Larry Nance

Larry Donnell Nance Jr. was born in 1993 in Akron, Ohio to Larry Sr. and Jaynee Nance. His father played for the Suns and Cavaliers over 13 NBA seasons and was named an All-Star three times. Nance went just out of town to Revere High School, where he began as a 5-foot-11 freshman point guard. By the time he was a senior, he had grown eight inches and led the team to consecutive league titles. In that final year, Nance posted 18.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 3.0 blocks, and 2.6 steals per game as he was honored with First-Team All-District, First-Team All-League, and Second-Team All-Ohio selections. As someone who has dealt with Crohn's disease, he has raised awareness and has served as a mentor to others battling the illness. You can follow Nance on Twitter (@Larrydn22) and Instagram (@larrydn7). Nance is a second-generation basketball player whose father won the NBA's first Slam Dunk Contest. He spent four years at Wyoming and improved each season. The 6-foot-8 forward came off the bench exclusively as a freshman in support of Leonard Washington. He put up 4.1 points and 4.0 rebounds in 17.9 minutes. He moved into the starting lineup as a sophomore and averaged 10.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 steals. Nance seem to find his stride at the end of the season and averaged 17.6 points and 6.8 rebounds over the last five games. The forward provided 15.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks as a junior and had eight double-doubles, including 38 points and 12 rebounds in a loss at Denver. As a senior, Nance guided the Cowboys for the first time since 2002. He averaged 16.1 points and 7.2 rebounds. He helped the team win the Mountain West Conference tournament by averaging 15.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in wins over Utah State, Boise State and San Diego State. The Cowboys lost in the first round to Northern Iowa, but Nance contributed 16 points and seven rebounds. Nance was drafted 27th overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.