Former Rebel Patrick McCaw rising on NBA Draft boards
CHICAGO — Just like when he signed at UNLV as a three-star prospect who was lightly recruited, Patrick McCaw went into the NBA Draft process largely overlooked.
And just like at UNLV, where he became the team’s best player last season, his NBA stock continues to rise.
Just the fact McCaw, a 6-foot-7-inch guard, was invited to the combine shows the respect he has earned from the league. He even has appeared on a couple of first-round draft projections, with CBS Sports having him going at 26th to the Philadelphia 76ers and DraftExpress.com forecasting him to go 25th to the Los Angeles Clippers. The draft is scheduled for June 23.
“When I look back and I think about how far I’ve come and to be in this position now, it’s crazy to think that I have this opportunity,” McCaw said Thursday at the combine. “A lot of guys, they’ve always been in that spotlight. I never had the spotlight, so I’ve always had to work.”
McCaw said he has interviewed with at least eight teams, including with Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens and president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. Stevens recruited McCaw when he coached Butler.
“He walked in and had a big smile on his face, and he remembered me pretty well,” McCaw said. “So it was cool to sit down with him and Danny Ainge and then pick my brain and know me better as a person.”
The Rebels were an easy choice for McCaw when he came out of St. Louis.
He started 16 games as a freshman, averaging 9.6 points. But then his game truly took off when McCaw averaged 14.7 points and 5.2 rebounds as a sophomore and earned second-team All-Mountain West honors.
But it was a difficult season, with coach Dave Rice being fired Jan. 10 and the Rebels suffering a series of losses to injuries and off-court issues that decimated the roster.
“Vegas was definitely a learning experience for me,” McCaw said. “If I had go to back and change it, I wouldn’t. I’ve grown to love UNLV and the entire school.
“Everything that’s happened this year, I feel it’s helped me grow as a player and as a young man. I don’t know too many people that can go through a season and lose guys to injuries, playing the four and five (post positions) some games, never coming out of the game some games, being dead tired, but continuing to play because you want your team to win.”
One bright spot for McCaw was the relationship he developed with then-assistant coach Stacey Augmon, a former UNLV star and 15-year NBA veteran. Augmon attended the combine Thursday at the Quest Sports Complex and remains someone McCaw leans on for advice.
“It helped me that much more understand the game, not just on defense, but the overall game because he’s been through so much as a player,” McCaw said. “Everything he’s telling me I know is right. I’m absorbing it, and I’m using it in my game.”
McCaw remains loyal to UNLV. He recently convinced 6-7 forward Ben Coupet from Chicago to sign with the Rebels. The two are former AAU teammates.
“I told Ben, ‘UNLV’s a great school. Just hear (coach Marvin) Menzies out and see what he has to say,’” McCaw said. “I think UNLV’s a great fit for him.”
Just being invited to the combine shows that McCaw made the right decision to leave UNLV after his second season.
“This has always been a dream,” McCaw said. “To hear my name mentioned as a possible NBA pick one through 60, it’s crazy. All that hard work that I’ve put in, it’s possibly going to pay off.”
Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65
