Talen Horton-Tucker
Iowa State’s Talen Horton-Tucker and Marial Shayok were both taken in Thursday night’s NBA Draft.
Horton-Tucker was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second with the number 46 pick. The Chicago native showed his versatility in his only season in Ames. The 6-4 guard was third on the team with 11.8 points. He also averaged 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals for the Cyclone on his way to earning a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team as well as All-Big 12 honorable mention accolades.
Horton-Tucker played in all 35 games for the Cyclones, making 34 starts as the fourth-youngest player in Division I basketball. He was second among Big 12 freshmen in scoring average, reaching double figures in 19 games. He scored 20 points in six games, posting a career-high 26 points in wins against Illinois and Texas Southern. Against the Illini, Horton-Tucker put together his best overall game, adding 14 rebounds, six assists and three blocks.
Shayok was taken in the second round by the Philadelphia 76ers with pick number 54.
Marial Shayok
Shayok was outstanding in his only season on the court for Iowa State. After transferring from Virginia, Shayok took advantage of his sit-out season to improve his offensive game and the work paid off as he was the Big 12’s second-best scorer averaging 18.7 points per contest.
The Ottawa, Ontario native was extremely efficient, becoming just the eighth Division I player this decade to average 18.5 points and shoot 49 percent from the field, 38 percent behind the arc and 87 percent at the free-throw line. He scored at least 17 points in 27 of 34 games, pouring in 20 or more in 16 different games on his way to earning All-Big 12 First-Team accolades. Shayok was a finalist for the Julius Erving Award, which is giving annually to the nation’s top small forward.