Dalen Terry

Born on July 12, 2002, Dalen Lee Terry, an American professional basketball player, has built a strong presence in the National Basketball Association (NBA) playing for the Chicago Bulls. His journey to the NBA started when he was chosen as the 18th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. However, his basketball career started long before this milestone, as he spent years honing his skills and paving his path to success on the college basketball courts.

A Phoenix, Arizona native, Terry attended Corona del Sol High School situated in Tempe, Arizona. Here he played side by side with then teammates Alex Barcello and Saben Lee. In a twist of events, he later transferred to Hillcrest Prep, also based in Phoenix. His shift was not in vain, as it yielded rich dividends in the form of an impressive average of 15.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 10.3 assists, 3.7 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game in his two years at Hillcrest.

It was not just in school that Terry got to display his talent, he also played AAU basketball with the Compton Magic, showing his skills alongside other Pac-12 players such as Johnny Juzang, Isaiah Mobley, Evan Mobley, and Onyeka Okongwu.

Standing out in the 2020 class as a consensus four-star recruit, Terry ranked as No. 46 overall player according to 247Sports. After reviewing offers from several colleges including Arizona State, Arkansas, California, Colorado, USC, Utah, and Vanderbilt, On July 23, 2019, Terry ultimately committed to playing college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats being the first recruit for the 2020 class.

His freshman year at Arizona saw him play in all the 26 games for the Wildcats, starting 14 of them. Although he had an average season with 4.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, he did manage to display sparks of brilliance when he scored 13 points during a match against their in-state rival, Arizona State.

In his sophomore year, he showed a marked improvement and consistency in the game. Terry played in all 37 Wildcats’ matches, proudly exhibiting an average of eight points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game. His exceptional defensive play bagged him a place on the All-Defensive First Team in the Pac-12. Additionally, he played a crucial role in guiding Arizona to a 33–4 record, winning the titles of the 2021 Roman Main Event, Pac-12 Conference regular season, and 2022 Pac-12 tournament.

He concluded his college career with a bang, scoring a career-high 17 points in his final game against Houston. On April 22, 2022, he announced his decision to take his chances in the 2022 NBA draft and subsequently decided to make his professional debut joining the Chicago Bulls as the 18th overall pick in the draft.

His rookie-scale contract with the Bulls was officially signed on July 8, 2022, marking the beginning of Terry´s journey in the NBA. As of now, this talented player from Arizona is all set to make his mark on America’s premier basketball platform. His professional journey has just begun and the basketball world eagerly awaits the magic this young talent will weave in the forthcoming seasons.