Prospect Watch - May 30

By Clay Kallam
with Chris Hansen
Posted Thu, 05/29/2008 - 20:51 This week we feature Meghan McKeown and her basketball bloodline as well as two commitments from the Northeast.

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“I want to earn everything.”

Meghan McKeown, a rising junior at Flint Hill High School in Virginia and a starter for the Maryland Flames Elite, never wanted to take advantage of her bloodlines. “I don’t want people to say ‘You just made it because your dad’s a basketball coach’.”

Well, Meghan’s dad is more than just a basketball coach – he’s run the show at George Washington University for 19 years, and has won 500 games while establishing the Colonials as one of the top mid- major teams in the country, with a trip to the Sweet 16 in 1995 and the Elite Eight in 1997.

Then again, it didn’t really hurt that Meghan had her dad around. “When I was 10, I was coming to these tournaments,” she says of the Boo Williams’ Battle of the Best, where she was playing for the Flames. “I’ve seen how everybody acts.”

And her dad is also “the best coach I’ve ever had. I always play better when he’s in the gym.”

Joe McKeown (pronounced ‘mac-Q-an’) says “I’m probably her worst critic – I’m harder on her than anyone else. I wouldn’t let her shoot outside when she was nine or 10 because I wanted her to have good form.”

But Meghan did get an early start – when she was two weeks old, she and her mom Laura accompanied Joe to a tournament in Las Vegas. “She’s used to the culture,” says Joe. “She’s been around older college players all her life – she’s not intimidated. Six-four girls have always come to our house.”

“I started to want to play in college when I was 10 or 11,” Meghan says, and she knew where to go for advice. “He tells me what I need to do to get better. He’s done everything in the book.”

“She had the gym rat mentality,” says Joe. “We never forced it on her.”

But Joe does have to sit in the stands and be a parent when Meghan plays for other coaches. “It’s hard, but I feel she’s with people who know what they’re doing,” he says, pointing to Flames’ coach Herb Krusen and Flint Hill coach Jody Patrick.

Meghan was a varsity player at Flint Hill as a freshman and started as a sophomore, and the 5-9 guard has become known for her three- point shooting. She hit 41 percent of her three-pointers at Flint Hill, and that fits in perfectly with the uptempo, bombs-away style of the Maryland Flames.

And Meghan appreciates all of her achievements even more because her younger brother Joe is autistic. “It’s been hard,” she says, “but I love my brother with all my heart. He’s the funniest person I know.”

But Joe’s condition limits what he can do and where he can go. “He makes me realize what I have every day,” she says. “I can go out with my friends, and he’ll ask if he can come along – and I have to say no.

“At times, it makes me feel really guilty,” she says. “It definitely keeps me humble. So many people take normal life for granted every day.”

And dealing with her younger brother’s issues makes it easier for her to handle the pressure of being a famous coach’s daughter. “I feel the need to impress people because he’s such a great coach,” she says, but she also sees the bigger picture – and is just happy to have a chance to play the game she loves.

_ Clay Kallam

SHIELDS COMMITS

For Kerri Shields a lot of change has been going on in her recruitment. Coaching changes at several schools on her list left her reeling for a short time including the school she committed to just before Memorial weekend, Boston College.

Shields was unsure of her status when Cathy Inglese stepped down on April 10, 2008, from the Eagles program after 15 years at the helm. Sylvia Crawley was hired to replace Inglese and in less than a month she not secured one of the northeast’s savviest point guards in Shields.

Shields is known for her work ethic and shooting ability. She helped lead her Archbishop Carroll high school team to national ranking throughout her junior season. She also runs the point for the Philly Comets club team. “Kerri’s worth ethic is just tremendous,” Fran Burbidge, her club team coach from the Comets said. “She’s a 12 month a year player.” Shields was interested in Connecticut and hometown St. Joseph’s when she made her decision. 

RSA HOUSTON PREVIEW

This weekend brings to us the final Nike Regional Skills Academy. The finale is set in one of the nation’s biggest hotbeds for talent, Houston, Tex. For three straight days some of the nation’s top players will work on their skills and try them out against top flight competition with starts with the 2009 class’s two top ranked players in Kelsey Bone and Brittney Griner.

The event kicks off Friday evening at Cy-Ridge High School where elite players will be pushed and their work ethic tested. Two workout session and a film session fill Saturday’s schedule and one final work out on Sunday will bring the event to a close.

RIM SHOTS

Ashley Robinson verbally committed to St. Joseph’s. Robinson was an All-State First Team selection as a junior and plays her club ball with the Philly Belles program.

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Chris Hansen is the National Director of Scouting for Women’s Basketball at HoopGurlz.com. He leads the panel that evaluates and ranks girl's basketball prospects nationally for HoopGurlz. Chris has been involved in the women’s basketball community since 1998 as a coach, trainer, evaluator and reporter. He can be reached at chris@hoopgurlz.com.

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Clay Kallam is a columnist and contributor to HoopGurlz.com. He is the founder of Full Court Press, an online magazine devoted to women"s basketball and the author of “Girls Basketball: Building a Winning Program" (Wish Publishing, 2002). Kallam has written about the women"s game for several national publications and is a voter for the McDonald"s All-American team, the Parade All-American team, the All-WNBA team and the Wooden Award, and formerly wrote for the Contra Costa Times newspaper chain. Clay can be contacted via our Contact form (click "Ask Clay Kallam").

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