What a ride it has been for Queens AJ McKee, who is now capitalizing on his opportunity and helping lead the Royals to a strong season as a D1 program.
McKee has been a name Phenom Hoops has known for some time now, from when he was playing at Independence high school in Charlotte to continuing to make his mark at Queens. But his road has been an interesting one; McKee had to medically redshirt his first season in 2019-20 and then started to get some playing time in 2020-21. The staff understood his ability to impact the game in a variety of ways, which allowed him to play in all 22 games and average eight points per game.
Last year, McKee got the nod as a starter in all 33 games for the Royals, averaging nearly 28 minutes per game, 8.6 points, and 3.6 rebounds per game. And we are here today, with Queens now being a D1 program and making a ton of noise around the region. McKee is second in the team in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, and shooting 45 percent from the floor and 38 percent from three.
McKee has worked and earned where he is today, continuing to improve his overall game, scoring the ball better, shooting from three better, and being that strong two-way presence leader on the court. And with him only being a sophomore, the future remains bright in what he could ultimately provide even more on the court.
What Was Said by Phenom:
“McKee provides another ball-handler and is competitive on the defensive end; he gets after it against experienced guards and doesn’t back down. He showcased that he can be a vocal player on defense and a scrappy guard that can body up guards and finish around the rim.”
“He showcased the ability here to initiate offense to go along with his ability to score off the ball and really defend. This is an incredibly valuable player, one who will translate immediately to the next level. Kudos to Queens University in locking him up early, had he waited he would have had numerous additional suitors coming after him.”