Miles McBride (affectionately known as Deuce) is a 6-foot-2-inch point guard out of West Virginia who has quietly worked his way up draft boards thanks to his two-way potential. The Ohio native spent two years at West Virginia, averaging 12.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 60 games for the Mountaineers.
NBA Draft Profile: West Virginia star Miles “Deuce” McBride
College
Miles McBride was a three-star recruit out of high school and decided to attend West Virginia in 2019. He spent most of his freshman season as the sixth man, coming off the bench in all but two contests. McBride had a steady season averaging 9.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 40-30-74 shooting splits.
Electing to return to college for his sophomore season, McBride took over as the starting point guard spot with a bang. The 20-year-old led the Mountaineers to a 79-71 win over South Dakota State, posting 23 points on 9-for-19 shooting, 1-for-6 from three, and 4-for-4 from the line. McBride would go on to struggle with inconsistency early before finding his stride mid-season.
He would have his most impactful game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, posting 30 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals in the 84-67 win over Morehead State. However, he struggled in the second round against Syracuse with the Mountaineers losing 75-72.
McBride finished the year averaging 15.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on 43-41-81 shooting splits and decided to enter the draft.
Strengths
Shooting
McBride made his biggest jump this season from behind the 3-point line, increasing his percentages from 30.4% in his freshman season to 41.1% last year. More impressively, he was able to achieve this while increasing his volume from 2.8 attempts to 3.9 attempts per game.
He surprised many with his ability to hit tough jumpers off the dribble on low shot clocks and often bailed out West Virginia’s offense. McBride showed improvement coming off screens, pin downs, and as a set shooter, letting them fly with confidence. The guard is also very comfortable in the mid-range and can create for himself off the pick and roll.
He’s not a high-level creator but he uses screens well enough to create space and hit the jumper.
Isolation Defense
McBride is an excellent isolation defender using his high motor, IQ, quick hands, anticipation, and positioning to pursue opposing ball handlers. Despite being just 6 feet, 2 inches, he possesses quick feet and a strong base to keep opposing players in front of him. He is particularly effective baiting opponents into baseline drives before shutting the door on them to cause turnovers.
The guard is technically sound in one-on-one matchups and understands how to maximize his frame to stifle opponents looking to drive the lane.
Weaknesses
Defensive Consistency
As great as he is in isolation on defense, McBride can sometimes be overzealous in pursuit of the ball. At times, he is too aggressive and over-plays his matchup giving up easy lanes to the cup. This causes the defense to collapse and opponents make an easy read to the corner for an open three.
McBride needs to curb his desire to steal the rock and avoid over-playing his matchups. He will face elite-level guards with exceptional handles and size in the NBA who will take advantage of his enthusiasm.
Strength and Finishing
McBride isn’t the most imposing guard and gets knocked off balance when driving to the hole. Against elite size, he struggles to create distance off the bounce due to his slow first step. McBride settles for jumpers and often turns to his floater game which is still in its early infancy of development. Even when he creates separation, McBride shies away from contact and instead elects pulling the trigger on a jump shot despite a clear lane in front of him.
He will need to add size and a more “bulldog” mentality to take advantage inside.
Projection: 30-40
Miles McBride has done a tremendous job to work his way into the position he is in after not being a sought-after college prospect. He has good upside as a two-way player and would contribute to a team in a sixth-man role.
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I project him to go in the second round and he will be a nice contributor off the bench.
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