Mickey McConnell
Encyclopedia
Richard Barton "Mickey" McConnell (born April 14, 1989 in Mesa, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...

) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....

 player with the Saint Mary's Gaels men's basketball team
Saint Mary's College Gaels men's basketball
The Saint Mary's College Gaels men's basketball team represents Saint Mary's College in Moraga, California, competing in the West Coast Conference of the NCAA. The team plays home games in the McKeon Pavilion, capacity 3,500; it is one of the smaller gyms in the WCC. The current head coach is Randy...

 who has completed his senior season
2010–11 Saint Mary's College Gaels men's basketball team
The 2010–11 Saint Mary's Gaels men's basketball team represented Saint Mary's College of California in the 2010–11 college basketball season. This was head coach Randy Bennett's tenth season at Saint Mary's. The Gaels competed in the West Coast Conference and played their home games at the McKeon...

. In 2011, he was named West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the most outstanding men's basketball player in the West Coast Conference. The award was first given following the 1952–53 season, when the conference was known as the California Basketball Association...

. He plays for Fileni Jesi
Aurora Basket Jesi
Aurora Basket Jesi, also known for sponsorship reasons as Fileni Jesi is an Italian professional basketball team from the town of Jesi.-History:...

 of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

's Legadue Basket.

Early life

McConnell was born Richard Barton McConnell on April 14, 1989 in Mesa, Arizona
Mesa, Arizona
According to the 2010 Census, the racial composition of Mesa was as follows:* White: 77.1% * Hispanic or Latino : 26.54%* Black or African American: 3.5%* Two or more races: 3.4%* Native American: 2.4%...

 to Pam and Rick McConnell. Rick McConnell is the head basketball coach at Dobson High School
Dobson High School
Dobson High School is a secondary public high school located in Mesa, Arizona. The school is part of the Mesa Unified School District and serves grades 9-12. Rhodes and Powell junior high schools feed students into Dobson. The school's mascot is a mustang and the school colors are varsity royal...

 and was a member of the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...

’s 1976 College World Series Championship baseball team. Mickey's older brother Matt plays baseball in the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

 minor league organization. Their grandfather Dick has the most wins in Arizona high school basketball history. The youngest McConnell received the nickname "Mickey" as a homage to Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...

.

High school career

He attended Dobson High School and was coached by his father. In his Dobson career, McConnell scored a school record 1,650 points while dishing out a school record 545 assists. As a junior, he averaged 21.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game as the Mustangs notched a 19-12 record. McConnell shot 48% from the perimeter and led the East Valley 5A conference in scoring, 3-point percentage, and assists. The Mustangs reached the 2006 Arizona high school playoffs before losing to Corona del Sol High School
Corona Del Sol High School
Corona del Sol High School located in Tempe, Arizona, United States, was established in 1977 and is a part of the Tempe Union High School District. It was expanded in 1986. It was expanded again in 2001.-Campus:...

. Following the season he was selected to the East Valley 5A All-Region team.

In McConnell's senior year, he posted averages of 20.6 points, 7.4 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.0 steals per game in leading Dobson to a 23-7 record and state playoff appearance. The Arizona Republic named him to the First Team All State, and he was an East Valley 5A All-Region team selection. He originally signed with New Mexico, but opted out of his letter of intent
National Letter of Intent
The National Letter of Intent is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating NCAA colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manages the daily operations of the NLI program while the Collegiate Commissioners Association provides...

 after coach Ritchie McKay
Ritchie McKay
Ritchie Lawrence McKay is an assistant coach for the Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team. Previously, the Indianapolis, Indiana native was the head coach of Liberty University, the University of New Mexico, Oregon State, Colorado State, and Portland State.-Biography:McKay got his first head...

 was fired. After considering UC Irvine, McConnell committed to Saint Mary's
Saint Mary's College Gaels men's basketball
The Saint Mary's College Gaels men's basketball team represents Saint Mary's College in Moraga, California, competing in the West Coast Conference of the NCAA. The team plays home games in the McKeon Pavilion, capacity 3,500; it is one of the smaller gyms in the WCC. The current head coach is Randy...

 on April 28, 2007. He chose the Gaels because, in his own words, “I liked the whole environment and the rise of the program. It was just a good fit for me as far as the family culture atmosphere. I thought it was the best place for me to go to be successful.”

In addition to his basketball exploits, McConnell was a star shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...

 on the baseball team. He holds the school record for stolen bases with 54 and is second all time in hits (101) and sixth in home runs (4). In his senior year, he was an honorable mention 5A All-State Selection.

Freshman

McConnell seldom played as a freshman, averaging 1.0 points per game in 6.4 minutes per game of playing time. He scored a season high five points and grabbed three rebounds against Cal State Bakersfield. The Gaels finished the season 25-7, and made the NCAA Tournament
2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball as a culmination of the 2007–08 basketball season...

 as a ten seed.

Sophomore

In his sophomore campaign, McConnell increased his averages to 5.4 points and 21.3 minutes per game. He scored in excess of 10 points on five occasions. He recorded his first collegiate 20 point night on February 14, 2009, in a 75-68 win over Portland
Portland Pilots men's basketball
The Portland Pilots men's basketball team represents the University of Portland, located in Portland, Oregon, United States, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They play their home games at the Chiles Center and are members of the West Coast Conference. Their current head coach is Eric...

. In the February 21 ESPN BracketBusters matchup versus Utah State
Utah State Aggies men's basketball
The Utah State Aggies are a Division I men's college basketball team that plays in the Western Athletic Conference, representing Utah State University. The Aggies have enjoyed an extremely high amount of success in recent years under head coach Stew Morrill...

, McConnell started in place of injured Australian guard Patty Mills and registered a season high 22 points. He shot 6-for-6 from the field and 9-for-11 from the foul line as the Gaels earned a 75-64 victory. McConnell helped the Gaels go 28-7 and advance to the quarterfinals of the National Invitation Tournament
2009 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals and finals:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 31 and April 2* denotes each overtime played-NIT Championship:...

.

Junior

McConnell averaged 13.8 points and 5.1 assists per game as a junior. Over the course of the regular season, McConnell led the nation in three-point shooting with a 51.5% efficiency (minimum 2.0 attempts per game and 75% of games played). He hit a total of 77 threes, tied for fourth most in a single season in Gael history. He shot 51.4% overall in West Coast Conference
West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....

 play, eighth best in the league. McConnell's average of 13.7 points per game in conference ranked tenth in the West Coast Conference, and his 5.3 assists per game was third. He dished out a total of 174 assists on the year, the fourth best single season mark for a Gael. McConnell led the team with 50 steals and his 1.5 steals per game was fifth in the WCC in that statistic. In a blowout
Blowout
-Science and technology:*Blowout , a sudden release of oil and gas from a well*Blowout , a sandy depression caused by the removal of sediment by wind*Blowout grass is a grass that can be found on sand dunes...

 of the Howard Bison on December 30, McConnell registered his first double-double as he posted 11 points and 11 assists.

He led the team to a 28-6 finish, a ten seed in the NCAA Tournament
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...

, and a berth in the Sweet Sixteen. McConnell was named Most Valuable Player of the 2010 West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
2010 West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2010 West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament took place from March 5–8, 2010 at Orleans Arena in Paradise, Nevada.-Format:...

 as he matched his season high with 26 points to help Saint Mary's defeat Gonzaga
2009–10 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Gonzaga University in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Bulldogs are members of the West Coast Conference, were led by head coach Mark Few, and played they home games at the McCarthey Athletic Center on the...

 in the championship game. In the NCAA Tournament, he connected on 5-of-9 attempts from beyond the arc and scored 23 points in an 80-71 first round victory over the Richmond Spiders
2009–10 Richmond Spiders men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Richmond Spiders men's basketball team represented the University of Richmond in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college basketball during the 2009–10 season...

. McConnell had 15 points in the 75-68 Round of 32 win over Villanova
2009–10 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team
The 2009-10 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team represented Villanova University in the 2009–10 college basketball season. Villanova was led by head coach Jay Wright. The Wildcats participated in the Big East Conference and played their home games at The Pavilion with some select home games...

 and banked in
Bank shot
Bank shot may refer to:* Bank Shot, a film* Bank Shot, a novel in the John Dortmunder series by Donald E. Westlake* A basketball move* A * A move in air hockey...

 the go-ahead three point shot with 1:55 to play. He was named to the All-West Coast Conference Team at the conclusion of the season. He was recognized as an All-Ninth District second-team selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches
National Association of Basketball Coaches
The National Association of Basketball Coaches , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of college men's basketball coaches...

.

Senior

Prior to his senior year, McConnell was named to the preseason All-West Coast Conference Team. He was on the preseason watchlist for the Bob Cousy Award
Bob Cousy Award
The Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the top men's collegiate point guard. It is named after six-time National Basketball Association champion Bob Cousy, who played point guard for the Boston Celtics...

 honoring the top point guard in college basketball. Jeff Goodman ranked him the #13 shooter in college basketball. McConnell was named to the South Padre Island Invitational All-Tournament Team after leading Saint Mary's to the championship game against BYU
2010–11 BYU Cougars men's basketball team
The 2010–11 BYU Cougars men's basketball team represented Brigham Young University in the 2010–11 college basketball season. This was head coach Dave Rose's sixth season at BYU. The Cougars, in their final season in the Mountain West Conference, played their home games at the Marriott Center...

. In back-to-back victories against Mississippi State
2010–11 Mississippi State Bulldogs men's basketball team
The 2010–11 Mississippi State Bulldogs men's basketball team represents Mississippi State University in the 2010–11 college basketball season. This is head coach Rick Stansbury's thirteenth season at Mississippi State...

 and Hartford, he posted a double-double (28 points and 13 assists) and then 21 points and seven assists, respectively. This earned him West Coast Conference Player of the Week and TheHoopsReport.com National Player of the Week honors for the week of December 28-January 3. For the second straight week McConnell was recognized as West Coast Conference Player of the Week after leading the team to wins against Loyola Marymount and Pepperdine. On January 27, McConnell contributed 27 points and hit the game-winning shot with 1.2 seconds remaining to defeat the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The victory was the first for head coach Randy Bennett
Randy Bennett
Randy Bennett is an American college basketball coach and the current head men's basketball coach at Saint Mary's College of California. Bennett has led the Gaels to a 183–103 record in his nine years as head coach...

 at the Bulldogs' home, the McCarthey Athletic Center
McCarthey Athletic Center
McCarthey Athletic Center or "MAC" is a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Spokane, Washington. The arena opened in 2004. It is home to the Gonzaga University Bulldogs basketball program, and is often called "The New Kennel". This nickname was inherited from the school's former basketball arena,...

, and the first by a Gaels team since 1995. McConnell scored a career-high 32 points in a loss to Portland
Portland Pilots men's basketball
The Portland Pilots men's basketball team represents the University of Portland, located in Portland, Oregon, United States, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They play their home games at the Chiles Center and are members of the West Coast Conference. Their current head coach is Eric...

 on January 29. These performances earned him his third West Coast Conference Player of the Week honors. After victories over Santa Clara
Santa Clara Broncos men's basketball
The Santa Clara Broncos men's basketball team represents Santa Clara University, located in Santa Clara, California, in NCAA Division I basketball competition. They play their home games at the Leavey Center and are members of the West Coast Conference...

 and San Francisco
San Francisco Dons men's basketball
The San Francisco Dons basketball team represents the University of San Francisco in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's college basketball. The Dons compete in the West Coast Conference, in which they have won sixteen regular season and one conference tournament...

, McConnell was named West Coast Conference Player of the Week for the fourth time on February 14. McConnell was on midseason watchlist for Naismith College Player of the Year
Naismith College Player of the Year
The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....

.

Saint Mary's went 25-9 in McConnell's senior season, captured a share of the West Coast Conference regular season title with an 11-3 record, and reached the 2011 National Invitation Tournament
2011 National Invitation Tournament
-Colorado bracket:-Boston College bracket:-Virginia Tech bracket:-NIT Final Four - NIT Semifinals and NIT Championship Game:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City-See also:* 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...

. In the first round of the NIT, Saint Mary's was upset by Kent State
Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball
The Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball team represents Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. The Golden Flashes compete in the Mid-American Conference East Division and last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2008...

 71-70 as McConnell missed an open layup in the final seconds. At the end of the season, McConnell garnered West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the most outstanding men's basketball player in the West Coast Conference. The award was first given following the 1952–53 season, when the conference was known as the California Basketball Association...

 honors as well as repeating on the All-West Coast Conference Team. He was among the final ten candidates for the Bob Cousy Award. He was recognized as an All-Ninth District first-team selection by the National Association of Basketball Coaches
National Association of Basketball Coaches
The National Association of Basketball Coaches , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of college men's basketball coaches...

. The U.S. Basketball Writers Association
United States Basketball Writers Association
The United States Basketball Writers Association was founded in 1956 by Walter Byers and serves the interests of journalists who cover college basketball.-Scholarships:...

 named McConnell to the 10-man All-District IX team covering college basketball players in the states of California, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Arizona, and Alaska. He was picked to the Fourth Team All-America and Mid-Major
Mid-major
Mid-major is a term used in American Division I college sports, to refer to athletic conferences that are not among the major six conferences...

 All-America Team by Fox Sports. McConnell was named an Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...

.

McConnell finished his career with 1,234 points, 12th most in Saint Mary's history. He is also second in assists and third in three pointers made. Head coach Randy Bennett said that, of all the players he coached, McConnell improved the most.

Professional career

The Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...

 drafted McConnell on the third day in the 31st round with the 944th overal pick in the 2011 MLB First Year Player Draft. The pick completely surprised McConnell, who had not played baseball since high school. "In the summers I would hit a little bit and do minor baseball stuff with my brother but nothing serious or organized," he said. A Dodgers scout said that the pick was not a publicity stunt, and he believed that McConnell had a career in baseball. McConnell affirmed that he was committed to basketball, in the NBA or overseas, but would not rule out becoming a professional baseball player in the future.

McConnell signed with Fileni Jesi
Aurora Basket Jesi
Aurora Basket Jesi, also known for sponsorship reasons as Fileni Jesi is an Italian professional basketball team from the town of Jesi.-History:...

 of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

's Legadue Basket for the 2011-12 season.

NCAA

College statistics
2007–08 Saint Mary's Gaels
Saint Mary's College Gaels men's basketball
The Saint Mary's College Gaels men's basketball team represents Saint Mary's College in Moraga, California, competing in the West Coast Conference of the NCAA. The team plays home games in the McKeon Pavilion, capacity 3,500; it is one of the smaller gyms in the WCC. The current head coach is Randy...

21 0 6.4 .333 .300 .455 0.5 0.9 0.0 0.1 1.0
2008–09 Saint Mary's Gaels 35 13 21.3 .421 .405 .743 1.3 2.1 0.6 0.1 5.4
2009–10
2009–10 Saint Mary's College Gaels men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Saint Mary's Gaels men's basketball team represented Saint Mary's College of California in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Randy Bennett's ninth season at Saint Mary's. The Gaels compete in the West Coast Conference and played their home games at the McKeon...

Saint Mary's Gaels 34 34 36.1 .508 .510 .841 2.4 5.1 1.5 0.2 13.8
2010–11
2010–11 Saint Mary's College Gaels men's basketball team
The 2010–11 Saint Mary's Gaels men's basketball team represented Saint Mary's College of California in the 2010–11 college basketball season. This was head coach Randy Bennett's tenth season at Saint Mary's. The Gaels competed in the West Coast Conference and played their home games at the McKeon...

Saint Mary's Gaels 34 34 37.0 .504 .456 .887 2.5 6.1 1.2 0.2 16.4
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