SWAC Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

3. Jayveous McKinnis

McKinnis is a 6’7 forward from Brandon, Mississippi who began his collegiate career with a nice run at Jackson State. He joined the Tigers in 2018 and was a consistent part of the program for the next four years, starting virtually every game in their frontcourt and emerging as a top weapon in the SWAC.

Jackson State was in decent shape during McKinnis’s underclassman seasons, as he was good for just under 10 points a game, playing a solid role right off the bat. His junior year was a special one, as he’d lead Jackson State to an unblemished mark in SWAC play, albeit in a pandemic-altered schedule. McKinnis averaged 12.5 points and 13.2 rebounds, including a 19-rebound game against Mississippi Valley State. He had great numbers as a senior in another decent year for the program, again averaging a double-double as well as 2.9 blocks per game.

McKinnis was First Team All-SWAC twice in his career and was the Co-Player of the Year in 2022 as a senior, but it’s his defensive work that was just as impressive. He was named SWAC Defensive Player of the Year in each of his last three seasons with the Tigers, leading the conference in blocks and rebounding in all of those years. He’d spend this past year at Ole Miss and played decently, but certainly didn’t have the same level of impact as he had at the mid-major level.