Terry Christopher Tyler (born October 30, 1956) is a retired American

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player.

Amateur career

A 6'7" forward from Northwestern High School, Tyler signed to play for

Dick Vitale Richard John Vitale (; born June 9, 1939), also known as "Dickie V", is an American basketball sportscaster. A former head coach in the college and professional ranks, he is well known for his 41-year tenure as a college basketball broadcaster f ...

at the

University of Detroit The University of Detroit Mercy is a private Roman Catholic university in Detroit, Michigan. It is sponsored by both the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy. The university was founded in 1877 and is the largest Catholic univer ...

. Long established himself quickly, averaging a double-double by his sophomore year (17.2 ppg, 11.0 rpg), and the team would produce an unprecedented run during his time with the Titans (1974-1978). Vitale added future NBA players such as

Terry Duerod Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine). People Male * Terry Albritton (1955–2005), Am ...

, John Long and Dennis Boyd and built a dominating independent program at the Jesuit university. Tyler played forward for the team, averaged 16.4 ppg and 12.6 rpg as a senior. UD advanced to the

1977 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament The 1977 NCAA Division I basketball tournament involved 32 American schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the National Champion of Men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on Saturday, March 12, 1977, and ended with ...

in his junior year, defeating

Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of the U.S. state of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the ...

in the first round before losing to

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

in the Sweet 16 86-81 to end a stellar season, finishing #12 in the polls. The team was left out of the NCAA in Tyler's senior year, 1977–78, playing in the 1978 NIT, despite a 25-4 record and a #18 ranking. In four seasons at Detroit, Tyler scored 1,649 points, set a school record with 359 blocked shots and was inducted into the Detroit Mercy Titans Hall of Fame in 2001.

Professional career

After his college career came to a close, the forward was selected by the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

in the second round of the 1978 NBA draft. The move was largely influenced by Pistons Head Coach Dick Vitale, who coached Tyler at UD before going to the Pistons in 1978. He played seven seasons for the Pistons, and averaged a career-high 13.4 ppg points per game in 1980–81. During his time with the Pistons, Tyler would play alongside University of Detroit teammates Duerod, Boyd and Long. A free agent in 1985, Tyler elected to sign with the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

, spending three seasons with the Kings. Leaving the hometown team was tough and Tyler said, "There were some tough years in Detroit, but I just wanted to make a difference. I wasn't fortunate enough to get a ring but doggone it at least we got it going in the right direction. I wanted the fans to know that when they saw me, I was going to give 110%." Tyler then finished his NBA career with the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Southwest Division. The ...

for the 1988-89 NBA season. Tyler played 11 seasons (1978–1989) in the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United ...

in total, averaged 10.2 points and 5.4

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

in his NBA career and earned NBA All-Rookie Team honors in 1979.Terry Tyler profile
Basketball-Reference.com He also participated in the 1986

NBA Slam Dunk Contest The NBA Slam Dunk Contest (officially known as the AT&T Slam Dunk) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. ''Sports Illustrated'' wrote "the dunk contest was the best halftime invention ...

, where he finished 8th. Tyler would complete his playing career overseas, playing three season in the Lega Basket A in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tyler, Terry 1956 births Living people 21st-century African-American people African-American basketball coaches African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Italy American men's basketball coaches American men's basketball players Basketball coaches from Michigan Basketball players from Detroit College men's basketball head coaches in the United States Dallas Mavericks players Detroit Mercy Titans men's basketball players Detroit Pistons draft picks Detroit Pistons players Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds men's basketball coaches Northwestern High School (Michigan) alumni Pallacanestro Trieste players Sacramento Kings players Shooting guards Small forwards 20th-century African-American sportspeople

Amateur career

Professional career

See also

References