Four-star guard Isaac McKneely recaps his spring breakout

Expectations were for a breakout to take place for Isaac McKneely on the travel circuit this spring. Thanks to COVID-19, the travel season never got off the ground but the loads of college offers and interest have seemingly found their way to the four-star sophomore.

Unlike some who have been unable to get into the gym throughout the quarantine months, McKneely has stayed ready. Then, on June 15, the first date that college coaches could directly contact members of the 2022 class, all you-know-what broke loose. “It was insane,” McKneely said. “I was getting calls every five minutes from pretty much 8AM to 9PM. It was crazy but it was a good experience.”

Dayton, Creighton, and Illinois are the latest to enter the picture in recent days, though he holds 15 scholarship offers at this time. Among those, McKneely told Rivals.com that Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville, NC State, Ohio State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia have stayed in the most consistent contact with him.

Indiana: “We were on a Zoom (call) with them on the 15th so they were just showing us the campus and how they would put me into their system. It was really good and I like what they have to offer.”

NC State: “They’ve been really involved with me these past few weeks and I really like what I’ve seen from their program. I like the coaches a lot. They’ve been on the phone with me basically every day. Either Coach (Kevin) Keatts or Coach (Mike) Summey are always in contact with me. I really like how involved they are and how dedicated they are to recruiting me.”

Ohio State: “They have been talking to me about that (playing with Bowen Hardman) and if I would still be interested even though he committed. I am and I think that we could play side-by-side pretty well and that our games complement each other.”

Virginia: “I really like Virginia. They have a very good fan base and very good coaches. I really like the coaching staff and the way they play. Actually, my high school coach really likes the way that they play so we do a lot of what they do so it would be a good fit for me.”

Virginia Tech: “That is the closest school to us; that is about two hours and fifteen minutes. I really like them. They have a really good coaching staff and is obviously really close and it would be a really good fit for me. They are a really good option.”

West Virginia: “I really like what they have to offer. It is not too far from home. Just about two and a half hours and it is the home state so it is definitely one that I am going to consider.”

There is still a chance that McKneely gets out onto the travel platform this summer, though much depends on whether the NCAA and NABC will pass methods for live, in-person evaluation throughout September and the fall. If he does, the Poca High standout will be found running with the Wildcats Select program.

He has already taken unofficial visits to Indiana, Ohio State, Virginia, and West Virginia. No others are planned primarily because such visits are impermissible in light of the ongoing pandemic.

A commitment is not expected anytime soon while McKneely continues to enjoy the now pressure packed recruitment that has emerged in his favor. Whenever he does, the receiving program will pick-up a well-rounded scoring guard that brings size and strength to the perimeter. One of the best shooters in his class, he is a capable playmaker that possesses a high-IQ for the game and competes on both sides of the floor.