Known among teammates as “Dr. Dunk.” Mike McKinney, a 6-4, forward/center from Columbus, Ohio, helped lead Otterbein to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament his senior season in 1986 and was named to the All-America second team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Playing alongside future Otterbein Hall of Famer Dick Hempy, a 6-4 forward from Waldo, Ohio, the pair helped form the nucleus of what can be argued as one of the best men’s basketball teams to play at Otterbein. McKinney averaged 18.1 points and 7.5 rebounds a game that season as the Cardinals cruised through their Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) schedule with an unblemished 16-0 record and won the post-season OAC Tournament. The team finished the year 28-3, which was then a school record for most wins.

In the NCAA Tournament, Otterbein swept through the Great Lakes Regional with wins over Calvin, 100- 84, and DePauw, 82-67, to earn a trip to the Elite Eight. McKinney tallied 55 points and 17 rebounds over the two games and was named MVP of the regional which was hosted by Otterbein.

In Lincoln, Neb., the Cardinals lost, 87-82, in single overtime to Nebraska Wesleyan, just missing out of making a Final Four appearance. McKinney hit a jumper with 16 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime.

McKinney finished his four-year career with 1,582 points and 627 rebounds, and shot 55.7 percent from the field and 75.5 percent from the line. He ranks eighth all-time in scoring at Otterbein.