Kansas State University Athletics
McNair Bet on Himself, and It’s Paying Off
Dec 15, 2023 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
It was easy to spot Will McNair when he grew up in North Philadelphia. He was usually at Olney Recreation Center on Godfrey Avenue. He played basketball against grown men.
He was 13 years old.
"I always tried to get into the game," he said. "That actually got me way better, going against older guys all the time. I was 6-foot-5 at the time. Taller than most of the other guys there, actually."
McNair has grown to 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds, and the fifth-year senior continues to strive to be head-and-shoulders above the competition for Kansas State, which is off to an 8-2 start with games against Nebraska on Sunday and against Wichita State on Thursday in Kansas City, Missouri.
After a lengthy journey, McNair is at the right place at the right time.
"I feel like God made this opportunity happen for me," he said. "I feel like I've made the most of it. This has been a great opportunity for me."
McNair transferred to K-State in September after one season at Mississippi State (2022-23) and three seasons at New Mexico State (2019-22). Over his career, he has strived to play big minutes and make an impact on the court. He has scored nearly 500 points and grabbed nearly 400 rebounds and blocked nearly 100 shots while playing in more than 100 career games.
At each stop, he simply yearned for more.
He's found it by betting on himself. Now he is playing an impactful role for the Wildcats.
"It's a feeling I can't explain," he said. "Honestly, I was scared to enter the transfer portal this time. I was like, 'What if teams don't like me? I'll be stuck in the transfer portal for the rest of the season.' It feels good that I bet on myself and it's working in my favor as I trust God through all of it."
McNair averages 8.6 points and 4.4 rebounds and has totaled 10 blocks while playing in nine games with eight starts. He comes off a 13-point, five-rebound, three-block performance in a 75-60 win at LSU.
This comes after he produced double-digits in points against South Dakota State (10 points, 7 rebounds), Providence (10 points, 4 rebounds), and Oral Roberts (11 points, 4 rebounds) earlier in the season.
"My teammates trust in me that I can finish when they get me the ball and drive the lane," he said. "That's the best answer I can give you. It's all on them. They pass me the ball and I try to finish it every time because I know they trust me to do it.
"I'm feeling good. I feel like I've improved a lot. I've finished a little better, especially against Villanova. I'm going to keep getting better every single day."
Those formidable days at Olney Recreation Center are paying off.
However, actually it was football — not basketball — that originally piqued young McNair's interest. The second youngest of four siblings, he listened to his older twin brothers, who convinced him that he needed to consider basketball. After all, he was 6-foot-5 in middle school.
McNair played at Parkway Center City Prep School and then Martin Luther King High School. But he was hesitant about college due to a sub-standard grade-point average. Then New Mexico State stepped into the picture and gave him a chance.
It was there that McNair grew from 6-foot-10 to 6-foot-11. Yet he still had room to grow on the court.
"I just kept my head down and kept grinding and grinding," he said. "It was just hard to sit on the bench when you felt like you were better than the people on the court."
He learned a great deal playing against former teammate and first team All-SEC performer Tolu Smith at Mississippi State.
"I knew I had to step my game up and work every single day to try and get there," he said.
After transferring to Providence for two months — "I had a cup of coffee and a couple donuts there," McNair says, "but it didn't work out," — he sought a new home and received a phone call from K-State assistant coach Jareem Dowling. After speaking with Dowling and head coach Jerome Tang, McNair was sold.
He was actually sold on K-State even before that.
"Last year when they had that crazy Elite Eight run, I was like, 'Dang, I'd love to play for that team,'" he said. "It's crazy how it all worked out, and I'm here right now."
And he's helping the Wildcats win this season.
"I know we're trying to get another Elite Eight run, but we're striving for Phoenix this year," he said. "We have the team for it. We put in the work every day. No team in America outworks us. There's no way. We spend too much time at it. We're going to be great."
And McNair plans to be right there, making an impact.
It was easy to spot Will McNair when he grew up in North Philadelphia. He was usually at Olney Recreation Center on Godfrey Avenue. He played basketball against grown men.
He was 13 years old.
"I always tried to get into the game," he said. "That actually got me way better, going against older guys all the time. I was 6-foot-5 at the time. Taller than most of the other guys there, actually."
McNair has grown to 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds, and the fifth-year senior continues to strive to be head-and-shoulders above the competition for Kansas State, which is off to an 8-2 start with games against Nebraska on Sunday and against Wichita State on Thursday in Kansas City, Missouri.
After a lengthy journey, McNair is at the right place at the right time.
"I feel like God made this opportunity happen for me," he said. "I feel like I've made the most of it. This has been a great opportunity for me."
McNair transferred to K-State in September after one season at Mississippi State (2022-23) and three seasons at New Mexico State (2019-22). Over his career, he has strived to play big minutes and make an impact on the court. He has scored nearly 500 points and grabbed nearly 400 rebounds and blocked nearly 100 shots while playing in more than 100 career games.
At each stop, he simply yearned for more.
He's found it by betting on himself. Now he is playing an impactful role for the Wildcats.
"It's a feeling I can't explain," he said. "Honestly, I was scared to enter the transfer portal this time. I was like, 'What if teams don't like me? I'll be stuck in the transfer portal for the rest of the season.' It feels good that I bet on myself and it's working in my favor as I trust God through all of it."
McNair averages 8.6 points and 4.4 rebounds and has totaled 10 blocks while playing in nine games with eight starts. He comes off a 13-point, five-rebound, three-block performance in a 75-60 win at LSU.
This comes after he produced double-digits in points against South Dakota State (10 points, 7 rebounds), Providence (10 points, 4 rebounds), and Oral Roberts (11 points, 4 rebounds) earlier in the season.
"My teammates trust in me that I can finish when they get me the ball and drive the lane," he said. "That's the best answer I can give you. It's all on them. They pass me the ball and I try to finish it every time because I know they trust me to do it.
"I'm feeling good. I feel like I've improved a lot. I've finished a little better, especially against Villanova. I'm going to keep getting better every single day."
Those formidable days at Olney Recreation Center are paying off.
However, actually it was football — not basketball — that originally piqued young McNair's interest. The second youngest of four siblings, he listened to his older twin brothers, who convinced him that he needed to consider basketball. After all, he was 6-foot-5 in middle school.
McNair played at Parkway Center City Prep School and then Martin Luther King High School. But he was hesitant about college due to a sub-standard grade-point average. Then New Mexico State stepped into the picture and gave him a chance.
It was there that McNair grew from 6-foot-10 to 6-foot-11. Yet he still had room to grow on the court.
"I just kept my head down and kept grinding and grinding," he said. "It was just hard to sit on the bench when you felt like you were better than the people on the court."
He learned a great deal playing against former teammate and first team All-SEC performer Tolu Smith at Mississippi State.
"I knew I had to step my game up and work every single day to try and get there," he said.
After transferring to Providence for two months — "I had a cup of coffee and a couple donuts there," McNair says, "but it didn't work out," — he sought a new home and received a phone call from K-State assistant coach Jareem Dowling. After speaking with Dowling and head coach Jerome Tang, McNair was sold.
He was actually sold on K-State even before that.
"Last year when they had that crazy Elite Eight run, I was like, 'Dang, I'd love to play for that team,'" he said. "It's crazy how it all worked out, and I'm here right now."
And he's helping the Wildcats win this season.
"I know we're trying to get another Elite Eight run, but we're striving for Phoenix this year," he said. "We have the team for it. We put in the work every day. No team in America outworks us. There's no way. We spend too much time at it. We're going to be great."
And McNair plans to be right there, making an impact.
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