Monday, July 6, 2009

Wendell McKines

NMSU basketball player Wendell McKines is writing that he will play this year despite being behind credit hours in the classroom.

Wendell does the little things right on the basketball court. He's the team's best rebounder hands down and has turned himself into an effective offensive player. He's a "glue guy," the type of player that can energize a team with his style of play. It seems like many times the club needs a spark, Wendell is there to pick them up. Whether it be tracking down a loose ball, grabbing an offensive board to give the Aggies another possession or throwing down a rim-rattler, McKines brings that electricity to the court that is essential in basketball.

While Wendell put up strong numbers last year - he was the only WAC player to average a double-double - his contributions go beyond the box score. Wendell is the type of player that doesn't need to ball in order to be effective. While that doesn't always add up on the stat sheet, it does equal winning basketball. Guys like that are a luxury to have on your team.

Is he going to play? He seems optimistic that he will. Time will tell. I know the Aggies want him on the court, but also believe that a year of conditioning and working on his game will make McKines a force to be reckoned with when he does return.

I, for one, think that Wendell needs to be out there. He's arguably the most important piece to the team. They wouldn't be the same without him.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

As much as I like watching Wendell play, I must say that I'm pretty dissapointed with his work in the class room.

He's a leader and needs to show it on the court, in class, and around town.
Get your act together son.
The NBA is not gonna come calling but a degree will take you places!

Anonymous said...

Absolutely, he needs to be on the court. Without him I don't think the Aggies will have a winning season.

Anonymous said...

I am glad that Wendell intends to be able to play this year. I really do hope that he knows what it takes to make that happen and that he does what it takes.

Right now, basketball is what is important to him. Taking care of academics is necessary for him to do what he sees as important. Many would say that in the long term, the academics will be what pays off.

Anonymous said...

I saw his blog and it says he woke up around 11:30 AM?
I sure hope he stayed up late studying and not goofing around.

I doubt he will play for us. He's just not classroom material.

Anonymous said...

maybe the run-in with the law this las spring kept him away from his studies. Someone over in in that athletic department needs to get a handle on these kids.

Anonymous said...

All I can say is typical Wendell I know personally from my high school basketball days at Berkeley High School where for 4 years twice a year we played Wendell McKines, Eli Holman and The Richmond High Oilers and this is not surprising at all because in high school Wendell wasn't the best student and for that reason he wasn't able to enroll at the University of San Fran thus leading him to New Mexicon State