California guard Tyrone Wallace has a broken bone in his hand, according to The Vertical's Shams Charania. He won't play on Friday against Hawaii, reports ESPN's Jeff Goodman.
Cal’s Tyrone Wallace breaks hand, won’t play vs. Hawaii
The Bears will be without their starting point guard to start the NCAA Tournament.
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Wallace suffered a fracture in his non-shooting hand during practice. He missed five games earlier in the year with a broken bone in the same hand, so it's not surprising to hear that he won't suit up in the Bears' first NCAA tournament appearance since 2013, when they face Hawaii.
There were big expectations this season for Cal, since it landed two top-ten recruits in Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb. Yet as talented as the two one-and-done freshmen are, Wallace has been essential to the Bears' success. Only after he returned from his first injury in January and got back to his level of play did the Bears start to live up to their potential. They finished the season with a 23-10 overall record and 12-6 in conference play that got them the fourth seed in the South region.
At 6’5”, Wallace is a unique point guard. He leads the team in minutes, points, assists and steals. He’s also a plus defender. As a senior, his leadership is as important as his play. That’s why him missing the first game and potentially the entire tournament would be a huge blow for a Cal team that was looking to make a deep run.
Wallace averaged 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal in 32 minutes per game for the Bears.
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