Olimpia Milano officially sign C.J. Wallace

He comes from Barcelona and signed a two-year contract

Pallacanestro Olimpia EA7 – Emporio Armani Milano agreed on a two-year contract with C.J. Wallace, power forward-center, 2.06 mt. tall, born in Atlanta in December 31, 1982, holder of a congolese passport, who spent the last couple of seasons in Barcelona. 

COACH BANCHI’S OPINION - “The signing of C.J. Wallace allows us to add to the roster a solid, consistent player, who already knows our league and one who made during the last two seasons a very valuable experience playing for FC Barcelona also in Euroleague”. 

WHO’S WALLACE - Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Charles Judson Wallace attended the Westminster School in Atlanta and then spent four years at Princeton University, the same school attended by Olimpia’s Hall of Famer Bill Bradley. During the last three years at Princeton, Wallace averaged in double digit with a personal-best of 15.3 points per game in 2003/04 when he also had 6.4 rebounds per game and was named in the All-Ivy League first team. Graduated in 2005, Wallace went on to play in Europe, staying two years at Bremerhaven in Germany. In 2007 he came to the Italian League, in Capo d’Orlando, where for the first time the team made the playoffs. During that season, Wallace scored 14.5 points per game and grabbed 10.4 rebounds, leading the league in the category. From 2008 to 2010 he played for Benetton Treviso, making it to the Eurocup Final Eight. In his first Treviso’s season he averaged 10.7 points per game and 8.5 rebounds; in the second season he averaged 8.8 points and 7.0 rebounds. In 2010 he moved to Spain signing for Gran Canaria, averaging 10.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, in 2011 he signed a two-year contract with FC Barcelona, which expired last June. During his stay in Barcelona, he made his Euroleague debut, won the Spanish championship in 2012 (in 2013 he lost to Real Madrid 3-2 in the finals), and King’s Cup in 2013, making it to the Euroleague Final Four too (Barcelona lost the semifinal against Real Madrid)… 

NOTES - Among the former Princeton graduates who played for Olimpia, it’s necessary to mention Mason Rocca, a team’s former captain, and Sidney Johnson, now Princeton’s head coach… In Princeton, he played 102 games in 4 seasons, winning the Ivy league in 2002 and 2004. In 2003, 2004 and 2005 he was named in the three All-Ivy best teams… In Capo d’Orlando, he played with Drake Diener and his coach was Meo Sacchetti: both now are in Sassari… When in Treviso, Alessandro Gentile was playing in the youth teams of that club… In his Treviso first year, Benetton reached the playoffs semifinal. Both in Italy and Spain his teams never failed to make the playoffs, including Gran Canaria… In 2012 he also won the Spanish Supercup and the Catalan League with FC Barcelona.