Virginia
OSU men’s basketball adds transfer guard Sean McNeil of West Virginia
Ohio State has bolstered its backcourt with the addition of West Virginia switch guard Sean McNeil.
A 3-year participant who began the final two seasons for the Mountaineers, the 6-3, 205-pound McNeil averaged 12.2 factors per recreation in every of the final two seasons. He joins the Buckeyes with one yr of eligibility remaining.
“I really feel like there’s different components of my recreation I nonetheless haven’t been in a position to faucet into but,” he instructed The Dispatch. “I would like to have the ability to show on the most important stage what I’m totally able to, what I’ve in my arsenal. I wish to have the liberty and perception the teaching employees believes in me to possibly make a mistake or two and permit me to play by means of it with freedom and confidence.”
McNeil introduced his dedication through social media after visiting the Buckeyes through the weekend. His go to wrapped up Sunday afternoon.
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“I simply actually loved the teaching employees,” McNeil mentioned. “The hospitality was nice. I obtained to fulfill among the guys that they at the moment have and I felt like our bond was already there. We had a connection already. Columbus is a good metropolis. Ohio State has had quite a lot of success right here with basketball as of late and I’m excited to get to Columbus and proceed that and construct on it.”
Whereas at Ohio State, McNeil mentioned he obtained to spend time at coach Chris Holtmann’s home, the place he obtained to know sixth-year ahead Justice Sueing and third-year middle Zed Key.
A local of Union, Kentucky, McNeil was ranked the No. 54 total switch and a four-star prospect in accordance with EvanMiya.com. He’s the second switch to decide to the Buckeyes through the offseason, becoming a member of Wright State’s Tanner Holden. He’s ranked No. 73 nationally and likewise a four-star prospect.
As a third-year participant, McNeil shot 36.8% from 3-point vary and averaged 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 32 video games for West Virginia. He additionally dedicated 1.1 fouls per 40 minutes, the third-lowest mark within the nation in accordance with KenPom.com. McNeil additionally averaged a career-high 33.6 minutes per recreation.
Throughout the second spherical of the 2021 NCAA Match, McNeil scored 23 factors on 7-of-13 capturing from 3-point vary as No. 3 seed West Virginia misplaced to No. 11 seed Syracuse, 75-72.
“Clearly what I convey is capturing and scoring, however being a playmaker, having the ability to come off ball screens and simply being a pacesetter,” McNeil mentioned when requested about his envisioned function this season. “I’m an older man. That’s what they’re going to take a look at me at. I’ll have quite a lot of duty and there’s an enormous function to fill, however I’m prepared for it. That’s a problem I needed to just accept.”
He has additionally performed towards Ohio State: Throughout his first season with West Virginia, he scored 6 factors in 12 minutes because the Mountaineers beat the Buckeyes, 67-59, in a recreation performed Dec. 29, 2019, at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
“Ohio State was a heck of a workforce,” he mentioned. “It was a bodily recreation. It was a brawl. That’s one thing that I believe will translate over effectively for me as a result of clearly we play bodily right here at West Virginia.”
Previous to signing with West Virginia, attended McNeil Sinclair Neighborhood School in Dayton, the place he averaged 29.7 factors per recreation, tops amongst junior faculty Division II gamers.
McNeil’s addition comes two days after graduate ahead Seth Cities instructed The Dispatch that he’ll return for a seventh season with the Buckeyes, who are actually beginning to solidify their roster after shedding a number of gamers to commencement, the NBA draft and the switch portal.
Ohio State stays within the hunt for a publish participant through the portal to finalize its roster for the 2022-23 season.
With the additions of Holden, Cities and now McNeil, CBSSports’ Jon Rothstein has moved Ohio State to No. 20 in his preseason rankings.
ajardy@dispatch.com