McKinley Wright IV


McKinley Wright IV is an American college basketball player for the Colorado Buffaloes of the Pac-12 Conference.

Early life and high school career

Wright is the son of McKinley Wright III and grew up in Champlin, Minnesota. The elder Wright was arrested in December 2005 for trafficking crack cocaine and was imprisoned until 2017. Wright attended Champlin Park High School and averaged 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists per game in his senior season. He led the team to a 31-1 record and the 4A title game, losing to Apple Valley High School. Wright had 30 points in a state quarterfinal victory over Chaska High School. He was named 2017 Minnesota Mr. Basketball. He initially committed to Dayton but reopened his recruiting after coach Archie Miller was hired by Indiana. In April 2017, Wright committed to Colorado.

College career

On December 15, 2017, Wright set career highs in points and assists as the Buffaloes defeated South Dakota State 112–103 in double overtime. As a freshman, Wright averaged 14.2 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game on a team that finished 17-15. Wright was named to the Pac-12 Conference All-Freshman Team while earning honorable mention to both the All-Pac-12 Team and All-Defensive Team. His 175 assists broke Chauncey Billups' record of 143 assists for a freshman. After the season, he worked out will Billups to improve his jump shot. As a sophomore, Wright was named first-team All-Pac-12. Wright averaged 13 points and 4.8 assists per game despite nursing a left shoulder so tender that he slept on his back to keep it from being painful. He had corrective surgery after the season to fix a torn labrum. Wright had a season-high 29 points in a 78–76 overtime win over Dayton, receiving jeers from fans of the school he originally signed with out of high school. At the conclusion of the regular season, Wright was named to the All-Pac-12 first team and the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. Wright averaged 14.4 points and 5.0 assists per game. After the season, Wright declared for the 2020 NBA draft.

Career statistics

College