The only caveat is that he won’t be chasing an NCAA national title. Langston University, a public land-grant HBCU in Langston, Oklahoma plays its basketball in NAIA, a college athletics governing body that operates separately from the NCAA.
The Langston University Lions have been one of the top NAIA teams in the nation in recent years, making it to the national championship game last season with a 35-1 overall record.
Transitioning from Hoodie Rio, the viral high school basketball star to Mario McKinney Jr., the college basketball player hasn’t been easy.
By the start of his senior year of high school Mario McKinney Jr. was a bonafide YouTube basketball star, with his Hoodie Rio BallisLife junior season mixtape taking social media by storm in 2018.
McKinney continued to show his star power with an electrifying senior season averaging 25 points and 7.5 rebounds during the state semifinal and championship games where he helped lead Vashon High School to back-to-back-to-back Missouri state championships in 2017, 2018, and 2019. McKinney was tabbed the top player in Missouri by both ESPN and 247Sports, where he was rated as a four-star recruit and ranked 19th nationally at the point guard position and 125th overall in the 2019 class.
Mario McKinney Jr. signed with the University of Missouri where he was expected to make an immediate impact, but only saw action in four games at Missouri averaging 3.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in 9.3 minutes per game.
He then transferred to John A. Logan College, a junior college in Carterville, Illinois where he showed he still had the talent that made him a viral high school hoops star. He averaged 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.7 steals in nine games, including a 52-point performance on 17-of-23 shooting against Three Rivers Community College, and just like that, Hoodie Rio was back.
“The best mid-majors in the country and a bunch of high majors called and have been watching film on him,” John A. Logan College assistant coach John Clancy told 24/7 Sports . “A lot of schools are tracking him right now and showing significant interest. Maryland and St. Johns are probably showing the most interest and Oregon has been early on him. Georgia, South Florida, Central Florida, Texas A&M, TCU, Pittsburgh, Ole Miss, and a ton of great mid-majors have also been calling and showing interest so far.”
McKinney was determined to show he could play point guard at the Division I level, telling Dushawn London of 24/7 sports that, “I’m running strictly the one and I think it’s going to help me when I get back to D1, ” McKinney said. “Coaches are probably going to look at me as a combo guard or strictly a one so when I do get to the next level it’s going to be something I have to keep developing. I haven’t really been able to showcase my skills but I think I’m ready.”
McKinney’s next stop was New Mexico State, where lack of playing time resulted in another lackluster season at the D1 level. After averaging 3.8 points in 31 games with 5 starts, Mario McKinney Jr. was back in the transfer portal looking for a place to prove himself.
Heading into the 2022-2023 season, Mario McKinney Jr was three years removed from the Hoodie Rio era and enrolled at the University of Texas El-Paso where he found success coming off the bench for the Miners.
McKinney was the top reserve for UTEP, playing in 20 games and ranking fourth on the squad in scoring with 8.9 ppg including a career-high 22 points against his former New Mexico State team.
Now, Mario McKinney Jr. is headed to an HBCU. One that has put together an impressive run under head coach Chris Wright, a coach who has made a reputation for having success at the NAIA level with players who have struggled at the Division 1 level of college basketball.
Langston University appeared in its first NAIA National Championship game in the 2023-2024 season. Head coach Chris Wright had already led another HBCU, Talladega College to the 2022 title game before taking the job at Langston the following season. Transforming the 3-win HBCU basketball program instantly with a 61-4 win-loss record and a 41-3 mark in conference play over his first two seasons.
“The former 4 star recruit that signed at Missouri will be as talented a player as there is in the country! He will be able to score at a high clip and can impact the game in a variety of ways! I can’t wait to get this guy on the court. #LsUp .” Tweeted Coach Wright with the announcement of the McKinney signing. This signals that Mario McKinney Jr. might get the playing time and shot attempts he needs to be able to return to that Hoodie Rio form that took over the internet almost six years ago.
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