While most Texas Tech basketball fans have been obsessed this offseason with the future plans of forward Darrion Williams, Texas Tech's All-Big 12 first-team wing who has entered both the transfer portal and the NBA Draft, another Red Raider, Chance McMillian, is also trying to earn the chance to play professionally. Of course, Texas Tech fans are all hoping that the fan favorite impresses enough to make a living playing basketball.
Last week, McMillian was one of 45 players invited to participate in the NBA G League Elite Camp. This is a scouting event for players not considered NBA Draft prospects but good enough to be a candidate to play in the NBA's developmental league, the G League.
The 45 invitees were divided in to four teams. Then, they played two games as well as going through physical testing drills.
So let's check out how McMillian performed in his two games at the G League Combine.
Playing on Team 3, McMillian was on a squad with other players that Texas Tech fans might be familiar with, such as Iowa State's Keshon Gilbert, Florida's Will Richard, and Clemson's Chase Hunter.
In his team's first game, McMillian and his team beat Team 4 101-63. On Team 4 there were notable players such as Johnell Davis of Arkansas, Curtis Jones of Iowa State, and Caleb Love of Arizona.
In that game, McMillian came off the bench to play 18:01. In that time, he scored eight points on 2-4 shooting.
Both of his made shots were from 3-point range (he was 2-3 from deep). He also had three rebounds, two assists, and a steal. What's more, his team outscored Team 4 by 15 points when McMillian was on the court.
In game two, McMillian got the start as his team defeated Team 2 101-98. In that scrimmage, he played 19:55 and scored nine points.
Against Team 2, McMillian was 3-7 from the field overall but just 1-4 from beyond the arc. He also pulled down four rebounds and handed out a pair of assists.
While McMillian had a solid showing at the camp, he wasn't one of the five players who played well enough to earn an invite to showcase their skills at the NBA Combine, which begins on Saturday. The players who were invited to the NBA Combine were Ryan Nembhard (Gonzaga), Mackenzie Mgbako (Indiana, TAMU commit), Tamar Bates (Missouri), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Penn State), and Lachlan Olbrich (Illawarra Hawks).
That doesn't mean that McMillian's NBA hopes are dashed. Instead, it means he almost certainly won't be a draft pick, thus making his potential path to the NBA a bit longer, as he will have to go through the G League ranks first.
Of course, there is no guarantee that he will get drafted by the G League either. The G League actually has two drafts, one for international prospects (July 10) and one for American prospects (October 26), so there are hundreds of potential candidates to fill rosters.
Therefore, it will likely be a busy summer and fall for McMillian as he sorts out where his next basketball opportunity will come from. Here's hoping he did enough last week to get a shot in the G League, because that is the closest he will likely come to the NBA this offseason.