By Dave Morrison, West Virginia Sports Writer’s Association
POCA –Allen Osborne remembers the first time he noticed Isaac McKneely and the Poca basketball coach knew he had someone special on his hands.
“He was attending our basketball camp as a fifth grader,” Osborne said. “His skill level was superior to those in his age group, and we moved him up to play with older campers. Since then, I have watched him through middle school and high school, and he continues to elevate his game.”
And he continues to be superior to players in his age group.
For the second year, McKneely has been tabbed as the winner of the Evans Award, given to the state’s top basketball player of the year by the West Virginia Sports Writer’s Association. He is the first repeat winner since Randy Moss in 1994 and 1995, but Moss shared the 1994 award with Woodrow Wilson’s Anthony Scruggs. McKneely is the first outright double winner since Jeff Schneider of Washington Irving won the award in 1977-78.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” McKneely said. “To be able to win it twice, especially when there are so many great players in the state to choose from, is special and to be mentioned in the same breath with Randy Moss or Jeff Schneider is truly an honor.”
McKneely, who signed to continue his career at the University of Virginia, easily won the award in balloting conducted across the WVSWA body. Finishing well behind McKneely was a distinguished group that included Cabell Midland’s Chandler Schmidt, Shady Spring’s Braden Chapman, Morgantown’s Alec Poland, James Monroe’s Eli Allen, and Webster County’s Rye Gadd.
“I remember playing in the Poca Youth League and I was always the best player there, but if you would have told me that I would have all these accomplishments – to win the player of the year, to sign with Virginia – I wouldn’t have believed it. I don’t know why God choose to bless me like thus but I’m going to continue to thank Him.”
McKneely averaged 20.8 points per game for the Dots, but that scoring average is not what separates McKneely.
It’s his efficiency and willingness to do whatever he needs to do to win.
McKneely averaged just 13 shots per game.
And if average is important consider this one. McKneely averaged 1.5 points per shot attempt.
Not that McKneely can’t score. You don’t total 1,845 points (a 20.4 career average) by not having the ability to score. It’s just not what motivates McKneely.
“Sometimes I’d like him to be a little more aggressive about scoring, but he does all the thigs we need to do to win games and you don’t change that,” Osborne said. “He wants the ball in critical situations. If he needs to score, he can do that. If he wanted to, he could average 30 points a game. If he shot 20-25 times a game, he could do that. That’s not his game. He wants to win.”
It’s what McKneely considers playing the game “the right way.”
McKneely also averages 6.1 rebounds per game and 3.3 assists.
“I just want to win a championship, that’s what really drives me,” said McKneely. “Losing (in the championship game to Williamstown, 50-47 last May) really fueled us. I always tell people that after that loss most of us were in the gym Monday shooting. It’s what drove us in the off season and what has driven us this season.”
Poca (23-1) is back in the state tournament where they are the top seed in Class AA and will face Magnolia Tuesday at 7:15 p.m.
McKneely said he often watches his future team, Virginia, and envisions how he will fit into the Cavaliers program. He tells those who inquire he envisions himself as a player like Kyle Guy, the two-guard on Virginia’s 2019 national championship team.
Virginia fended off McKneely suitors and blue bloods such as Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Purdue, Indiana, Illinois and homestanding West Virginia because McKneely felt at home there.
“I had a lot of god schools to choose from but when I sat down and thought about it, it was clear that (Virginia) is where I should be,” McKneely said. “It was the best of all worlds. Coach (Tony) Bennett and the coaches are great, they were honest and are good Christian men. They run a lot of the same stuff that we run here. It felt right.”
Osborne, who coached Poca luminaries like Tim Dagostine, Tim McNeely and brother duos Luke and Noah Frampton, Noah and Ricky Cottrill and Elijah and Jason Cuffee, said he is honored to have had the opportunity to coach a player like McKneely.
“He is a great teammate and extremely humble young man,” Osborne said. “He is extremely coachable and has a great desire to be as good as he can be. His attitude is tremendous. Off the court, he is a 4.2 student and leader in our school. He’s just an outstanding young man.”
McKneely will be honored at the 75th annual Victory Awards Dinner on May 1 at the Embassy Suites in Charleston.
