angelo Russell before later taking Nance Jr., and then Stanford forward Anthony Brown with the second pick of round two. Helping turn Los Angeles around after two straight losing seasons is a challenge Nance Jr. said he’s ready to tackle.

“The Lakers aren’t used to having a losing year and having the No. 2 pick in the draft,” Nance Jr. said. “I’m going to do my part in getting the Lakers back to the winning organization they’re known to be and back to the glory days.

“It’s a challenge I’m very excited for. Two other guys with me, and a couple rookies from last year ... a couple of young guys looking to change the culture. I’m just looking to work hard and do my piece.”

While some may think the opposite, Nance Jr. said his draft position comes without any pressure added. Many NBA analysts projected him as a second-round pick, but Nance Jr. said Thursday’s surprise changed nothing about his attitude going forward.

“There’s not a whole lot of added pressure,” he said. “Whether I was picked first, 27th, 34th or not at all, I would’ve gone into it with the same mentality.

“These past four years (at UW), we really had a good schedule and we played against guys that have played in the NBA. Just playing against them, and seeing that ‘OK, I can hold my own against these guys,’ along with the coaches’ confidence in me, my teammates confidence in me, that really helped.”

Nance said he will wear No. 7 for the Lakers. The No. 22 he wore for the Cowboys isn’t available, having been retired by Los Angeles for Elgin Baylor.

Nance Jr. managed to make a splash in the draft despite playing in the modest confines of UW during his collegiate career. He shared some advice to other Wyoming athletes, however, saying that effort means more than environment.

“It’s not where you play well, it’s not where you do it. It’s how,” he said. “If you’re good, they will find you. Just keep that in mind when playing sports. If you’re doing all you can, working hard, it can work out for you.”