CMU topped Siena Heights 108-48 Friday in McGuirk Arena. McKay was CMU’s top scorer, followed by senior forward Cecil Williams (21) and Shawn Roundtree (12).

Due to his improvement in the offseason, he will see an increased role for CMU in the 2017-18 season.

“On certain days in practice, Kevin has been our best offense player, and on certain days, he’s been our best defensive player,” head coach Keno Davis said. “When you have someone who can be your best in any given area, you have to find a way to get him on the court.”

The 6-foot-5 athlete is extremely versatile, Davis said. He can play point guard, shooting guard, small forward and power forward. Davis will use him at different positions to start the season, but would like to eventually key in on a specific spot or two for McKay.

McKay, listed as a guard, earned time at all positions in high school for De La Salle Collegiate in Warren. He played center his freshman year, small forward as a sophomore, and point guard during his junior and senior seasons.

The more Davis focuses on a role for McKay, the better he will progress at the college level. In his sixth-year at CMU, Davis will give McKay “starter minutes” and make sure he is utilized.

“The versatility he has offensively and defensively because of his strength and size allows him to play different positions,” Davis said. “It also allows him to take advantage of matchups whether he takes someone on the outside or takes them to the basket.”

The sophomore realized he did not get as much time on the court last year, due to star guards Marcus Keene and Braylon Rayson. McKay logged 4.2 minutes per game, which was less than eight other players.

“I left last season knowing I was going to put in as much work as I could to come back and not have the same thing that happened last year happen again this year,” McKay said.

In the offseason, McKay spent plenty of time in the gym to make sure he was the player who filled the void left after the departures of Keene and Rayson.

“I worked on a lot of ball handling and got to the gym to play against other people so I was more confident,” McKay said. “It was a lot of shooting free throws, but pretty much a lot of everything.”

Fellow sophomore forward David DiLeo noticed McKay’s work ethic and drive to earn a spot in Davis’ main rotation for the 2017-18 season.

“He’s been in the gym all summer,” DiLeo said. “He’s been working really hard, as he’s motivated to have a bigger role.”

DiLeo averaged 8.5 points and five rebounds in 32 games last season. He will also look for an increased role of his own for the Chippewas. DiLeo said he and McKay will have each other’s backs, while the duo goes through the same type of learning curve.

“We will be able to step up in bigger roles this season and help each other knowing we are going through the same thing,” DiLeo said.

The Chippewas take on the University of Michigan at 7 p.m. Monday at the Crisler Center.

Michigan topped North Florida Saturday, 86-66. The game will be aired on Big Ten Network.