Welcome to a brand new series on this blog called “Why You Should Draft:” Every so often I’ll be highlighting a player on the college level that has caught my eye this season, and go over what he can bring to the table, and ultimately, why your favorite team should draft them. Today, I want to focus on the Sophomore Guard from WVU, Miles “Deuce” McBride.
First and foremost, I want the record to show that I was the leader and founder of the “Miles McBride Fan Club” after I saw him play his very first game for WVU. Now, I will admit, that I do have a small bias for guards who wear the #4 (shout-out Isaiah Thomas,) but my admiration for McBride goes much further than his jersey number and who he plays for.
When you watch McBride play, you can see a refined maturity about him. You can tell that he has wanted the lights to be on him, and he has been ready to deliver. On the year, he’s averaged 15 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds, on 42/40/80 shooting splits. I would personally love for him to get his FG% up higher, due to his speed and agility while going downhill, but I’m sure that will come with time. His jumper is silky smooth, he knows how to run an offense, and he has the ability to get by you in a hurry. The craziest thing is that, depending on who you ask, McBride isn’t even the best player on the team, and yet, when the game matters most, Deuce is given the ball to make the play. For a Bob Huggins player playing in that offense, that is an incredible honor. McBride is now up there with the Jevon Carter’s and Da’sean Butler’s of WVU players who Huggins went to when he needed someone to close the game.
Every player has their flaws, and McBride is no exception. He’s averaging 2 turnovers a game, and as I stated above, he needs to get to the rim more for good looks. He sometimes settles for the long three, or the contested mid-range shot.
The positives in his game are overwhelming, to say the least. Lethal three-point shooter, good floor general, plays defense as well as anyone, averaging 1.8 steals per game. He stays out of foul trouble while playing 34 minutes a game. If you don’t watch WVU, you’ll just have to trust me when I say that a guard in the WVU defensive system having basically no fouls is nothing short of a miracle, and McBride has been able to do just that.
If your team is looking for a reliable point guard who can run the offense and get his own shot when needed, look no further than Miles McBride. His game reminds me of Kyle Lowry, with his ability to use his body to get into the paint and get his shot. His defense obviously reminds me of Jevon Carter, and even though Carter is still trying to find his footing in Phoenix, it is undeniable that Carter and McBride can both play excellent one-on-one defense.
I won’t sit here and tell you that McBride will be the best guard in the draft. If you’re looking for franchise-altering players, you’ll have to go to ESPN or The Ringer for their big draft boards. What I will say is that McBride, and the other players that I’ll be highlighting, should be solid role-players for any team that they get drafted to. Every team needs a backup point guard who can play defense and run an offense. They will from now to the end of time, and McBride fits just that mold.
Round The Game 
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