University of Wyoming senior guard Drake Jeffries shoots a jump shot during the Cowboys’ 74-61 victory over Nevada on Feb. 26 at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie. Troy Babbitt/UW athletics
University of Wyoming senior guard Drake Jeffries dunks the ball against Air Force guard Jeffrey Mills during the second half of the Cowboys' 75-67 victory over Air Force on Saturday afternoon at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie. Associated Press
University of Wyoming senior guard Drake Jeffries shoots a jump shot during the Cowboys’ 74-61 victory over Nevada on Feb. 26 at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie. Troy Babbitt/UW athletics
University of Wyoming senior guard Drake Jeffries dunks the ball against Air Force guard Jeffrey Mills during the second half of the Cowboys' 75-67 victory over Air Force on Saturday afternoon at the Arena-Auditorium in Laramie. Associated Press
LARAMIE – After a unique college path that included stops at Division II Minot State and Indian Hills Community College before landing at the University of Wyoming, Drake Jeffries is set to start his professional basketball career next month.
Jeffries accepted an invitation Friday to compete on the Denver Nuggets’ NBA Summer League team. He will now head to Las Vegas, where he will showcase his talents alongside other NBA hopefuls starting July 7.
Until recently, the UW sharpshooter never expected to find himself in this situation. So, as he looks to take his game to the next level, he does so with a nothing-to-lose mentality.
“Especially being a DII redshirt, I never thought I would be here,” Jeffries said. “Even as (recently) as last year, I never thought I’d be here, but it’s just another opportunity to prove to everybody that I can make it. I was never supposed to be here, so I just have to go in with the mindset of, ‘You weren’t supposed to be here, so you have nothing to lose.’ You just have to have that mindset and go in and beat guys out.”
Jeffries rose from a little-known recruit to a legitimate pro prospect in large part due to his shooting ability, something that was on full display last season at Wyoming.
The 6-foot-5 guard averaged 10.3 points on 43.5% shooting, while leading the Mountain West and ranking 25th nationally with a 40.9% success rate on 3-point attempts. His 94 3s were the third-highest single-season total in program history, with his 11 triples against Hastings College breaking the MW’s single-game record.
According to KenPom’s rankings, Jeffries had the 39th-highest offensive rating in the country as a senior.
“Obviously, my shooting ability,” Jeffries said when discussing what traits he would like to showcase for NBA teams. “A lot of teams need shooting in today’s game, and then the ability to play make, as well. Play ball screens, play off screens, find guys, those are kind of the things I’m looking to show. Not do too much, but show teams other things I can do that I didn’t show the past couple years.”
As dangerous of a shooter as Jeffries is, though, it’s far from all he has to offer to NBA teams.
At the urging of head coach Jeff Linder, the Mattoon, Illinois, product placed an emphasis on growing as a defender over the past two seasons. The Cowboys went from 301st to 71st in adjusted defensive efficiency last season, with Jeffries’ ability to guard on the perimeter playing a large part in UW ranking 26th nationally at defending the 3-point shot.
Jeffries also developed a knack for rebounding, raising his average from 2.7 to 5.4 boards per game during his final season in Laramie.
“It shows that I’m going to go back and rebound, and I’m going to guard, too,” Jeffries said. “Coach Linder was on me for two years about guarding, so that was something I took a lot of pride in. Those are two things that are huge to me that I can show teams.
“If my shooting isn’t on, you’re going to get that out of me every day. It doesn’t matter if I’m making shots or missing shots, I’m always going to go back and rebound and I’m always going to guard.”
Jeffries didn’t have a ton of communication with the Nuggets during the leadup to the NBA Draft, but he did receive an early invitation to join the franchise for summer league. After weighing his options, he ultimately decided they were the best fit for him.
Unknowns will be part of the process for Jeffries as his professional basketball journey gets started. However, there will be some familiarity in Las Vegas, with Ryan Bowen – father of Jeffries’ college teammate, Ben Bowen – coaching Denver’s summer league squad.
“Me and Ben were really close when he was here,” Jeffries said. “We got along really well. We golfed together pretty much every day last summer, and his dad came up one time and we all played together. He’s a really good guy. We’ve met a few times and had some conversations, so we’ve built a relationship before summer league.”
Josh Criswell covers the University of Wyoming for WyoSports. He can be reached at jcriswell@wyosports.net or 307-755-3325. Follow him on Twitter at @criswell_sports.
