A middle-school coach dubbed Virginia recruit Isaac McKneely “Ice,” and the nickname stuck.
“I guess I’ve kind of lived up to that name. I want the ball in my hands at the end of the game. That’s kind of my time,” said McKneely, the 2021 winner of the Bill Evans Award, which goes to the West Virginia high school basketball player of the year.
The announcement last week adds McKneely’s name to a list that includes former Virginia Tech guard Bimbo Coles, NFL Hall of Famer Randy Moss and Jim Miller, the MVP of the East Regional on UVA’s surprise 1984 Final Four team who now serves as the color commentator on Virginia basketball radio broadcasts.
“There’s some great names on there. For me to be a part of that is just kind of, it’s crazy, honestly, to think about,” said McKneely, who averaged 21.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game this spring at Poca High School, which made it to the Group AA state title game, falling to top-ranked Williamstown, 50-47, in the championship tilt.
It was a tough slog for McKneely and his Poca teammates on the way there. The team lost its starting point guard, Noah Rittinger, who left the team three games into the season, forcing McKneely to move from the two to one to run the offense.
He also had to battle through injuries to his heel, ankle and hand, as the team had to endure two COVID-protocol shutdowns, the second taking away the squad’s final four regular season games.
Poca got to the state title game with a little bit of “Ice” running through its veins – McKneely hit a game-winning three with 1.7 seconds left to lift the Dots to a 42-40 win over Charleston Catholic in the state semifinals.
McKneely, a four-star recruit who ranks 49th nationally in the 247Sports composite ranking for the Class of 2022, had already announced his commitment to Virginia before the delayed March 5 start to the West Virginia prep hoops season.
The word came down on Twitter on Jan. 30, though it sounds from talking to McKneely that the decision was one that had been in the works for some time before.
“They first started recruiting me right after they won the national championship (in 2019). Obviously that was very appealing to me,” McKneely said.
“Just look at the track record of Coach Bennett and the guards he’s produced there, any position, just all the people having success in the NBA,” McKneely said. “I just knew that was the best fit for me, and I ended up making the decision pretty early. Coach, man, he’s one of the best coaches in the country, and I trust playing for him, and I know he’s going to do what’s best for me.”
Now with a year of experience running the point, we can call McKneely a combo guard. He’ll remind you a bit of a Malcolm Brogdon with his size (6’4”) and the old man in his game.
His high school coach, Allen Osborne, runs a mover-blocker offense and pack-line defense similar to what Bennett uses at Virginia, so McKneely should avoid the issues that a lot of incoming Virginia players face having to learn the complex approach.
“It’s definitely going to be a big jump from high school to college, but I think just knowing the offense and the defense, pretty much what Coach Bennett wants to do, I think that’s going to be a big advantage for me moving on to the next level, and make it a lot easier to come in and contribute my freshman year,” McKneely said.
His focus with the coming AAU summer season is improving his game and also working on putting on weight and lean muscle, knowing that he’ll have to play bigger than his current 6’4”, 175 when he’s in the ACC.
One thing you’ll like about McKneely: for all the hype about being “Ice,” he wants to play defense.
“That’s a big key to Virginia success,” McKneely said. “I just have to continue to get better and better on the defensive end and. Coach Osborne usually put me on the other team’s best player. That’s what I want him to do. I want that challenge. And hopefully I can just continue to get better and better each day on the defensive side so I can come in Virginia and contribute.”
Story by Chris Graham
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