Seton Hall Basketball: How impactful can Quincy McKnight be?
Seton Hall basketball bid farewell to an elite senior class this offseason. How will Sacred Heart transfer Quincy McKnight impact the program this year?
Seton Hall basketball is entering what seems to be a transition year. With the departures of Angel Delgado, Khadeen Carrington, Desi Rodriguez, and Ismael Sanogo this offseason, the Pirates need to replace a massive amount of talent. And even though many are projecting the program to experience a down season due to these losses, there are several pieces that could help take the team to its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
In my opinion, though, the x-factor for the team this year will be Quincy McKnight, a transfer guard from Sacred Heart who sat out this past season. Due to the presences of Myles Powell and Taurean Thompson, he might not be the most talented player but he is the one that could dramatically raise the ceiling of the roster.
A star scorer in the Northeast Conference prior to transferring, McKnight averaged 18.9 points per game in his last season of action (2016-17). And despite the fact that he was not the most efficient scorer, he did drop in these numbers on solid shooting slashes (FG%/3P%/FT%) of .429/.321/.775). The question remains, though, how production can McKnight be in a much more challenging conference like the Big East.
In McKnight’s two-year career with the Pioneers, he competed in three games against major conference opponents while posting high-quality outings:
- 2015-16 at UConn: 11 points (5-for-14 FG), 3 rebounds, and 2 assists
- 2015-16 at Northwestern: 15 points (5-for-9 FG), 5 rebounds, and 3 assists
- 2016-17 at Arizona: 22 points (8-for-13 FG), 4 rebounds, and 3 assists
If these numbers are any indication, then McKnight could be in for a strong year with the Pirates. And considering the program only brings back one player who averaged more than five points per game last season, McKnight dropping in double-digit scoring outings per night would be massive for the team’s potential. At the same rate, though, finishing second or third on the team in scoring may be a lot to ask out of the junior guard.
Yet, it may be what is necessary if Seton Hall is to compete for an NCAA Tournament bid this season. Myles Powell will surely get his points but he will need help, especially on the perimeter. In my opinion, McKnight will need to be a strong scorer from the jump this season in order for the Pirates to remain relevant in the scope of Bracketology. Head coach Kevin Willard put together a challenging non-conference schedule for his team this year and they will need McKnight to be at his best right away.
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With an entire year of development under his belt thanks to sitting out last year due to transfer rules, we could see a few added tricks up McKnight’s sleeve this year and will be an exciting player to watch. While it seems impossible to project just how impactful he will be, his importance heading into this year should not be understated.