Iowa State’s McKay a ‘smarter’ shot-blocker

AMES - Timing is almost everything when it comes to blocking shots.

As the ball leaves the outstretched arm of the opponent near the lane, it's vital to get the feel for exactly the right moment to jump up to contest it.

Jameel McKay has made his name based on his instinctual nature when it comes to the art of a well-timed blocked shot. But timing is only almost everything.

'Sometimes if you run out and even if you block the shot or you tip it, you left your man,” McKay said. 'You have to kind of know you can get this and at least throw it out of bounds or tap it to a teammate. Sometimes jumping up to a shot and you hit it, it still lands to your man and it's a finish.

'You just have to be really smart.”

Offense is where Iowa State made its hay through the last few seasons, which first-year coach Steve Prohm doesn't intend to change. What Prohm has tried to instill in his veteran squad is an attention to detail on defense that has lacked at times in the last four seasons.

McKay finds himself in the middle of the emphasis on defense. At 6-foot-9, 225 pounds and with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, the 23-year-old senior is nearly an ideal presence in the middle. The No. 7 Cyclones have plenty of talent ranging from Georges Niang and Monte Morris to Naz Mitrou-Long and Abdel Nader, but McKay separates himself with his motor.

'The energy he provides, his personality and his ability to play extremely hard on both ends of the floor,” Prohm said. 'I think he's got a chance to develop offensively and finish plays around the basket. So I think he's huge part so I'm just hoping he can have a monster senior year for us.”

McKay had 59 blocks in 25 games after becoming eligible Dec. 20 last season and had enough blocks to be fifth on the ISU all-time list in blocks in a season - the first with that many since Jared Homan had 58 in 2003.

A higher shot-blocking I.Q. has made McKay more selective, but also more creative in how to affect shots. He could feel himself locate rebounds easier when he simply contested every shot instead of going for a block every time, which led to an increased rebounding presence.

The Milwaukee, Wis., native led the Cyclones with 7.6 rebounds last season, but grabbed 9.7 boards per game after earning a starting role in February. Patience was McKay's ally in contesting shots and that's when his impact really started to be felt.

His teammates provide the perfect stable of shooters to practice shot blocking, and in turn they've been able to develop a bit more as perimeter players. Mitrou-Long remembers seeing highlights of McKay from junior college, but it didn't quite compare to live action.

The Cyclones are hoping McKay's next step could be just as impactful.

'I hadn't seen anybody who could go up and get Georges' shots and I saw him get it a couple times,” Mitrou-Long said. 'From then on, I knew he was special.”

No. 7 Iowa State plays Chicago State at 7 p.m. Monday in Hilton Coliseum.

l Comments: montzdylan@gmail.com