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Georgetown's Mac McClung to enter transfer portal


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Georgetown's Mac McClung told ESPN that he's requested to enter the transfer portal, immediately becoming the most sought-after transfer in the country.

McClung informed Georgetown of his plans earlier today, and he also intends to withdraw his name from the NBA draft. He expects to appear in the portal imminently after completing the required paperwork this morning.

"It was a number of different events that made me feel I had no choice but to transfer from Georgetown," McClung told ESPN. "I really wanted to stay, but things throughout my career made me realize that I couldn't.

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"I'm looking for a place I can call home. A place I can be a part of a family and help them succeed."

McClung, a 6-foot-2 guard, was named to the Big East's all-freshman team after averaging 13.1 points in 26.4 minutes for the Hoyas. He was in the midst of a breakout sophomore season, averaging 15.7 points, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 27 minutes per game, before a foot injury derailed his season after just 21 games.

He suffered the injury in practice on Feb. 1 and was cleared to return to action after only three weeks. McClung played only 8 minutes against Providence on Feb. 21 before signaling to a referee that he could no longer continue and limped off the court to the locker room, marking his last appearance in a Georgetown uniform.

McClung will be filing a waiver to play immediately, he told ESPN.

He received a fair amount of attention from NBA teams during the pre-draft process, conducting 11 interviews. He was scheduled for five more interviews that he eventually canceled upon deciding to transfer, according to his agent Daniel Hazan.

McClung received a significant amount of feedback from NBA executives on what they'd like to see him improve on, Hazan said, and felt comfortable with what he had learned during the pre-draft process regarding his standing in the eyes of teams.

"Going through this process was really informative," McClung said. "I got a chance to speak to the decision makers and hear what they thought about my game. They shared with me things I need to work on to be successful at the next level. I'm very optimistic about the feedback I have received and can't wait to take that knowledge to my future home."

Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing, appearing on a podcast with Andy Katz on May 5, said McClung would be returning to Georgetown for his junior year. Hazan said McClung never informed Ewing of such and was blindsided to see reports of him withdrawing from the NBA draft made public while he was in the midst of navigating the pre-draft process.

"The podcast with Andy Katz was not the deciding factor to my decision to transfer," McClung said. "I think it affected my pre-draft process, and seemed to confuse a lot of teams."

McClung has more than 730,000 followers on Instagram, in large part because of his explosive dunks, deep pull-up 3-pointers and fiery on-court demeanor. He achieved online celebrity in high school by eclipsing Allen Iverson's career scoring record in the state of Virginia, as well from several highlight-reel finishes that went viral.

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Spoke to someone involved in Mac McClung’s recruitment. Key for school that ultimately gets him is he wants to play more at PG based on NBA feedback & he’s only planning to be in college one more year. Interest in Memphis is real. Penny is point man just like w/ DeAndre Williams.
7:55 PM · May 20, 2020
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2 hours ago, UVAObserver said:

Yeah, almost mortally certain it’s going to be Wake now.  That’s a smorgasbord of a Top 7 and only BYU and Wake make much sense from a positional fit.

Agreed, and I cannot see him being cool with following all the crazy rules BYU has in place.

 

but Auburn could be the dark horse. Pearl likes a fast paced offense, mostly threes and dunks, so he could fit in that system somewhat. 

 

I believe he will struggle in any major P5 conference because of the athletes available to guard him and then expose his defense on other end. I cannot imagine McClung trying to score on Herb Jones then trying to stop a guy like Kira Lewis in the SEC. That's just Bama guys, not the elite 5* guys Kentucky has, or Florida. And in the ACC, dealing with Duke, Carolina, Louisville, UVA, etc... He will find out QUICK what it's like to try and make the NBA.

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1 hour ago, Liam McPoyle said:
Spoke to someone involved in Mac McClung’s recruitment. Key for school that ultimately gets him is he wants to play more at PG based on NBA feedback & he’s only planning to be in college one more year. Interest in Memphis is real. Penny is point man just like w/ DeAndre Williams.
7:55 PM · May 20, 2020

Mistake, I believe. He doesn't shoot well enough and doesn't initiate offense like you want from the traditional NBA PG and he isn't big enough to play like Westbrook. Even Lillard or Morant, those are better shooters with a more natural feel for passing. That doesn't even take his defense into account.

should've just got a degree from Georgetown, it's one of the top universities in the nation and he should look down the road. But that doesn't seem like McClung.

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I agree. It almost has to be Wake Forest.  Below is a very rudimentary summary on the PG status at the other six schools.

Auburn has a 5* PG Shariffe Cooper coming in next year (the highest recruit in school history)

Arkansas signed  4* PG KK Robinson from Oak Hill

BYU only makes sense if MM has to sit-out a year to replace leading scorer Alex Barcello

TT has significant depth at guard

USC seems to have stability at the position with no obvious opening

Memphis had issues at PG this past season but seemed to have shored them up in the second half with Alex Lomax

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Transfer to Wake Forest and don't leave without the degree. Play two years in the best conference in the country. Enter the draft and and hope for the best. If it doesn't happen, you can always play pro ball in Europe. When age or injury says it's over, you walk away with a college education and no regrets.

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1 hour ago, Liam McPoyle said:

Transfer to Wake Forest and don't leave without the degree. Play two years in the best conference in the country. Enter the draft and and hope for the best. If it doesn't happen, you can always play pro ball in Europe. When age or injury says it's over, you walk away with a college education and no regrets.

Bolded is what I agree with 10,000% but I'm not confident in that he makes the right decision. He would be absolutely insane to not get a degree and Wake is an excellent institution with great pedigree. I think Georgetown may be held in slightly higher regard but Wake is a great school and a degree from there opens a lot of doors.

Unless I'm totally wrong and McClung makes $100M playing in the NBA, leaving school without a degree is asinine. Even going to Europe, you still need a career once you hit 30 so that degree will be a huge help. Without it, it's brutal in the job market, esp to someone who's only experience is playing basketball.

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5 hours ago, BigWinners said:

Bolded is what I agree with 10,000% but I'm not confident in that he makes the right decision. He would be absolutely insane to not get a degree and Wake is an excellent institution with great pedigree. I think Georgetown may be held in slightly higher regard but Wake is a great school and a degree from there opens a lot of doors.

Unless I'm totally wrong and McClung makes $100M playing in the NBA, leaving school without a degree is asinine. Even going to Europe, you still need a career once you hit 30 so that degree will be a huge help. Without it, it's brutal in the job market, esp to someone who's only experience is playing basketball.

You can play well into your 30s in Europe and made good money. Malcolm Delaney and Zabian Dowdell still play over season. And Zabian graduated from VT in 05. 

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Why is anyone acting like a degree from Gtown or Wake will make a big difference?  If you can be an impact at any of these univerisities are are mostly set for life without a major screw up.   They all have big money donors who like to help look after those who allowed their school to shine in some athletic event.  

If NBA is driving the move then Texas Tech of Arkansas.

Beard is a guy the NBA respects and may see teams go after as a coach.

Musselman has plenty of NBA connections also.

Pearl has yet to get a PG to the league.

Enfield has a fun system in LA with the old Dunk City but will USC even play basketball this year.

BYU is interesting.  They should have a top 10-15 team next year.

Penny?? I don’t want to have to follow Tiger High basketball haha.

I would like to see him at Wake. I hope Forbes succeeds and if Mac could go make that happen it would be the most enjoyable pick of the group to follow.

That being said I certainly hope wherever Mac feels is best brings him a ton of success. No doubt he will put the work in wherever it may be.

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12 hours ago, 1inStripes said:

Why is anyone acting like a degree from Gtown or Wake will make a big difference?  If you can be an impact at any of these univerisities are are mostly set for life without a major screw up.   They all have big money donors who like to help look after those who allowed their school to shine in some athletic event.  

If NBA is driving the move then Texas Tech of Arkansas.

Beard is a guy the NBA respects and may see teams go after as a coach.

Musselman has plenty of NBA connections also.

Pearl has yet to get a PG to the league.

Enfield has a fun system in LA with the old Dunk City but will USC even play basketball this year.

BYU is interesting.  They should have a top 10-15 team next year.

Penny?? I don’t want to have to follow Tiger High basketball haha.

I would like to see him at Wake. I hope Forbes succeeds and if Mac could go make that happen it would be the most enjoyable pick of the group to follow.

That being said I certainly hope wherever Mac feels is best brings him a ton of success. No doubt he will put the work in wherever it may be.

what PGs have Beard and Mussleman put in the league? I can't think of any

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8 hours ago, BigWinners said:

what PGs have Beard and Mussleman put in the league? I can't think of any

That’s not exactly what he said.  He spoke of connections and respect.  But to that point, Musselman put Cody Martin (F) in the NBA, and Beard put Zhaire Smith (SG) and Jarrett Culver (SG) in the NBA.  
 

Musselman has a bunch of NBA connections from the 2000s, and Beard is indeed well respected there.

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1 hour ago, UVAObserver said:

That’s not exactly what he said.  He spoke of connections and respect.  But to that point, Musselman put Cody Martin (F) in the NBA, and Beard put Zhaire Smith (SG) and Jarrett Culver (SG) in the NBA.  
 

Musselman has a bunch of NBA connections from the 2000s, and Beard is indeed well respected there.

Both Martins play for the Hornets. So technically Musselman has that in his bag. 

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On 5/20/2020 at 10:49 PM, BigWinners said:

I believe he will struggle in any major P5 conference because of the athletes available to guard him and then expose his defense on other end. 

I disagree. The Big East can compete with the SEC & the ACC in basketball. Villanova, Seton Hall, Marquette, Butler, Creighton, and Xavier have competitive programs that regularly make the NCAA Tournament. Then you add in Georgetown's non con schedule where they played Duke, Texas, and Syracuse. I still think he will average double digits in scoring in the ACC or any other conference as long as he's healthy. 

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2 hours ago, Widespread_Panic said:

I disagree. The Big East can compete with the SEC & the ACC in basketball. Villanova, Seton Hall, Marquette, Butler, Creighton, and Xavier have competitive programs that regularly make the NCAA Tournament. Then you add in Georgetown's non con schedule where they played Duke, Texas, and Syracuse. I still think he will average double digits in scoring in the ACC or any other conference as long as he's healthy. 

Agreed.  He’ll score plenty.  It’s the matador defense that is concerning and may limit his ceiling.

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6 hours ago, UVAObserver said:

That’s not exactly what he said.  He spoke of connections and respect.  But to that point, Musselman put Cody Martin (F) in the NBA, and Beard put Zhaire Smith (SG) and Jarrett Culver (SG) in the NBA.  
 

Musselman has a bunch of NBA connections from the 2000s, and Beard is indeed well respected there.

But he specifically mentioned Pearls lack of sending PGs to the NBA. Beard has only been a P5 HC for four seasons, while Pearl has been successful for well over a decade. Not to mention that CJ Watson was an NBA PG that played under Pearl. If we are just talking about players, then Pearl has a kid that's likely a lottery pick in the next draft, Isaac Okoro.

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3 hours ago, Widespread_Panic said:

I disagree. The Big East can compete with the SEC & the ACC in basketball. Villanova, Seton Hall, Marquette, Butler, Creighton, and Xavier have competitive programs that regularly make the NCAA Tournament. Then you add in Georgetown's non con schedule where they played Duke, Texas, and Syracuse. I still think he will average double digits in scoring in the ACC or any other conference as long as he's healthy. 

The Big East can compete, but on the whole the Big East doesn't land as many elite recruits as the ACC and the SEC. The BE teams are sometimes better, but in terms of elite recruits and athletes, the ACC still reigns supreme. The Big East school with the most first round draft picks is St. Johns, and it's 17th, with seven ACC schools ahead of them. 

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Tim Hayes Retweeted

 Jeff GoodmanVerified account @GoodmanHoops  

Jeff Goodman Retweeted Misko4Raznatovic

Sources confirmed to @Stadium that Texas Tech guard Davide Moretti is likely to forgo his senior season to sign overseas. This is a major reason why Chris Beard has made a strong push for Georgetown transfer Mac McClung.

 

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On 5/22/2020 at 1:52 PM, BigWinners said:

The BE teams are sometimes better, but in terms of elite recruits and athletes, the ACC still reigns supreme. The Big East school with the most first round draft picks is St. Johns, and it's 17th, with seven ACC schools ahead of them. 

True, but this is one of the many reasons why I dislike the NBA. NBA teams draft mainly on potential as opposed to the best college basketball players. The Big East has excellent basketball players who may not get the attention coming out of high school or go early in the NBA draft but they can play. I wouldn't bet against McClung to succeed at this point judging by what he has done so far. If averaged 15 a game in the Big East he will do it it any other conference.  

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17 minutes ago, Widespread_Panic said:

True, but this is one of the many reasons why I dislike the NBA. NBA teams draft mainly on potential as opposed to the best college basketball players. The Big East has excellent basketball players who may not get the attention coming out of high school or go early in the NBA draft but they can play. I wouldn't bet against McClung to succeed at this point judging by what he has done so far. If averaged 15 a game in the Big East he will do it it any other conference.  

Well at this point, it's almost two different sports. College basketball still works a lot inside out, more structure, more sets, more condensed offense whereas the NBA is wing centric, all about spacing, mostly quicker possessions, way more shots from deep. A player can be an elite college player but if he can't shoot from three, can't get his own shot, can't get to the rim (or free throw line) against 6'7 wing defenders then he's not gonna make the NBA as a guard. Even big guys, if you can't shoot you better be an elite defender or an athletic freak with great vision to pass the ball or you won't cut it either. 

McClung is gonna need to become a great shooter if he hopes to play in the NBA. At his size, not being a traditional PG that works primarily as an offense initiator and a passer, if he can't hit 40%+ from three, I don't see it. Westbrook is to me the closest comparison in terms of style of play but while McClung is a good athlete, he isn't in the same universe as Westbrook. Russ can also be an elite defender when he wants to be, McClung has never shown that ability.

To me, he would have to become a Dame Lillard type guard and for that to happen, he's gotta become a more reliable shooter from three and a better defender. In the Big East, he played against a lot of very good basketball players but not as many athletic freaks that he would see at the next level. Guys like Howard at Marquette and Powell at Seton Hall are extremely productive college players, but they aren't like first round prospects. In the ACC, he would be facing guys like Cole Anthony, Jordan Nwora, Tre Jones, guys who are likely lottery picks or at worst mid first rounders.n

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On 5/22/2020 at 1:48 PM, BigWinners said:

But he specifically mentioned Pearls lack of sending PGs to the NBA. Beard has only been a P5 HC for four seasons, while Pearl has been successful for well over a decade. Not to mention that CJ Watson was an NBA PG that played under Pearl. If we are just talking about players, then Pearl has a kid that's likely a lottery pick in the next draft, Isaac Okoro.

He played one season under Pearl.  He was a Buzz Peterson recruit and was on the NBA trajectory when Pearl got to TN his SR year.  Thats kind of like saying Coach K got Zion to the NBA.

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