Late Starter McKie is Hungry and Turning Heads

Ron Bailey, Publisher

May 10, 2006 – Most young guys playing national level AAU ball have done so for a number of years. Some start at the age of six or seven, some maybe around the 6th grade or so. But every now and then, a young person comes around who is well into his high school years, but talented enough to stand out. Robert McKie fits the bill.

Standing around 6’2”+ and weighing 205lbs, the muscular McKie hails from South Philadelphia, and presently attends South Philadelphia High School. The junior admitted he “just really getting into playing basketball” now.

That’s not to say McKie is devoid of skills and impact, as he is not. Living in the vicinity of Philly’s Capitolo park (the courts across from Geno’s Cheese steaks) Robert has put in many hours playing there, as well as his favorite spot for a ‘run’, Seger Park, located at 10th and Lombard. In cities with a rich hoops tradition like the City of Brotherly Love, it is entirely possible start organized ball in your late teens, and still become a heck of a player.

Since he’s just starting out so to speak, Robert just wants to play, and feels “I’ll play anything, it really doesn’t matter right now”. McKie’s current most effective positions are shooting guard and small forward.

Yes, that’s small forward, despite his height. McKie is able to play larger than his actual height due to strength, athleticism, competitiveness, and extreme jumping ability, the latter he indicated “just comes naturally”.

All were on display during the recent Southern Invitational AAU tournament, held at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. Playing for the Ball Hawks and their coach, Aaron Abbott, Robert repeatedly attacked the rim, cleaned the glass, defended, filled the lanes, and provided energy for his squad.

During a 71-60 victory over the Newark, NJ based Memorial Park Playas, McKie dropped 12 points, while consistently rebounding and blocking shots. One memorable sequence around the 6:15 mark of the second half saw him punish the rim on a power slam out of a half court set, and immediately afterward throw down a breakaway dunk, which gave his team a 62-49 lead that effectively sealed the victory. His neighborhood friend and Ball Hawk teammate, Antonio “Scoop” Jardin delivered both passes.

When asked what his points of improvement were in hoops, McKie honestly replied “My jump shot and ball handling” could become better. Abbott agreed with that assessment. Robert is also very proud of his penchant for shutting a man down, stating “I love to play defense”. This skill too was on display during the Southern Invitational.

Aaron Abbott (grey), on the Ball Hawk's bench

Abbott, who has coached the Ball Hawks for four years now, is very high on the uber-athletic McKie. “His upside is crazy” said the coach and past Philadelphia hoop star. “With him not really knowing the fundamental aspects of the game, so once you include that into him having the school yard game, he can only get better”.

The Ball Hawk’s coach then shared Mckie’s development plan, stating, “You can’t really teach him what he can’t do in a game”. As such, he primarily defends, rebounds, and attacks the rim in competition, while “in the gym in practice we definitely work on his weaknesses”.

Illustrating a thirst to get better and earn a scholarship, Robert said “This whole year, I’m just trying to work on my whole game, and become way better. And hopefully, I can go to the next level”. This is one young man who desperately wants to earn a college scholarship.

Mckie (22) discusses strategy with Scoop Jardin (middle), while Jackson (25) gathers his breath

To that end, he will continue to play with the Ball Hawks, who he “likes a whole lot” in terms of improving his skills. He may even transfer to Goretti-Neumann High School in South Philly, where Abbott is an assistant coach and Jardin runs the point, delivering passes to a fellow Ball Hawk and Syracuse-bound hooper Rich Jackson. Such a move would definitely improve Mckie's visibility; the Goretti-Neumann Saints won last year’s Philadelphia Catholic League championship, and expect to contend for the title again this year.

Both McKie and Abbott shared that colleges have not yet inquired much to date, but expect that to change as more coaches see him play for the Ball Hawks, and in high school. The coach would not speculate as to what level of collegiate ball Robert would eventually play, but does believe “He will end up with a college scholarship”.

When asked if he has every coached a more athletic player, Abbott responded “No, not really”, but then provided a very interesting assessment of McKie. “He doesn’t try to use it all the time. He knows when to do it. He picks his moments. But more so than that, he is really aggressive”. Additionally, the Ball Hawk’s coach labeled Robert “A nuts and bolts guy”, which is necessary since “every team needs one”.

Let’s see, a kid willing to learn, possessing off the charts athleticism that loves to defend equals college ball player. As Abbott said, it’s up to him to determine what level of college hoops he participates in via hard work. With McKie’s hunger, the sky’s the limit.

Check back with i95Ballerz.com for updates. Robert is sure to make it happen.