Augustana point guard Cam McCaffrey's role is to make things happen; his knack for late game rescues is a bonus.
Before leaving the West Coast to study exercise science at Augustana, McCaffrey's reputation as a closer was widely chronicled in Oregon.
On June 14, 2009, Randy Mishler of The Oregonian wrote:
It's been three months since Cameron McCaffrey made “the shot,” and already it's approaching legendary status around Century High School.
McCaffrey's last-second heroics – a pull-up, 15-footer between three defenders to defeat Wilsonville 41-40 in the Class 5A boys basketball semifinals - are re-enacted on playgrounds and driveways near the Hillsboro school.
The shot's place in history appears secure. And McCaffrey, who made five shots to either win games or extend them during the season, will be remembered as a clutch player.
Fast forward to February, 2010. Augustana trails Winona State by 16 points in the second half of a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference encounter in the Elmen Center's Hall Sports Forum.
Suddenly, McCaffrey, a true freshman, enters a zone. He scores 20 of his 29 points in the final 20 minutes, including 15 in the last 3:29. His effort ignites the Viking faithful. Augustana's chances of pulling off a win escalate from doubtful to hopeful.
With .03 on the clock and Winona leading 81-80, he launches a desperate toss from15 feet. Vikings win!
“I've never been nervous about taking a last second shot,” McCaffrey says. “You have to live with the consequences, but when they go in it feels great.”
Augustana head coach
Tom Billeter has no problem placing the ball in McCaffrey's hands with the game on the line.
“Cam has been a big part of our success since his first days on campus,” Billeter says. “A very confident freshman, he told me he would be All-NSIC and he proved himself a prophet. He has played in two NCAA Tournaments out of the three years here and has been both a prolific scorer and game winner with last second shots against Mankato and Winona.”
McCaffrey has contributed to winning records in his first three seasons with the Vikings. The overall 59-27 mark includes three top four finishes in the NSIC. After the 2009-10 campaign he was named NSIC Freshman of the Year and awarded a spot on the Division II Bulletin All-Freshman team. He appeared in all 31 games, started one, and averaged 12.9 points a game.
The effort reinforced McCaffrey's decision to pass up walk-on invitations from Division I programs.
He started playing basketball at age 7. He earned a spot on the Century High School varsity roster as a freshman. He scored 733 points his senior year, the 12th most productive single-season in Oregon history. He was named Northwest Oregon Conference player of the year and was selected to the Class 5A All-State Team.
McCaffrey, who was also an Oregon summer league standout, received inquiries from American University, Colgate, Brown, University of Portland, Montana State, Pacific University, and Portland State.
“I could have gone with a mid-major program, but very few of those teams have a chance of going very far in the tournament,” McCaffrey says. “I consider Division II basketball very competitive and at Augustana you have a good shot at going deep in the playoffs. I knew I would have the opportunity play right away when I came to Augustana and I have no regrets.”
At 6-foot-1, McCaffrey did not measure up to the big college guard prototype. “You can't let genetics determine how far you can go,” he says. “I just worked harder.”
McCaffrey became a full-time starter as a sophomore. He led the Vikings in 3-pointers with 58 and averaged 19 points a game. He was selected to the all-conference first team, the Daktronics All-Central Region second team, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches Association second team. His classroom effort was rewarded with an academic all-conference citation.
“Cam is a fantastic student and has really matured as a leader off the court,” Billeter says.
Knee surgery hindered his efforts as a junior. But, he never missed a start, averaged 14 points a game, and repeated as an academic all-conference choice.
“I don't think people know Cam had two knee surgeries last year, which definitely set him back,” Billeter says.
This season McCaffrey has moved up to No. 10 among Augustana's career points leaders. He was tabbed NSIC player of the week after scoring 52 points and leading the Vikings past the University of Sioux Falls and Southwest State. Included was a career high 36 points against USF.
“Cam is definitely playing at full strength this year,” Billeter says. “He is obviously a huge part of our success as he is the only truly proven scorer we have. He is also the leading returner in minutes played and has definitely been through the wars. So far he is doing a great job of scoring and setting up his teammates.”
McCaffrey and
Leif Nomeland, the only seniors on the 2012-13 roster, shoulder leadership responsibilities.
“We have to set a good example for the younger guys,” McCaffrey says. “The conference schedule is a grind and you have to be ready to bring it every night. You can't spend a lot of time relishing a win or worrying about a loss. It's a consistency thing. We stress that point.”
McCaffrey is on track to graduate in May. He hopes to continue playing basketball, preferably in Europe, and eventually go on to chiropractic school.
In the meantime, he is committed to helping a youthful band of Vikings reach their potential.
“I know how good these young guys are, and I feel we will surprise some people.”
The shots
