{
  "id": 2784456,
  "title": "Every University of Memphis player drafted by the Lakers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/every-university-of-memphis-player-drafted-by-the-lakers",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-23T12:02:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/every-university-memphis-player-drafted-120252687.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The University of Memphis men's basketball team has made 29 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the national championship game in 1973 and 2008. Among its many notable NBA talents, 55 players from the Tigers have been drafted into the league. Among the Lakers' four draft picks from the University of Memphis are John Wallisa, Wayne Yates, Larry Finch, and Andre Turner. John Wallisa, a forward, played for just one year at Memphis and was taken in the 17th round of the 1952 draft, though he never played in the NBA. Wayne Yates, a center, transferred to Memphis from New Mexico State and averaged 17.5 points and 14.4 rebounds in his senior season. He was selected as the No. 5 pick in the 1961 draft by the Lakers and played 37 games in his rookie season, averaging 1.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. Larry Finch, a guard, put up 22.3 points per game over his three-year career at Memphis and was drafted in the fourth round of the 1973 draft by the Lakers. He played two seasons in the ABA before becoming the Tigers' head coach from 1986 to 1997. Andre Turner, a guard, averaged 10.9 points and 5.8 assists per game during his four years at Memphis and was selected in the third round of the 1986 draft by the Lakers. Turner played six seasons in the NBA for seven different teams, logging averages of 4.5 points and 3.1 assists per game over 14.8 minutes per game.",
  "summary": "A look at every University of Memphis player who has been drafted by the Lakers.",
  "key_points": [
    "John Wallisa, a forward, was drafted by the Lakers in the 17th round of 1952",
    "Wayne Yates, a center, averaged 17.5 points and 14.4 rebounds in his senior season",
    "Andre Turner, a guard, was selected in the third round of the 1986 draft"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}