Tag: Meghan McKeown

ESPN analyst says Rutgers basketball’s Ace Bailey ‘is as good as advertised’

Meghan McKeown Wallace breaks down how Ace Bailey has looked in the McDonald’s All-American Game.

ESPN analyst and reporter Meghan McKeown Wallace has been impressed with Ace Bailey’s performance this week at the McDonald’s All-American Game. The five-star forward has certainly lived up to the hype.

Bailey signed with Rutgers basketball in December. He was electric during the slam dunk competition on Monday night and has earned rave reviews for his performance in practice the past couple of days at the McDonald’s All-American Game.

Multiple rankings have Bailey as the second-best recruit in the nation. The only outlier is USA TODAY High School Sports, which has Bailey as the best player in the country.

Meghan McKeown Wallace, who will be part of ESPN’s broadcast team for the game, has watched Bailey the past couple of days and has been impressed.

“Ace Bailey is as good as advertised. His athleticism and raw talent means he has an unlimited ceiling,” Wallace told Rutgers Wire on Tuesday morning.

“He’s been one of, if not the most impressive player throughout the scrimmage and JamFest of the McDonald’s All-American Game.”

 

At a press conference this week for the McDonald’s All-American Game, Cooper Flagg was asked about going up against Bailey. A five-star forward, Flagg is ranked as the top player in the 2025 class by multiple media outlets including ESPN.

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The Duke commit was asked about squaring off against Bailey, who is contending with Flagg to be the nation’s top recruit.

“I mean, I think he’s a great player. Really versatile, really well-rounded,” Flagg said during Monday’s press conference.

“And to be honest, I’m not really looking for specific matchups. I’m just playing to have fun and compete. I’m just always trying to win.”

The boys edition of the McDonald’s All-American game will tip-off at 9 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN. The girls game will air on ESPN2 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Rutgers women’s basketball: Kaylene Smikle highlighted as a Big Ten player to watch

The Big Ten Network had praise for a Rutgers women’s basketball standout.

After a standout performance as a freshman, Kaylene Smikle is getting some buzz heading into this upcoming season. The Rutgers women’s basketball guard is being expected to emerge as one of the top players in the Big Ten.

Last season, Smikle led Rutgers with 17.9 points per game. She is a major reason why there is optimism that the Scarlet Knights can take a step forward this season in what will be a second year under head coach Coquese Washington.

This week, the Big Ten Network’s Meghan Wallace (McKeown) highlighted the top 20 players in the conference. Smikle checked in at No. 16.

Smikle had a very strong freshman season at Rutgers.

“Smikle had a fabulous freshman season putting up 18 points per game – more than five boards and nearly two steals,” McKeown said in her piece on the Big Ten Network.

“The sophomore can flat-out get to the basket no matter how many defenders you throw her away. With a year underneath her belt, I cannot wait to see how much more her  game continues to mature as she heads into her sophomore year with the Scarlet Knights.”

 

Last season saw growth from Washington’s young team. Rutgers finished 12-20 (5-13) and won a game in the Big Ten Tournament.

This year, with several transfer portal additions, headlined by Destiny Adams, this could be a season where Rutgers takes a step forward.

Rutgers women’s basketball forward Chyna Cornwell makes Big Ten’s top rebounders list

Meghan McKeown ranks Chyna Cornwell as one of the top returning rebounds in the Big Ten.

There is some buzz around Chyna Cornwell this offseason and the next step she can take as part of the Rutgers women’s basketball team. The buzz is certainly real for the Rutgers senior forward around the Big Ten.

Cornwell took a big step last season under head coach Coquese Washington, averaging 9.5 points per game as a junior (her previous season saw Cornwell average 2.2 points per game). Playing an expanded role, Cornwell also averaged an impressive 8.6 rebounds per game.

She is a core piece of what should be a solid starting five for Washington, who is set for her second season with the program.

Big Ten basketball analyst Meghan McKeown, a former Northwestern guard, believes that Cornwell is one of the top returning rebounders in the Big Ten.

“She’s one of the hardest players on the floor to box out,” McKeown said.

 

McKeown thinks that Rutgers has had a good offseason, adding several key pieces in the transfer portal. McKeown is bullish on the direction of Rutgers under Washington and the rebuilding of the program.

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Big Ten Network analyst Meghan McKeown says Rutgers women’s basketball improved this offseason

Big Ten Network analyst believes Rutgers women’s basketball took a step forward this offseason.

Coquese Washington did a solid job in her first season as head coach of the Rutgers women’s basketball team. Now this offseason, she has made a pair of additions in the transfer portal that should help the rebuilding program take the next step.

Rutgers landed two big transfers this offseason in guard Mya Petticord (Texas A&M) and guard Destiny Adams (North Carolina)

A former Northwestern basketball player, McKeown has worked for ESPN as well as her current role with the Big Ten Network. She sees promise and potential in the Scarlet Knights following a first season under Washington where they went 12-20 (5-13 Big Ten) and won a game in the conference tournament.

“Rutgers added high-major talent in the transfer portal, which is massive. Mya Petticord from Texas A&M played 15 minutes a game in the SEC her freshman year,” McKeown said.

“Destiny Adams played 17 minutes a game at North Carolina. Experience at the Power Five level will be huge for coach Washington in year two.”

Adams is an interesting addition for Rutgers. A former standout player from Machester Township, N.J., Adams was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school.

“Huge for Rutgers to get New Jersey-native Destiny Adams. What’s good about getting a player like Adams is she has played impactful minutes in the ACC, which is one of the best conferences in the country,” McKeown said.

“She understands how hard you have to compete in an elite conference, plus she has size and a great motor. Her faceup game and ability to drive by players at 6-foot-3 makes her difficult to guard. The Big Ten doesn’t necessarily have a ton of players at 6-foot-3 who can effectively defend on the perimeter against a player as quick as Adams. Her game will allow Rutgers to continue to try and play fast.”

Last season, Adams averaged 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for North Carolina.

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In getting Destiny Adams, Rutgers women’s basketball is getting a player who could be a nightmare match-up in the Big Ten

Rutgers women’s basketball is adding a primetime player in Destiny Adams.

Coquese Washington added some much-needed firepower and experience to her Rutgers women’s basketball roster this offseason.

In their first season under Washington, Rutgers flashed in what was very obviously a rebuilding season. They finished the season 12-20 (5-13 Big Ten). Last spring, Washington took over for the legendary Vivian C. Stringer.

This was the first full offseason for Washington, allowing her to fully attack the transfer portal. As such, Rutgers was very active in the transfer portal, adding Destiny Adams and Mya Petticord.

“Rutgers added high-major talent in the transfer portal, which is massive,” Big Ten Network Megan McKeown told Rutgers Wire.

“Mya Petticord from Texas A&M played 15 minutes a game in the SEC her freshman year. Destiny Adams played 17 minutes a game at UNC. Experience at the ‘Power Five’ level will be huge for Coach Washington in year two.”

Adams in particular adds some intrigue to this roster.

With her athleticism and high work rate, Adams fits the greater team scheme. But she is also a talented scorer.

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A former four-star recruit from New Jersey, she averaged 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game off the bench for North Carolina. She shot a very, very healthy 46.5 percent from the floor.

“Huge for Rutgers to get New Jersey-native Destiny Adams. What’s good about getting a player like Adams is she has played impactful minutes in the ACC, which is one of the best conferences in the country,” McKeown said.

“She understands how hard you have to compete in an elite conference, plus she has size and a great motor. Her faceup game and ability to drive by players at 6-foot-3 makes her difficult to guard. The Big Ten doesn’t necessarily have a ton of players at 6-foot-3 who can effectively defend on the perimeter against a player as quick as Adams. Her game will allow Rutgers to continue to try and play fast.”

To keep up with all things Big Ten women’s basketball, follow Meghan McKeown on Twitter @MeghanMcKeown_.

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Big Ten Network women’s basketball analyst Meghan McKeown: ‘This Rutgers team will give a lot of the Big Ten issues next year’

Rutgers women’s basketball is trending up according to one Big Ten Network analyst.

This was a year of growth for Rutgers women’s basketball with the Scarlet Knights showing development and maturation under first-year head coach Coquese Washington. A seasoned and experienced Big Ten coach, Washington saw her team begin to take shape as the season wore on.

Rutgers finished the season 12-20 (5-13 Big Ten). Washington took over for Vivian C. Stringer, who didn’t coach the previous season for personal reasons.

Even with a tough out-of-conference schedule, Rutgers still showed plenty of signs of life from the get-go under Washington. An accomplished Big Ten coach who spent 12 seasons at Penn State, Washington knows how to get a team to the postseason.

Her Nittany Lions teams made the NCAA Tournament four times and the NIT on three occasions. For Big Ten Network analyst Meghan McKeown, there is a clear upward trend for Rutgers women’s basketball this offseason.

“Coach Washington has done a fantastic job coming in to replace coach Stringer. She’s not trying to be coach Stringer, but respects and understands what coach Stringer did at Rutgers throughout her legendary career,” McKeown told Rutgers Wire this week.

“I love how coach Washington understands her identity as a coach. This Rutgers team will give a lot of the Big Ten issues next year.”

Some quality wins down the stretch of the regular season and a win in the Big Ten Tournament capped off a rebuilding season for the once-proud program. A program that now seems to be trending upwards.

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Rutgers has added some real quality this offseason with a couple of high-level transfers. These additions, headlined by Destiny Adams, come into a team that already has some good depth pieces.

“Coach Washington knows two very important concepts: how to recruit in the Big Ten and how to win the Big Ten. She had a ‘rebuild’ last season that produced one of the best freshmen in the league in Kaylene Smikle, and one of the best rebounders in the league in Chyna Cornwell,” McKeown said.

“They picked up some key wins along the way, such as a huge win over Nebraska. This is a team that plays hard and has the ability to make in-game adjustments. I’m excited to see how they do in 2023-24.”

For more basketball insight and in-depth Big Ten coverage, make sure to follow Meghan on Twitter @MeghanMcKeown_.

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Big Ten Network analyst says Coquese Washington ‘is more than qualified’ to rebuild Rutgers women’s basketball

One Big Ten Network analyst thinks that the hiring of Coquese Washington was a great move for Rutgers women’s basketball.

Coquese Washington has the resume and the credentials to get the job done with the Rutgers women’s basketball team. So says Meghan McKeown, a former Big Ten basketball player who is now a college basketball insider.

A former Northwestern basketball standout, McKeown now works for the Big Ten Network in a variety of roles including as a women’s college basketball analyst.

In terms of the hire of Washington, there is certainly grounds for optimism from Rutgers fans. During a 12-year stretch as head coach at Penn State, McKeown led the Nittany Lions to four NCAA Tournament appearances, twice leading the program to the Sweet Sixteen.

Three other times, Penn State made the NIT.

For a Rutgers program that has, over the past two decades, consistently been a top 25 program and made the NCAA Tournament more often than not, Washington’s track record with Penn State has some interesting carry over to her rebuilding project at Rutgers.

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The Scarlet Knights went 11-20 last year, losing in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament to Indiana.

“I think the reason to be optimistic is coach Washington did have consistent success at Penn State for a stretch. It is incredibly difficult to win the conference, let alone do it three straight years,” McKeown told RutgersWire on Wednesday.

“Sometimes leaving a conference, then coming back, can offer a fresh perspective on how to approach building a program and recruiting. That has a chance to be the case in this instance. Coach also spent time at Notre Dame as associate head coach, and I felt that program was one of the most underrated nationally this past season after struggling when Muffet McGraw retired. This is going to be an uphill battle and will take a few years, but coach Washington is more than qualified to do it.”

After being let go at Penn State in 2019, she spent time at Oklahoma as associate head coach and then the past two seasons at a very good Notre Dame program.

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McKeown, who knows the Big Ten as both a player and a member of the media, thinks that Washington is a good fit. Having played against Washington-coached teams at Penn State adds another layer to McKeown’s buoyant outlook on the latest hire by Rutgers.

“Coach Washington is a great hire for Rutgers. She understands how to win in the Big Ten with a lot of success at Penn State. Coach Washington also understands how to develop pros,” McKeown said.

“I played against Alex Bentley and Maggie Lucas and that Penn State team was one of the hardest to guard. Coach also has experience at the highest level when it comes to recruiting the northeast and nationally. The Big Ten conference is one of the best in the country because of the level of coaching.

“Coach Washington knows how to compete in the chess matches that occur in-game regarding the coaching in this conference.”

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