The NBA's decision to implement an In-Season Tournament might be justified by Tyrese Haliburton alone. Haliburton has been a rising star since he was traded to Indiana two seasons ago, but the Pacers star has introduced himself to a new audience with his dominant play in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
Haliburton has the Pacers in the championship game against LeBron James and the Lakers, and he's played so efficiently that Indiana has every right to believe it can hang with the Lakers' experience.
Unlike many NBA stars, Haliburton wasn't a can't-miss prospect before he was drafted. He wasn't even one-and-done in college, instead putting himself on the map as a freshman before positioning himself as a lottery pick as a sophomore. Haliburton hasn't stopped improving, and MVP contention suddenly isn't out of reach.
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Here's a look back at Haliburton's college career, including his stats.
Where did Tyrese Haliburton go to college?
Haliburton spent his college days at Iowa State, breaking through for the Cyclones as a sophomore in 2019-20.
The NBA has no shortage of stars, starters, and even role players who were premier prospects well before they even stepped foot on a college court, but Haliburton wasn't one of them. He was a three-star recruit in the class of 2018, ranking No. 177 in the nation according to 247 Sports.
Despite ranking so low, Haliburton became a full-time starter as a freshman with the Cyclones. He averaged more than 33 minutes per game, but Haliburton's value came from everything but scoring. He averaged only 6.8 points per game but posted 3.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, shooting efficiently in limited opportunities.
Haliburton appeared in only one NCAA Tournament game, starting but scoring four points in first-round loss to Ohio State in 2019. The tournament was cancelled in Haliburton's sophomore season, but he wouldn't have been there -- he suffered a season-ending wrist fracture in February. Iowa State was also 12-20 and already ousted from the Big 12 Tournament when the season was called off.
For Haliburton, though, that 22-game sophomore season was enough to make him a potential lottery pick. He averaged 15.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game, also posting 2.5 steals per game and shooting above 50 percent from the field.
Only five players in Iowa State history have scored more NBA points than Haliburton, who is in line to move up to No. 2 on that list within the next year. Catching Jeff Hornacek, who scored at least 10,000 more points than any other former Cyclone, will be a challenge, but Haliburton looks like he will be up for it.
MORE: Three important stats to know about Tyrese Haliburton
Tyrese Haliburton college stats
| Season | Games | PTS | REB | AST | STL | FG | 3P |
| 2018-19 | 35 | 6.8 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 51.5% | 43.4% |
| 2019-20 | 22 | 15.2 | 5.9 | 6.5 | 2.5 | 50.4% | 41.9% |
When was Tyrese Haliburton drafted?
Haliburton was selected 12th overall by the Kings in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Kings already had a true point guard in De'Aaron Fox, but in this era of positionless basketball, a Sacramento franchise in need of a jolt simply went with the best player available.
In comparison to the players drafted in front of him, the Kings were fortunate to see Haliburton fall to No. 12. James Wiseman, Patrick Williams, Isaac Okoro, Killian Hayes and Jalen Smith were among the players drafted earlier than Haliburton, who is a near-lock to make his second All-Star appearance this season.
MORE: Why 11 teams passed on Tyrese Haliburton in 2020 draft
Haliburton flashed impressive potential in his time with the Kings, but the team made a calculated decision to send him to Indiana in a deal that netted Domantas Sabonis.
Sabonis has largely been a success in Sacramento, helping take the franchise to the playoffs for the first time in 17 years, but Haliburton's accomplishments so early in his career might one day make that deal a bit more one-sided than it looked just a few months ago.
