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Charleston Southern lost some of their best players from last year, including Saah Nimley/Arlon Harper, but at least head coach Barclay Radebaugh returns 1 of his top assistant coaches. BJ McKie is making a name for himself on the sideline after a stellar career on the court as a player at South Carolina. He began his career as the 1996 SEC ROY, graduated in 1999 as the Gamecocks’ all-time leading scorer, and in 2011 he was named an SEC Basketball Legend. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach McKie about outscoring Alex English and having his son follow in his footsteps.
In 1996 you were named SEC ROY at South Carolina: how were you able to make such a smooth transition from high school to college? I went to school at home and never put any pressure on myself. I learned a lot from my coaches and the veterans on the team and just worked hard to stay on the right path. I was 1 of the 1st in the gym and 1 of the last out of the gym.
In 1997 you led the Gamecocks to their 1st-ever SEC basketball title: how big a deal was it to win the conference title? It was a very big deal. I always thought that we were capable of winning a championship, and all the pieces finally fell together after a slow start to our season. We worked hard to attain our goals.
In the 1997 NCAA tourney you scored 16 PTS in a loss to #15-seed Coppin State, and in the 1998 NCAA tourney you scored 24 PTS in a 1-PT loss to #14-seed Richmond: do you think it was just a case of any team can win on any given night, or did you discover the secret of how underdogs can pull of an upset in March? It is more prevalent now to have upsets, but that is why you play the game. We faced some good teams and I tip my cap to them for having good game plans.
In 1999 you passed Alex English to become the all-time leading scorer in school history: did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record? I never had the goal of becoming the all-time leading scorer, so I credit my teammates for helping me accomplish that. It just kind of worked out that way. I do not know when it will happen, but records are made to be broken.
In 2011 you were honored as an SEC Basketball Legend: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It means a lot to be known as a legend, especially because there have been so many great players in the history of the SEC. It was 1 of the best honors that I ever received as a student-athlete.
You work for Barclay Radebaugh, who was an assistant coach when you played at South Carolina: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He is a player’s coach who really knows his Xs and Os. I have been fortunate to be under his tutelage for a long time and have learned so much both on and off the floor. He has been an excellent mentor to me from day 1. He hired me without any experience, which is rarely heard of these days, and I am blessed that he has been part of my life since my college days.
Your non-conference schedule includes road games against Wichita State/Stanford/Arkansas during the 1st 8 days of the season in mid-November: how are you preparing to face such a gauntlet? You always have to play the big boys and we will just take it 1 day at a time. We are preparing to play hard/execute and I really feel good about our chances. We do not feel any pressure this year: a lot of people picked us to finish 7th or 8th in the league but we will try to play championship-caliber basketball.
You lost each of your top-4 scorers from last year: how are you going to try to replace all of that offense? The scoring will be more spread out rather than just having 1 big individual scorer. We have some guys who are hungry and eager to get out on the floor and show everyone what they can do. We will put on our hard hats and come ready to work each and every day.
Your son Justin plays for your alma mater: who is the best athlete in the family? I have to say that I am. Justin is a very good athlete and we come from a very big athletic family.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? If we can come together as a team and really work hard on both ends of the court, then I think the sky is the limit.