Powerade taps NBA shooter

MANILA, Philippines - Powerade is bringing in a certified solid player in Rashad McCants as import for the PBA Governors Cup, hopeful the NBA first-round draftee can live up to his reputation as a prolific scorer and help the Tigers repeat their sterling showing in the Philippine Cup.

McCants, a 6-foot-4 guard who led the North Carolina Tar Heels to the 2005 US NCAA championship then suited up with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Sacramento Kings in four seasons in the NBA, is expected to arrive within the week.

Returnees Jason Forte (Alaska Milk), Tim Pickett (Meralco) and Paul Harris (Talk n Text) are among those confirmed to play in the third conference which opens May 20.

The others 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 No. 14 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2005 NBA draft.

The Asheville, North Carolina native, 27, has been a scorer all his basketball life – his ticket to becoming the New Hampshire Player of the Year in 2000 and 2001 and making the 2001-02 McDonald’s All-America, 2002-03 All-ACC Rookie Team, 2004-05 All-ACC Third Team and the 2003-04 All-ACC First Team.

He was a major force in the Tar Heels campaign in 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 ahead of future NBA stars like Danny Granger, Nate Robinson, David Lee and Monta Ellis in their class 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.

He’s coming to the Philippines fresh from the tough Puerto Rican league.

The McCants are a basketball-playing family. Rashad’s sister Rashanda also played for UNC before making the WNBA’s Tulsa Shock.

Rashad is also the cousin of San Diego Padres outfielder Cameron Maybin and third cousin of Canadian Football League running back John Avery.