McKneely talks season, plans to take his OV soon with Traudt

If it feels like four-star guard Isaac McKneely should be heading to Charlottesville soon, that’s probably understandable given how early the 2022 prospect committed to the Wahoos.

Coming off the heels of his impressive junior season, which ended with a tough loss in the state title game, the Poca (WV) standout is every bit as ready to officially become a Wahoo as he is to get one more chance to win that state crown.

“I have a lot left to do even though I’m really excited to get there,” he told CavsCorner this week.

McKneely, currently rated No. 57 overall in his class, announced his commitment to Tony Bennett and the Hoos almost four months ago. In that time, he’s not only grown even more sure of his choice but he’s gone on to win the Bill Evans Award as West Virginia’s player of the year.

Oh, and he did this:

“I think committing before the season made the season a lot easier on me,” he said, “because I think if I had recruiting going on and having to talk to all the coaches, I think that would have taken my focus off the season a little bit. So I think just being able to dial in on my season and only have to focus on that rather than talking to all these coaches and stuff, made it a lot easier for me.

“And obviously Virginia I know is the right choice for me,” McKneely added. “So just being able to know that I have locked in that commitment and will be signing in the fall, it’s just nice to know that. It’s nice to know that I’ve got a place that's the right fit for me.”

Throughout his junior season, McKneely said he benefited not only from the support of his future fanbase but also from the relationships among his teammates.

“The season had a lot of ups and downs,” he explained. “At the beginning of the season, first off we obviously got delayed and we didn't get to start until March. And that kind of took a toll on us I'd say. And then four games into the season, our starting point guard quit on us, so that hurt us a lot. And then we got shut down by COVID a couple of times, and it was just an up and downs season, like I said, and we were just fortunate to be able to have a season and make it all the way to the state title game. The state tournament’s an experience like no other. We were fortunate to be able to get there and play. And it was just a great ride with my brothers and unfortunately we couldn't close it out with the state championship. But we'll be back next year. We return five of our top six guys. So we should have another shot at it next year. But yeah, it was just a great season and I'm really thankful to have had that experience.”

What was unwavering was the support he felt from afar.

“Yeah, there was no doubt in my mind that UVa was the the place for me when I committed, but just all the support from the fans and you guys in the media, people from Virginia, it has been unreal,” McKneely said. “It's just the fans of Virginia are great people. And even after I lost the state championship, for example, everyone was sending me nice messages, like on social media and stuff and all the Virginia fans have just been great to me and my family. So we really appreciate that. That kind of does reassure us that we made the right decision.”

Bennett and his coaches have been in touch throughout, which also helped McKneely not only feel even more comfortable in his decision but also helped him through the way things ended.

“They tried to pick me up,” he said, “and they even told me like some things to help. Coach Bennett said he was going to share some things that he saw that I could work on from it, some things that he saw in state championship game that I could maybe improve because I didn't shoot it very well in that one. I mean, he’s coaching me even before I make it up to Charlottesville. They’ve just been really, really helpful and once again, reassures me that I made the right choice, that I'm going to a great coaching staff and my parents can trust them with me. It’s just a great fit for me.”

One of the benefits of committing so early is getting to go from recruit to recruiter, which is something McKneely did almost immediately.

“Yeah, I remember the day I committed Coach Bennett told me ‘Your role is going to change now. You're going to have to help us out and be a recruiter now’,” he recalled. “And me and Isaac Traudt actually had a relationship previously to my commitment. We had offers from similar schools. So we kind of reached out to each other and talked about that a little bit. So me and him already knew each other. And then like Austin Nunez, for example, me and him have built a friendship through me recruiting him and I'm trying to get him to come play with us. So yeah, I'm really embracing the role and it's been a lot of fun building these relationships and hopefully I can build a heck of a 22 class to come with me.”

So if he was picking and choosing in 2022, who would he bring with him?

“Well, I know for a fact we need ‘Isaac Squared’ up in Charlottesville,” he said. “Austin Nunez, I want him. I know, they're recruiting Justin Taylor, he's a Charlottesville kid. He would be a good fit for us as well. So I think us four together would be a heck of a class.”

The sense of urgency is there even if he won’t actually be headed to school for another year.

“I honestly can't wait until I can get up there but also obviously we didn't win the state championship this year, so I want to get that done next season,” he said. “But like I said, I can't wait to get up there and play in a Virginia uniform. And it really does feel like I should be leaving because I committed really early. Still got a whole other season, a whole other year, until I'll be going out there. But I can't get up there but I’ve got one more year here in Poca.”

But McKneely will be back soon, as he plans to take his official visit soon and at a very specific time.

“Yeah I’m going to be there whenever Isaac Traudt's there,” he said. “I'm taking an official visit that weekend as well.

“I just can't wait to get there in the first place,” McKneely added later. “It’s been forever. I toured the campus in January before I completed but obviously I couldn't talk to Coach Bennett or any of them. But I just can't wait to see the facilities. They’ve got a new weight room so I can't wait to see that. And honestly, the main point, I want to see the coaches as well as the players. I want to get around the players so I can talk to them. I’ve been talking with them on social media, but I want to get around them and get a feel for them and build some relationships before I even get there. So that's the big point for me in going on this visit. I just can't wait to get out there.”

As fans do, the chance to have both Isaacs at UVa is too good not to daydream about. And McKneely is right there with you.

“I’ll try to get it done,” he said with a laugh. “We’ll see.”

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