In the fall leading up to the National Championship Season, Tony Bennett and his coaches knew that De’Andre Hunter would be entering the NBA draft after the season. They knew they were going to have to replace him, but they didn’t have a scholarship available, and they couldn’t give his until he officially announced. What they could do, though, was scout the available players and make contingency plans. They could set up a “draft board” of prospects to jump on as soon as they could offer the scholarship.

Justin McKoy was at the top of that board. They had recruited him the previous summer until Kadin Shedrick took the last scholarship, then he had committed to Penn State. He subsequently decommitted and was available when Hunter’s scholarship opened up. Bennett pounced and stole him out from under NC State and UNC. The spring recruiting battle was far more intense between ACC teams than one might expect for a virtually unrated player.

Nobody expected McKoy to come in and play a major role right away, and he didn’t. When he did play, it was almost exclusively as a blocker. Justin is 6-8 with a big frame who came into UVA with an ACC-ready physique. Starting him out closer to the basket where he played the most in high school was a good move, even though he has good perimeter skills. Long-term, he’s probably going to be more a blocker than a mover going forward. He was signed with De’Andre Hunter’s scholarship, but he’s a different player.

What He Brings

The answer to this section requires two parts: What we saw on the court last season; and, What he showed in high school and AAU. Justin didn’t play enough to really show us his full game or how what we saw in high school will translate to the ACC. What he showed on the floor last season was positive energy that manifested in enthusiasm, hustle, physical play and good ball-winning. At times he reminded one of a young Isaiah Wilkins out there. As mentioned above, Justin brings a big, strong frame to the floor, which stands him in good stead as a post, and should allow him to bully wings when he gets into a mover role.

In his high school and AAU performances, Justin showed himself to be a player who did well against top competition, rose to the moment, and could play a versatile game. He brings the ability to hit the three, get to the basket, operate in transition, and score in the post. He has a good handle and looks to pass, although he was prone to trying to do too much and making some bad decisions. He was a strong rebounder and willing defender.

It will be interesting to see what Justin’s role is. He keeps getting mentioned in interviews by coaches and unofficial team spokesman Sam Hauser. The backup post roles behind Jay Huff and Hauser are wide open, and the wing is also wide open. Kody Stattmann and freshman Jabri Abdur-Rahim are the only pure wing forwards on the roster, while the prospect of a three-guard set is limited by a similar lack of established roles. Justin’s flexibility should give Bennett a lot of options, now that the player has a full year in the system.

What I Would Like to See More

I would really like to see more of Justin this year. I liked the energy he brought to the floor. It was not only hustle and positivity, but there was a “don’t fuck with me” toughness that would be welcome. I especially would like to see Justin on the wing with Huff and Hauser. That would be a big, edgy, highly competitive and versatile frontcourt.

Last season, I was a little disappointed that we didn’t see Justin at the wing, and that he didn’t try a single three-point shot. He was a good shooter in high school, and I would like to see him take that shot this year. I want everyone on the floor to be a capable three-point shooter, especially as a wing.

What I Would Like to See Less

It is difficult to give a good answer for this section on a player who played so little. The one thing I could say is that sometimes he rushed his shots and didn’t hit as many as I would like to see when so many are in close. Also, I felt sometimes that he bailed out into a short or medium-range jumper when he would have been better going into the lane or passing off and trying to get better position.

Expected Role

This might be the most difficult season for projecting roles that we’ve had in years. So much is up in the air with players who don’t have a lot of experience, players who have to develop, new players, and some difficulty in differentiating between players. That said, Justin has a big opportunity to get into the rotation at one or both of the forward positions. While there are four other post candidates, only one of them is a true forward. Hauser obviously is going to start at the big forward spot, but who is going to back him up? Caffaro is as pure a five as it gets and while the staff says Kadin Shedrick can be a four, he too is much more of a five than a four, and he’s going to have trouble handling smaller, perimeter-oriented fours.

So that creates an opportunity for Justin. The only other competition he would have for the four would be Trey Murphy (if he doesn’t redshirt as planned), Kody or Jabri, none of whom has any history as a post player, and all of whom give up a lot in frame to Justin. You have to think he has the inside track on the 10 minutes per game Hauser will be catching a breather.

There is also an opportunity at the wing forward, with Kody and Jabri (and Trey?) also being the main competition here. If Justin can shoot the three consistently and Kody doesn’t dramatically improve his marksmanship, Justin’s size and strength will be attractive at the position. He doesn’t give up much of anything in ballhandling or lateral quickness to Kody. Jabri is a rookie, and we all know that year of experience is a big advantage.

I think we’ll see Justin bull his way into the rotation for 10-15 minutes per game. He will probably play mostly as a blocker, but I will be surprised if he doesn’t see regular time as a mover this season.

Final Analysis

Justin McKoy is a big, talented, energetic, conscientious, versatile player with a lot of growth potential in his game. This is a big year for him to make a move and establish himself in the rotation. If he can start to show what he did in high level competition before college, he will surprise a lot of people. He is a player who can drop 15 to 20 points on a given night with a combination of threes, putbacks, post play, drives and free throws.

I tried to find a way to work a “the Real McKoy” in there, but it just felt too corny.