MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Miles McBride is going to be selected in the 2021 NBA Draft taking place Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 
 
Exactly when and where is strictly a matter of opinion.
 
Kyle Boone, who writes for CBSSports.com, projects the West Virginia guard to go No. 17 overall in the first round to the New Orleans Pelicans, who traded their 10^th pick to the Memphis Grizzlies to free up some salary cap space.
 
Boone wrote this about McBride: "Competed hard at the combine, measured well and looks like he can be a real defensive monster in the NBA like he was at West Virginia. He's a hard-working winner."
 
Bryan Kalbrosky, writing for USA Today, projects McBride as the 19^th overall pick to the New York Knicks.
 
"The Knicks are still looking for their point guard and pride themselves on their relentless mentality," Kalbrosky wrote. "They would be wise to target Miles McBride, an emerging floor general who I'd consider to be the best defensive guard in this class."
 
New York has four picks in this year's draft, including two in the first round. Yesterday, the New York Post's Marc Berman wrote that his sources have informed him that Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is high on McBride and the Knicks could possibly use either their 19^th or 21^st pick to take him. New York also has the 32^nd pick early in the second round.
 
McBride reportedly impressed in his personal workout with the Knicks. Nineteenth is also where NBADraft.net has McBride going in its 2021 Mock Draft.
 
However, if New York takes a pass on McBride with its two first-round picks, Philadelphia Inquirer NBA writer Marc Narducci doesn't believe McBride will be around for the Knicks to pick in the second round. He has the Los Angeles Clippers pulling the trigger on him at No. 25.
 
"The Clippers don't have many future first-rounders, so they hope to get a rotation player here," Narducci wrote.
 
Jeremy Woo, writing for Sports Illustrated, sees the 6-foot-2 guard fitting perfectly in the Brooklyn Nets backcourt at No. 27. He believes McBride is an option for any team in the draft with picks in the 20s.
 
"McBride has earned a number of fans around the league with his toughness, on-ball defense and shot-making skills," Woo wrote. "He's undersized but has off-the-charts length and a reliable pull-up jumper that gives him a little more to offer than your typical defensive-minded college guard.
 
"Optimistic scouts think he has the chops to anchor bench units, and the Nets should be in the market for more NBA-ready talent if they keep this pick, making McBride's poised, no-frills game a nice fit here."
 
ESPN's Jonathan Givony is not nearly as optimistic about McBride, slotting him just outside the first round at No. 31 overall to the Milwaukee Bucks. 
 
Second-round picks typically do not get guaranteed contracts. 
 
McBride, an All-Big 12 Second Team choice in 2021, averaged nearly 16 points, five assists and four rebounds per game for the 19-10 Mountaineers who lost to Syracuse in the NCAA Tournament. The Cincinnati resident averaged 12.6 points and shot 41.9% from the floor in 60 career games for West Virginia.
 
Glen Willis, writing for Peachtree Hoops, posted an extensive breakdown of McBride's game. He believes McBride's talents are suited for teams such as Denver, Miami or Philadelphia in a Jamaal Murray-type role (at a lower volume and impact) or teaming with bigs Bam Adebayo or Joel Embiid.
 
"(McBride is) very good shooting off the dribble, especially in the mid-range," Willis wrote. "He's measured and confident lifting into dribble-handoff opportunities and using screens, in general, that allow him to relocate toward the top of the offensive half court with a bit of leverage."
 
Willis also believes McBride offers defensive value at the outset of his NBA career much as Jevon Carter has done with the Phoenix Suns.
 
"McBride is an active, impactful defender that shows up all over the court," Willis wrote. "He's going to be able to defend point guards likely as well as any rookie guard in the draft class. He's exceptional at working over screens and staying attached to the ball handler."
 
Willis concluded, "McBride's track record of consistently playing hard and doing the nuanced things that contribute to winning basketball in conjunction with his intriguing baseline skillset is likely to get him drafted ahead of a number of players perceived to have a higher upside.
 
"Most outlets project him to be drafted toward the latter part of the first round, which could land him on a team that doesn't need him to play right away and, as such, offer him the developmental time he needs to adjust his offensive game a bit for the next level."
 
McBride's age (20) is also a positive. Among the top prospects in this year's draft class, Jonathan Kuminga, Alperen Sengun, Josh Giddey, Joshua Primo and Jaden Springer are the youngest at 18, while Oregon shooting guard Chris Duarte is the oldest at 24.
 
If McBride goes in the first round, he will be the second Bob Huggins-coached player at West Virginia to do so. Forward Joe Alexander was the eighth overall pick in the 2008 draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.
 
Huggins had five Cincinnati players taken in the first round: Jason Maxiell (No. 26 in 2005), Kenyon Martin (No. 1 in 2000), DerMarr Johnson (No. 6 in 2000), Danny Fortson (No. 10 in 1997) and Corie Blount (No. 25 in 1993).
 
While at Kansas State, he also recruited Michael Beasley, taken No. 2 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft after he left to coach his alma mater.
 
West Virginia has had 40 players selected in the NBA Draft dating back to 1947, including first-rounders Mark Workman (No. 1 in 1952), Rod Hundley (No. 1 in 1957), Jerry West (No. 2 in 1960), Rod Thorn (No. 2 in 1963), Ron "Fritz" Williams (No. 9 in 1968) and Joe Alexander (No. 8 in 2008).
 
The NBA Draft will get underway at 8 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ABC, ESPN and the ESPN App.
 
McBride will be observing this year's extravaganza with friends and family at a private viewing party at the Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati. Huggins is also planning to attend. 
 
Bob Huggins-Coached Players in the NBA Draft
2018, Jevon Carter, 2^nd Round (32), Memphis Grizzlies
2010, Da'Sean Butler, 2^nd Round (42), Miami Heat
2010, Devin Ebanks, 2^nd Round (43), Los Angeles Lakers
2008, Joe Alexander, 1^st Round (8), Milwaukee Bucks
2008, Bill Walker, 2^nd Round (47), Washington Wizards
2006, James White, 2^nd Round (32), Portland Trailblazers
2005, Jason Maxiell, 1^st Round (26), Detroit Pistons
2005, Robert Whaley, 2^nd Round (51), Utah Jazz
2002, Steve Logan, 2^nd Round (29), Golden State Warriors
2001, Kenny Satterfield, 2^nd Round (53), Dallas Mavericks
2000, Kenyon Martin, 1^st Round (1), New Jersey Nets
2000, DerMarr Johnson, 1^st Round (6), Atlanta Hawks
2000, Pete Mickeal, 2^nd Round (58), Dallas Mavericks
1999, Melvin Levett, 2^nd Round (54), Detroit Pistons
1998, Ruben Patterson, 2^nd Round (31), Los Angeles Lakers
1997, Danny Fortson, 1^st Round (10), Milwaukee Bucks
1994, Dontonio Wingfield, 2^nd Round (37), Seattle Supersonics
1993, Corie Blount, 1^st Round (25), Chicago Bulls
1993, Nick Van Exel, 2^nd Round (37), Los Angeles Lakers
1987, Marcel Boyce, 6^th Round (122), Phoenix Suns