Pat Spencer Still Has NBA Dream

 Pat Spencer remains unsatisfied and undeterred.

The former Davidsonville resident and Boys’ Latin graduate is one of 14 players invited to training camp by the Capital City Go-Go, the G League affiliate of the Washington Wizards. That means that he is one level away from achieving his lifelong quest to play in the NBA, but he is not content just yet.

“For most people, it would be a great accomplishment, and I’m not saying that I’m not proud of it. But my main goal is not the G League,” he said Monday after the first day of camp. “So while I’m extremely thankful for the opportunity and the platform and all of the people that have given me an opportunity to get here, I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that I’m not done. My goal is clearly the NBA. I’ve got a little bit of work to do to get there, but I’m willing to put my head down and get after it.”

Spencer, the winner of the 2019 Tewaaraton Award that recognizes the top player in college lacrosse, might not be as experienced as some of his teammates. But he has already made a favorable impression with Go-Go coach Mike Williams.

“The first thing that stands out before anything else on the court is his attitude and his approach,” Williams said. “He’s very serious about his work. He’s very coachable, and he actually holds himself to a really high standard, which I love. But his intensity on the court is not lacking. He plays extremely hard.”

After four years of lacrosse at Loyola Maryland — where he set several records, including the NCAA Division I mark for all-time assists (231) and the Patriot League record for career points (380) — Spencer used an extra year of eligibility to switch sports and play basketball at Northwestern, where he averaged 10.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 2019-20.