Two years ago, Quincy McKnight made the decision to venture out of his home state for the first time in his basketball career. Leaving a school where he was the undisputed star of the team to take a step up in competition was a risk, but a necessary one for McKnight to get a chance at opportunities like the one he will have when Seton Hall takes the floor on Thursday night.
The 2018-19 season has been one of firsts for McKnight. After spending two years at Sacred Heart, the Bridgeport, Conn. Native found himself in South Orange, playing in the Big East and going up against some of the top players the country has to offer. For the first time, McKnight was on a team that could stand a chance against top-tier programs such as Kentucky and Maryland. For the first time, he would endure the rigors of Big East play and the physical and mental toll that comes along with it. McKnight’s most recent first came this past week, as he took the floor under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden for the Big East Tournament. Now, McKnight’s next first will be one that every kid dreams of when they pick up a basketball for the first time: playing in the NCAA Tournament.
McKnight won’t just be appearing in his first NCAA Tournament, he will play an integral role in Seton Hall’s ability to knock off No. 7 seed Wofford and advance to the Round of 32. McKnight has emerged as a solid presence at point guard and defensive stopper who can give any opponent fits. He had a good case for Big East Defensive Player of the Year and would’ve been a shoo-in for the honor if it weren’t for the outstanding play of St. John’s forward Justin Simon. McKnight’s play in the Big East Tournament earned him a spot on the All-Tournament team and much like the rest of Seton Hall’s roster, he is playing his best basketball of the season at the right time. Every team that has matched up with Seton Hall this season knows what McKnight is capable of. Pretty soon, he’ll have the chance to showcase his game in front of a national audience.
“I’m real excited,” McKnight said. “I just went through my first Big East Tournament. It was great, we made it to the finals and it didn’t end how we wanted it to end, but we just have to take that punch on the chin and keep pushing.”
With his defensive prowess, McKnight routinely draws the opponent’s best scorer. In three games against Big East Player of the Year Markus Howard, McKnight held the Marquette point guard to a 24 percent field goal percentage and 21 percent from beyond the three-point line. In the first-half of the Big East Championship game, McKnight limited Villanova star Phil Booth to one point on 0 for 5 shooting before being forced to sit for most of the second half after tweaking his groin. Healthy again, McKnight will once again draw Wofford’s best scorer, a challenge that he relishes.
“It’s a great accomplishment for me, knowing that my teammates and coach have a lot of confidence in me to go out and guard the best player all the time,” McKnight said.
Fletcher McGee is the player McKnight will be tasked with containing on Thursday. Recently named one of the Top 25 players in the NCAA Tournament by Bleacher Report, McGee hails from a mid-major conference, but has high-major scoring ability. The New York Post has gone as far as labeling McGee as Wofford’s version of Stephen Curry, while Seton Hall head coach Kevin Willard has likened McGee’s shooting ability to Myles Powell’s.
McGee has the skill set to send Seton Hall packing and become one of the stars of this year’s tournament. If McKnight has anything to say about that, McGee will be the one heading home early. Having dealt with the likes of Howard and Booth throughout the season, McKnight is no stranger to guarding elite scorers. Since he has not played against McGee before, McKnight will have to formulate a unique approach to slowing down Wofford’s star. The key in doing so will be film preparation, figuring out McGee’s weaknesses and forcing him out of his game.
“You can tell just by his personnel clips that he’s a shooter, a pure shooter,” McKnight said. “He’s good off the dribble putting it up, his little fadeaways, coming off down screens, stuff like that. He does this little jump to the right on his three-point shot, which is kind of different. We haven’t played anyone like that who catches and shoots off down screens like he does. He’s definitely going to create some problems like that, but coach is going to draw up a good defensive scheme and I know we’re going to do good.”
McGee has struggled shooting the ball against Power 6 opponents this season, going 10-49 (20 percent) from beyond the three-point line. There shouldn’t be a notion that he is unguardable, but McGee is not the only player who makes Wofford tick offensively. Junior Storm Murphy excels at setting up McGee for good looks and if you give him space from beyond the three-point line, he’ll make you pay. Nathan Hoover also thrives in an off-ball role in the wing, while Chevez Goodwin and Cameron Jackson provide solid frontcourt play.
“They’re definitely a good team,” McKnight said. “It’s definitely going to be a good test for us. They’re a real good shooting team, we have to rebound the ball well and stick to our gameplan of getting out and containing them.”
Sometimes, all it takes is one NCAA Tournament appearance to turn into a star. In a year that has provided him so many new opportunities, McKnight has the chance to go from an underrated Big East guard to a nationally known lockdown defender if all goes well against Wofford.
Tyler Calvaruso can be reached at tyler.calvaruso@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @tyler_calvaruso.
