The 22-year-old, former Stanford standout cited serious mental health issues that the game of basketball is causing him, as to why he’s pulling the plug on his young career. Terry was drafted number 31 overall by the Dallas Mavericks in 2020.

Tyrell Terry, Mavs’ No. 31 overall draft pick in 2020, just announced his retirement from basketball, citing “the darkest times of my life” and “the anxiety this sport has caused me.” pic.twitter.com/1Spw5iGQ9y

— Callie Caplan (@CallieCaplan) December 15, 2022

Terry was Minnesota Mr. Basketball in 2019 and he helped lead De LaSalle High School to 5-straight state championships. Richard Pitino and the University of Minnesota recruited the 4-star top 125 talent back then but he chose at Stanford. That’s no surprise, given what he has scored on IQ tests.

In his only season at Stanford, Tyrell Terry averaged 14.6 points and 3.2 assists in 34 minutes per game. He found the floor just 13 times in his two seasons in the NBA, playing a total of 59 minutes in his short career.

Hopefully, Tyrell can find the life and happiness he’s looking for outside of basketball.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

To most people, Minnesota is known as the State of Hockey. Since 2006, the state has annually hosted Hockey Day Minnesota to showcase talent throughout the state. Current NHL players like Zach Parise, T.J Oshie and Ryan McDonagh + a bunch more all hail from the Land of 10,000 Lakes. However, Minnesota is oh-so-subtly becoming the State of Basketball, the latest example of this being the 2020 NBA Draft. 

The NBA Draft and Lottery are still a ways away, thanks to COVID-19. The draft is set to take place on October 16th (lottery: August 25). The Athletic released their sixth 2020 NBA Mock Draft, earlier this week. As you might have guessed when you opened this blog, Minnesota could play a major role in that first round.

The Athletic projects that four Minnesota natives will hear their names called on draft night, all of them slated to go in the first round: Tre Jones (Apple Valley), Zeke Nnaji (Hopkins), Daniel Oturu (Cretin-Derham Hall) and Tyrell Terry (DeLaSalle).

Tre Jones

After playing two years for Mike Krzyzewski at Duke, it’s no surprise to see Jones on this mock draft. The Apple Valley native averaged 16.2 points, 6.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 42.3% from the field and 36.1% from deep.

The younger brother of NBA PG, Tyus Jones, Tre led Duke to a 25-6 record this past season and was named the 2019-20 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and 2019-20 ACC Player of the Year. According to experts, some of Tre’s strengths are his defense and basketball IQ, but you don’t have to read it to believe it; just look at the clip below.

“He made things happen on both ends of the floor and set a tone for Duke. Ultimately, the big question is about his jump shot. He hit 36 percent of his 3-pointers, but most of those came directly off the catch and that number is the result of a hot shooting final seven games.”

“[Drafting Tre in the 1st round] requires you to trust that his improvement as a shooter off the catch is real, and teams aren’t totally convinced yet. One thing going in his favor is that he is considered a super high character kid that will work to rep out jumpers until he gets it right.”

Sam Vacenie – The Athletic

Who will be the third PG taken behind Ja Morant/Darius Garland? Duke’s Tre Jones has made a strong case with his stellar point-of-attack defense and turnover-free style of play. https://t.co/Wvxg0uEGJp pic.twitter.com/2uZ01w38xZ

— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) March 1, 2019

31 points 6 assists and 4 steals last night for Tre Jones! @Tre3Jones pic.twitter.com/RBxMBFMLnz

— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) November 16, 2019

Zeke Nnaji

First, let’s just get this out of the way: Zeke Nnaji would be a great fit for the Jazz in more than one way. Second, Zeke Nnaji is really good at basketball. The former Hopkins star averaged 16.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks while shooting 57% from the field this past season at Arizona. He put up those numbers while playing with fellow highly-touted prospects in Josh Green and Nico Mannion). 

Nnaji was not only named to the 2019-20 All-Pac 12 Freshman Team, but he was also named to the 2019-20 All-Pac 12 First Team and was the 2019-20 Pac-12 Rookie of the Year. That’s not bad for a guy who is just as good a musician. While his 3-point percentage wasn’t the best — he only shot 29.4% from deep — Nnaji seems to be working on that everyday (as shown below). Additionally, Darren Wolfson recently reported that Nnaji is set to meet with the Timberwolves next week.

“The Minnesota native isn’t a particularly great defender right now, but he has good lateral quickness and should be someone who can slide with opposing guards on the perimeter and not be a liability. He also has tremendous touch around the basket and great body control mixed with underrated physical strength.”

“Getting guys who are 6-foot-11 who has potential to shoot it and defend on the perimeter while constantly playing with a high-level motor is super valuable. I don’t know that Nnaji will ever be a star, but I feel confident he’ll likely stick around for a while.”

Sam Vacenie – The Athletic

Here is some fresh video of former Hopkins HS and Arizona star Zeke Nnaji. Shot looks good. Wasn’t that long ago that he won the Iverson Classic 3-point contest. He’ll interview with his hometown #Timberwolves next week. #Twolves pic.twitter.com/Q7kxXJTndZ

— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) July 16, 2020

Story of Arizona’s opener was 6-11 freshman Zeke Nnaji. Scored 20 using both hands in post, showed some outside touch, fluid in open floor, slid feet well defensively. Gonna be a good player for Wildcats. pic.twitter.com/He3UXxA9sr

— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) November 7, 2019

Daniel Oturu

Vacenie thinks Daniel Oturu was better in college than he will be in the NBA. This past season, Oturu absolutely dominated, putting up gaudy stats of over 20 points and 11 rebounds per game, this past season for the Gophers. 

During a five game stretch in January where the Gophers played Purdue, Northwestern, Michigan State, Michigan and Penn State; Oturu averaged 25.2 points and 13 rebounds, while shooting 57.1% from the field and 45.5% from deep. Dan was also named to the 2019-20 All-Big Ten Second Team and 2019-20 All-Big Ten Defensive Team. He’s also been training with Tre Jones this off-season, too How is this guy sliding down draft boards…?

“Why isn’t Oturu set to go higher on draft night? Well, he’s a bit undersized for the center position. At 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, he’ll be a touch undersized for the average NBA center. Second, his movement skills are a bit off. He’s not wildly explosive or athletic, and his overall agility and lateral quickness is a bit stiff. He got by in college, but NBA teams have a concern that putting him in greater space will only exacerbate the issue.

Oturu is more Ibaka than Gasol as he’s not a particularly good passer and is much more comfortable spacing and shooting.

— Sam Vacenie

Future Lottery Pick Daniel Oturu put together an unbelievable season averaging 20PPG, 11RPG, and 2.5BPG on an efficient TS% of 61%. To put his year into perspective, only 3 other players have put up similar numbers: Tim Duncan, Chris Kaman, and Carlos Rodgers. pic.twitter.com/jGey8JrbyJ

— M&G Analytics (@MGAnalytics1818) March 19, 2020

Tyrell Terry

Tyrell Terry is maybe the smartest prospect in the draft this year. In his freshman season at Stanford this past winter, Terry exceeded all expectations and averaged 14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 44.1% from the field and an outstanding 40.8% from beyond the arc.

How does that three-point percentage stack up against other prospects in the first round? Well, that 40.8% is only behind Jahmi’us Ramsey’s 42.6% and Saddiq Bey’s 45.1%. Those numbers also earned him a spot on the 2019-20 All-Pac 12 Freshman Team.

“Terry is arguably the best shooter in the draft, a player who hit over 40 percent from 3 and 89 percent from the line. He has a long history of being a knockdown guy throughout the course of his high school career so far. He’s good as a shooter on pull-ups, and he’s good as a shooter directly off the catch.”

“He’s 160 pounds and his frame gives teams some pause. He needs to get stronger and keep putting on weight to deal with the rigors of the NBA. Second, his handle is a bit loose. He shows creativity and great body work to get opponents off-balance, but also has a tendency to pick up his dribble far too early.”

— Sam Vacenie

? PROSPECT BREAKDOWN
G Tyrell Terry (@tyterry05)
6’1, 160 lbs.

Stanford freshman guard Tyrell Terry showcased his ability as an unreal shot-maker in his first college season.

Still questions on whether he’ll declare for the NBA Draft, but a top 15 talent to me ???? pic.twitter.com/cTUt6IaReM

— Ethan Piechota (@EthanPiechota) March 31, 2020

Minnesota will most likely have four Minnesotans drafted this year, which will break the record from 2015 in which both Tyus Jones and Rashad Vaughn were drafted. This is outstanding for the basketball community in the Twin Cities and beyond. Hopefully, this draft will lead to more and more Minnesotans being drafted in the future. 

Carson Ruen | Minnesota Sports Fan

According to a report by Bryan Kalbrosky of USA Today, Stanford Freshmen guard and DeLaSalle High School alum, Tyrell Terry, has broken some sort of NBA pre-draft (previously undisclosed) IQ test record. These tests were seemingly administered by individual organizations, meaning he’s impressed several teams with their own, but similar, versions.

Multiple sources have confirmed that Stanford’s Tyrell Terry “broke a record” for a basketball IQ test administered by several NBA front offices this offseason. He averaged two 3-pointers per game, shooting 40.8% from beyond the arc.

FULL MOCK DRAFT: https://t.co/vRxzAwTSdO pic.twitter.com/R3JMgVRvWA

— Bryan Kalbrosky (@BryanKalbrosky) June 16, 2020

Hearing certain teams giving prospects some form of “IQ Tests” during Zoom interviews. Timed exercises involving shapes, numbers, memory, matching. Have heard Warriors, Wolves, Hornets, Raptors, Celtics use these.

— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) May 29, 2020

Freshman Season – Stanford Cardinals

At just 19 years old, Terry had a breakout freshmen season with the Stanford Cardinals. He averaged 14.6 points per game with 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists. The numbers might not jump off the page, for a first-round NBA talent, but the shooting percentages and defensive play intrigue scouts.

Terry shot 40.8% from beyond the arc (4.9 attempts/game), and an astonishing 50.8% on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. He also snatched 1.4 steals per game, as part of the country’s 7th-best defensive team, establishing himself as an intriguing three-and-d player.

All this amounted to Terry earning a spot on the Pac-12 All -Freshmen Team + All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention. The kid is attending Stanford so his smarts weren’t in question. Now though, NBA teams are seeing it for themselves. Add that on top of his space creating and defense… his draft stock should do nothing but rise (unlike other hometown heroes).

NBA Draft Outlook

Experts have wide-ranging opinions on Terry, right now. As a result, he’s being mocked all over the place. The highest I’ve seen the Minneapolis native selected, is by USA Today, at 16th overall. Who had that 16th pick? The Minnesota Timberwolves (pick from Nets) did…… That storyline sounds familiar.

via GIPHY

Terry was a 4-star recruit in High School. Back then, he ranked as the 10th best point guard in the country. Terry announced his plans to forgo his sophomore year and enter the NBA Draft on April 3rd.

Just a Sophomore, (standing at 6′ 1″ 160 lbs), Terry’s decision to join the 2020 outbound class, surprised some. Since entering the draft field however, he’s been a mainstay on most mocks and big boards. Blowing teams away with these IQ test results, will only solidify his decision. Sorry Stanford fans.

?? pic.twitter.com/ZxSkzNGdBR

— Tyrell Terry (@tyterry05) April 6, 2020

Terry Still has Options

If for some reason Terry is still wavering, he as until August 3 to pull out of the draft and return to Stanford. The NBA Draft is tentatively scheduled for October 15th.

(Eric’s Editing note): As Minnesotans. we’re used to outperforming the rest of the country, academically. Educational stats nationwide show as much. We aren’t posting his for “shock” value (since there is none). It’s just another thumbs up to our great educational institutions around the state.

Great work, DeLaSalle High School.

Sam Sklar | Minnesota Sports Fan

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Despite still having not one, not two, but three open scholarships for next year, we’re gathered here today because of a special 2019 Minnesota basketball recruit:

Richard Pitino will have an in-home visit with five-star @JMRocketsBBB 2019 forward Matthew Hurt on Wednesday morning. #Gophers pic.twitter.com/gbDrEWccwu

— Marcus R. Fuller (@Marcus_R_Fuller) April 18, 2018

As indicated by Matthew Hurt’s handful of stars (he’s a 5-Star prospect if you didn’t follow that), Richard Pitino’s meeting with the Rochester native Wednesday morning (earlier today) isn’t a typical recruiting visit. Currently, ESPN’s Recruiting Database has the John Marshall High School basketball player ranked as the 5th best prospect in the 2019 class.

To help put the 6’9” PF’s hoops prowess into perspective, his 95 overall grade is sandwiched between those of Tyus (97) and Tre (93) Jones. During the 2017-18 campaign, Hurt posted a video game esque per game average of 34.1 points, 14.3 rebounds, and 4.3 blocks.

via GIPHY

Oh, and by the way, 247Sports appreciates Matthew Hurt’s dominance a bit more than ESPN. They rank him as a .9986, which would put him ahead of BOTH Jones’ Brothers (barely).

When “keeping up with the Jones’ isn’t good enough:

In addition to his hometown roots, Matthew Hurt’s older brother, Michael, just finished his sophomore season (3.2 PPG, 2,5 RPG) with coach Pitino’s squad. While the family ties are encouraging, I wouldn’t get too excited:

Class of 2019 standout Matthew Hurt hosting a string of blue bloods for home visits: https://t.co/CREZ8TQgmi

— Michael Duncan (@ohhoopslive) April 16, 2018

The above-referenced article starts off by touching on seven different college hoop programs:

In an interview from last Thursday, Hurt referred to those top-tier programs as the “main seven [schools] right now.” While that doesn’t seem to bode well for Minnesota, to be fair, in the same conversation, he stated that the Gophers are “up there too.”

To me, the fact the Maroon and Gold weren’t mentioned in that initial batch of schools is extremely telling. Hopefully, I’m looking too far into Hurt’s comments.

As of now, 247Sports lists Kansas as the front-runner to acquire the talented athlete’s services.However, coach Cal seems to be in a nice spot:

Matthew Hurt told @UKCoachCalipari that his goals are to win a national championship and to reach the NBA – in that order. His family likes Cal’s messaging and believe it fits Hurt “to a tee.” Watch out for Kentucky here, folks https://t.co/zP8VprYE3q

— Justin Rowland (@RowlandRIVALS) April 11, 2018

If Minnesota can somehow land Hurt, it would be a complete game changer. If they can’t, 2019’s class offers other talented Land of 10K Lakes options:

Grateful to have received an offer from the University of Minnesota ‼ pic.twitter.com/bKOgdN0GXX

— Tyrell Terry™ (@tyterry05) April 17, 2018

For further details on the De La Salle PG, click here: Tyrell Terry

Johnny Minnesota (@TheJohnnyMN)
MinnesotaSportsFan.com