‘Eaters land guard

Chris McNealy, the 2010 Northern California Player of the Year at San Ramon Valley High, has signed a written offer of financial aid and will join the UC Irvine men’s basketball program, Anteaters’ Coach Russell Turner announced Thursday.

McNealy, a 6-4 combo guard, led his Danville-based school to a 28-4 record and a trip to the CIF North Coast Section semifinals as a senior.

“I am excited to announce the signing of Chris McNealy,” Turner said in a statement. “He is a winner both on and off the court and is the type of player I hope to attract to UCI. He is versatile and smart and plays at a high level on both ends of the court. I really like the fact that Chris comes from a basketball family, and I think he is a perfect fit for the up-tempo style of play I want to implement.

“This is exciting news for our program and I am proud of the team effort we put forth to earn Chris’ commitment,” Turner said.

McNealy was named the NorCal Preps Division I Player of the Year and earned All-State Division I honors from Cal-Hi Sports as well as All-East Bay and All-Bay Area distinction. He was named Co-MVP of the East Bay Athletic League.

McNealy averaged 20.5 points in six postseason games, scoring 34 (28 in the second half) in the section semifinals against De La Salle and 31 in a victory over Serra in the quarterfinals.

He was recruited by other schools including Saint Mary’s, Stanford, Washington State, Boston College, Davidson, Penn, Temple, Columbia and Yale.

McNealy’s father, Chris, was a two-time first-team All-Big West Conference player at San Jose State in 1982 and 1983. Chris McNealy played three seasons with the New York Knicks (1985-88).

— From staff reports