Morgantown, West Virginia – Isaac McKneely, the 6’4 combo guard from Poca, West Virginia, will make his college commitment Saturday afternoon at 2:00PM, but it doesn’t look good for West Virginia fans.
McKneely, who is a four star prospect and is currently ranked as the 51st ranked recruit in the entire nation, is almost certainly not going to choose the Mountaineers today, despite an incredible effort by Bob Huggins and staff to lure him to Morgantown.
Instead, McKneely reportedly has his sights set on the Virginia Cavaliers. National recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy said the following of McKneely’s top contenders:
1. Virginia – “The smart money is certainly on the Cavaliers, as McKneely has long been intrigued by the program’s mix of academic prestige, basketball success and relative proximity to home. His physical brand of basketball seems to fit Tony Bennett’s style and the four-star prospect has a strong relationship with the head coach. Most following McKneely’s recruitment would be moderately stunned if another school found a way to beat out UVA at the 11th hour.”
2. West Virginia – “Bob Huggins and company seem like the only program with anything resembling a real, legitimate chance to steal McKneely from Virginia. It would be a bit of a surprise, but it can’t be ruled out. The Mountaineers are the in-state school and were among the first programs to offer the Rivals150 guard a scholarship. Huggins’ reputation as an ace recruiter didn’t come about for no reason, and WVU usually does well with in-state prospects.”
While Virginia and West Virginia are McKneely’s clear top-two choices, it appears that Virginia is the expected destination right now. McKneely’s decision to announce his commitment at 2:00PM – the exact start time of West Virginia’s game against Florida – is another clear indication that it will not be the Mountaineers.
McKneely has a bright future wherever he chooses to go, but of course we hope that he stays home and represents his home state in Morgantown!
