On a day in which two of its best players declared their intentions to play professionally, the Virginia basketball program wasted no time reloading, securing a commitment from forward Justin McKoy.
A current senior at Panther Creek High School in Cary, N.C., McKoy decided shortly after his official visit to Charlottesville over the weekend that he would take his talents to the Cavaliers’ roster.
“I chose a school that will not only improve me as a player but as a man of God as well,” McKoy said.
Rated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, McKoy originally committed to Penn State in September of last year before he requested a release from his National Letter of Intent several months later. He began recruiting visits again following a senior season at Panther Creek in which he averaged 24.6 points per game.
He was reportedly also coveted by Virginia’s ACC rival North Carolina in recent weeks but ultimately decided to commit to the Cavaliers after a visit on their championship celebration weekend.
The 6-foot-8, 225 pound forward is the third member of Virginia’s 2019 class that will arrive on Grounds this summer. He joins a duo of four-stars in guard Casey Morsell and center Kadin Shedrick, both of whom committed in 2018.
McKoy has a similar frame to that of sophomore guard De’Andre Hunter, who Monday afternoon announced he would be entering the NBA Draft process along with junior guard Ty Jerome. Virginia Coach Tony Bennett may look to develop McKoy as another bruising small forward in the mold of Hunter as he looks to retool his team for the coming seasons.