2008 Woodie Awards
Amazing walk-on
Xander McNally has earned his playing time
Alex Gallegos
Issue date: 2/26/08 Section: Sports
Being a freshman and a walk-on player of a Division I men's basketball team isn't necessarily the easiest way to get playing time, but Xander McNally has managed to have both adequate playing time and the second most steals in the Sun Belt Conference.
"No walk-ons play anywhere basically, but there are exceptions like Drake which is a team-ranked 15th in the country and whose top two players are walk-ons," said Joe Scott the head coach of the men's basketball team at DU.
Of the 27 games DU men's basketball has played this season, McNally has played an average of 24.6 minutes and hasn't missed a game yet. Although he has played a significant amount of minutes in each game, he has only started in four of them.
However, McNally leads his team in both the steals and blocks categories, with 59 and 27, respectively. He is also second in offensive rebounds with a total of 23 so far.
"To me scholarships, walk-ons those are all labels but when you recruit you look for guys and always see if you can get another couple walk-ons," said Scott. "If they can come and compete on a DI basketball team, they are not just a walk-on."
McNally is one of two walk-on players, the other being Nigel Peter-Denman a freshman as well, on the men's basketball this team this year. McNally is not on scholarship because he walked-on to the team yet he still chose to attend University of Denver despite a lack of financial support.
"I was getting recruited, but it was by DII and DIII schools," said McNally of why he didn't choose another college or university to play basketball for. "DU was a much better school and it has always been my dream to play Division I basketball."
McNally only played on his varsity high school basketball team his junior and senior years and attended a private high school called Branson in San Francisco. His basketball team won the state tournament in both his junior and senior years.
McNally was inspired to try and make the men's DU basketball team because the University of Denver seemed like it would be a good fit both academically and athletically for his desire to play basketball. He has chosen to major in the Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management program at DU.
"No walk-ons play anywhere basically, but there are exceptions like Drake which is a team-ranked 15th in the country and whose top two players are walk-ons," said Joe Scott the head coach of the men's basketball team at DU.
Of the 27 games DU men's basketball has played this season, McNally has played an average of 24.6 minutes and hasn't missed a game yet. Although he has played a significant amount of minutes in each game, he has only started in four of them.
However, McNally leads his team in both the steals and blocks categories, with 59 and 27, respectively. He is also second in offensive rebounds with a total of 23 so far.
"To me scholarships, walk-ons those are all labels but when you recruit you look for guys and always see if you can get another couple walk-ons," said Scott. "If they can come and compete on a DI basketball team, they are not just a walk-on."
McNally is one of two walk-on players, the other being Nigel Peter-Denman a freshman as well, on the men's basketball this team this year. McNally is not on scholarship because he walked-on to the team yet he still chose to attend University of Denver despite a lack of financial support.
"I was getting recruited, but it was by DII and DIII schools," said McNally of why he didn't choose another college or university to play basketball for. "DU was a much better school and it has always been my dream to play Division I basketball."
McNally only played on his varsity high school basketball team his junior and senior years and attended a private high school called Branson in San Francisco. His basketball team won the state tournament in both his junior and senior years.
McNally was inspired to try and make the men's DU basketball team because the University of Denver seemed like it would be a good fit both academically and athletically for his desire to play basketball. He has chosen to major in the Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management program at DU.
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