It was announced yesterday that Wyoming forward Larry Nance Jr. would be invited to the NBA Combine in Chicago.
The Combine is an invite-only event. Nance is the first Cowboy to attend the event since Theo Ratliff in 1995. The Combine is a chance for players to show off certain skill sets and interview with team personnel interested in drafting the prospect.
Nance’s senior year ended in the NCAA Tournament vs. UNI after the Cowboys won the Mountain West basketball tournament. In Nance’s senior season he averaged 16.1 points per game, 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. Along with his 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals, Nance shot the third best field goal percentage in the Mountain West and 60th overall in the nation. Nance earned All-MW First Team honors as well as co-Defensive Player of the Year in the MW.
Nance ranked highly in Wyoming’s all-time numbers. He finished 16th in points (1,386), ninth in rebounds (807), fifth in blocks (135), fifth in steals (141), eighth in games played (123) and 13th in games started (90). He had 18 double-doubles in his career at Wyoming.
Nance is not highly regarded in many mock drafts. He will have to somehow create exposure for him to be drafted. The Combine is just the thing he needed. Not only will he have a chance to gain recognition, but also show off his superior basketball IQ. If the world is just and good, the San Antonio Spurs will draft Nance. He’s a Gregg Popovich prototype. He has good length for a small forward in the NBA and is an excellent passer. Nance also has the ability to play above the rim, which is rare for an intelligent big man.
I do not anticipate Nance gets drafted. Not enough scouts or people in the NBA world know him. I hope he proves me wrong. Nobody else on earth deserves a spot in the NBA more than Nance after his rehabilitation and leading the Cowboys to their first ever Mountain West championship.
If Nance is drafted I expect him to start as a Summer League guy that will be a developmental prospect. Go get ‘em, Larry.
