Basketball

REPORTS: Talen Horton-Tucker sidelined for California Classic

Mar 15, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard Cartier Diarra (2) defends a shot by Iowa State Cyclones guard Talen Horton-Tucker (11) during the second half of the semifinals of the Big 12 conference tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Amy Kontras-USA TODAY Sports

Former Cyclone Talen Horton-Tucker will have to wait to start NBA summer league play, according to multiple reports.

The Los Angeles Lakers selected the one-and-done ISU guard with the 46th pick of the 2019 NBA Draft and hoped to see how he’d initially mesh with more veteran players in the three-day California Classic, which begins Monday in Sacramento..

But during the NBA Combine, doctors discovered a stress reaction in one of Horton-Tucker’s feet, so he’ll be held out of the Classic. He’ll be reevaluated before the Las Vegas Summer League begins July 5, according to an article at LakersNation.com.

Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register was first to Tweet the news.

Horton-Tucker averaged 11.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists as a freshman for the Cyclones.

The 6-4 standout boasts an impressive 7-1 wingspan and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was quoted in the LakersNation.com article as saying “he’s got a grit and grind to him” and is expected to be a “really versatile player.”

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Rob Gray

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Rob, an Ames native, joined Cyclone Fanatic in August, 2014 after nearly a decade and a half of working at Iowa's two largest newspapers. He spent 10 years at the Des Moines Register and, after a brief stint in public relations, joined the Cedar Rapids Gazette as an Iowa State correspondent three years ago. Rob specializes in feature stories for CF.

@cyclonefanatic