Men’s Basketball: Tyren Johnson selected in first round NBA Development League draft 11/5/11

Tim Buckley, Daily Advertiser, Nov. 5, 2011

UL product Tyren Johnson was selected Thursday night in the first round of the NBA Development League draft.

The 2009-10 season’s Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year went 14th overall to the defending league-champion Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Johnson played last season for General Okapi Aalstar, a pro team in Belgium.

From West St. John High in Edgard, he averaged 7.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 114 games over four seasons for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

But Johnson had a breakout season as a senior, leading UL in five statistical categories, including points per game with 17.9 and rebounds per game with 8.0.

Rio Grande is the D-League affiliate of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, but the Rockets do not own Johnson’s NBA rights just because the Vipers drafted him.