Redshirt junior Jameel McKay will make both his ISU debut and his Division-I debut Dec. 20 at the Big Four Classic in Des Moines.

McKay has not played an official game at any level for 22 months but after a long and patient wait, his time has arrived.

Ironically, it comes against the one team with which McKay is familiar.

Drake’s full roster participated in the YMCA Capital City Men’s Basketball League in West Des Moines this summer, the same league Iowa State utilizes for its players.

McKay earned experience playing against all of Drake’s players throughout the course of the summer on his way to capturing the league’s MVP award as well as leading his team to the league title.

Iowa State and Drake players were split evenly across all rosters, so McKay’s competitive experience with the Bulldogs came two at a time instead of against the full, cohesive unit.

Still, the Drake players know all to well what to expect from McKay, who spent most of his time above the rim.

McKay bucked the idea that it was an advantage for him, saying that the opposite is actually true because they know what is coming.

McKay will take the court in an ISU jersey for the first time Dec. 20 at 4:00 p.m.

Read more about McKay’s journey back to the court here.