Lucas Walker
July 23, 2020
Kenyon McNeail
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth:
- Place of Birth: Memphis, Tennessee (USA)
- Position: PG
- Height (CM): 185
- Weight (KG): 84
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Louisiana Tech (2010–2014)
- AGE AT DEBUT: 0
- NBL History: Adelaide 2016
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Kenyon Mcneail was born in Memphis, Tennessee (USA).
NBL EXPERIENCE
Kenyon Mcneail made his NBL debut with the Adelaide 36ers on 30/12/1899. He went scoreless in his first NBL game.
After finishing third with a 17-11 record before being swept by eventual champion New Zealand in the 2014/15 semifinals, Adelaide entered Joey Wright’s third season after Brock Motum (to Žalgiris Kaunas) and Luke Schenscher (to Townsville) departed. Wright added import guards Kenyon McNeail (via Oliveirense) and two-time NBL champion Ebi Ere (via Bayamón), Lucas Walker (via Melbourne), Matthew Hodgson (via Frankston) and Nathan Sobey (via Cairns), who had spent the previous season as a training player with the Taipans before Wright noticed him working out and offered him a full roster position. Wright had selected McNeail first at the Worldwide Invitational in Las Vegas before signing him on July 30, saying, “He can shoot it, he is a leader, he is poised.” McNeail averaged 17.5 points during an impressive NBL Blitz and was named co-MVP, but injured his shoulder while competing in the dunk contest and required cortisone injections in an attempt to be ready for the regular season.
Adelaide opened the season against defending champion New Zealand at Titanium Security Arena on October 7, where McNeail (0 points and 1 rebound) played 5:27 from the bench despite the shoulder injury as the 36ers won 90-71. Hodgson (18 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, and 3 blocks), Johnson (15 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block) and Gibson (11 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1 steal) led Adelaide, while Cedric Jackson (14 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal) was New Zealand’s leading scorer.
McNeail (4 points across 3 games) never started and was restricted to only 14:07 across Adelaide’s opening two games as he attempted to play through the shoulder injury. Three days after the season opener, McNeail (2 points) played 8:40 against Perth as Adelaide fell 79-66 at Titanium Security Arena. Johnson (18 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Creek (13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks) led the 36ers, while Jermaine Beal (18 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal) was Perth’s leading scorer.
McNeail’s best and final NBL game came against Melbourne on October 16, where McNeail (10 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal) played 20:47 from the bench, making three of eight field goals, two of seven three-pointers and both free throws as United defeated Adelaide 84-75. Gibson (17 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals) and Johnson (15 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 assists) led Adelaide, while Daniel Kickert (22 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks) and Hakim Warrick (16 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block) led Melbourne.
Three days later McNeail (released) was let go after his shoulder failed to respond to treatment, ending his NBL season after only three games. Jerome Randle (via Eskişehir Basket) (23 points and 5.2 assists across 23 games) was signed as his replacement after spending the previous five seasons overseas and saying he had begun to “fall out of love” with basketball. During his first game under Wright, the coach told him, “If you don’t play your game, then you’re gonna f***in’ sit on the bench!”, leaving Randle thinking, “Damn, I’m at home now”.
Randle (24 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists) made his NBL debut against Cairns on October 22 and immediately provided the scoring Adelaide had been searching for as the 36ers defeated the Taipans 88-79 at Titanium Security Arena. Gibson (15 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals), Johnson (13 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks) and Petrie (12 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists) provided support, while Cameron Tragardh (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) led Cairns.
Randle ultimately scored 30 points or more three times, including a season-high 41 against Sydney, and finished as the NBL’s leading scorer, becoming the first Adelaide player to do so, while also winning the inaugural NBL Australia Post Fan’s MVP and earning All-NBL First Team honours. Johnson (15.5 points and 9.3 rebounds across 28 games) led the NBL in rebounding and was selected to the All-NBL Second Team, while Ere (10.8 points across 28 games), Petrie (9.9 points and 6.3 rebounds across 28 games), Creek (9.9 points and 4.1 rebounds across 26 games), Gibson (9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists across 27 games) and Walker (5.3 points and 4.9 rebounds across 28 games) were Adelaide’s other major contributors.
McNeail had been released almost four months earlier when Adelaide closed the season at Perth Arena on February 14, where Creek (17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal), Gibson (16 points) and Randle (14 points and 3 assists) led the 36ers, while Beal (15 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists), Casey Prather (15 points and 6 rebounds) and Tom Jervis (14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) helped Perth win 100-84, leaving Adelaide fifth with a 14-14 record.
Kenyon Mcneail played one season in the NBL. He averaged 4 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in 3 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 0 | Adelaide | 14-14 (5) | 3 | 35 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 31% | 2 | 8 | 25% | 2 | 2 | 100% | 43% | 38% | 10 | Totals | 3 | 35 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 30.8% | 2 | 8 | 25.0% | 2 | 2 | 100.0% | 10 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 0 | Adelaide | 14-14 (5) | 3 | 11.6 | 4.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 4.3 | 31% | 0.7 | 2.7 | 25% | 0.7 | 0.7 | 100% | 43% | 38% | 10 | Total | 3 | 11.6 | 4.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 30.8% | 25.0% | 100.0% | 10 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
|---|
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Portugal - U.D. Oliveirense (2014–2015) | Macedonia - Kožuv (2016–2017) | Belgium - Kangoeroes Willebroek (2017–2018) | Hungary - Egis Körmend (2018–2019)
McNeail joined U.D. Oliveirense for the 2014–15 LPB season in Portugal, signing on 16 September 2014 and averaging 19.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals across 25 games.
He joined Kožuv for the 2016–17 season in Macedonia, averaging 20.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.7 steals across 16 Balkan League games.
McNeail scored 21 points and added 8 assists for Kožuv against Beroe on 6 December 2016.
He scored 27 points for Kožuv against Sutjeska on 7 February 2017.
McNeail joined Kangoeroes Willebroek for the 2017–18 Belgian Basketball League season, signing on 16 October 2017 and averaging 14.2 points and 5.0 assists.
He was named Belgian league MVP of the round twice during the 2017–18 season, earning the award in Round 10 with a 39 efficiency rating and again in Round 32 with a 29 efficiency rating.
McNeail joined Egis Körmend for the 2018–19 Hungarian NB I/A season, with the club finalising its roster in August 2018 before later ending his contract by mutual agreement on 7 January 2019.
He averaged 11.6 points, 4.9 assists and 2.8 rebounds across 11 Hungarian league games for Egis Körmend.
COLLEGE
Kenyon McNeail played four seasons for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs from 2010–11 to 2013–14, appearing in 136 career games with 56 starts and finishing with 1,147 points, 293 rebounds, 223 assists, and 224 made three-pointers while shooting 37.9 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from three-point range across his career.
As a freshman at Louisiana Tech in 2010/11, McNeail played in 32 games and had 30 starting assignments.
He averaged 8.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 29.4 minutes per game, while shooting 35.5 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from three-point range, the second best ever by a Tech freshman.
That 2010–11 season included 11 double-digit scoring games, three 20-point games, and a 27-point outing at North Dakota on February 16 where he went 7-for-9 from three-point range, which Louisiana Tech noted as the second-most threes ever made by a Bulldog at the time, while also producing an eight-assist game against Navy and multiple 20+ point efforts late in the year.
As a sophomore in 2011–12, McNeail played all 34 games with 25 starts and averaged 6.8 points, 2.2 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 21.8 minutes per game, highlighted by a 19-point performance against Utah State on January 14 that included 5-for-6 shooting from three, which Louisiana Tech credited as tied for the fourth-best single-game three-point mark in program history.
In 2012–13, McNeail played 33 games with one start and averaged 7.0 points per game while ranking 10th in the WAC in three-point percentage (35.7 percent), then delivered his signature college performance at UTSA on January 12, scoring a career-high 34 points on 11-of-19 shooting and a career-best 9-of-15 from three, including the game-winning three with 19 seconds left, earning WAC Player of the Week after setting Louisiana Tech single-game records for three-point attempts (15) and matching the program record for made threes (nine).
As a senior in 2013–14, McNeail came off the bench in all 37 games and averaged 11.0 points per game on 42.1 percent shooting and 40.4 percent from three, earning Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year honours while producing 22 double-digit scoring games and leading the team in scoring six times.
That season, he “broke practically every three-point record” in program history, setting Louisiana Tech single-season records for three-pointers made (88) and attempted (218) and finishing his career as the school’s all-time leader in three-pointers made (224) and attempted (613), with Louisiana Tech also noting he became the career record holder for made threes during the 2014 postseason.
McNeail’s key senior-year scoring spikes included 21 points with five threes against Longwood on January 4, a season-high 22 points against Marshall on January 25, and multiple five-three games later in the year, and Louisiana Tech also credited him with scoring in double figures in all three of the team’s National Invitation Tournament games as the Bulldogs advanced to the quarterfinals.
McNeail’s final season also aligned with Louisiana Tech’s breakthrough 29–8 campaign in 2013–14, where the Bulldogs finished 13–3 in league play as C-USA regular season co-champions, reached the C-USA tournament championship game, and then won NIT games over Iona and Georgia before falling in the quarterfinals.
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