University of Nevada Athletics

RENO, Nev. - Dave Rice, Yanni Hufnagel and Ronald Dupree, first-year coaches on Nevada head coach Eric Musselman's staff will be watching Thursday's NBA Draft with a different eye than most, as several players they have coached may be selected. Nine players that were coached by the trio could hear their names called in the two-rounds of the draft.

Three players coached by Rice at UNLV could be drafted; Stephen Zimmerman, Patrick McCaw and Derrick Jones. Zimmerman and McCaw have been projected in some mock drafts as first round selections.

Rice quotes on Zimmerman, McCaw and Jones.

Stephen is a highly skilled big that has the versatility to makes plays from all over the court. He is a winner and a fantastic teammate. He is a great passer and rebounder and has a bright future in the NBA. I loved coaching him.

Patrick is a great teammate and a tremendous competitor. He is a terrific shooter and is a very skilled playmaker. Patrick is committed defensively and to winning and will have a terrific NBA career. It was great coaching him.

Derrick is an explosive offensive player and has the ability to be a lockdown defender. He has a great work ethic and is a terrific teammate. He is a winner and will be an NBA player. I enjoyed coaching him.

Hufnagel will look for four potential draft selections names to appear on draft boards on Thursday. While at Cal he coached Jaylen Brown and Tyrone Wallace and worked with Wade Baldwin IV and Damian Jones in his time at Vanderbilt. Brown and Baldwin IV are projected as lottery picks while Jones could go at the end of the first round or early in the second.

Hufnagel quotes on Brown, Baldwin IV, Jones and Wallace.

I could not be more excited for Jaylen. When his skill catches up with his athleticism - and it will - he's an NBA All-Star. His upside is truly off-the-charts.

Wade is a special, special young man. When I took the job at Vanderbilt a few years back - and the news hit twitter - he was the first person that texted me. I'm really not surprised that he became a two-and-done because he is the kind of person that if he puts his mind on something, he's going to accomplish it. When he committed, he told me that he would be a first round draft pick after two years at Vanderbilt, and well, he did it. Wade is like my little brother, real family to me, and I'm just so happy for him.

I talk with Damian either on the phone or through text almost every day because he radiates such a positive energy. Look, I mean Damian, he's 7-0 tall, with a 7-4 wingspan. On top of that, he's a freak athlete. He probably has as much upside as anyone in this draft and when you have those kind of measurables it makes sense. I think there's a really good chance that we will look back on this draft in five years and wonder how 10 teams, 15 teams or even 20 teams passed on him. He's a multi-year 18 and eight guy.

I'm as close with Tyrone as probably anyone I've ever coached and absolutely thrilled for him. He probably has as buoyant a personality as any one of his peers in this draft and every team I've spoken with has echoed that. I think Tyrone is a 12-year NBA player. I really do. NBA teams covet big point guards and, at 6-5, Tyrone certainly fits that mold. He's tough, is a very good defender and can really score it. Above all, Tyrone is a winner and I can't wait to see where he ends up.

Dupree worked with forward Ben Simmons and Tim Quarterman during his time at LSU. Simmons is projected to be the No. 1 pick by Philadelphia.

Dupree quotes on Simmons and Quarterman.

Ben is a highly competitive player who is the quintessential definition of a point-forward. Very high basketball IQ and has a special talent for passing the basketball. Ben is very coachable and a great teammate. An absolute game changer for whatever franchise has the opportunity to draft him. When faced with adversity and immense public scrutiny and media attention all last season, he never lost his composure and was the consummate professional.

Tim is a big guard at 6-6 whose versatility allows him to excel at multiple positions. He's a natural point guard with good vision and playmaking ability, but also can play the wing position. He's a two-way player that can defend positions 1-3. Tim is tough as nails and highly competitive. He still has some maturing to do, but a potential steal in the second round.