Where are they now? VUU basketball alumnus Ben Wallace
RICHMOND, Va. — It’s not common for men and women athletes hailing from Historical Black Colleges to leave their legacy stamped before going pro. Very few names from a HBCU who graced the hardwood in the NBA have earned their right to be considered legends.
NBA Hall of Famer and Virginia Union University (VUU) basketball alumnus Ben Wallace had an extraordinary career prior to the NBA. At Cuyahoga Community College, he recorded 6.9 blocks per game before transferring to VUU to solidify his legacy.
Before he was running in transition and throwing down put back dunks in the now demolished Palace of Auburn Hills, it was his defensive IQ captivating fans in the Barco-Stevens Hall.
During his 1996 season, prior to becoming an undrafted NBA player, Wallace helped lead the Panthers to a Division II Final Four with a 28-3 record. Wallace averaged 13.4 points per game, 10 rebounds per game and held the VUU 1995-96 season record with 114 blocks per Vuusports.com.
Wallace wasn’t known as an offensive center who could post up with a Hakeem Olajuwon move or score at ease. However, his leadership off the court makes VUU family and friends proud of how far he’s come.
Wallace spent 16 seasons in the NBA playing for the Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers. He retired in 2012 from the Pistons and had his No. 3 jersey retired in January 2016. The VUU legend remains one of the most prominent faces to come out of the university as a community builder and team player.
Outside of Wallace’s 2004 NBA Championship, four Defensive Player of the Year awards and his history of tenacious defense, he had the opportunity to represent the Pistons during the NBA Draft Lottery where the No. 1 overall pick became promising guard Cade Cunningham on draft night.
NBA players who retire often branch off into analytics, head basketball coaching and sports podcasting. As for Wallace, his approach to the game of basketball didn’t end despite having a former minority-ownership stake in the NBA G-League Grand Rapids Drive. Wallace has been on the business side of the NBA and he’s ready to maximize his new role in Detroit.
According to ClutchPoints, Wallace joined the Pistons in October as a team engagement advisor. His role will be to help assist head coach Dwane Casey and Troy Weaver in developing the younger talent. Other roles will include community acts with a hands-on approach within the organization.
It’s an incentive to have Wallace around with the team looking to build the 2021-22 roster and future talent.
In September, the Alabama native became the first undrafted NBA player to get enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
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