Re: -=PBA [Official Thread] FINALS (BMEG 3 vs TNT 2 )=-
Rashad McCants, a certified solid player from varsity play to the major league, is the Powerade Tigers’ import for the PBA Governors Cup that opens May 20.
He’s arriving within the week, bringing with him impressive credentials that include being a US NCAA winner and the No. 14 pick overall in the 2005 NBA draft.
“I’m hoping that Rashad will be able to help our team realize our goal of getting into the finals again,” said Powerade coach Bo Perasol.
McCants, a 6-foot-4 guard who led the North Carolina Tar Heels to the 2005 US NCAA championship then played with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Sacramento Kings in four seasons in the NBA, is coming in fresh from the tough Puerto Rican league.
Returnees Jason Forte (Alaska Milk), Tim Pickett (Meralco) and Paul Harris (Talk n Text) are among those others confirmed to be strutting their stuffs as imports in the third conference.
Also in the list are Cedric Bozeman for Ginebra, Marqus Blakely for B-Meg, Zach Graham for Air21 and Jamelle Cornley for Rain or Shine.
McCants owns the most impressive credentials, being a collegiate star selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves No. 14 overall in the 2005 NBA draft, ahead of future NBA stars like Danny Granger, Nate Robinson, David Lee and Monta Ellis
The Asheville, North Carolina native, 27, has been a scorer all his basketball life – his ticket in becoming the New Hampshire Player of the Year in 2000 and 2001 and making the 2001-02 McDonald’s All-American, 2002-03 All-ACC Rookie Team, 2004-05 All-ACC Third Team and the 2003-04 All-ACC First Team.
He was among the North Carolina major force leading the Tar Heels to the NCAA championship over the Illinois Fighting Illini in 2005. A teammate was former Barangay Ginebra import David Noel.
McCants joined a stellar recruiting class at UNC for the 2002-03 season and, right in his freshman year, led the Tar Heels in scoring with an average of 17.5 points a game.
The following year, McCants topped the conference in scoring with 20 points per game, his effort helping UNC back into the NCAA tourney with a sixth ranking. They lost to third-ranked Texas in the second round.
Declaring his NBA eligibility after his junior year at UNC, McCants found himself drafted right behind only 13 hopefuls, led by Andrew Bogut, Deron Williams, Chris Paul and Andrew Bynum.
He didn’t disappoint as a top draftee, averaging 10.0 points in 249 games with Minnesota and Sacramento from 2005 to 2009.
As among key backups to then Minnesota main man Kevin Garnett, McCants normed 14.9 points an outing in the 2007-08 season.
The McCants are a basketball-playing family. Rashad’s sister Rashanda also played for UNC before making the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock.
Source: PBA.ph