Pete Nance wasted no time making a first impression. He drained a baseline jumper on his first touch Friday night in Northwestern’s exhibition against McKendree at the new Welsh-Ryan Arena.
“He’s not shy about shooting — and I’m OK with that,” NU coach Chris Collins said. “I’m that kind of coach.
“Pete has a chance to be a special player. He needs experience, strength, development, all those things. But you look at him out there, the way he moves, his length, his ability to make 3s … he can handle the ball, block shots. In today’s basketball, he’s that hybrid guy that everyone sees and loves at all levels.”
Here are seven more things to know about the Wildcats’ 6-foot-10, 218-pound freshman, who will be known throughout the Big Ten before long.
1. Basketball is in his blood.
His father is Larry Nance, a three-time NBA All-Star (1985, ’89, ’93) who played for the Suns and Cavaliers. He was known for his incredible hops, winning the NBA’s first Slam Dunk Contest in 1984. He played at Clemson but put no pressure on Pete to go there.
“He always told me my recruitment was my own thing,” Pete Nance said. “To be honest, I would have been under his shadow. I wanted to do something different.”
2. He bonded with Collins during recruiting.
Collins grew up under the shadow of his father, Doug, the first pick in the 1973 NBA draft and coach of the Bulls from 1986 to ’89.
“We lived the same childhood,” Collins said of Nance. “He wants his own identity, and I can help him with that.”
As Nance put it: “We always talk about the pressures of being the son of an NBA player, having to live up to some of that stuff. He knew a lot of the ways I had been feeling.”
3. He selected Northwestern over Michigan and Ohio State.
Nance said it was a pretty easy call: “I took my visit and loved it. I fell in love with the coaching staff, the players. It’s a program on the rise. And with the new facilities being built and being in Chicago, it doesn’t get much better.”
4. His game is multifaceted.
He stuffed the box score in the exhibition against McKendree, finishing with 12 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three blocks in 19 minutes. He dunked and hit two 3-pointers, committing one turnover with no fouls.
Asked if he sees parallels with his own game, fifth-year senior Vic Law said: “Pete is different being that big and long. He can do so many more different things than I could do as a freshman. I think Pete’s skill set will far expand past mine.”
Nance said of his game: “I’ll try to bring whatever Coach wants me to do. I can shoot it a little bit, I can play in the post, I can handle the ball a little. I need to get better at defense and rebounding. I’m getting adjusted to playing against these type of (college) guys.”
5. He can put on weight.
He arrived for summer school weighing 200 pounds. He got up near 220 after six weeks but is still listed at 210. Collins said he has a 7-2 wingspan, but Nance said: “I think it’s 6-11, actually. I’m kind of like a square.”
No matter the measurement, Collins said: “He is long and skilled. Guys in the league above you (the NBA) salivate over guys who look like that who can shoot. Hopefully I don’t mess him up.”
6. He has the potential to be NBA-ready before a fourth season.
Asked if he would like to develop a player who would leave early for the NBA, Collins said: “Absolutely. My whole goal when I came to Northwestern was to get guys who wanted a high-level education and want to get a degree but also want to be NBA players. It’s OK to want both. Because when you want to be a pro, you’re going to do more — watch extra film, go to the gym at night. You’re going to invest more.”
7. He is wearing No. 22.
It’s a family number, retired by the Cavs for his father. Sister Casey Nance, who is 6-5, wore it when she played at Dayton. And his brother, the 6-9 Larry Nance Jr., wears it for the Cavs, who unretired Larry Sr.’s jersey so his son could wear it.
Twitter @TeddyGreenstein
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