With proud family in stands, Bay Area native McMillian stars on Warriors’ court
SAN FRANCISCO – Chance McMillian scored a team-high 22 points for the Santa Cruz Warriors on an array of crafty drives and a high-arcing jumper he has honed since he was a youngster shooting hoops at his family’s childhood home in Vallejo.
But for Judy Bowers, the number of points her son scored in the team’s 122-100 victory over the San Diego Clippers on Sunday afternoon’s G League showcase mattered little. Just watching Chance put on his No. 55 Warriors jersey and play on the hometown team’s yellow Chase Center court was enough to have her beaming.
“I’m so proud, overwhelmed,” Bowers told the Bay Area News Group from her seats in the lower bowl. “This was special.”
Bowers was not the only member of the family in the building. Older brother Justin and sister Joi were also present and proud.
“It was amazing to watch him play here at home … I know he likes to try to put on a show, especially whenever we’re around, so it was definitely special for me as a big brother,” Justin said, with Joi adding, “Being able to watch him play and succeed in his dreams, and do something he’s just loved to do since he was a child, it definitely gives me a special feeling as a big sister.”
McMillian was a three-time Tri-County Athletic League player of the year as a high school phenom in Vallejo – twice at St. Patrick-St. Vincent, once at Bethel – before a five-year collegiate career split between Grand Canyon and Texas Tech.
The Warriors signed him as an undrafted free agent after the draft, but ankle surgery sidelined him for all of summer league and the preseason.
Since returning from injury, McMillian has averaged 15.9 points per game and shot 36.4% from 3-point territory, along the way developing an off-the-dribble game that he will need if he wants to break through to the NBA.
“What we’re looking for from him when he is the lead guard is him just trying to make the simple reads, so he can go out there and show off his skillset,” Santa Cruz coach Lainn Wilson said.
A breakthrough into the NBA is still the goal for McMillian, but such lofty goals were the last thing on his mind on Sunday afternoon. He was focused on the opportunity to play in front of friends and loved ones.
“It was awesome, I loved it,” McMillian said. “I felt comfortable because I was playing in front of people I know, who saw me play when I was younger.”
Another Allocco in the Bay
The Allocco name belongs to basketball royalty on both sides of the Bay Area.
Frank Allocco Sr. led a preps dynasty at De La Salle in Concord before becoming an associate head coach at USF.
His son, Frank Jr., is an accomplished coach at Clayton Valley Charter and came within two points of stunning the high school basketball scene on Friday in a near-upset of top-ranked Salesian.
Young relative Matt Allocco is adding to the family’s hoops legacy in his own way on the court. Undrafted out of Notre Dame – Frank Sr.’s alma mater – he has become an integral piece of the San Diego Clippers’ rotation.
The 6-foot-4 Allocco is averaging 4.6 points and 3.1 rebounds, numbers suppressed by a back injury that has hampered him at times this season.
“(Clippers president of basketball operations) Lawrence (Frank) called me one night and asked ‘Why did you put Allocco back in the game,’ and I said ‘because I can depend on him to get a damn rebound,” San Diego Clippers coach Paul Hewitt said. “… Just a reliable player.’”
Old coach thrilled for Santos
The G League is all about advancement, about earning a bigger opportunity in the NBA or a major professional league abroad, with the ultimate sign of success being a long-term contract.
Former SeaDub Gui Santos signed a three-year, $15 million contract to stay with the Warriors after enjoying a breakout third season.
He spent large swaths of the 2023-24 season in Santa Cruz as a spindly perimeter player with a great attitude and energy, but lacking in skills.
Santos averaged 15.1 points per game in February and made 41.3% of his 3-pointers during the month.
So when Santa Cruz’s Lainn Wilson saw a dramatically-improved and financially-rewarded Santos earlier on Saturday, he couldn’t help but embrace the Brazilian.
“It’s a point of pride to see him with Santa Cruz to begin his career, and he’s always been this play hard guy who has impacted the margins,” Wilson said. “To see him break through and get this contract for himself, it’s a big part of why we do this.”
Ron Adams’ influence
During his pregame press conference, Hewitt spoke at length about the importance of mentorship when it came to improving as a coach. He specifically highlighted longtime Golden State assistant Ron Adams as an influence on his career.
Hewitt was an assistant coach at Villanova in the late 1990s when he struck up a friendship with then-Trail Blazers scout Adams, who by then already had enjoyed a coaching career that spanned decades.
“A couple times a week, we’d go to lunch and just talk basketball,” Hewitt said. “Not everything Ron said, I agreed with, but a lot of it made me start thinking about things. We kept that friendship over the years.”
A few years later, when Hewitt was the head coach of Siena College in New York, Adams asked him of Hewitt had any interest in an open job at ACC powerhouse Georgia Tech. Hewitt was skeptical that he’d even have a shot.
“A couple weeks later, I got a call from the AD,” Hewitt recalled.
Adams, 78, is still a consultant with the Warriors and is at most games.