McKneely shoots way out of slump, still No. 3 nationally

By Jerry Ratcliffe

IMac is back, and that spells trouble for opposing ACC defenses.

Virginia sophomore sharpshooter Isaac McKneely was in a four-game slump, partially due to how some teams defended him, which likely got into his head. Prior to the slump, McKneely was leading the nation in 3-point field-goal percentage at nearly 60 percent, an almost unfathomable number.

Northeastern was the first thorn in his saddle, smothering him nearly every time he caught the ball out at the arc, a strategy that Penny Hardaway’s Memphis team used in shutting out McKneely from the perimeter (0 for 5). During the four-game stretch, IMac was 5 for 20 from the arc, only 25 percent, which is definitely not the IMac that Virginia fans were accustomed to watching.

He had become so automatic that it was almost a shock if his shot didn’t go in. In fact, he was so hot for a short span that freshman teammate Elijah Gertrude commented, “McKneely, he’s an alien, he’s not from here. I don’t know where he’s from. He hit four 3’s in like three minutes and 30 seconds. Oh my God, I don’t even know what to say.”

Gertrude wasn’t the only one spellbound by the West Virginia product’s shooting skills, which returned Wednesday night in UVA’s rout of visiting Louisville. McKneely was 4 for 7 from the 3-point line and finished with 18 points.

Even though he went through that temporary skid, he’s still No. 3 nationally in 3-point shooting percentage at 48.57 and is only one more make from tying for first.

Certainly the 6-foot-4 shooter felt good about his performance and so did Virginia. The Cavaliers are undefeated (10-0) when IMac makes at least two 3-pointers. They are 0-3 when he doesn’t, a good indicator of how things are with this team.

McKneely’s first three of the night against Louisville came at the 9:38 mark of the first half when the Cardinals went zone. His shot triggered a 10-2 run that allowed UVA to open a 10-point bulge. The other three triples came in the second half, although his buzzer-beater at the half was ruled a two, rather than a three. Otherwise, he would be tied for No. 1 nationally in percentage heading into Saturday’s game at NC State.

For McKneely, watching the first one go down was a confidence-builder for the evening.

“It definitely does help the confidence for sure,” IMac said afterward. “When you have a few games like that where you’re not shooting it too well, a game like this is where you bounce back definitely helps the confidence. Moving forward, I think that will help.”

Not all of McKneely’s shots were from Bonusphere, though. He made three other field goals, something he has worked on since summer in hoping to expand his offensive game.

One was nearly a 3-pointer, another was a mid-range jumper and one was a drive to the paint for a short jumper, a nice repertoire of shot selection for a guy who has carved out an early reputation as a sniper.

“Coming into the season I wanted to showcase that I’m not just a shooter,” McKneely said. “Teams are starting to take notice, and so they’re starting to get up in me and close out really hard. I think that creates opportunities for me to use my shot fake or use my pull up and so I can show I’m not just a shooter.”