Growing up in Sacramento, California, at age nine, Torrence played basketball at Lincoln Christian Center after school.

[3] He also competed in track, finishing tied for second in the high jump at the 1955 state meet and establishing a personal best of 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m).

[4] Torrence attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and played guard for the Bruins basketball team for three seasons (1956–1959).

[3] Despite not being exceptionally tall or strong at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and 180 pounds (82 kg), he led the team in rebounding for three straight seasons.

[7] He received honorable mention from conference coaches for the All-PCC team,[8] and was named third-team All-Coast by United Press International (UPI).

[16] Torrence finished the season with overall averages of 21.5 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, which were both ranked second in school history at the time behind Willie Naulls.

[6] Torrence was voted a third-team All-American by UPI, and he was also a first-team selection by the Converse Basketball Yearbook and the Helms Athletic Foundation.

[30] On September 20, 1969, Torrence died at age 32 in Mercy San Juan Hospital in Carmichael, California, from injuries suffered in a car accident near Sacramento.