ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – On his seventh team and in his sixth country in just his fifth season of playing professional basketball, former Knight Dwight McCombs found a team to thrive with in CDE Talca of Chile's Liga Nacional.
McCombs had his best year yet, leading the league with 1.3 blocked shots per game, ranking second with 12.8 rebounds per game and averaging 20.9 points per game for Talca.
"I knew I could play," McCombs said. "I had good numbers last year, and I was one of the last guys to get picked back up. I felt like I had something to prove, so I went into every game with something to prove."
He proved it. McCombs was named the league's Player of the Week four times and finished the season as a member of the First Team All-Liga Nacional.
After finishing the regular season in third place in the division, McCombs led Talca to four series victories and a championship. After sweeping in the first round, they upset their way to three straight 4-2 series victories, abiding by the team's playoff mindset.
"Our whole formula was to protect our home court and win one on the road," McComs said. "That was what we did for the whole playoffs."
For his efforts, which included four straight double-doubles in Talca's four wins to take the series, McCombs was named the Finals MVP. He averaged 18.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game in the championship series.
With a championship under his belt, and having played in the United States, Canada, Argentina, Germany, Ecuador, and Chile, McCombs once again has a decision of what to do next. He is already scheduled to play this summer in the Dominican Republic for Soles De Santo Domingo, but after that he has yet to make up his mind.
"I would like to go back to Chile, but if something else comes up, I'm not opposed to it at all," he said. "I'll get another stamp on my passport and see another country."
Although his main basketball focus was on leading Talca to a championship, McCombs kept tabs on what his former team was doing on the court this past winter. As the Knights were making a run through the NIT, McCombs was watching the games on his tablet and talking to the guys regularly.
"I talked to Tacko after every game," he said. "I also talked to A.J. quite a bit. I was watching all the games. Seeing all the guys on social media in New York City and walking into the Garden, it was crazy. I was so happy for them."
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