A week ago tonight, Iowa State junior Jameel McKay set a YMCA Capital City League record by recording 32 rebounds in a game.
Big deal.
That was the reaction that McKay, a 6-foot-9 transfer out of Marquette, got from his new head coach, Fred Hoiberg.
“I’ve been challenged to get 40,” McKay said. “That’s what I am supposed to have, according to Coach Hoiberg.”
Funny thing is, McKay only had 12 rebounds at halftime of last Friday’s game. He didn’t really put his foot on the gas until the second half tipped off.
“My coach came up to me and challenged me,” McKay said. "He said that the record was 27. I told him I would get him 30.”
A week later, McKay still hasn’t stopped hearing about the big night.
“I had a lot of reaction,” McKay said. “Personally, I figured I could do it. I hold myself to those type of standards. I felt I could do it. The fans, everybody went crazy over it but its no big deal. I got a lot of tweets.”
Still waiting
McKay said that he issued his petition to the NCAA for a waiver to allow him to play the entire 2013-14 season last week. Now, it is a waiting game.
“We are waiting on the NCAA to come back with some questions,” McKay said. “As far as I know, they should come back with some questions within the next couple of days. Then it is a process. I got it in last week or something like that. They said it would take three to four weeks.”
As of now, McKay will have to sit out the majority of the non-conference portion of Iowa State’s schedule, before being eligible to play at the end of the first semester.
Tonight’s CCL schedule
5:30: ADIO ( Monte Morris & Matt Thomas) vs. Capital Ortho (Abdel Nader & Clayton Custer)
6:45: Ren. Granite (Georges Niang & Kourtlin Jackson) vs. YMCA (Hallice Cooke & Jameel McKay)
8:00: Coca-Cola (Dustin Hogue & Sherron Dorsey-Walker) vs. Phoenix RR (Naz Long & Daniel Edozie)
NOTE: Naz Long will not play tonight due to a groin injury.
