by Christy Cabrera Chirinos. My coaches, players and I are all excited Isaiah has made the decision to come back to Coral Gables. He has been treated by LifeWallet exceptionally well, Ruiz said. Gallery: Marlee Matlin shares her story and advice with WMTU, Canes WBB suffers 68-42 loss to Virginia Tech in ACC quarterfinals, Perus deadly protests persist amid a deepening political crisis, UM alumnus Ray Liotta, star of Goodfellas and Field of Dreams, dies at 67, Were in a good position: Hurricanes ready to defend home field in regionals, Takeaways from Miamis victory over Southern Miss, Local, cultural, modern: UM dining gets an upgrade, How the Hurricanes are treating the starting quarterback position this spring, Drugging allegations, misogynistic chanting: SigEp chapter closes immediately. Wong's 17.1 points per game led the Hurricanes in the 2020-21 season, one in which the team went 10-17. Players have until May 1 to officially request to enter the transfer portal and maintain eligibility at a new school for next season. Your IP: Since then, he has remained faithful to his team and has spent the last few seasons with the Miami Hurricanes. Best I can tell, those players, to this point, haven't found that money. Wong, a native of Piscataway, N.J., averaged 15.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game this year, including a season-high 27-point performance against Boston College on March 2. The pre-draft experience was, once again, quite valuable for him and we will continue to do all we can to help him reach his goal of playing in the NBA., his name for consideration in the 2022 NBA Draft after the conclusion of the 2022 season, while. This is a bit of a biased post as I'm a Miami fan but I think Wong is a legitimate draft prospect that got this disrespected this year because of terrible team play. "If Isaiah and his family don't feel that the NIL number meets their expectations they will be entering the transfer portal tomorrow, while maintaining his eligibility in the NBA draft and going through the draft process," Wong's agent, Adam Papas, told ESPN. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. I like that world.". scored 20 or more points 24 times as a Cane, highlighted by a career-high 30-point showing against Louisville in 2021. He's been the driving force behind Miami all season and a key reason the No. He helped lead his team to the state championship game. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. He earned third-team All-ACC honors. He exposed the system as it's forever been played in the shadows. Question marks remain around what this new, unregulated market can sustain among schools that have huge fan bases and rich alumni compared with those that don't, or with those that have yet to dip their toes in the NIL waters. Wong is currently under contract with Ruizs LifeWallet company. His mother, LaChelle Wong, instilled a foundation in Isaiah that he will take with him forever. Click to reveal In an Instagram and Twitter post on Wednesday morning, Wong shared a graphic of himself with UM's orange and green colors in the background. The home of hype and hope. "Understanding what John Ruiz is trying to do with the NIL space and the city of Miami, we feel the value of Isaiah Wong should meet or exceed the value of an incoming transfer.". "The change of heart for Porter is directly tied to the arrival of Armchair Strategies, which has worked quickly to put together a package for him to profit on his name, image and likeness," according to a report from the Wichita Eagle. Isaiah's father's name is Terrence Wong. If that is what he decides, I wish him well, however, I DO NOT renegotiate! "He has been treated by LifeWallet exceptionally well. Isaiah Wong is an American college basketball player who plays for the Miami Hurricanes of the University of Miami in the Atlantic Coast Conference. By choosing to go public with his gripe, Wong has only exposed a reality that has existed for decades: under-the-table brokering to keep, or lure, college talent. Wong appeared in each game of his freshman season in 2019-20. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. There's that then there's Wong, who is already being paid, is now unsatisfied with his deal, and threatened to bounce. Wong had another strong season in 2021-22, finishing second on the team in scoring (15.5 ppg)behind Kameron McGusty. Photo credit: Josh Halper. He came back stronger in his sophomore season, earning athird-team All-ACC selection. I always had to prove myself every step of the way," he said. For reference Wong is a sophomore SG at 6'3" and Mann is a sophomore SG at 6'4" Wong's Stats: 17.1 ppg, 4.8 reb, 2.4 ast, 1.8 tov, 1.1 stl, 0.5 blk, 43% fg, 34.7% 3p, 80% ft As a result, there are few details about his parents on the internet. That coach also said another one of the players mentioned above is shopping a price of $300,000 for his name, image and likeness rights to pair with his commitment to a school. Plenty of ADs and coaches are terrified over the fact that, even though Wong balked on his transfer threat, he still will get more money out of this. Said an ACC coach: "There's no education on how we are allowed to handle this, or at least the education that's been given is awful. Per head coach Jim Larraaga, Wong was feeling sick with a sinus infection during the game. Highlights from the first day of spring practice. 10-seeded Hurricanes are in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Wong to withdraw from NBA draft, rejoin Miami, Edey leads Wooden finalists; Bama's Miller off list, Indiana's Johnson (foot) won't return this season, Davis 3 shy of Maravich; Detroit eyes CBI bid, Vandy's Robbins out rest of season with leg injury, Sources: High Point fires Smith after one season, Davis out as Bucknell coach after 12-20 season, Grill discloses mental illness after Iowa St. exit, All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball. For reference Wong is a sophomore SG at 6'3" and Mann is a sophomore SG at 6'4", Wong's Stats: 17.1 ppg, 4.8 reb, 2.4 ast, 1.8 tov, 1.1 stl, 0.5 blk, 43% fg, 34.7% 3p, 80% ft, Mann's Stats: 16 ppg, 5.6 reb, 3.5 ast, 2.8 tov, 1.4 stl, 0.1 blk, 46% fg, 40% 3p, 83% ft. The Hurricanes return second-leading scorer Kameron McGusty, a super senior, and are among the several finalists in the recruitment on Jalen Duren, the No. Isaiah would like to stay at Miami, Papas said. Hes scored 20 or more points 24 times as a Cane, highlighted by a career-high 30-point showing against Louisville in 2021. Moreover, the athlete is currently 6 feet 3 inches tall. He added seven rebounds and six assists while shooting 11-of-17 overall, 5-of-8 from deep, and a perfect 9-of-9 at the line. Considering how terrible the team around Wong was, his season may have been more impressive. 162.214.191.248 Wong, who will be a fourth-year junior, ranks No. Rep for Miami star Wong: Better NIL deal or exit, Edey leads Wooden finalists; Bama's Miller off list, Indiana's Johnson (foot) won't return this season, Davis 3 shy of Maravich; Detroit eyes CBI bid, Vandy's Robbins out rest of season with leg injury, Sources: High Point fires Smith after one season, Davis out as Bucknell coach after 12-20 season, Grill discloses mental illness after Iowa St. exit, All in the family: how three generations of Jaquezes have ruled West Coast basketball. "Next year we should be much better as we have some really good players coming in," Wong said. Wong's gambit was received with mixed reviews, though cooler heads (and deeper pockets) have apparently prevailed. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. They have a 21-year-old son so they might be in their late thirties or forties right now. I hope by some magic Duren ends up at Miami and they wreak havoc and bring the program back. DFS College Basketball: Saturday Preview & Picks. Isaiah will be 21 years old in the year 2022. Your IP: Jonathan Givony is an NBA Draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA, NCAA and International teams. Wong was set to make less than a would-be future teammate who didn't contribute a single thing to Miami's first Elite Eight run in program history. Isaiah Robert-Johan Wong (born January 28, 2001) is an American college basketball player for the Miami Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). 2 recruit in the 2022 class, who may elect to graduate high school early and enroll in college this summer. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. 23 all-time in scoring for the Hurricanes, with 1,268 points in three seasons. And, on Sunday, too. "Insanity!" As per 247sports, Wong has a combined score of 0.9695 and is classified as a 4-star basketballer. Multiple sources told CBS Sports that another one of the transfers listed above has an agent who has told schools recruiting him that he believes his client deserves more money than what Nijel Pack received to play at Miami. By law, he's not even allowed to engage in conversations with Ruiz about the third-party deals Ruiz is running. "This was the NCAA's worst nightmare," an NBA agent told CBS Sports. Likewise, Isaiah's mother's name is LaChelle Wong. Superimposed were the words: Im back., Isaiah is truly one of the finest guards in the history of our program, as well as an excellent young man and a superb representative of our University, Miami head coach Jim Larraaga said in a Miami Athletics press release. Considering their stats and physical profile aren't that dissimilar, I'm just wondering how Mann is getting mid first round hype whereas Wong is not even on draft boards, and couldn't even get a G-League combine invite. As a result, Isiah's dad's career may have inspired his decision to play basketball in college. Wong has the option to sign with other businesses in the area if he offered any. The 6-foot-3 guard from Pennsylvania encapsulates coach Jim Larraaga's tenacious approach to both offense and defense. "It's a unique situation just completing Nijel Pack's deal with Miami," said Papas, who also represents Miami power forward Jordan Walker and South Dakota State star Baylor Scheierman for their NIL deals. Born: January 28, 2001 in Piscataway, New Jersey, High school:Monsignor Bonner High School, Family: Three brothers, two older (Brian and Tyler) and one younger (Elijah). He'd already signed an inferior NIL deal with LifeWallet, Ruiz's company. one power-conference coach texted within minutes of the ESPN.com story being published. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Hence, his father's career might have influenced Isiah in choosing basketball in his college years. The context: Wong, who just completed his third season with Miami, helped guide the Hurricanes to a surprise Elite Eight run where they lost to eventual national champion Kansas. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. Isaiah Wong plays as a point guard or shooting guard and he is a two-time Third-team All-ACC honoree. Athletic directors and coaches have been griping, mostly privately, that something like this was bound to happen. One coach relayed this story, which is both believable and potentially apocryphal: earlier this month a respected power-conference coach had two players walk into his office to ask how they would be able to earn in the neighborhood of $250,000 in NIL compensation. Then Wichita State announced an NIL collective on Tuesday. He explicitly said he wants more money to continue to play at Miami. However, we are trying to get as many details as possible about their age and birth date. Wong returns to a Miami team hoping to bounce back from an injury-riddled 2020-21 campaign. I think he is a 1st round player after he shows out next year, and should've at least been considered around 45 this year. I was just focused on my game.". It could ultimately maybe retroactively be deemed illegal by the NCAA. Ruiz has 111 deals signed or pending with Hurricanes athletes to promote his companies, LifeWallet and Cigarette Racing, according to a report in the Miami Herald on Wednesday. This is exactly what has so many across college sports spooked. Hallelujah. "Coming into the ACC, I had a great opportunity to be successful in our system. Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? Wong, a two-time all-ACC player and the second-leading scorer on a Hurricanes team that reached the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight, declared for the draft earlier this week. For example, there's a difference between Oscar Tshiebwe being the universal National Player of the Year, assessing his iffy NBA prospects, being informed he stands to become a millionaire if he stays in college basketball, then opting to return to the open arms of everyone surrounding him at Kentucky who wants to make him a rich man. 5:31 pm ET, Winners, losers: Kansas blown out in finale, Duke vs. North Carolina prediction, spread, live stream, 2023 NCAA Women's Tournament: Conference Tourney dates, Picks for Saturday's top college basketball games, Houston vs. Memphis prediction, spread, live stream, Indiana vs. Michigan prediction, spread, live stream, Wong's threat to leave Miami signals new era, Texas A&M holds off rally from Alabama for key win, Edey highlights Wooden Award finalists, Miller left off, Top 25 And 1: ACC trio vies for regular-season title, Detroit-Mercy's Davis doesn't catch Maravich. "What all of the sudden changed with your situation to make you do this now? Ruiz said he told Wong that he'd help him find other NIL opportunities with different companies at Miami. Isaiah Wong Nationality Isaiah Wong is an American. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Sources said he doesn't that Larranaga's turned off by everything that's happened here. Isaiah Wong Image Source: AP Photo Almost no one in college athletics believes that what is happening right now is viable for the credibility of college athletics going forward. High school career [ edit] Raised in South Brunswick, New Jersey, Wong played prep basketball at Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey during his first two years. This deal was funded by billionaire John Ruiz, who has 111 deals signed or pending with Hurricane athletes. Three coaches involved in the recruitment conferred with each other to suss out what was happening. Isaiah Wong will return to the Miami mens basketball team for the 2022-23 season after testing the NBA Draft waters. Miami drops first game of season series to Florida, 10-4. 6-keys: media/spln/collegebasketball/reg/free/stories, at Among them are deals with women's college basketball twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder -- who transferred from Fresno State to Miami -- and UCLA football transfers Caleb Johnson and Mitchell Agude. He is the clubs point guard or shooting guard, and he is in charge of the teams offensive and defensive moves. Many people want to know Isaiah Wongs parents and where they came from. Wong, who will be a fourth-year junior, ranks No. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Isaiah Wong knocks down the 3-point shot. Miamimens basketball guard Isaiah Wong plans to enter the transfer portal on Friday if his NIL deal isnt increased, his agent Adam Papas of NEXT Sports Agency told ESPN. Where logical evaluation and substance generate discussion, rather than conventional stereotypes and uninspiring cliches. A hub for the hardcore NBA Draft enthusiast. "If Isaiah and his family don't feel that the NIL number meets their expectations they will be entering the transfer portal tomorrow, while maintaining his eligibility in the NBA draft and going through the draft process," Papas said. Who will win each 2023 conference tournament? He has a certified Instagram account, and there, he posts about his professional accomplishments and training sessions. What has this NIL era become? His biggest complaints being his shooting and defense. Isaiah Wong dunked over Auburn's Jabari Smith in March Madness. LaChelle once went to South Florida to watch Isaiah play basketball. Terrence used to be a basketball player in college. Miami men's basketball guard Isaiah Wong plans to enter the transfer portal on Friday if his NIL deal isn't increased, his agent Adam Papas of NEXT Sports Agency told ESPN. The deadline to enter the transfer portal and still be eligible to play next season is May 1, and a flurry of elite college basketball players have entered or say they plan to enter the transfer portal this week. Wong declared for the NBA draft earlier this week but reportedly wants to stay at Miami if he can. His eldest brother Brian studied civil engineer, and another brother . College players aren't beholden to playing contracts because they are not professional athletes and they don't have unions. He is very close to his brothers. Performance & security by Cloudflare. 12 guard in the Class of 2019. The deal was funded by billionaire John Ruiz, who has been at the forefront of the NIL movement, orchestrating deals across several sports. The Wong story broke during the NFL Draft and arguably became the No. However, if you think this is an isolated incident, it's time to come out of the caves. Isaiah Wong is an NYP graduate who was a former Normal (Academic) student in secondary school During his overseas internship programme, he developed an algorithm that detects ransomware, a feat for a poly student After graduation, he became the CTO of a modular pillow startup and built the entire e-commerce site from scratch Like most on Wichita State's roster, as the program lagged all season in NIL initiatives, Porter recently announced he was going to transfer. Miami's Isaiah Wong will stay with Hurricanes, pursue more NIL deals after threatening to transfer . 1 pick in the NBA Draft. "This is the thing they wanted to avoid, and less than 12 months into this [NIL era] it's happening.". Craig Porter Jr. averaged 7.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists for an underperforming Shockers team last season. Ruiz is at the forefront of a frenetic moment in the world of college sports, as the lack of clear NCAA guidelines has created a significant amount of uncertainty regarding what is permitted in the NIL space and what isn't. "For these guys, the NBA is either saying 'no' or is saying 'not yet,' so, 'I need to put myself in a place to make the next best professional decision for me, and that is to transfer,'" a coach involved in recruiting one of the players above told CBS Sports. All rights reserved. The duke also discussed his use of psychedelic drugs, which he said are like the "cleaning of a windshield" for him and helped "remove life's filters.". Wong was named third team All-ACC last season after averaging 17.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 35 minutes per game. [1] As a result, there are few details about his parents on the internet. On September 26, 2018, the basketball player signed to the Miami Hurricanes, which was the start of his professional career. "Isaiah is under contract," Ruiz said in a text message to ESPN. Fast-forward to April 23. Although it might not be the primary reason for every one of them, the notion of being recruited to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars helped push all these high-end players into the portal. Jim Larraaga said Isaiah Wong was "sick as a dog" with a sinus infection for Miami's loss against Duke. Wong averaged 15.3 points for the Hurricanes while starting in 36 of the team's 37 games this . Wong has received plenty of preseason and midseason recognition including most recently named top ten for the Jerry West Award. He will, after all, not enter the transfer portal. While I'm all for player empowerment, the question is worth asking: Is the current state-by-state-, school-by-school, conference-by-conference NIL model sustainable in the long run? More than a dozen coaches contacted by CBS Sports said they expect a crush of new names to enter the portal as the deadline approaches. In his third season with the Hurricanes last year, Wong averaged 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 45.2 percent from the field. He was effectively helpless. All Rights Reserved. Until he develops a quicker and more fluid jumper I'm low on him in the NBA. All Rights Reserved. Wong holding his talent over Miami's head while engaging in a public stand-off with a billionaire who is not endorsed by or officially affiliated with Miami basketball is an NCAA nightmare. 0:17; Isaiah Wong skies for big slam dunk. Many in the sport believe there has to be some redistribution and redefinition of what is a pure NIL play vs. what Wong and others are doing. The Hurricanes' guard tweeted his return to the . The deal is worth $100,000, according toMiami Herald. Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. The former two-time Philadelphia Catholic League MVP is Miami's second leading scorer at 15.2 ppg and will make his NCAA Tournament debut Friday against USC. Wong, a two-time all-ACC player and the second-leading scorer on a Hurricanes team that reached the NCAA tournament's Elite Eight, declared for the draft earlier this week. Papas recently helped Nijel Pack, who transferred from Kansas State to Miami last week, secure an NIL deal that includes $800,000 over two years and a car. It's what Wong has done. Their names are Brian, Terrence, and Elijah. His parent's profession is not mentioned yet. I cannot disclose the amount, but what I can say is that he was treated very fairly.. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. "It wasn't, this is how it might be. He's actually a very good driver and super fluid. In some ways, it's entertaining. "I started doing it recreationally and then started to realize how . It's a contract negotiation, not an NIL sponsorship. You might have missed it, but what Wong did Thursday also happened earlier in the week in much quieter fashion at Wichita State. Apparently he'll be getting it. He also needs to be more of a combo guard, but I think with a good shooting coach he can be a fine shooter in the NBA. Many highly touted transfers are seeking the bag in similar fashion. "Why can't we go back to how it was," the coach said. The NCAA deserves what it's getting right now. Terrence Wong is Isaiahs birth father. 20d; 1:44. section: | slug: i-dont-know-what-the-solution-is-isaiah-wongs-money-demands-exposed-college-sports-complicated-nil-issue | sport: collegebasketball | route: article_single.us | March Madness machine:Isaiah Wong was the Miami Hurricanes' offense for long stretches against USC, Dan Wolken:The secret to Miami's Sweet 16 success? Isaiah has also praised his parents for their encouragement in his profession by posting photos on his Instagram account. (Coaches are not permitted to speak publicly about unsigned players of theirs.). Less than 24 hours later, Wong backed off. It was clear Miami was Wong's top choice throughout the recruiting process, as Rivals shows the only other school he even visited was UConn. He just withdrew from the draft after only getting a workout from the Cavs or something as a UDFA I'm guessing. even if he doesnt improve much, hell do much better in next years weakish class. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. If the Miami Hurricanes are clicking, odds are it's because Isaiah Wong is doing his work. Isaiah Wong is a basketball player from the United States who has signed to play for the Miami Hurricanes of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Wong in my eyes did not have a season that was that far off from Mann's at UF and is physically similar to him as well. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Wong had the agency to leave Miami if he didn't get more money. 2-seeded Tigers. He was a four-star recruit by Rivals and the No. Isaiah Wong put Jabari Smith on a poster child. Terrence was also a basketball player in his college days. Considering how terrible the team around Wong was, his season may have been more impressive. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. "He had a great season leading his team to the Elite Eight. College sports' name, image and likeness landscape took on a grenade Thursday night when Miami guard Isaiah Wong's NCAA-approved agent went on record to make a threat, the likes of which had never . His parents' names are Terrence (Father) and LaChelle Wong (Mother). Are the loopholes so large now they may as well not exist? And until there's a cautionary tale or the NCAA changes, and if that's going to be a drawn-out process, it's our new normal for now.". Advertisement Hurricanes are older than some NBA teams, Another unlikely run:'Us against the world': Iowa State basketball eyes unlikely Sweet 16 after weekend of upsets. But in June, he decided to return for another season in Coral Gables, and because of the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season, he was given an extra year of sophomore eligibility. Yet another player listed above, according to sources, had a representative lie to other schools about how much money he was being offered in an effort to raise that player's potential NIL deal. Brian, the eldest brother, is a civil engineer by profession. My coaches, players and I are all excited Isaiah has made the decision to come back to Coral Gables. Press J to jump to the feed. Isaiah Wong Parents are Terrence and Lechelle Wong. His major goal is to score baskets and steal the ball on defense. I didn't worry about what people were saying. The gambit worked, even if Wong's bluff also kind of got called. 2 seed Auburn on Sunday in the second round of the NCA "That's what I've been trying to implement all summer.". Wong is reticent to share his personal information with the world. "Going into the NBA draft process for me was more about hearing what teams were saying what I needed to work on in order to improve my draft stock," Wong said Tuesday. Isaiah has three brothers. If Isaiah and his family dont feel that the NIL number meets their expectations they will be entering the transfer portal tomorrow while maintaining his eligibility in the NBA draft and going through the draft process, Papas said. Papas says he recently negotiated an NIL deal for Kansas State transfer Nijel Pack that included $800,000 over two years plus a car. In an Instagram and Twitter post on Wednesday morning, Wong shared a graphic of himself with UMs orange and green colors in the background. "This secondary market of finding these type of players and trying to fill out rosters by paying them off, I don't think that's what we wanted to see happen," the NBA agent said. The third-year sophomore scored 20 points in both of Miami's March Madness wins. Elijah is a talented rising football player, and Terrence is a graduating Exercise Science student. They have a 21-year-old son so they might be in their late thirties or forties right now. Wong, who finished second on the team in scoring last season, declared for the NBA Draft earlier this week but will maintain his eligibility. In some ways and for some players it's a bald negotiation tactic that amounts to a pay-for-play scheme, which is still expressly against the rules. It was, 'This is how it's going to be,'" one power-conference coach who was looking to recruit that player and spoke with the player's agent told CBS Sports. Isaiah Wong will return to the Miami men's basketball team for the 2022-23 season after testing the NBA Draft waters. He has seen what incoming Miami Hurricane basketball players are getting in NIL and would like his NIL to reflect that he was a team leader of an Elite Eight team.". Find Tickets. This is the first . Miami guard Isaiah Wong told ESPN he will withdraw his name from the 2021 NBA draft and return to the Hurricanes for his junior season. Terrence used to be a basketball player in college. In the 2022 NCAA tournament, Wong was a crucial part of the Canes Elite Eight run, scoring 22 and 21 points against seventh-seeded USC and second-seeded Auburn, respectively, in the first two rounds. Following the Hurricanes Elite Eight run in this years NCAA tournament, the second-leading scorer on the team felt like he deserves more compensation.