3/1/2022 basketball Edit

Dayvion McKnight continues establishing superstar status at WKU

Drew Toennies • InsideHilltopperSports

Staff Writer

On March 14th of last year, Western Kentucky, one of the most solid C-USA powers and the regular season champions of the east division, fell short in overtime to a solid North Texas squad 61-57 in the C-USA Championship game in Frisco, Texas.

The Hilltoppers, who led the Mean Green heading into the final minutes of regulation fell in overtime by four points. Their season was over.

The sting of defeat was abundantly clear for every student-athlete on Western Kentucky's roster, including freshman guard Dayvion McKnight, who was so close to a C-USA Championship title and trip to the NCAA Tournament in his first season.

Although McKnight, who is enrolled at Western Kentucky University as a sports management major, would later reveal that the sting of defeat only motivated him and gave him something to prove moving forward into his sophomore campaign.

"Losing a championship really hurt even though it was my first year, it really hurt. We were so close, but coming into this year, I really got something to prove.”

— Dayvion McKnight

Without question, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound point guard has more than proven himself as a sophomore, showcasing some of the most stellar basketball not just in the conference, but in the country.

McKnight, the 20th player in WKU Basketball history to wear the #20 jersey, has consistently been the best offensive contributor for Western Kentucky while also attracting the most minutes of anybody on the roster.

McKnight is currently averaging 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds in 36.0 minutes per game heading into the final week of the regular season.

Dayvion McKnight Career Stats (2020-22 stats)

Stat	Dayvion McKnight
Minutes	29.9
Field Goal Percentage	45.1%
Three-Point Percentage	28.1%
Free Throw Percentage	79.4%
Rebounds	4.6
Assists	4.8
Blocks	0.1
Steals	1.4
Points	10.8

“I see the same thing September the first, October the first, November the first. It doesn’t matter if he’s scoring 20 points, it doesn’t matter if he’s scoring two points. If you’re practicing or playing Louisville, that’s the same with him. … He’s the same, he’s going to come to that practice the same every day.”

— Rick Stansbury

The three-star point guard out of Shelbyville, Kentucky is a graduate of Martha Layne Collins High School, but his basketball journey truly began in his middle school years.

“It was kind of late middle school. I played basketball, but it was just something that I did because all my friends did it. I would say probably freshman year, when I got to the high school level, and I was starting varsity is when I really took it seriously.”

— Dayvion McKnight

"Leading into my sophomore year, so freshman summer, I was really putting in work in the offseason and that's when I fell in love with the game.”

— Dayvion McKnight

That offseason was without a doubt McKnight's most beneficial to his career going forward.

In his junior season of high school basketball, he averaged 17 points and 10.4 rebounds per game and was a Second Team, All-State selection.

During his senior season, McKnight went on to not only win the prestigious Mr. Kentucky Basketball award, but he closed out career at Collins' as the school's all-time leader in points, rebounds, assists and steals.

He closed out his high school basketball career with 1,897 points, 1,040 rebounds, 600 assists and 329 steals.

McKnight was also named 8th Region Player of the Year was also selected by the Courier Journal's First Team, All-State team.

In his final season at Collins High School, McKnight carried the Titans to a 27-7 record, averaging 20 points and more than eight rebounds per contest while leading the Titans to an 8th Region Championship.

The high school graduate's reputation was no secret as he was being sought out by 12 different college programs, according to the three-star guard's Rivals profile.

McKnight received offers from Winthrop, Southern Illinois, South Florida, Saint Louis, Northwestern, N.J.I.T., Murray State, Middle Tennessee State, Kent State, Cleveland State, Ball State and Western Kentucky.

Out of every school that gave him an offer, Western Kentucky was the one standout among the flock, earning McKnight's commitment on August 8th, 2019.

“I came to the games, and I’ve seen how the fans really took basketball seriously. I felt like it was the place for me to be. It’s the right spot two hours from home. Coach Stansbury was really on me, so I felt like he really wanted me to be here and change the program. I feel like it’s a great fit.”

— Dayvion McKnight

McKnight, who's game has undergone some major evolution since his high school days, said one of the biggest transitions he noticed from high school to college was that he could force the game in more in high school. However, in college he needed things to happen more naturally.

Another aspect of his game that's changed is his speed, which McKnight explained came as he allowed the game to work with him more.

"In high school, I felt like I could just go out there and force stuff and it would be alright. In college last year, I felt like really letting the game come to you was a lot easier. Another thing. The speed of the game really changed. Fast paced, up and down. Really, like I said, letting the game come to you was a huge thing for me.”

— Dayvion McKnight

In his freshman season, Western Kentucky had junior center, C-USA Player of the Year, and current Philadelphia 76ers star Charles Bassey and senior guard Taveion Hollingsworth on the roster. Those two Western Kentucky veterans were critical in assisting McKnight with his transition from high school basketball to college level play.

McKnight believes watching Bassey and Hollingsworth play and being able to practice with them helped his game evolve into what it currently is today.

“Having those two vets here when I came in as a freshman was huge. They really walked me through things and talked me through a lot of things. Watching Taveion was crazy and especially playing with him on the court. Charles was the same way. He was just a beast and so that really helped me.”

— Dayvion McKnight

In McKnight's freshman campaign at Western Kentucky, he made appearances in 29 contests, earning 17 starts. He averaged 24.5 minutes per game and recorded 5.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

McKnight also became one of three freshmen in the country to record 167 points, 111 assists, 104 rebounds and 28 steals in the 2020-21 season.

“No matter who we’re playing, I feel like on the court I’m the best player there, no matter who it is. That’s just the type of player I know I am, and I know I can play at that level. I feel like I should just go out there and prove something, that I’m not just mid-major, I’m a high-level player.”

— Dayvion McKnight

McKnight has certainly proven himself this season as he leads the Hilltoppers' offense in scoring, averaging 15.8 points, is tied for the second-best rebounder on the team with 5.6 per game, averages a team-leading 5.8 assists per game and is playing the most minutes of any player on the team with 36.0 minutes played per game.

McKnight made an impression early on in the 2021-22 season, recording standout performances in the 2022 Asheville Championship, showcasing his abilities against power five opponents Minnesota and South Carolina.

Against the Golden Gophers, McKnight dropped 34 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals. In the final contest of the Asheville showcase against the Gamecocks, McKnight recorded 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Since the earliest stages of the season, McKnight has been a standout and stepped up to be one of the main contributors that has helped the Hilltoppers end a five-game losing streak, ignite a seven-straight winning streak, and hopefully close out the final week of the regular season strong heading into the Conference USA tournament.

"It’s not these past few games, it’s every game. If he scores a few more points, he may look better in the stat sheet, but it’s all those other things he does every night when he’s not scoring points."

— Rick Stansbury

McKnight and the rest of the Hilltoppers will play Marshall in a home-and-home series to cap off the regular season. WKU will travel to Huntington, West Virginia on Wednesday night where tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT and will be aired on ESPNU.

Western Kentucky will then host Marshall at Diddle Arena on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT where that game will be available on ESPN+.

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