When Poca junior standout Isaac McKneely gave an early commitment to the University of Virginia basketball program last week, one of the big selling points to him was the fact that the Cavaliers run a lot of the same defenses as the Dots.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ninth in a series. Staff writer Rick Ryan has seen a lot come and go in his newspaper career. Following are recollections from his days at the Wheeling Intelligencer (1978-90), Asheville (N.C.) Citizen-Times (1990-94) and Charleston Gazette-Mail (1994-2020).