Tiger Profile: T.J. Wallace
If there's a player who embodies the new era and new direction of Pacific men's basketball, it's T.J. Wallace.
Wallace, whose freshman year coincided with the start of the Ron Verlin era and Pacific's move to the West Coast Conference, is Pacific's leading returning point scorer heading into the 2014-15 campaign. The young Tigers will not only be looking towards Wallace for points, but also for leadership despite being just a sophomore.
"T.J. is definitely ahead of the curve in his development," said Verlin, who recruited Wallace, a Stockton native, out of Modesto Christian High School. "When you play 20 minutes per game as a freshman and average seven points per game, you're ahead of the curve. It will be tougher on him this year though because he'll be leaned on the most."
At Modesto Christian Wallace earned First Team Modesto Bee All-District honors as a senior in 2012-13 as he averaged 16.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in his final season. After taking on a leadership role in high school, Wallace, who is one of only four returning players who saw minutes last season, is embracing his new role as team leader at Pacific.
"Having 11 new guys on the team, a lot of them don't know the system or the expectations," said Wallace. "One of my jobs is trying to make sure they're in the proper place at the proper time. Whatever information or guidance I can provide from my freshman year, I try to pass it on."
A bit of knowledge Wallace can impart to his new teammates is how difficult it is to compete in the WCC, a challenge Wallace faced head-on as he made the jump last year from high school to one of the toughest basketball conferences in the nation.
"In this league you have to constantly prepare for great teams, great players and great coaches," he said. You've got to put in the effort to get better every single day, every single game and practice."
Improving and gelling as a young group is a process that awaits Pacific this season. The pre-season predictions have not been favorable for the Tigers. "We're looking forward to the opportunity to go out there and prove people wrong," said Wallace. "We're going to be very aggressive, very athletic. A lot of people say we're young, but I like to say we're talented."
Wallace's enthusiasm on the court has also translated to the classroom where he studies business administration. At Pacific he can not only feel very much at home in his hometown, but also very much supported academically.
"Here at Pacific the teachers really care about you," said Wallace. "That's a huge thing for me. There are a lot of young people that want to play D-1 basketball, but education is very important as well. Being able to be a role model and do something I love in front of people who really care about me and want to support me is very special."
On the court, Verlin is hoping that his young star continues to make developmental strides and continues to show the leadership qualities that will bolster Pacific for the next few seasons.
"T.J. is the guy that's got to say what needs to be said out there and be the vocal leader," said Verlin. He's been stepping up as that guy in practice. He's always the one who says 'family' when we break our huddle."
