Kevin McClain gets to the basket for a layup against Providence. 

Kevin McClain is ready for a big final season with the Belmont University basketball team. 

McClain, a Hamilton County High graduate and senior at BU, was recently named to the 2018-19 preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball team.  

He’s coming off his best season with the Bruins. McClain averaged 12.6 points per game, 3.8 rebounds and one steal as a junior. He had the best game of his career in the 2017-18 season, scoring 27 points against Houston Baptist in a contest where he also set a career-high with six 3-pointers.  

“I felt honored,” McClain said of the preseason recognition. “Personal accolades are good, but I want to get the (OVC) championship and make it to the NCAA Tournament.” 

Belmont has made the NCAA Tournament seven times since 2006, but McClain hasn’t been to the Big Dance yet. He has advanced to the NIT Tournament twice with the Bruins.

This could be the year as Belmont was recently tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the conference by OVC men’s basketball coaches and communications directors.      

Making the transition 

A position change was a major factor in McClain’s breakout junior season. 

After playing mostly as a backup point guard during his first two collegiate seasons, McClain moved to shooting guard. 

“He plays with so much more freedom as a wing,” said legendary Belmont coach Rick Byrd, who has compiled 778 wins as a head coach, 686 of those with the Bruins. “His natural position is a wing. He’s such a natural there.”

While team personnel dictated that McClain came off the bench at the point guard position in his first two years, the easy-going kid from Jennings handled it in stride. 

Byrd credited McClain for having a great attitude.  

“He’s such a nice person, so easy to be around,” Byrd said. “I’m pretty hard, demanding on point guards. But Kevin never did anything but say ‘yes sir, no sir.’ He handled that in such a mature way. I admire that.

“I’ve coached for a long time and I know I’m not supposed to have favorites. But he’s one of the best young men we’ve had.”

The 6-foot-3 McClain, who starred at Hamilton County as a shooting guard and was the first Trojan to sign a Division 1 basketball scholarship, spoke about making the transition back to his natural position. 

“The position change helped a lot,” McClain said. “On the wing, I’m more decisive. I’m more of catch and shoot guy.” 

A great fit

Although it took some time for McClain to crack the starting lineup, he never regrets choosing Belmont University. In fact, he called it one of his best decisions. 

It’s been a good fit academically and athletically. 

“One of the greatest decisions of my life, basketball-wise and school-wise,” said McClain, a Design Communications major at the private Christian university in Nashville, Tennessee. 

“It’s a city, but it’s slow-paced, easy to get around. I love it here.” 

Future

McClain will be a player to watch this season as one of the top players at a very successful mid-major program.

Extending his career beyond college is a possibility for McClain. 

“I want to keep playing as long as I can,” McClain said about his professional prospects. “If not, I want to go further in my major of design communications.”