The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

GREGORY McKay Jr continues to develop his skills as he goes through his freshman year for the Hosanna College Warbirds men’s basketball team.

Coming off his New South Athletic Conference Player of the Week in February, McKay Jr and the Warbirds participated in the US National Prep Basketball Championships for high school and prep college players over the weekend.

The Warbirds went 1-2, but McKay Jr said it was “a good tournament and some good competition. We had a good time, even though we felt we could have done better.”

In their first game, McKay Jr scored 33 points, he had 26 in their second game and rounded play with just 22 points as they took a skid from winning their opener to losing their final two games.

“Overall, I think we did good. We didn’t end it the way we wanted to,” he stressed. “We wanted to go undefeated and win the championship.

“But I think we went out there and we played hard. There was a lot of good competition out.”

With the COVID-19 restrictions, McKay Jr noted that everyone had to wear their mask and keep their social distance in a compact gymnasium that had very few fans in the stands.

On a personal note, McKay Jr said he felt he made an impression on the coaches in the stands as they viewed the potential prep players for their collegiate programmes.

“I wanted to show them the diversity of my game. I wanted them to see that whatever it is they wanted me to do, I could do it,” he pointed out.

With about three more games left on their schedule, McKay Jr said he hopes to go through the list of college invites he received and hopefully make a decision on where he will go to college next year

“I felt I did pretty good. It could have been better, but I felt like I did pretty good,” McKay Jr said.

“I felt I did what I had to do to get to the next level.”

Looking back at his season, McKay Jr said it was a memorable one for him.

“Every game we had some stiff competition, but we got better every time we played,” he insisted.

“We went out there and fought hard, got the rebounds and made the buckets.”

And as he prepares for what’s ahead of him, McKay said he will have to concentrate a little more on his speed.

“There’s always room for improvement, but my speed has to get better,” he said. “Every time I step on the court, I want to be the smartest player out there.

“So that’s two things that I definitely will have to work on during the off season before I head off to college.

“I don’t know where I am going yet, but I will make that decision at the end of the season.”

McKay Jr, who left Mt Carmel in 2016 where he starred on their basketball team, enrolled at Piper High School in Sunrise, Florida, playing both basketball and volleyball before graduating last year.

The 19-year-old 6-foot, 5-inch forward, known for his 360 degree dunks and windmills, is the son of Gregory McKay Sr and Aniska Taylor.

He thanked the McKay and Marshall families as well as his former classmates in the Bahamas for all of the support they have given to him.