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By Tom Gaffney
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 05:38 p.m. EDT, Mar 17, 2009
Fate has not always been a kind and gentle ally of University of Akron guard Steve McNees.
But fate compensated for past indelicacies last week in the Mid-American Conference Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
McNees, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from New Castle, Pa., entered the tournament off a regular season in which he had shooting problems, lost his starting role and served as a backup to freshman point guard Anthony ''Humpty'' Hitchens and junior shooting guard Darryl Roberts.
As the MAC Tournament unfolded, McNees found himself as a starter at the point when Hitchens was injured. At the conclusion of play Saturday night, he was named to the all-tournament team and played a key role in the MAC title game for the Zips.
That victory earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament for UA, which will play Gonzaga on Thursday night in the first round at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore.
''Steve has had a rough year, but you would never know it by his demeanor and his personality on and off the court. He has always been so positive,'' senior captain Nate Linhart said. ''It's a tribute to the type of person he is. He never gets down on himself. It showed in his play in the tournament. We don't win it without Steve McNees.''
Hitchens suffered a sprained left ankle late in a first-round victory over Toledo. He started the second-round game against Miami but could play only four minutes before being relieved by McNees.
McNees responded by making 5-of-7 shots from behind the 3-point arc for a season-high 17 points and the Zips advanced to the third round with a 73-63 victory.
McNees started the next two games and was in the middle of things in a semifinal victory over Bowling Green (63-55) and a finals triumph over Buffalo (65-53).
''When Humpt went down, I knew my role was going to increase and I was ready for it,'' McNees said. ''I was fortunate to play alongside all those guys and I was just trying not to mess up.''
During the regular season, McNees shot 34.2 from the field, including 32.1 percent on 3-pointers, and averaged 5.4 points. In the four tournament games, he shot 59.1 percent from the floor, including 61.1 percent on 3-pointers, and averaged 10.2 points.
''He [McNees] was really good. He had a very difficult season, but he is one of those guys who has tremendous skill, but has to feel good about himself,'' UA coach Keith Dambrot said. ''He picked the right time to feel good about himself.''
After the Buffalo victory, McNees joined Linhart and sophomore forward Brett McKnight on the all-tournament team and celebrated as hard as anybody that the Zips made the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history.
''It was a great ride and a lot of fun. It was a battle, but it was worth it,'' said McNees about the MAC Tournament. ''It did feel good to win and play well. It always does, especially when you are making a few shots.''
McNees took a rather indirect route to becoming a UA player.
At Shenango High School in New Castle, he scored 2,192 points and had 824 assists in his career as a point guard and was named second-team all-state as a senior.
He was recruited heavily by the Zips, but signed a national letter of intent with Duquesne University in Pittsburgh in November 2005. However, when Danny Nee left as coach of the Dukes and Ron Everhart replaced him, McNees requested a release from his scholarship.
''I liked Akron all along, but I wanted to stay close to home and play in the city of Pittsburgh, so I picked Duquesne,'' McNees said. ''The new coach came in and shook things up, so I asked for my release.''
When word got out that McNees was available, Zips assistant coach Lamont Paris contacted him. Other schools did the same, but McNees choose UA.
''All along, it was in the back of my mind that I really liked the people at Akron and I really liked that place,'' McNees said. ''It was an easy decision. If Akron wanted me, that's where I wanted to go.''
McNees was eligible to play for the Zips in 2006-07, but the Zips' staff thought a redshirt season was preferable. He finally was active in 2007-08, playing in all 34 games and averaging 5.1 points as a backup to the now-departed Nick Dials.
This season, he started nine early games, but eventually found himself in a reserve capacity as Dambrot settled on a backcourt of Hitchens and Roberts.
He contributed to the Zips' success this season, but never found his shooting stroke until the MAC Tournament. Now, he likely will come off the bench again because Hitchens is healthy and likely will start against Gonzaga.
That will not change his attitude about being a part of one of just 65 teams in the NCAA Tournament.
''It's exciting to make it,'' he said. ''I have been a point guard all my life. Here, I have been more of a combo guard. That's fine with me, I will play where ever they need me.''
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.
Fate has not always been a kind and gentle ally of University of Akron guard Steve McNees.
But fate compensated for past indelicacies last week in the Mid-American Conference Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
McNees, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from New Castle, Pa., entered the tournament off a regular season in which he had shooting problems, lost his starting role and served as a backup to freshman point guard Anthony ''Humpty'' Hitchens and junior shooting guard Darryl Roberts.
As the MAC Tournament unfolded, McNees found himself as a starter at the point when Hitchens was injured. At the conclusion of play Saturday night, he was named to the all-tournament team and played a key role in the MAC title game for the Zips.
That victory earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament for UA, which will play Gonzaga on Thursday night in the first round at the Rose Garden in Portland, Ore.
''Steve has had a rough year, but you would never know it by his demeanor and his personality on and off the court. He has always been so positive,'' senior captain Nate Linhart said. ''It's a tribute to the type of person he is. He never gets down on himself. It showed in his play in the tournament. We don't win it without Steve McNees.''
Hitchens suffered a sprained left ankle late in a first-round victory over Toledo. He started the second-round game against Miami but could play only four minutes before being relieved by McNees.
McNees responded by making 5-of-7 shots from behind the 3-point arc for a season-high 17 points and the Zips advanced to the third round with a 73-63 victory.
McNees started the next two games and was in the middle of things in a semifinal victory over Bowling Green (63-55) and a finals triumph over Buffalo (65-53).
''When Humpt went down, I knew my role was going to increase and I was ready for it,'' McNees said. ''I was fortunate to play alongside all those guys and I was just trying not to mess up.''
During the regular season, McNees shot 34.2 from the field, including 32.1 percent on 3-pointers, and averaged 5.4 points. In the four tournament games, he shot 59.1 percent from the floor, including 61.1 percent on 3-pointers, and averaged 10.2 points.
''He [McNees] was really good. He had a very difficult season, but he is one of those guys who has tremendous skill, but has to feel good about himself,'' UA coach Keith Dambrot said. ''He picked the right time to feel good about himself.''
After the Buffalo victory, McNees joined Linhart and sophomore forward Brett McKnight on the all-tournament team and celebrated as hard as anybody that the Zips made the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history.
''It was a great ride and a lot of fun. It was a battle, but it was worth it,'' said McNees about the MAC Tournament. ''It did feel good to win and play well. It always does, especially when you are making a few shots.''
McNees took a rather indirect route to becoming a UA player.
At Shenango High School in New Castle, he scored 2,192 points and had 824 assists in his career as a point guard and was named second-team all-state as a senior.
He was recruited heavily by the Zips, but signed a national letter of intent with Duquesne University in Pittsburgh in November 2005. However, when Danny Nee left as coach of the Dukes and Ron Everhart replaced him, McNees requested a release from his scholarship.
''I liked Akron all along, but I wanted to stay close to home and play in the city of Pittsburgh, so I picked Duquesne,'' McNees said. ''The new coach came in and shook things up, so I asked for my release.''
When word got out that McNees was available, Zips assistant coach Lamont Paris contacted him. Other schools did the same, but McNees choose UA.
''All along, it was in the back of my mind that I really liked the people at Akron and I really liked that place,'' McNees said. ''It was an easy decision. If Akron wanted me, that's where I wanted to go.''
McNees was eligible to play for the Zips in 2006-07, but the Zips' staff thought a redshirt season was preferable. He finally was active in 2007-08, playing in all 34 games and averaging 5.1 points as a backup to the now-departed Nick Dials.
This season, he started nine early games, but eventually found himself in a reserve capacity as Dambrot settled on a backcourt of Hitchens and Roberts.
He contributed to the Zips' success this season, but never found his shooting stroke until the MAC Tournament. Now, he likely will come off the bench again because Hitchens is healthy and likely will start against Gonzaga.
That will not change his attitude about being a part of one of just 65 teams in the NCAA Tournament.
''It's exciting to make it,'' he said. ''I have been a point guard all my life. Here, I have been more of a combo guard. That's fine with me, I will play where ever they need me.''
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
_________, OH
Posted 09:31 PM, 03/17/2009
Great kid, great attitude! He's proved he can be the go to guy. The Zips are lucky to have him!
Posted 09:44 AM, 03/18/2009
The Zips were playing their best ball of the season those final 3 games in Cleveland as was McNees. Coincidence? Steve picked a great time to get things rolling and we're going to need a confident McNees coming off the bench if we stand a chance against Gonzaga.
Posted 10:32 AM, 03/18/2009
I hear the Zips are 10,000 to 1 to take it all. So just bet on the Zips and get a huge pay back......
Posted 12:45 PM, 03/18/2009
When the Zips have someone who cant hit the outside shot they are near unbeatable. If McNeese and/or anyone else on the team can start hitting from long range they could be dancing into the sweet 16 or better.
New Castle, PA
Posted 11:56 AM, 03/19/2009
McNees has the skills to handle the Zags!!! Just look at his "work" during the MAC....great player in the clutch...
Yo Bob, I agree with you...what a coincidence eh?
GO ZIPS
