Arrows' McKee is county's Mr. Basketball
Senior's talent and work ethic helped Tecumseh to an 18-2 regular-season record.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
SPRINGFIELD — The best players do more than post flashy numbers.
Josh McKee had those — 19.8 points per game as a senior, 1,077 in his Tecumseh career — but he also influenced his entire team with his work ethic. McKee said every day in the offseason, he would work out before school and then drive to Vandalia after school with several teammates to work out with a personal trainer.
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Josh McKee
Get latest headlines via RSS feedsIt's that kind of dedication that took McKee and the Arrows to an 18-2 regular season this year and McKee to the top of Clark County basketball.
The 6-foot-1 McKee was named the 2008 Dan Hoyt Mr. Basketball at the 31st annual All-Clark County Coaches Basketball Banquet on Tuesday, March 18, at Wittenberg's Shouvlin Center.
"We were as strong as we've ever been in our program, which is a tribute to him," said Tecumseh coach Roger Culbertson, who was named coach of the year.
"(Football) Coach (Kent) Massie and Coach Culbertson put you through some stuff," McKee said, "but then me, Vet Smelko and a couple of guys would go over to (Vandalia), and it'd be double what we just went through. It'd be tough."
McKee is the fifth Tecumseh player to be named Mr. Basketball.
McKee's teammate and fellow senior, Jordan Kimmey, also made the All-Clark County Coaches team. McKee's future teammate and roommate at Wittenberg, South senior Michael Cooper, was honored as well.
The rest of the team included: senior Kyle Coffey of Catholic Central, seniors Aaron Reep and Justin Oren of Emmanuel Christian, Greenon senior Zack Englefield, Kenton Ridge senior Jordan Armstrong, North senior Mario Troutman, Southeastern senior Kyle Van Hoose and Shawnee junior Justin Williams.
Also on Tuesday, Shawnee senior Travis Stewart and Southeastern coach P.J. Bertemes were presented with the Southwest Ohio Officials Sportsmanship Award. Hoyt was the sports editor of the Springfield Sun for 35 years. He created the idea of a Mr. Basketball award. The award and banquet is maintained by Bill Thompson and Dr. Paul (Ski) Schanher.
