Keno Davis still tinkering with starting lineup as senior Kevin McKay comes off bench
Central Michigan guard Kevin McKay sits on the bench to start the second half Nov. 23 at McGuirk Arena.
Kevin McKay started all 35 games for the Central Michigan men's basketball team in the 2018-19 season.
That's no longer the case.
McKay started the first three games of the 2019-20 campaign, but he missed Nov. 18 home matchup against Siena Heights with an ankle injury.
Despite sitting out, the 6-foot-5, 228-pound senior guard returned to action for the next game, an 82-57 loss to Minnesota. While McKay played 29 minutes, he didn't start.
He also began the game on the bench in the Nov. 23 clash against Trinity Christian, a 106-60 victory for the Chippewas.
In all three of the games McKay didn't start, coach Keno Davis went with senior guard Dallas Morgan, who was the sixth-man last season.
"This year, you've got a top seven or eight," Davis said. "You'll continue to see different lineups start."
The eighth-year coach added that CMU will feature a variety of starting lineups that could see McKay, Morgan or even junior guard Travon Broadway Jr. sit the bench in early stages.
McKay said he doesn't know why he was removed from the starting lineup, but he's not thinking much about it.
"As of right now, I'm coming off the bench, but I don't really care whether I'm starting or off the bench," McKay said. "I'm going to bring the same energy and effort every game."
Central Michigan guard Kevin McKay drives against Trinity Christian Nov. 23 at McGuirk Arena.
Following the loss to the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis, Davis said he didn't want to put McKay back in as a starter to shake up the lineup. He said that immediate change could've sent the wrong message to his team.
"We'll look at different lineups and rotations, especially in the nonconference," Davis said.
McKay didn't start once in 34 games played as a sophomore in 2017-18, but he still played 27.1 minutes per game, averaging 12.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.8 steals.
He said it likely would have been a more difficult adjustment if he had started his entire college career.
"My sophomore year, I was basically the sixth man," McKay said. "I'm already used to playing that role. If that's the role I have to play, I'm cool with it."
McKay averaged 11.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.6 steals as a full-time starter during his junior campaign. This year, he's logged 14.0 points per game, 5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.8 steals in five of six games.
Coming off the bench, McKay played 29 minutes against Minnesota and 18 in a blowout win against Trinity Christian. He had 18 points, six rebounds, one assist and two steals on 7-of-10 shooting against the Trolls with a 4-of-6 mark from the free throw line.
"Kevin wants to do whatever is best for the team," Davis said. "Those guys know that just because you don't start, you'll come in within a minute and a half and will still play a lot of minutes."
Central Michigan's next game is an 8 p.m. Nov. 26 contest against DePaul in Chicago.
