Angel Vassallo
Encyclopedia
Ángel Daniel Vassallo Colón (born April 21, 1986) is a Puerto Rican
professional basketball
player. He currently plays small forward
for the Ligue Nationale de Basketball
's (LNB) ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne
. After completing his high school education, he played for the Tigers of Hargrave Military Academy, reaching the preparatory national finals. Vassallo joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association
playing for Virginia Tech
. Throughout his college career, Vassallo received several recognitions, including two All-ACC second team inclusions. He finished fifth in the campus' all-time scoring list. In his first Baloncesto Superior Nacional season, Vassallo averaged 25.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game for the Criollos de Caguas. He made his LNB debut for Paris-Levallois Basket
, leading the team to the playoffs. Vassallo has been an All-Star player in both the BSN and LNB.
He has been a member of the Puerto Rico national basketball team
since his teenage years, representing Puerto Rico
in the 2003 FIBA World Championship for Junior Men and the 2005 FIBA U-21 World Championship. In 2008, Vassallo joined the senior team, playing at the 2008 Centrobasket
, FIBA Americas Championship 2009
and 2010 FIBA World Championship
.
, located in the northern coast of Puerto Rico's main island. He was the younger of two siblings, the other being Alexis Vassallo, born to Ángel Vassallo and Maria Colón. His father was a former professional player in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, playing 17 seasons and becoming one of the league’s all-time leading scorers.
In 2001, Vassallo moved to Virginia, where he continued his secondary education. He then enrolled in Faith Christian Academy, where he finished his high school education, being lettered in basketball and baseball. Vassallo played for the basketball team three years, during which time he was the lead scorer. Subsequently, he continued his preparatory education and played for the Tigers of Hargrave Military Academy
. The team finished the season with a record of 28-1, advancing to the preparatory national championship game, losing to Laurinburg. In this game, Vassallo scored 19 points and recovered 14 rebounds.
twice and was denied admission both times despite meeting the requirements. The university surrendered his rights and Virginia Tech
signed him, which compensated for Tony Dobbins' departure for Richmond years before. Vassallo debuted for the Hokies in the 2005-06 season, playing in all of the team's games. Despite mostly serving as a bench player, he played at least 20 minutes in games against Mount St. Mary's and Marshall
, scoring 18 collective points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and one blocked shot. His first NCAA start was against Radford
, recording 7 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. In a game against Western Carolina
, Vassallo scored his first 3-point field goal. Vassallo scored season best in three-point baskets and rebounds against Morgan State
. He started in a game at Bowling Green, but played less than ten minutes. Vassallo recorded his first double-double against Wake Forest
, scoring 29 points and recovering 10 rebounds. He set season bests in six categories, shooting 11 out of 19 2-point field goals, 4-of-5 3-point field goals, 3-of-3 free throws and earning four steals. The 29 points were the highest amount scored by a Virginia Tech freshman in 27 years. Vassallo set a season-high 7 assists against Virginia
. He was included in the starting lineup in 8 out of the last 11 season games. At the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) Tournament
he scored 6 points and recovered 3 rebounds against Virginia. In his first season, Vassallo led the Hokies in free throw percentage, he was also an Honorable Mention ACC All-Freshman and two-time ACC Rookie of the Week. He continued serving as the Hokies backup small forward in the 2006-07 season. Vassallo scored 15 points in Virginia Tech's first home game. In 22 minutes against West Florida
he scored 26 points, recovered 6 rebounds and recorded a block. He set a career-high in free throws against Southern Illinois
. Serving as a starter against Richmond
, Vassallo recorded 11 points and 6 rebounds. While serving as a backup he scored in double digits against UNC Greensboro
, North Carolina
and Miami
. He recorded a double-double in his next start with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Serving as starter against Virginia, Vassallo scored 22 points and recovered 8 rebounds. He continued serving this role more frequently for the reminder of the season, starting against Miami, Virginia and Wake Forest in the ACC tournament. Virginia Tech was included in the NCAA Tournament. Vassallo started two games before the team was eliminated, recording 11 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists.
He served as Virginia Tech's starting small forward throughout the 2007-08 season, starting in 35 games and leading the team in minutes played. Vassallo recorded more assists in this season than his freshman and sophomore years, tying his career-high once. He also set a career-high in blocks (3) against Liberty
. His offensive role within the team was expanded, leading the Hokies in points per game (16.9), scoring over 10 points in 33 out of 35 games, including all against ACC competition. He recorded career highs in field goal attempts, reaching his 1,000th point and concluding the season with 1,174 raking 29th within Virginia Tech's all time leaders. His season-high was 27 against Georgia Tech
. Vassallo was third among the Hokies in rebounds with an average of 4.6, he tied his career-high of 11 twice and recorded two double-doubles. When Virginia Tech won the Aeropostale Holiday Festival defeating St. John's, he was named the event's Most Valuable Player. Vassallo led the Hokies in scoring during the ACC Tournament and recorded 21 assists. After the season concluded, he received All-ACC, National Association of Basketball Coaches
All-District and ACC Tournament Second-Team recognitions. In his final season with the Hokies, Vassallo earned averages of 19.1 points per game, 2.6 assists per game and 6.2 rebounds per game. This marked an steady increase in blocks per game, steals per game, assists per game, points per game and rebounds per game throughout his college career. All of these stats increased with time, without experiencing a drop. Vassallo's served as the team's offensive leader. In a game against Wisconsin
he scored 24 points during the second half, including six 3-point field goals, to finish with 30. In January 2009, Vassallo scored 29 points versus Virginia. He was also able to perform well against high-seeded teams, scoring 15 consecutive points against Duke
on February 28, 2010. By March 2009, Vassallo was already eighth in Virginia Tech's all-time scoring list with 1,698 points. On March 18, 2009, he scored 33 points and recovered 12 rebounds to surpass Zabian Dowdell
in the list, becoming the Hokies's best offensive player since Bimbo Coles
. Vassallo finished his NCAA career with 1,822 points, finishing fifth in Virginia Tech's history, he also set a record for scored 3-point shots with 267. He was included in the All-ACC third team and NABC All-District second team. Vassallo's final amateur tournament was the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament
, where he scored 21, 10 and 11 points in his team's third-place finish.
, Mayagüez, Bayamón and Carolina, capturing 32 rebounds. In his last two games of the season, Vassallo scored 48 points and recovered 12 rebounds in games versus the Grises de Humacao and Capitanes de Arecibo. In his first BSN All-Star Game, he scored 11 points and recovered 3 rebounds. Since he only played 15 games for the Criollos, Vassallo was not included in the league’s leader boards however, during these games he recorded a higher average than all of the players included in the boards, with 25.6 points per game, in contrast to the league's scoring champion, Jesse Pellot Rosa, who had 23.48 points per game. Despite the elimination of the Criollos, Vassallo received 25 out of 28 votes in the "Rookie of the Year" elections. The Criollos recessed prior to the 2010 BSN season and the Gallitos de Isabela earned the rights of his contract. Vassallo joined the team during the playoffs, but the team was swept by the Vaqueros in their series. His season average were 25.6 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game.
for Paris-Levallois Basket
scoring 14 points and 7 rebounds. On the second date against Union Poitiers Basket 86, he improved to 21 points and 10 rebounds. In his third game, Vassallo scored 14 of his 22 points in the last quarter and recovered 6 rebounds. This pattern continued on Paris' first game against JDA Dijon, where he had 19 points and 6 rebounds. On October 31, 2009, Vassallo recorded his second double-double, but the team lost. A week later he recorded his worst game of the season in a 61-75 loss to Le Mans Sarthe Basket
. Paris managed to win its next game against ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne
, with Vassallo scoring 24 points. On November 24, 2009, he had perfect 2-point field goal and free throw percentages, but the team lost by 14 points to JA Vichy
. Four days later Vassallo scored 29 and recovered 6 rebounds against SPO Rouen Basket
. In his first game of December, he scored 7 out of eleven field goal attempts in a victory over Hyères-Toulon Var Basket
. In his last two games of the year, Vassallo recorded 18 and 21 points.
In the LNB All-Star Game, Vassallo played for the Foreign-Star team, leading all scorers with 22 points and 7 rebounds. Paris opened the second half of the season with a win over Chorale Roanne Basket
and two losses against Strasbourg IG and Entente Orléanaise. Vassallo continued scoring in double figures during this period, recording 14, 10 and 18 points. From this point onwards, Paris would play in rematches against the team faced during the early part of the first half. During the following weeks, the team defeated Poitiers and Dijon, but lost against SLUC Nancy
and ÉS Chalon-sur-Saône. Vassallo contributed 14, 13, 11 and 19 points and recovered 18 collective rebounds. On February 26, 2010, Le Mans was able to limit him to 5 field goal attempts and 1 rebound, but he was able to record a season-high 6 assists. In victories over ASVEL, Rouen and Hyères-Toulon, Vassallo scored 21, 29 and 15 points and recovered 14 rebounds. In April he entered a brief offensive slump, only being successful in 13 out of 34 field-goal attempts in games against Cholet Basket
and STB Le Havre. Vassallo recovered by scoring 21, 29 and 12 points. Paris advanced to the playoffs, being placed in a bracket against Le Mans. The team lost both games, but Vassallo scored 40 points and recovered 7 rebounds. During the off-season, Vassallo announced that he had been invited to the 2010 NBA Summer League and would also participate in a Toronto Raptors
try-out, preventing his participation in the 2010 Centrobasket
. However, prior to the event's inauguration, he signed a contract with ASVEL.
. There Vassallo had statistics of 7.3 points and 3.4 rebounds, including a perfect game against Brasil, where he scored 8 of 8 field goal attempts and a free throw attempt. Puerto Rico won the silver medal and qualified.
Vassallo returned to the team in 2010, now being rotated between the small forward and shooting guard positions. In order to improve his defense and reflexes, he guarded point guard Carlos Arroyo during team practices. Vassallo participated in the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
, where Puerto Rico won the gold medal undefeated. In this tournament he scored 80% of his 2-point field goal attempts, for averages of 12 points and 4 rebounds per game. Subsequently, the team participated in multiple preparatory exhibition games, including a series against the top-ranked team in the world, Argentina, where Vassallo scored 26 points in the final of three contests.
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He currently plays small forward
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
for the Ligue Nationale de Basketball
Ligue Nationale de Basketball
The Ligue National de Basket is the top men's French professional basketball league. There are two divisions: French Pro A League and French Pro B League .-Pro A:...
's (LNB) ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne
ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne
ASVEL Basket or ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne is a French professional basketball team located in the city of Villeurbanne, which is a suburb of Lyon, France. The club, which is the basketball section of the ASVEL multi-sport club, competes in the French Pro A league. The club's home games are played at...
. After completing his high school education, he played for the Tigers of Hargrave Military Academy, reaching the preparatory national finals. Vassallo joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
playing for Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
. Throughout his college career, Vassallo received several recognitions, including two All-ACC second team inclusions. He finished fifth in the campus' all-time scoring list. In his first Baloncesto Superior Nacional season, Vassallo averaged 25.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game for the Criollos de Caguas. He made his LNB debut for Paris-Levallois Basket
Paris-Levallois Basket
Paris-Levallois Basket is a French professional basketball club from the Paris area. It was founded in 2007 with the merger of Paris Basket Racing, from the city of Paris, and Levallois Sporting Club Basket, from the nearby commune of Levallois-Perret...
, leading the team to the playoffs. Vassallo has been an All-Star player in both the BSN and LNB.
He has been a member of the Puerto Rico national basketball team
Puerto Rico national basketball team
The Puerto Rico men's national basketball team represents Puerto Rico in international basketball competitions such as the Olympics, the World Championship, and the Americas Championship...
since his teenage years, representing Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
in the 2003 FIBA World Championship for Junior Men and the 2005 FIBA U-21 World Championship. In 2008, Vassallo joined the senior team, playing at the 2008 Centrobasket
2008 Centrobasket
The 2008 Men's Central American and Caribbean Basketball Championship, also known as 2008 Centrobasket, was hosted in Cancún and Chetumal, México...
, FIBA Americas Championship 2009
FIBA Americas Championship 2009
The 2009 FIBA Americas Championship was the continental championships held by FIBA Americas for North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. The championship served as a qualifying tournament for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey...
and 2010 FIBA World Championship
2010 FIBA World Championship
The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the...
.
Early life
Vassallo was born in the municipality of Toa BajaToa Baja, Puerto Rico
Toa Baja is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northern coast, north of Toa Alta and Bayamón; east of Dorado; and west of Cataño. Toa Baja is spread over 5 wards and Toa Baja Pueblo . It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.Toa Baja considered to be a...
, located in the northern coast of Puerto Rico's main island. He was the younger of two siblings, the other being Alexis Vassallo, born to Ángel Vassallo and Maria Colón. His father was a former professional player in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, playing 17 seasons and becoming one of the league’s all-time leading scorers.
In 2001, Vassallo moved to Virginia, where he continued his secondary education. He then enrolled in Faith Christian Academy, where he finished his high school education, being lettered in basketball and baseball. Vassallo played for the basketball team three years, during which time he was the lead scorer. Subsequently, he continued his preparatory education and played for the Tigers of Hargrave Military Academy
Hargrave Military Academy
Hargrave Military Academy is a private American boarding school located in the town of Chatham, Virginia.Hargrave is a school affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia emphasizing Christian values that focuses on a college and military preparatory program...
. The team finished the season with a record of 28-1, advancing to the preparatory national championship game, losing to Laurinburg. In this game, Vassallo scored 19 points and recovered 14 rebounds.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
Vassallo signed with University of RichmondUniversity of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
twice and was denied admission both times despite meeting the requirements. The university surrendered his rights and Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
signed him, which compensated for Tony Dobbins' departure for Richmond years before. Vassallo debuted for the Hokies in the 2005-06 season, playing in all of the team's games. Despite mostly serving as a bench player, he played at least 20 minutes in games against Mount St. Mary's and Marshall
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
, scoring 18 collective points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and one blocked shot. His first NCAA start was against Radford
Radford University
Radford University is one of Virginia's eight doctoral-degree granting public universities. Originally founded in 1910, Radford offers comprehensive curricula for undergraduates in more than 100 fields, and graduate programs including the M.F.A., M.B.A...
, recording 7 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. In a game against Western Carolina
Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University is a coeducational public university located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, United States. The university is a constituent campus of the University of North Carolina system....
, Vassallo scored his first 3-point field goal. Vassallo scored season best in three-point baskets and rebounds against Morgan State
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
. He started in a game at Bowling Green, but played less than ten minutes. Vassallo recorded his first double-double against Wake Forest
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
, scoring 29 points and recovering 10 rebounds. He set season bests in six categories, shooting 11 out of 19 2-point field goals, 4-of-5 3-point field goals, 3-of-3 free throws and earning four steals. The 29 points were the highest amount scored by a Virginia Tech freshman in 27 years. Vassallo set a season-high 7 assists against Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
. He was included in the starting lineup in 8 out of the last 11 season games. At the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) Tournament
ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The ACC Men's Basketball Tournament is the conference championship tournament in basketball for the Atlantic Coast Conference . The tournament has been held every year since 1954, one year after the conference's creation. It is a single-elimination tournament and seeding is based on regular season...
he scored 6 points and recovered 3 rebounds against Virginia. In his first season, Vassallo led the Hokies in free throw percentage, he was also an Honorable Mention ACC All-Freshman and two-time ACC Rookie of the Week. He continued serving as the Hokies backup small forward in the 2006-07 season. Vassallo scored 15 points in Virginia Tech's first home game. In 22 minutes against West Florida
University of West Florida
The University of West Florida, also known as West Florida and UWF, is a mid-sized public university located in Pensacola, Florida, United States. UWF is a member institution of the State University System of Florida. The University of West Florida is a Research University, which specializes in...
he scored 26 points, recovered 6 rebounds and recorded a block. He set a career-high in free throws against Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
. Serving as a starter against Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
, Vassallo recorded 11 points and 6 rebounds. While serving as a backup he scored in double digits against UNC Greensboro
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro , also known as UNC Greensboro, is a public university in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States and is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina system. The university offers more than 100 undergraduate, 61 master's and 26...
, North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
and Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
. He recorded a double-double in his next start with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Serving as starter against Virginia, Vassallo scored 22 points and recovered 8 rebounds. He continued serving this role more frequently for the reminder of the season, starting against Miami, Virginia and Wake Forest in the ACC tournament. Virginia Tech was included in the NCAA Tournament. Vassallo started two games before the team was eliminated, recording 11 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists.
He served as Virginia Tech's starting small forward throughout the 2007-08 season, starting in 35 games and leading the team in minutes played. Vassallo recorded more assists in this season than his freshman and sophomore years, tying his career-high once. He also set a career-high in blocks (3) against Liberty
Liberty University
Liberty University is a private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Virginia. Liberty's annual enrollment is around 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000+ studying through Liberty University Online...
. His offensive role within the team was expanded, leading the Hokies in points per game (16.9), scoring over 10 points in 33 out of 35 games, including all against ACC competition. He recorded career highs in field goal attempts, reaching his 1,000th point and concluding the season with 1,174 raking 29th within Virginia Tech's all time leaders. His season-high was 27 against Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
. Vassallo was third among the Hokies in rebounds with an average of 4.6, he tied his career-high of 11 twice and recorded two double-doubles. When Virginia Tech won the Aeropostale Holiday Festival defeating St. John's, he was named the event's Most Valuable Player. Vassallo led the Hokies in scoring during the ACC Tournament and recorded 21 assists. After the season concluded, he received All-ACC, National Association of Basketball Coaches
National Association of Basketball Coaches
The National Association of Basketball Coaches , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of college men's basketball coaches...
All-District and ACC Tournament Second-Team recognitions. In his final season with the Hokies, Vassallo earned averages of 19.1 points per game, 2.6 assists per game and 6.2 rebounds per game. This marked an steady increase in blocks per game, steals per game, assists per game, points per game and rebounds per game throughout his college career. All of these stats increased with time, without experiencing a drop. Vassallo's served as the team's offensive leader. In a game against Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin System
The University of Wisconsin System is a university system of public universities in the state of Wisconsin. It is one of the largest public higher education systems in the country, enrolling more than 182,000 students each year and employing more than 32,000 faculty and staff statewide...
he scored 24 points during the second half, including six 3-point field goals, to finish with 30. In January 2009, Vassallo scored 29 points versus Virginia. He was also able to perform well against high-seeded teams, scoring 15 consecutive points against Duke
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
on February 28, 2010. By March 2009, Vassallo was already eighth in Virginia Tech's all-time scoring list with 1,698 points. On March 18, 2009, he scored 33 points and recovered 12 rebounds to surpass Zabian Dowdell
Zabian Dowdell
Zabian Dowdell is an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies.-Early life:...
in the list, becoming the Hokies's best offensive player since Bimbo Coles
Bimbo Coles
Vernell Eufaye "Bimbo" Coles is a retired American basketball player. Coles was a standout at Greenbrier East High School in Lewisburg, West Virginia. He played his college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies for four seasons . He was a member of the United States 1988 Olympic basketball team...
. Vassallo finished his NCAA career with 1,822 points, finishing fifth in Virginia Tech's history, he also set a record for scored 3-point shots with 267. He was included in the All-ACC third team and NABC All-District second team. Vassallo's final amateur tournament was the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament
Portsmouth Invitational Tournament
The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, or "PIT", is the United States' oldest amateur basketball tournament and the only postseason camp conducted for the top NCAA seniors only....
, where he scored 21, 10 and 11 points in his team's third-place finish.
Baloncesto Superior Nacional
Vassallo debuted in the Baloncesto Superior Nacional tournament on April 17, 2009, scoring 22 points against the Gigantes de Carolina. He closed his first week scoring 26 and 19 points in games versus the Vaqueros de Bayamón and Cangrejeros de Santurce, as well as capturing 15 rebounds in these two games. He closed the month of April scoring 17 and 19 points against the Atléticos de San Germán and Piratas de Quebradillas. On May 2, 2009, Vassallo scored 26 points and captured 7 rebounds in a game versus the Leones de Ponce, before taking a hiatus of three weeks while he participated in NBA training camps. Upon returning, he scored 34 points and recovered 7 rebounds in his first game. On May 30, 2009, Vassallo scored 53 points versus the Indios de Mayagüez, recording the highest amount of points in his life and tying the career-high of his father's BSN career. He closed this week scoring 36 points and 9 rebounds against Ponce. From June 10–16, Vassallo scored 30, 14,18 and 26 points in games against the Mets de GuaynaboMets de Guaynabo (basketball)
The Mets de Guaynabo are a BSN professional basketball team from Puerto Rico.The Mets began to play as basketball's original Cangrejeros de Santurce. Before the 1976 season, they moved to Guaynabo...
, Mayagüez, Bayamón and Carolina, capturing 32 rebounds. In his last two games of the season, Vassallo scored 48 points and recovered 12 rebounds in games versus the Grises de Humacao and Capitanes de Arecibo. In his first BSN All-Star Game, he scored 11 points and recovered 3 rebounds. Since he only played 15 games for the Criollos, Vassallo was not included in the league’s leader boards however, during these games he recorded a higher average than all of the players included in the boards, with 25.6 points per game, in contrast to the league's scoring champion, Jesse Pellot Rosa, who had 23.48 points per game. Despite the elimination of the Criollos, Vassallo received 25 out of 28 votes in the "Rookie of the Year" elections. The Criollos recessed prior to the 2010 BSN season and the Gallitos de Isabela earned the rights of his contract. Vassallo joined the team during the playoffs, but the team was swept by the Vaqueros in their series. His season average were 25.6 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game.
Ligue Nationale de Basketball
On October 3, 2009, Vassallo debuted in the Ligue Nationale de BasketballLigue Nationale de Basketball
The Ligue National de Basket is the top men's French professional basketball league. There are two divisions: French Pro A League and French Pro B League .-Pro A:...
for Paris-Levallois Basket
Paris-Levallois Basket
Paris-Levallois Basket is a French professional basketball club from the Paris area. It was founded in 2007 with the merger of Paris Basket Racing, from the city of Paris, and Levallois Sporting Club Basket, from the nearby commune of Levallois-Perret...
scoring 14 points and 7 rebounds. On the second date against Union Poitiers Basket 86, he improved to 21 points and 10 rebounds. In his third game, Vassallo scored 14 of his 22 points in the last quarter and recovered 6 rebounds. This pattern continued on Paris' first game against JDA Dijon, where he had 19 points and 6 rebounds. On October 31, 2009, Vassallo recorded his second double-double, but the team lost. A week later he recorded his worst game of the season in a 61-75 loss to Le Mans Sarthe Basket
Le Mans Sarthe Basket
Le Mans Sarthe Basket is a professional basketball club that is based in the city of Le Mans, France. The club plays in the French Pro A League.-History:Le Mans was founded in the year 1939. The club won the French Championship in 1978, 1979, 1982, and 2006...
. Paris managed to win its next game against ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne
ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne
ASVEL Basket or ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne is a French professional basketball team located in the city of Villeurbanne, which is a suburb of Lyon, France. The club, which is the basketball section of the ASVEL multi-sport club, competes in the French Pro A league. The club's home games are played at...
, with Vassallo scoring 24 points. On November 24, 2009, he had perfect 2-point field goal and free throw percentages, but the team lost by 14 points to JA Vichy
JA Vichy
Jeanne d’Arc de Vichy Val d’Allier Auvergne Basket is a basketball club based in Vichy, France that plays in the LNB. Their home games are played at Gymnase Pierre Coulon.- Former Player:* Ime Udoka* Martynas Andriukaitis* Kareem Reid* Mike Smith...
. Four days later Vassallo scored 29 and recovered 6 rebounds against SPO Rouen Basket
SPO Rouen Basket
SPO Rouen Basket is a basketball club based in Rouen, France that plays in the Ligue Nationale de Basketball.-External links:*...
. In his first game of December, he scored 7 out of eleven field goal attempts in a victory over Hyères-Toulon Var Basket
Hyères-Toulon Var Basket
Hyères-Toulon Var Basket is a professional basketball club based in Hyères and Toulon, France playing in the Pro A.Created by the merger of Omni Sport Hyerois and Club Sportif Toulonnais, the club shares its home games between the Espace 3000 in Hyères and the Palais des Sports in Toulon....
. In his last two games of the year, Vassallo recorded 18 and 21 points.
In the LNB All-Star Game, Vassallo played for the Foreign-Star team, leading all scorers with 22 points and 7 rebounds. Paris opened the second half of the season with a win over Chorale Roanne Basket
Chorale Roanne Basket
Chorale Roanne Basket is a professional basketball club that is based in Roanne, France. The club plays in the Pro A. Their coach is Jean-Denys Choulet. Their home arena is Halle André Vacheresse...
and two losses against Strasbourg IG and Entente Orléanaise. Vassallo continued scoring in double figures during this period, recording 14, 10 and 18 points. From this point onwards, Paris would play in rematches against the team faced during the early part of the first half. During the following weeks, the team defeated Poitiers and Dijon, but lost against SLUC Nancy
SLUC Nancy
The Stade Lorrain Université Club Nancy, usually abbreviated to SLUC Nancy, is a French professional basketball club. The club is based in the city of Nancy, in the region of Lorraine. The team plays in the French Pro A League....
and ÉS Chalon-sur-Saône. Vassallo contributed 14, 13, 11 and 19 points and recovered 18 collective rebounds. On February 26, 2010, Le Mans was able to limit him to 5 field goal attempts and 1 rebound, but he was able to record a season-high 6 assists. In victories over ASVEL, Rouen and Hyères-Toulon, Vassallo scored 21, 29 and 15 points and recovered 14 rebounds. In April he entered a brief offensive slump, only being successful in 13 out of 34 field-goal attempts in games against Cholet Basket
Cholet Basket
Cholet Basket is a professional basketball club that is based in Cholet, France. The club plays in the French Pro A League. Their home arena is La Meilleraie.- Establishment :...
and STB Le Havre. Vassallo recovered by scoring 21, 29 and 12 points. Paris advanced to the playoffs, being placed in a bracket against Le Mans. The team lost both games, but Vassallo scored 40 points and recovered 7 rebounds. During the off-season, Vassallo announced that he had been invited to the 2010 NBA Summer League and would also participate in a Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
try-out, preventing his participation in the 2010 Centrobasket
2010 Centrobasket
The 2010 Men's Central American and Caribbean Basketball Championship, also known as 2010 Centrobasket, was hosted in the Dominican Republic. This edition was the first time that the Centrobasket featured ten teams in the finals; previously, eight teams had qualified. Puerto Rico won the title...
. However, prior to the event's inauguration, he signed a contract with ASVEL.
International career
During his youth, Vassallo was part of Puerto Rico's Junior National Team. His first major competition with this team was the 2003 FIBA World Championship for Junior Men. Throughout the event he accumulated averages of 8 points and 6 rebounds per game. At the 2005 FIBA U21 World Championship for Men, Vassallo gathered statistics of 8.6 points and 4 rebounds per game. His first participation with the senior Puerto Rico national basketball team was at the 2008 Centrobasket Championship for Men, where he served as the shooting guard backup behind Carmelo Lee. He recorded 6 points and 1.2 per game in limited time, while the team won the gold medal. He returned to this role at the 2009 Marchand Continental Cup, an exhibition tournament, where he improved to 10 points and 3 rebounds. Next was the 2009 FIBA Americas Championship for Men, a qualificatory tournament for the 2010 FIBA World Championship2010 FIBA World Championship
The 2010 FIBA World Championship, hosted by Turkey, was the international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from August 28 to September 12, 2010. It was co-organized by the International Basketball Federation , Turkish Basketball Federation and the...
. There Vassallo had statistics of 7.3 points and 3.4 rebounds, including a perfect game against Brasil, where he scored 8 of 8 field goal attempts and a free throw attempt. Puerto Rico won the silver medal and qualified.
Vassallo returned to the team in 2010, now being rotated between the small forward and shooting guard positions. In order to improve his defense and reflexes, he guarded point guard Carlos Arroyo during team practices. Vassallo participated in the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 21st Central American and Caribbean Games took place in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, from July 18, 2010 to August 1, 2010.-Bid:...
, where Puerto Rico won the gold medal undefeated. In this tournament he scored 80% of his 2-point field goal attempts, for averages of 12 points and 4 rebounds per game. Subsequently, the team participated in multiple preparatory exhibition games, including a series against the top-ranked team in the world, Argentina, where Vassallo scored 26 points in the final of three contests.
Career stats
| League | Games | Points scored | Total assists | Total rebounds | Points Per Game Average | Assists Per Game Average | Rebounds Per Game Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCAA Division I | 133 | 1822 | 222 | 581 | 13.7 | 1.7 | 4.4 |
| Baloncesto Superior Nacional | 15 | 384 | 64 | 100 | 25.6 | 4.3 | 6.7 |
| Ligue Nationale de Basketball | 31 | 552 | 81 | 134 | 17.8 | 2.6 | 4.3 |
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans