![]() Zeller with the Tar Heels
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No. 44 – Boston Celtics | |
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Position | Center / Power forward |
League | NBA |
Personal information | |
Born | Visalia, California |
January 17, 1990
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
Listed weight | 253 lb (115 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Washington (Washington, Indiana) |
College | North Carolina (2008–2012) |
NBA draft | 2012 / Round: 1 / Pick: 17th overall |
Selected by the Dallas Mavericks | |
Pro career | 2012–present |
Career history | |
2012–2014 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
2014–present | Boston Celtics |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Stats at NBA.com | |
Tyler Paul Zeller (born January 17, 1990) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the nephew of former NBA player Al Eberhard, and the brother of Charlotte Hornets player Cody Zeller and former Phoenix Suns player Luke Zeller.
Contents
High school career
Born in Visalia, California,[1] Tyler Zeller grew up in Washington, Indiana, attending Washington High School. In his four years at Washington High, his team won four sectional titles, as well as state Class 3A championships in his freshman and senior years (2005 and 2008). In his senior year, he averaged 33.1 points and 11.0 rebounds per game, and also shot 69% from the field and 82% from the free throw line. In his final high school game, the '08 Class 3A final against Fort Wayne Harding, he scored 47 points, which broke a record for scoring by a player in an Indiana boys' state championship game that had stood since 1970. He was not only a basketball superstar, but also played on Washington High's tennis team for three years, and finished his high school career with a 3.99 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, good for third in his graduating class. After the 2008 season, he was named "Mr. Basketball" in Indiana, the state's highest honor for high school players. He received the title three years after his brother Luke and three years before his brother Cody were honored with the same award. He was also named a McDonald's All-American, [1] as well as a first-team Parade All-American.
During the early stages of the signing period in November 2007, Zeller signed a letter of intent to play at North Carolina. When the university announced his signing, Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams said about Zeller, "I think he is the finest running big man in the country and he has a tremendous shooting touch to go with that ability to run the floor."[2] Zeller notably exhibited that shooting touch at a high school all-star game during the 2008 Kentucky Derby Festival, at which he won the event's three-point shooting contest.[1]
Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Zeller was listed as the No. 7 center and the No. 33 player in the nation in 2008.[3]
College career
Zeller started the first two games of the 2008-09 season in place of the previous season's consensus national Player of the Year, Tyler Hansbrough, who was sidelined with a stress reaction in his right shin. In his first game, he scored 18 points in Carolina's season-opening win over Penn.[4]
The Tar Heels' next game, on November 18, was against another equally storied team, Kentucky. The Heels scored a surprisingly easy 77–58 win over the Wildcats, but suffered another injury blow, this time involving Zeller. With 1:26 left in the game, Zeller went for a breakaway dunk off a turnover, but was fouled by Kentucky's Ramon Harris before he could score. Zeller fell to the floor awkwardly, got up, and was taken to the locker room holding his left wrist.[4]
X-rays showed that Zeller had broken both of the major bones in his lower left arm (the radius and ulna). The day after the injury, he had surgery at UNC Hospitals to repair the broken bones.[5] In early January 2009, Zeller's cast was removed.
Zeller made his return during his freshman season on February 18, 2009, in the Tar Heels' home game against North Carolina State, playing 8 minutes and scoring 2 points.
As a sophomore, Zeller averaged 9.3 points per game on 52.1% shooting and 4.6 rebounds per game in limited action off the bench.[6]
Zeller averaged 15.7 points per game during his junior year. He shot 54.7% and averaged 7.2 rebounds per game. He had a more active role, playing an average of 28.1 minutes per game, significantly more than the 17.4 minutes per game during his sophomore campaign.[7]
Zeller averaged 16.5 points per game on 55.3% shooting during his senior season. He also played an average of 28.2 minutes per game.[7]
Zeller was voted to the All-ACC First Team his senior year and was named the ACC Player of the Year.[8] Zeller was also named a second team all American by the Sporting News and the USBWA as a senior. Both accolades made him eligible to have his jersey honored in the rafters of the Smith Center at the conclusion of his college career.
College statistics
Season | Team | G | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG% | 3P% | FT% | MIN | TO |
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2008–09 | North Carolina | 15 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | .472 | .000 | .765 | 7.8 | 0.5 |
2009–10 | North Carolina | 27 | 9.3 | 4.6 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.9 | .521 | .000 | .722 | 17.4 | 1.3 |
2010–11 | North Carolina | 37 | 15.7 | 7.2 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | .549 | .000 | .757 | 28.1 | 1.4 |
2011–12 | North Carolina | 38 | 16.3 | 9.6 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.5 | .553 | .000 | .808 | 28.2 | 1.9 |
Totals: | 117 | 12.8 | 6.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 | .542 | .000 | .774 | 23.1 | 1.4 |
Professional career
Cleveland Cavaliers (2012–2014)
Zeller announced that he was entering the 2012 NBA draft along with North Carolina teammates Harrison Barnes, Kendall Marshall and John Henson. He was selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 17th pick in the draft, and was the fourth Tar Heel to be selected in the first round. He was subsequently traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers on draft night, and signed his rookie scale contract with the Cavaliers on July 5, 2012.[9]
On October 11, 2013, Zeller underwent an emergency appendectomy procedure to remove his appendix and was subsequently ruled out indefinitely.[10][11] He recovered from the surgery in time to face the Brooklyn Nets in the team's 2013–14 season opener on October 30.[12]
On March 22, 2014, Zeller scored a then career-high 23 points in a 111-118 loss to the Houston Rockets.[13]
Boston Celtics (2014–present)
On July 10, 2014, Zeller was traded to the Boston Celtics in a three-team trade that also involved the Cavaliers and the Brooklyn Nets.[14] On December 5, 2014, he scored a then career-high 24 points on 10-of-11 shooting, along with 14 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block, in a 113-96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.[15] He set a new career-high on March 16, 2015 against the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring 26 points on 11-of-15 shooting to help the Celtics defeat the 76ers, 108-89.[16]
NBA career statistics
Legend | |||||
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GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
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2012–13 | Cleveland | 77 | 55 | 26.4 | .438 | .000 | .764 | 5.7 | 1.2 | .5 | .9 | 7.9 |
2013–14 | Cleveland | 70 | 9 | 15.0 | .538 | .000 | .719 | 4.0 | .5 | .3 | .5 | 5.7 |
2014–15 | Boston | 82 | 59 | 21.1 | .549 | .000 | .823 | 5.7 | 1.4 | .2 | .6 | 10.2 |
Career | 229 | 123 | 21.0 | .505 | .000 | .776 | 5.2 | 1.1 | .3 | .7 | 8.0 |
References
- ^ a b c "Tyler Zeller". University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Athletic Department. Retrieved March 12, 2011.
- ^ "Tar Heels Sign Three To NCAA Letters Of Intent" (Press release). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Athletic Department. 2007-11-14. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ^ Tyler Zeller Recruiting Profile
- ^ a b Associated Press (2008-11-18). "Thompson powers Hansbrough-less UNC past Kentucky; Zeller hurts wrist". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ^ Katz, Andy (2008-11-19). "Broken wrist likely to sideline UNC forward Zeller for season". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
- ^ "Tyler Zeller Career Stats". CarolinaDaily.com. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
- ^ a b "Tyler Zeller". ESPN. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
- ^ Zeller Named ACC Player Of The Year – NORTH CAROLINA OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE. Tarheelblue.cstv.com (2012-03-06). Retrieved on 2012-03-12.
- ^ Cavs sign Dion Waiters, Tyler Zeller
- ^ Cavaliers Preseason: Tyler Zeller has Emergency Appendectomy, Out Indefinitely
- ^ Cleveland Cavaliers' Tyler Zeller has appendectomy
- ^ Do you remember Tyler Zeller? After missing the entire preseason, the Cavaliers center is working to return to form
- ^ James Harden scores 37 as Rockets cruise past Cavs
- ^ Celtics Complete Three-Team Trade
- ^ Zeller leads Celtics to 113-96 win over Lakers
- ^ Celtics win 5th straight, 108-89 over 76ers
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NBA.com, or Basketball-Reference.com
- North Carolina bio
- ESPN.com profile
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