Former UNLV Runnin’ Rebels Brandon McCoy and Christian Wood both know what it’s like to leave school early for the draft, only to not hear their name called on draft day. Separated by three years, these two have found each other in what would have been Wood’s senior summer in the most unlikely of places: The Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA Summer League team.
Wood left UNLV after his sophomore season under former head coach Dave Rice in 2015 while McCoy bolted after his freshman season under current head coach Marvin Menzies. The two never played together at UNLV. Both had similar physical traits, though. They were athletic standouts, gifted beyond measure, but still rough around the edges when it came to being NBA-ready.
Both decided it was in their best interests to leave UNLV early to chase their NBA dream and both found their expectations far superseded reality. Neither were drafted. Both were highly criticized, although Wood far less because he stayed for his second season. Neither responded with anything other than class. And, now, here they are as teammates, after being separately together within the Runnin’ Rebels brotherhood the last few years.
The duo are competing for their shot at glory, or at least an NBA roster spot, with the Bucks — who finished seventh in the Eastern Conference this past spring.
Wood, who is in his fourth NBA summer league, has logged 30 NBA games with Phoenix and Charlotte in his career. In that time, he averaged roughly eight minutes a game with 3.2 PPG and 2.2 RPG. Still, the gifted 22-year-old can’t seem to find a consistent role or NBA home. He has dominated the G League too.
.@Chriswood_5 had a MONSTER performance this afternoon on @ElevenSportsUSA!
The @Sevens forward finished with 4⃣6⃣ points and 1⃣9⃣ rebounds‼️ pic.twitter.com/v0HMbuCYbp
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) March 11, 2018
Still, he is having to work through a minefield of competition to follow his dreams. Draft day was unusually cruel to Wood. One of the most heartbreaking pictures of the 2015 NBA Draft was this picture of him, moments after he found out his name would not be called at all.
At more than 7-feet tall with a 9-foot standing reach, one upside for McCoy — a McDonald’s All-American in 2017 — is he just turned 20 years old earlier this month. He will have plenty of time to develop, if he can get the right coaching. As much as one would like to trust the NBA developmental teams, hard to find quality coaching for that kind of money better than what a coach like Menzies could’ve provided.
Many Milwaukee fans are actually excited to have McCoy develop under their watch. UNLV fans were too, but it looks like Bucks fans will get more of McCoy than those of us here in Sin City.
In the predatory world of amateur athletics, there are countless stories like Wood and McCoy.
At some point, they were sold the bill of goods they’re a draft pick and then were convinced leaving school is a better long-term move for their future. All the riches in the world would be theirs.
That is, until is isn’t.
For many UNLV fans, the frustration of a struggling program trying to return to prominence is only matched by the program’s inability to keep players for more than a year or two. With great recruits, comes great temptation. So much temptation. In our small pond here in Las Vegas and the Mountain West Conference, it’s easy to be wowed by both of these two young men.
When McCoy signed with UNLV, he even said he hoped to bring UNLV back to its most recent heyday of the late 80s/early 1990s. The anticipation grew, especially within The Rebellion, hungry for another marquee center like Khem Birch, who became the largest prop in college basketball as “Khem Kong.” Fans all over town were giddy, especially when he said all the right things coming in.
“I felt very comfortable with the coaching staff and loved the campus. I want to get UNLV back the way it was in the 1990s,” McCoy told ESPN last April.
Still, the NBA lure was too much.
The same can be said for Wood. The kid could play and would jump right out of the gym, if you’d let him. I’m unable to think of one UNLV fan who didn’t drool at his potential. One can’t even count how many times Wood inspired a broadcaster to lose their shit on a telecast.
Coincidentally enough, Wood’s former Rebel teammate Rashad Vaughn used to play with the Bucks’ summer league team but has since moved on to play for the Miami Heat’s summer league team. Also competing in the NBA Summer League are fellow former Rebels Ikechukwu Nwamu (Miami Heat), Derrick Jones, Jr. (Miami Heat), and the aforementioned Birch, who is playing for Orlando Magic. Maybe Khem Kong will make an appearance during one of the games.
However the summer league plays out, it’s a small little homecoming for all the former Rebels. For Wood, it’s a chance to continue his push for an NBA role. For McCoy, who dealt with a lot of bitterness on his way out of UNLV, it’s a chance to show off his skills on a familiar floor with some familiar faces — like Coach Menzies — rooting him on, which is class defined.
One thing’s for sure, Wood and McCoy can surely trade stories of draft heartbreak while building — together — a new chapter in both of their careers. Here’s hoping for nothing but the best for both.
