It’s a story that feels too special and too scripted to be true.
But this story is true, and it’s a result of hard work, immense commitment, sublime skill, and unrelenting self-belief. You can’t tell the story of UNBC Basketball without Tyrell Laing, making him a truly deserving of induction into the Timberwolves Wall of Honour.
After an incredible high school career with Prince George Secondary School, Laing’s scoring exploits were known throughout the province and beyond. With the Polars, he would regularly score more than 50 points in a single game, and turned heads with that hefty production translating at the BC Championships.
“I was pressing really hard to get Tyrell to commit to our program,” said UNBC coach Todd Jordan. “When we believe we have guys in the local area who can really contribute at the U SPORTS level, it is important to try to keep them here at home. Ty was a special player at PGSS, and I really liked his mindset. He worked hard in high school to improve as a player, played on Provincial teams, and was part of Engage Sport North’s Canadian Sport School. It was a really big day when he decided to join our program.”
The 2016-2017 campaign was a rocky one for the Timberwolves, but a crucial season in Laing’s development. UNBC would go 4-16 on the season, but the rookie guard would earn his minutes with tough defense and intensity, carving out a bench role in Jordan’s rotation. He would play 17 minutes per game, and manage to set UNBC rookie records for points, assists, three-pointers, and steals in a Canada West season.
Laing would be named team Rookie of the Year, and UNBC’s Male Rookie of the Year at season’s end.
In his second season, the Timberwolves added star guard Vova Pluzhnikov and dynamic wing Jovan Leamy to the roster.
Laing would again serve as an important piece off the bench, and set new career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. He would also play a role in UNBC history, as the TWolves would win the first Canada West playoff game in program history, topping the Winnipeg Wesmen 71-68 on February 8th, 2018.
“Tyrell’s dedication to the game is unmatched. Ty has truly been doing film study since year one, and probably even in high school, and he had a tremendously consistent routine,” said Pluzhnikov. “Whether we are on the road or at home, he had an exact schedule he would stick to. He put in countless hours on the court when no one was watching because he knew it would eventually pay off. He was also curious and willing to learn, and he was always talking basketball. He wasn’t shy about asking questions to get a better understanding of how his teammates viewed the game. It was allowing him to come a better basketball player, but also a better teammate and a better leader.”
Year three was a big step for Laing. He was still creating havoc with his on-ball defense and ability to pressure full court, but the flashes of offense that he was known for in high school started to shine.
Playing with veterans like James Agyeman, Leamy, and Pluzhnikov, he helped the Timberwolves to another playoff appearance and a 9-11 regular season record.
In late January, he made seven three-pointers and scored 25 points to propel the TWolves to their first-ever victory over the Alberta Golden Bears. The next weekend, he would score 19 points against the UBC Thunderbirds. And in the final weekend, he came off the bench against the Lethbridge Pronghorns to lead UNBC with 22 points in a 96-90 victory.
At year’s end, he had, again, set new personal-bests in points, rebounds, assists, and three-pointers, while playing 20.2 minutes per game.
Laing exploded in 2019-2020, highlighted by a 27-point effort in a home victory over the Victoria Vikes, until the end of the season, the Prince George native was sensational.
“Playing with Ty was effortless. We were constantly talking about the game and what we saw or what we didn’t see, and it allowed us to build amazing chemistry,” said Pluzhnikov, of his backcourt running mate. “There was a ton of trust and confidence. Our styles complemented each other very well. I got so much joy from running a fastbreak with Ty. He was so skilled and that allowed him to be so unpredictable and unguardable in transition.”
He would play 33.9 minutes per game, averaging 21.9 points per game, to go along with 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. He paced all of Canada West in scoring, making him the first TWolf to do so, while setting program records for points in a single season with 419, and filed goals made with 153.
Laing was named Most Outstanding Player and UNBC Male Athlete of the Year, but inexplicably, was left off the Canada West All-Star team. He is the only leading scorer in league history to not be named a league all-star at season’s end.
In 2021-2022’s shortened 18-game campaign, he scored 18.9 points per game – the second, only to himself, in UNBC’s Canada West history. He would actually see an uptick in his rebounding and assist numbers, while playing a program-record 35.6 minutes per game.
The Timberwolves lost a heartbreaker to Brandon in the playoffs that year, but Tyrell Laing’s final statline was fitting. 26 points on 9-for-14 shooting, with eight rebounds, four assists, four three-pointers, and two steals.
He was again honoured as the team Most Valuable Player, and as UNBC’s Male Athlete of the Year.
To better understand Laing’s impact on UNBC, look no further than the Timberwolves Men’s Basketball record books. No player scored more points than his 1180. For UNBC’s time in Canada West, he sits first in field goals (385), first in free throws (254), second in three-pointers (156), second in games (96), second in minutes (2346), third in assists (206), fourth in steals (86), and top-ten in rebounds (231). He did all this in just 45 career starts.
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