WKU basketball gets commitment from 2020 guard

Rick Stansbury gives his team directions during WKU’s 72-66 win over Florida Atlantic Saturday in Diddle Arena. The win helped WKU to improve to 9-9 on the year. 

Alec Jessie

The WKU men’s basketball team received its first commitment for the 2020 class Thursday afternoon, as Martha Layne Collins guard Dayvion McKnight verbally committed to the Hilltoppers.

{{tncms-inline account=”dayvionmcknight” html=”<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">110% Committed <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GOTOPS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GOTOPS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GETREADY?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GETREADY</a>‼️‼️ <a href="https://t.co/7Br2jQMblp">pic.twitter.com/7Br2jQMblp</a></p>— dayvionmcknight (@dayvionnn20) <a href="https://twitter.com/dayvionnn20/status/1159513654825541637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2019</a></blockquote>” id=”https://twitter.com/dayvionnn20/status/1159513654825541637″ type=”twitter”}}

McKnight is a 6-foot-2-inch point guard from Shelbyville, Kentucky. During his junior season a year ago, McKnight averaged 17 points and 10.4 rebounds per game on 50% shooting from the floor. The guard shot 33.3% from the 3-point line and 79% at the free-throw line.

The in-state commit is currently unranked by 247Sports, but 247Sports Recruiting Director Evan Daniels had a favorable review of the 180-pounder’s play on the summer AAU circuit with the M.A.T.T.S. Mustangs — the same squad Isaiah Cozart and Taveion Hollingsworth once played for.

“Rick Stansbury & his staff locked in on McKnight early on,” Daniels wrote in a tweet. “He visited a number of times. Tough, aggressive guard that was impressive in July.”

McKnight visited WKU last September, but also held scholarship offers from Northwestern, Ball State, Kent State, Middle Tennessee, South Florida, Saint Louis, Murray State and several other schools.

Reporter Alec Jessie can be reached at 270-745-6291 and [email protected]. Follow Alec on Twitter at @Alec_Jessie.