Jackson State transfer forward Jayveous McKinnis visited Ole Miss over the weekend
Jackson State forward Jayveous McKinnis announced he was entering the NCAA Transfer Portal via his personal Instagram last week.
“Thank you coach Brent and the entire staff from the Jackson State men’s basketball program for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to showcase my abilities to the world. Not only did you help me develop into a better player but also into being the best version of myself of and off the court. To my teammates (past and present) you are my brothers for life. I am thankful for the battling and grinding everyday to show the world we are not to be underestimated.
After discussing it with my family, I’ve decided to explore my options and enter the transfer portal.”
Since the news broke he was leaving JSU, McKinnis has heard from the likes of Ole Miss, FIU, Coastal Carolina, Southern Miss, Wichita State, San Francisco, UNCW, Radford, SIU, Pepperdine, Kansas State and Nicholls State among others, per On3’s Jamie Shaw.
One program who has expressed interest, Ole Miss, hosted McKinnis over the weekend for an official visit of sorts.
McKinnis is the reigning and three time defensive player of the year in the SWAC and is coming off a 2021-2022 season where he averaged a double-double for the Tigers. The 6-foot-7, 225 pound forward from Brandon, Miss., put up 12.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. In notable games against Power 5 competition (Illinois, Indiana, Marquette, Iowa State), McKinnis averaged 9.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
In an early season contest against Louisiana Tech, he put up 20 and 10 against Kenneth Lofton, Jr., one of the better front court players in the country. He also finished the season with five-straight double-doubles.
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The real reason (in my opinion) head coach Kermit Davis entertained him over the weekend is his defensive prowess. McKinnis finished with three or more blocks in a game 15 times last season, including two games in which he blocked nine shots.
The 2021-22 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-SWAC selection is an athletic rim runner who provides a matchup nightmare for bigger, slower fours and fives down low. He has quick feet and elite leaping ability to not only get by and around defenders, but he can finish over the top of them as well.
As a freshman, he joined an elite list of college basketball players which averaged two steals, two blocks, 30 dunks and 60 percent shooting from the floor.
- Zion Williamson
- Anthony Davis
- Ben Simmons
- Lonzo Ball
- Joel Embiid
- Cody Zeller
- Jonathan Isaac
- Zhaire Smith
- Josh LeBlanc
As a junior, McKinnis was second in the country in rebounds (13.2) and led the SWAC in blocks as well. He finished the season with nine double-doubles and shot 57 percent from the floor. The year before he had 10 double-doubles, shot 64 percent from the field and had a 20 rebound game against Mississippi Valley State.
The senior forward will have one more year of eligibility.
