Australian guard William McDowell-White is declaring for the 2018 NBA draft.
“As a competitor, I am excited to enter the NBA draft and compete at the highest level,” McDowell-White told ESPN. “I feel like I can contribute and help an NBA team win games. After a successful season in Europe, I have gained some great experience and developed as a player.”
McDowell-White, a 19-year old 6-5 point guard, is having one of the most productive seasons of any international prospect in Europe not named Luka Doncic, averaging 12.5 points, 6.9 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals in 32 minutes per game for Baunach in Pro A Germany. After failing to get academically eligible to play at Fresno State in 2016, he made the unconventional decision this past summer to leave his home country of Australia and join European powerhouse Brose Bamberg in Germany. McDowell-White made his Euroleague debut in December against CSKA Moscow, and has practiced with Bamberg extensively all season, while seeing most of his playing time with Bamberg’s second team.
“Practicing everyday against some of the best players in the Euroleague has really helped me elevate my game,” McDowell-White said. “People say the Euroleague is the second best basketball league in the world. It has been a tremendous experience learning from the great coaches and players in Bamberg.”
McDowell-White, the son of prominent Australian football player Darryl McDowell-White, emerged on NBA radar at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Greece in 2015, where he represented his national team as a 17-year old. He received an invite to the prestigious Nike Hoop Summit game the following year.
He has excellent size and strength for the point guard position, and he’s a highly creative ball-handler, passer and pick-and-roll player, while also showing strong instincts defensively. NBA scouts will want to see him improve on his outside shooting, long considered his biggest weakness, as he’s only making 27 percent of his 3-point attempts on the season.
“I want to showcase my skills and meet with the NBA teams who have not had the opportunity to see me in Bamberg,” McDowell-White said. “NBA teams will get a chance to know more about me as a competitor as well as learn how versatile and athletic I am as a player. I’m excited to show teams how I am a quick learner whose skills are continuing to improve.
McDowell-White is currently rated the No. 93 prospect in the ESPN Top 100, and is considered a potential second-round pick by NBA teams. As a 1998-born international player, he will have two more opportunities to go through the NBA draft process in the coming years should he elect to withdraw his name at the early-entry deadline on June 11.
Source : ESPN
