A year after he insisted that low-profile guard T.J. McConnell "is an NBA player," Arizona coach Sean Miller was proven correct.
McConnell is now an NBA player, having made the Philadelphia 76ers' season-opening rosterΒ today. The former UA guard will earn the NBA minimum of $525,000.
An undrafted free agent who agreed to a partially guaranteed deal with the Sixers minutes after the NBA Draft, McConnell may have benefited from injuries to Philadelphia guards Kendall Marshall and Tony Wroten. But it's also clear that he impressed 76ers coach Brett Brown during the preseason.
Making the Sixers is the latest step in McConnell's improbable (to some) journey through basketball: After he signed as a skinny Pittsburgh-area high school player with Duquesne, then-Dukes coach Ron Everhart was once asked: "When did you start recruiting water boys?"
At Arizona, McConnell stayed largely under the NBA Draft radar, while teammates such as Stanley Johnson, Aaron Gordon, Nick Johnson, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Brandon Ashley generated more buzz.Β As it turned out, Johnson (Nuggets) and Ashley (Mavericks) were released over the weekend, while McConnell made the 76ers roster.
While McConnell helped lead UA to 33 wins and an Elite Eight appearance in 2013-14, Miller began publicly saying McConnell would become an NBA player. He reiterated that a year ago after the Red Blue Game, despite McConnell still appearing a distant fourth candidate off last season's roster to make the NBA behind Johnson, Hollis-Jefferson and Ashley.
"I believe that T.J. McConnell is an NBA player," Miller said. "I donβt really care what anybody else thinks.
"At his position, he has total command on defense and on offense. People come and watch us practice. They recognize how important a player he is to our team and how good he is."
Still, after leading UA to another Elite Eight last season, McConnell was initially left off the NBA combine roster, suggesting he was not considered a draft candidate. Miller lobbied hard for McConnell, who was added at the last minute, and McConnell took advantage of it, with six points, six rebounds and 11 assists in two five-on-five games.
The Sixers soon became interested enough in their in-state prospect that they offered McConnell a six-figure guarantee immediately after the draft, and the deal was accepted.Β
Since McConnell appears to be the Sixers' No. 2 point guard for now, he should get some meaningful minutes to keep proving himself while Marshall and Wroten heal.
His future is far from guaranteed, but he's in the door, at least.
"The exciting thing is he should be a rotation guy and get a chance to play when a lot of guys don't as a rookie," said Chris Emens, McConnell's agent. "The opportunity is now in his hands."
