Roland Park’s McLean commits to UConn
By the end of a thorough recruiting process, Roland Park basketball standout
Mir McLean came to a simple conclusion in why she committed to perennial national power Connecticut.
“It’s a successful program and I don’t like to lose,” the Reds rising senior forward said.
The three-time All-Metro first-team pick led No. 2 Roland Park to a 26-2 mark in her junior season, averaging 18.3 points and 12.9 rebounds per game with 19 double doubles. In league play, the Red went14-0 in claiming the top seed in the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference tournament, but fell to St. Frances in the championship game.
She selected Connecticut, which has won a record 11 NCAA Division I national championships under longtime coach Geno Auriemma, over South Carolina, Miami and North Carolina State. Last season, the Huskies made their 12th straight Final Four appearance, falling to eventual runner-up Notre Dame.
“I was looking at Connecticut for two years and have liked [former Huskies standout forward] Gabby Williams for a while. It feels good, a big relief, and I’m just excited and glad I was able to stick to my decision,” said McLean, who is joining Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 overall recruit in the country, in UConn’s 2020 recruiting class.
McLean, an athletic 5-foot-11 wing, is listed as a five-star recruit by ESPN, which has her ranked as the 32nd-best prospect in the country. She has already surpassed 1,000 points and rebounds for her career at Roland Park.
“Mir has worked so hard and she’s a student-athlete with no ceiling as far as her physical abilities and what she wants to get out of the game of basketball,” Roland Park coach Dani Steinbach said. “For her to have an opportunity to verbally commit to one of, if not the best, program in the country, is huge for her.”
An impact player from her first game on the varsity team in her freshman season, McLean has dominated at both ends of the court. Steinbach looks forward to McLean’s senior season at Roland Park and her continued growth at Connecticut.
“She anchors our defense by blocking shots and pulling down defensive rebounds which essentially starts our offense,” Steinbach said. “We feel very lucky to have her as part of our program and she’s only getting better.”