MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — One day after learning Miles “Deuce” McBride would remain an early entry in the NBA Draft, West Virginia got positive news Saturday with the return of guard Sean McNeil.
McNeil, who revealed in March he would enter the NBA Draft process, officially announced his intention to return to West Virginia for a third and final season with the Mountaineers.
Unfinished business #lastgoaround pic.twitter.com/FyE7NU031H
— Hot Boy 22 (@SeanMcNeil22) July 3, 2021
The 6-foot-3 McNeil was the team’s fourth-leading scorer last season with 12.2 points per game. He made a team-high 69 3-pointers, while shooting nearly 39 percent beyond the arc. McNeil also made 89 percent of his 54 free-throw attempts.
With McNeil back, WVU will have four senior guards next season. Earlier this offseason, Taz Sherman announced he would play one more season for the Mountaineers, capitalizing on a free year of eligibility due to the pandemic.
Kedrian Johnson returns for his senior campaign, while Old Dominion transfer Malik Curry has joined the Mountaineers to give them another veteran in the backcourt.
McNeil came to WVU in 2019 as a junior and averaged 5.5 points in his first season. His playing time increased from 14.9 minutes to 29.3 on average last season, while McNeil started in 23 of the 29 games he played.
McNeil will be WVU’s second-leading returning scorer. Sherman averaged 13.4 points last season.
The Mountaineers lost their top two scorers as early entrants to the draft. Before McBride decided to turn pro, Derek Culver did the same in April. McBride (15.8 ppg) and Culver (14.3) combined to average more than 30 points last season.