MUScoop Wiki

Nickname: “The Hawk”
Position: Forward/Center
Height: 6'9“
Weight: 195 lbs.
Born: January 31, 1951 in Hoke, NC
Died: 2005
High School: George Westinghouse in (Brooklyn) New York, NY

McNeill averaged 13.4 points per game and led Marquette in rebounding during the 1971-72 season (9.2 rpg). After the departure of Jim Chones, he averaged 17.5 points per game. The following year, he led the team in scoring during the 1972-73 season with 17.6 points per game.

He was known as a tremendous leaper and a very aggressive player.

Coach Al McGuire once said that McNeill had the potential to be the greatest player ever at Marquette.

• 37th (tie), Rebounds (554)

• 10th, Rebounding Average (9.6)

• 10th, Points (511)
• 10th, Scoring Average (17.6)
• 7th, Field Goals Made (209)
• 6th, Field Goals Attempted (441)
• 9th, Rebounds (288)
• 10th, Rebounding Average (9.9)

• 9th, Free Throw Percentage (min. 100 att.) (74.4%)
• 7th, Rebounds (266)

Leaving at the end of his sophomore year, McNeill was drafted by the Kansas City-Omaha Kings in the 2nd round (7th pick) of the 1973 NBA draft.

He enjoyed six seasons in the NBA with the Kansas City-Omaha Kings, Kansas City Kings, New York Nets, Golden State Warriors, Buffalo Braves and Detroit Pistons. While playing in the 1975 playoff series for the Kings against the Chicago Bulls, he set a NBA playoff record for the most field goals made without a miss, shooting a perfect 12/12 from the field during that legendary night. (He would later hit 18 straight baskets.) His record still stands today.

After playing his last season (1978-79, 11 games) with Detroit in the NBA, McNeill signed with the Rochester Zeniths for their inaugural season with the newly renamed Continental Basketball Association (CBA) - formerly, the Eastern League. The Zeniths - coached by Mauro Panaggio, a famous NCAA D-III coach - would win the CBA championship in dominating fashion, and McNeill would be named 1978-79 CBA Playoffs Co-MVP.

He would leave the U.S. to play overseas in the Philippines for Gilbey's Gin, which just joined the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). During the 1979 season, Gilbey's Gin would make the post-season tournament and eventually place fourth. On September 4, 1979, the PBA All-Stars featuring McNeill played the NBA's Washington Bullets in an exhibition game. The All-Stars would lose to the Bullets, 133-123.

Because McNeill (6'9”) and fellow U.S. import, Dean Tolson (6'8“) proved to be difficult to handle as they were much taller than their league counterparts, the PBA instituted a handicap rule against Gilbey's Gin: only one of them could be on the floor at a time. They would have a 7-11 record that year in their conference.

McNeill once held the all-time highest individual score in a game with 88-point explosion in a 167-163 OT win by his team Winston against Great Taste in 1983. However, in what would be his last season in the PBA, McNeill led his team to the conference finals with a 102-101 victory over rival San Miguel.

McNeil was one of the most offensive-minded PBA imports of all-time, constantly filling up the box scores with 50 points or more.