Dalen Terry was the one Arizona player going through the NBA Draft process who left open the possibility of a return to Tucson. He ultimately took his decision down to the wire but opted to remain in the draft. Thursday night he heard his name called as one of the selections in the 2022 NBA Draft.

Terry was selected with the 18th pick in the first round by the Chicago Bulls joining teammate Bennedict Mathurin as the second member of the Wildcats’ 2021-22 team to hear his name announced Thursday. Mathurin was selected sixth overall by the Indiana Pacers.

In his final season, Terry averaged eight points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game and was the backbone of a Wildcats’ defense that made it all the way to the Sweet 16 where they fell to Houston.

Terry scored his Arizona career high of 17 points in his final college game and raised his stock during the NCAA Tournament.

Throughout the Wildcats postseason run, Terry averaged 12 points and helped the Wildcats win the Pac-12 tournament and go into the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed in the South Region.

“I love that dude,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said about his former guard. “DT, he’s an incredible person. He’s got a great spirit. The only reason that I’m sad that he’s leaving is I don’t get to coach him again. But I’m really really excited for him, and he’s a guy that I have a lot of belief in.

“He was really thoughtful in this process, and he kept me in the loop the whole way, so I’m his biggest fan. I’m always gonna be here for him and I’m excited.”

For his defense, Terry was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive team and was an honorable mention for the All-Pac-12 team. The now former Wildcat declared for the draft on April 22 while maintaining his NCAA eligibility but decided to stay in the draft after a strong showing at the combine led to his draft stock going way up.

Physically, Terry has the size to succeed in the NBA measuring in at 6-foot-7 and being 195 pounds and is known for being very good at setting up teammates, on-ball defense and transition offense. His ability to operate a pick and roll in the half court will be a very valuable asset for NBA teams looking to improve their running of plays.

However, one of Terry’s areas for improvement include his scoring ability and outside shooting. It is something Lloyd worked to improve as soon as he began working with Terry last spring. He finished the season shooting 36% from beyond the arc after shooting 33% as a freshman.

One of the reasons for Terry’s sudden rise in draft stock was how he presented himself during pre-draft interviews with many executives raving about his competitive mindset, his overall feel for basketball and his bubbly personality.

Terry’s combination of tenacity, competitive nature and his mentality on defense will help the Bulls as he looks to build a lengthy career in the NBA.

He is the 77th player in program history to be selected in the NBA draft, and his selection at No. 18 means the Wildcats will have two players picked within the first 20 selections for the first time since 1998.

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