McKay and Niang finding connection
Redshirt junior forward Jameel McKay passes the ball under the net during Iowa State’s matchup with Texas on Jan. 26. McKay scored 14 points with one assist, helping the Cyclones to an 89-86 victory against the Longhorns.
January 30, 2015
Near the end of the first half against the Texas Longhorns, Georges Niang got the ball on the high post, pivoted around and lobbed it up toward the rim for Jameel McKay to finish the alley-oop. Less than two minutes later, Niang hit McKay to finish a similar play.
But the play isn’t new to ISU fans. In fact, it was Niang and Melvin Ejim who mastered the play last season. It was against TCU when Ejim dropped a Big 12-record 48 points that Niang found him for three alley-oops. Now, it appears McKay has taken over Ejim’s role as not only the ‘oop’ to Niang’s ‘alley,’ but as a low-post presence.
“I think Jameel McKay is doing a great job around the rim of altering shots and rebounding and really scoring for us,” Niang said. “Him and Dustin [Hogue] are a force to be reckoned with down there so I think if those two keep playing their game, we’re going to be alright.”
