Sacramento State shooting guard Mikh McKinney is seeing the benefits because of the changes he has made to the way he plays the game.

After playing a full season of Division I basketball last season and struggling to score during road games, McKinney worked in the offseason with fellow guard Dylan Garrity and head coach Brian Katz to trust his jump shot.

“He had a good sophomore year, but he struggled at times,” Katz said.

After his team lost the first two games at Montana and Montana State, McKinney sought advice from his dad and his coaches to see what he could improve on.

“On that Sunday he watched every big time college basketball game and fixated on a really good player and he knew he was forcing his shot,” Katz said. “From that point on, he has been dominant.”

Since his adjustments, he has improved his production on the road so much that he is averaging four points higher per game and is making 12 percent more of his shots from last season.

He also is sixth in the conference, averaging 16.6 points per game and just came off of a 29 point, 11 rebound performance to award him both Big Sky Conference Player of the Week and College Sports Madness Mid-American Player of the Week.

“I just want to be the best I can be,” McKinney said. 

This past summer he was selected team co-captain with point guard Dylan Garrity and has developed not only as a lead on the court but off the court mentoring freshmen Eric Stuteville and Nick Hornsby.

“When we are on the bench they are always telling me to get ready to go,” Hornsby said.

But no matter on or off the court, McKinney’s mind is always on basketball.

Senior forward Joey Quigley played with McKinney since the two transferred to Sac State in summer 2012.

“Everything he does he relates it to the game of basketball,” Quigley said. “He will be putting on his clothes and some how turn it into a step-back jumper or we are passing through the hall and he will give me a euro step. He has more of the winning heart mentality than anyone I have ever played with.”

Ryan can be reached on Twitter at @rskuhn