McCoy, The Highest-Rated Freshman On The List, Will Help The Rebels Rebound From The 2016-17 Season
McCoy is a consensus five-star that picked UNLV over some of the nation’s true blue bloods
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An immediate starter, look for McCoy to run away with the newcomer award this season
UNLV freshman center Brandon McCoy is #4 in the MWC Wire Basketball Countdown.
McCoy chose to attend UNLV in the spring over Michigan State, Arizona, Oregon, San Diego State, Kansas, and a number of other programs. He’s a consensus five-star recruit that is the top-rated player in UNLV’s top 20 recruiting class.
McCoy is a McDonald’s All-American and was selected to represent the United States in the U-19 games over the summer. He did far more than show up, displaying his abilities on both ends of the court, and was one of the most efficient players in the entire tournament. McCoy won’t see another McDonald’s All-American or former U-19 player in conference play, so he will always be the most talented player on the floor.
Don’t expect McCoy to put up monster numbers his freshman season. Hoping for anything more than a slash line of about 12.0/7.5/1.5 might be a bit unrealistic. Fellow front court member Shakur Juiston (#18 in the countdown) will likely gather the majority of UNLV rebounds, and either Jovan Mooring (#15) or Jordan Johnson (#16) will lead the Rebs in scoring. If McCoy can be efficient on both ends of the floor while not having to be the go-to guy for the UNLV offense, the Rebels should be in good shape. But if McCoy is the only player scoring the basketball for this squad, it could be another rocky season in Vegas. UNLV’s supporting cast must step up.
- 4 – Brandon McCoy, UNLV
- 5 – Justin James, Wyoming
- 6 – Trey Kell, San Diego State
- 7 – Prentiss Nixon, Colorado State
- 8 – Caleb Martin, Nevada
- 9 – Malik Pope, San Diego State
- 10 – Devin Watson, San Diego State
- 11 – Deshon Taylor, Fresno State
- 12 – Jaron Hopkins, Fresno State
- 13 – Hayden Dalton, Wyoming
- 14 – Jeremy Hemsley, San Diego State
- 15 – Jovan Mooring, UNLV
- 16 – Jordan Johnson, UNLV
- 17 – Lindsey Drew, Nevada
- 18 – Shakur Juiston, UNLV
- 19 – Ryan Welage, San Jose State
- 20 – Sam Logwood, New Mexico
- 21 – Jeremiah Paige, Colorado State
- 22 – Jahmel Taylor, Fresno State
- 23 – Justinian Jessup, Boise State
- 24 – Alan Herndon, Wyoming
- 25 – Dane Kuiper, New Mexico
- Honorable Mentions