The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

WHILE most collegiate basketball players are held in high regard for what they do on the court, one Bahamian student athlete is receiving major recognition for the work he does in his community.

Mikhail McLean of the Houston Cougars was recently presented with the Conference USA Winter Spirit of Service Award.

A redshirt sophomore, he was one of 12 Conference-USA student-athletes to achieve the honour.

According to Conference-USA, the award is doled out to “recognise the community service efforts of the league’s student-athletes, based upon significant community service, good academic standing and participation in their elected sport.”

Other recipients included Ariana Jackson-East Carolina Women’s Basketball, Erica Woods-Marshall Women’s Basketball, Justin Pinkston-Memphis Men’s Track and Field, Lilian Nwora-Rice Women’s Track and Field, Alisha Filmore-SMU Women’s Basketball, Ance Celmina-Southern Miss Women’s Basketball, Allie Evans-Tulane Women’s Swimming and Diving, Taleya Mayberry-Tulsa Women’s Basketball, Amber Jones-UAB Women’s Basketball, Kayli Keough-UCF Women’s Basketball, and Konner Tucker-UTEP Men’s Basketball.

This past season, McLean saw action in 26 games with 11 starts with an average of 13.3 minutes per game.

He averaged 2.4 points and 2.6 rebounds per game and shot 49 per cent from the field. He scored a career-high 12 points against Marshall and grabbed a career high nine boards against TCU.

In the classrom, McLean, a former St John’s College Giant, is scheduled to graduate this summer with a major in health and a minor in human and developmental consumer science and merchandising.

After earning his bachelor’s degree in three years, he plans to attend graduate school.

Some of his community service expoits which have garnered attention included helping members of St Andrew’s Episcopal Church unload nearly 2,400 pumpkins, serving Thanksgiving lunches to Star of Hope Mission residents for three consecutive years.

He also made an appearance at Emerson Elementary School to lecture on the importance of excelling off the court.

In his freshman season, McLean saw action in 27 games with seven starts, including starts in three of the last four games,

In his sophomore season, McLean competed in the first five games of the season but was lost for the remainder of the year after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right foot in early December. He received a medical redshirt for the year.

McLean has ended his lengthy recruiting process by signing a letter of intent to join the Cougars following an impressive career at Second Baptist High School in Houston, Texas.

He was successfully courted away by the Cougars and new head coach James Dickey after being heavily recruited by other top Division I schools, including Rutgers, Penn State, Alabama, Auburn, Boston College, Detroit, Tulsa and Rice.

During his career at Second Baptist, McLean received numerous accolades, including being named A Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools All-State Second Team.