"With the twenty-seventh pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers select Larry Nance Jr. from the University of Wyoming." 

Overcoming challenges is no new task to Larry Nance Jr. During his Sophomore year of high school, the son of three-time NBA All-Star and fifteen-thousand point scorer Larry Nance, was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. As a result, he receives infusions of medication every seven weeks just to have the energy to play basketball. Five years later, the six foot, nine inch, post player tore his ACL in February of his Junior season and had to fight his way back by enduring a grueling rehabilitation process. Tonight, he was rewarded for never wavering to his hardships. 

This past season, Nance Jr. posted numbers of 16.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game en route to leading the Wyoming Cowboys to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2002. 

On offense, Nance Jr. is most effective when in catch and shoot situations as he made more than half of his attempts last season. Although he is good at cleaning up teammates' misses, cutting to the basket, and running the floor in transition, Nance Jr. lacks conversions of post moves, such as the double drop step and the jump hook, that other big men like Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns have mastered. 

On defense, the Akron, Ohio, native claimed Co-Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors his Senior year as he showed outstanding skill guarding post players inside and outside of the paint. In addition, Nance Jr. is capable of defending bigger opponents on the wing, an attribute necessary when playing the small forward position in the NBA. 

2015-2016 Projected Starting Lineup
PG-Jordan Clarkson
***2014-2015 All-Rookie First Team 
---11.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, & 3.5 APG.
SG-Kobe Bryant
---22.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.6 APG, & 1.3 SPG.
SF-Nick Young
---13.4 PPG & 2.3 RPG.
PF-Julius Randle
---15.0 PPG & 10.4 RPG. (At University of Kentucky)
C-Jordan Hill 
---12.0 PPG & 7.9 RPG.
6th-D'Angelo Russell 
---19.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.0 APG, & 1.6 SPG. (At Ohio State University)