McWright and Knight make it official, signing with Tulsa
New Tulsa men’s basketball coach Eric Konkol has signed his first two players at TU with the signatures of two Houston area guards on April 13.
Jesaiah McWright of Cypress Falls (TX) and Brian “BB” Knight of Katy (TX) Tompkins both signed with Konkol and Louisiana Tech during the early signing period in November. After Konkol was hired at TU, both recruits asked for and received a release from their letters of intent with LA Tech, allowing them to once again be recruited.
It didn’t take long for the two talented prospects to show interest in Tulsa, and both announced their commitments to the Golden Hurricane on April 5. The duo signed their National Letters of Intent with TU on the first day of the regular basketball signing period.
“Ultimately, the relationship I have with Coach Konkol and the rest of the staff is what made me choose Tulsa,” Knight told Inside Tulsa Sports. “It’s bigger than basketball with them. They’re really good people.
“On top of that, the American is a great conference, Tulsa has nice facilities and a city that backs them up. Coach Konkol is known to play freshmen early as well, which is a huge bonus for me, trying to make a big impact early.”
Knight is a 6-foot-6, 190-pound guard out of Tompkins High School in Katy, just west of Houston. The 3-star prospect is rated as a Top 10 player in the Greater Houston Area by RCS Sports. Knight also held offers from Illinois, LSU, Minnesota, Washington State, Creighton, Wyoming and several others.
"BB is a guard with size, length and athletic ability," Konkol said. "He can really shoot the basketball with range and has the ability to attack the basket. He is very bouncy and loves to be in the gym. We are excited about the versatility he brings on both ends of the floor. We see him being able to guard multiple positions and really stretch opponents from the perimeter."
Knight missed most of his senior season due to injury but was still a McDonald’s All-American nominee. He averaged 21 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals as a junior while shooting 41 percent from three-point range and 85 percent from the line. He was named First Team 19-6A All-District, Academic All-District and is Tompkins' career leader in threes made.
“I use my length really well, standing at 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan -- it helps me on the defensive side,” Knight explained. “My jump shot is the best part of my game -- being able to make shots is what I really focus on -- and my athleticism, being able to play above the rim, is a big part of my game.”
Jesaiah McWright is a 6-foot-5, 180-pound guard out of Cypress Falls High School in Houston and is ranked as the third best player in the Greater Houston Area by RCS Sports. Aside from Tulsa, he also held offers from Texas A&M, Colorado State, Rice, North Texas, Louisiana Tech and others.
"Jesaiah is a guard with size, quickness and explosiveness," Konkol said. "He can really push the ball up the floor to attack the defense and create scoring for himself and others. He loves to be in the gym and possesses tremendous length, athleticism and aggressiveness on the defensive end. We are excited about the talent he brings as a versatile playmaking guard."
As a senior, McWright averaged 14.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.8 steals. For his efforts, he was named District 16-6A boys’ basketball Most Valuable Player and TABC All-State.
He averaged 15 points, six rebounds and four assists as a junior and is a two-time First Team 16-6A All-District and Academic All-District selection as well as a District 16-6A High Jump champion in track and field.
Tulsa coaches will still add more to the 2022 class, likely from the transfer portal. About 15 D-1 transfers have reported contact with the new TU coaching staff, and several are being heavily recruited by Tulsa, including OSU transfer Keylan Boone and Louisiana Tech transfer Junior Lofton.
TU signed 4-star guard DJ Jefferson and 3-star forward Charles Chukwu in the early November signing period. Jefferson is working to obtain a release from his letter of intent.
The full list of D-1 transfers contacted by Tulsa can be found in Hurricane Alley.
Stay tuned to Inside Tulsa Sports for all the latest scoop on TU basketball and recruiting, including this morning's recruiting update. Check out highlights below of Tulsa's two new signees.