Stats for 2019
34 GP 28.1 MPG 9.4 PTS 2.7 REB 3.9 AST 2.0 STL .02 BLK 2.5 TO 45.2 FG% 64.1 FT% 26.9 3P%
Quincy McKnight entered this season as a major question mark to Seton Hall fans. Few had ever seen him play but most knew that he came to Seton Hall with a reputation as a mostly inefficient high volume scorer at mid major Scared Heart. Stats further tainted by his incredibly poor assist to turnover ratio that probably was exacerbated by the need for him to dominate the ball for the Pioneers.
With those type numbers playing at his natural 2G position few could imagine him having a positive impact at the Hall competing against higher quality opposition as he would face in the Big East. Especially as a position switch was in the offering to point guard, critical to a team with no players returning there.
Common consensus was that McKnight would be little more than a place holder until freshmen Anthony Nelson, a 3 star recruit and natural PG would be ready to take over the reigns of running the Pirate's offense. But as often is the case the best laid plans don't always work out as expected and to the surprise of many McKnight, or Q as he became known, showed everyone a grit and determination that made him arguably the second best Pirate, albeit by some distance, to SHU's star player Myles Powell.
McKnight's transition from staring 2G to a role playing PG at a higher level by no means went smoothly. But that doesn't mean it wasn't a success. A success in fact that helped lead the team though a season that far outperformed preseason projections.
Much of Q's personal success and by extension the team's came not on the offensive side of the ball but on the other end of the court where McKnight was in strong consideration for Big East DPOY, falling one spot short to St John's Justin Simon. There McKnight dominated many of the star guards he faced on a nightly basis. Maybe no stronger indication of that than his holding the conference's POY Marcus Howard to 10-46 shooting in 3 games which included a ghastly 1-15 effort in the Hall's close upset victory of #2 seed Marquette in the semi finals of the Big East tournament at MSG.
Now with that said there were warts in Q's season and most of them came late as his shooting percentage from the field, the arc and the foul line dipped drastically down the stretch. A major issue on a offensively challenged team as the Pirates are.
In short it's clear that McKnight is not a natural PG. But it's just as clear that he was without a doubt the best choice to play that position as the roster is currently constructed. And the team owes him a tremendous debt of gratitude for his completely revamping his game to play a position that was foreign to him while doing so against far stronger competition than he faced at Sacred Heart.
Q is by no means a perfect PG for the Pirates, but to not see how important he was to this team through effort, leadership and results would be simply turning a blind eye to a major reason the Pirates finished 2018/19 with a record of 20-14 and it's for that reason I give Quincy McKnight a B+ in his initial year at the Hall.
Comments?
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
34 GP 28.1 MPG 9.4 PTS 2.7 REB 3.9 AST 2.0 STL .02 BLK 2.5 TO 45.2 FG% 64.1 FT% 26.9 3P%
Quincy McKnight entered this season as a major question mark to Seton Hall fans. Few had ever seen him play but most knew that he came to Seton Hall with a reputation as a mostly inefficient high volume scorer at mid major Scared Heart. Stats further tainted by his incredibly poor assist to turnover ratio that probably was exacerbated by the need for him to dominate the ball for the Pioneers.
With those type numbers playing at his natural 2G position few could imagine him having a positive impact at the Hall competing against higher quality opposition as he would face in the Big East. Especially as a position switch was in the offering to point guard, critical to a team with no players returning there.
Common consensus was that McKnight would be little more than a place holder until freshmen Anthony Nelson, a 3 star recruit and natural PG would be ready to take over the reigns of running the Pirate's offense. But as often is the case the best laid plans don't always work out as expected and to the surprise of many McKnight, or Q as he became known, showed everyone a grit and determination that made him arguably the second best Pirate, albeit by some distance, to SHU's star player Myles Powell.
McKnight's transition from staring 2G to a role playing PG at a higher level by no means went smoothly. But that doesn't mean it wasn't a success. A success in fact that helped lead the team though a season that far outperformed preseason projections.
Much of Q's personal success and by extension the team's came not on the offensive side of the ball but on the other end of the court where McKnight was in strong consideration for Big East DPOY, falling one spot short to St John's Justin Simon. There McKnight dominated many of the star guards he faced on a nightly basis. Maybe no stronger indication of that than his holding the conference's POY Marcus Howard to 10-46 shooting in 3 games which included a ghastly 1-15 effort in the Hall's close upset victory of #2 seed Marquette in the semi finals of the Big East tournament at MSG.
Now with that said there were warts in Q's season and most of them came late as his shooting percentage from the field, the arc and the foul line dipped drastically down the stretch. A major issue on a offensively challenged team as the Pirates are.
In short it's clear that McKnight is not a natural PG. But it's just as clear that he was without a doubt the best choice to play that position as the roster is currently constructed. And the team owes him a tremendous debt of gratitude for his completely revamping his game to play a position that was foreign to him while doing so against far stronger competition than he faced at Sacred Heart.
Q is by no means a perfect PG for the Pirates, but to not see how important he was to this team through effort, leadership and results would be simply turning a blind eye to a major reason the Pirates finished 2018/19 with a record of 20-14 and it's for that reason I give Quincy McKnight a B+ in his initial year at the Hall.
Comments?
https://setonhall.rivals.com/
