Expectations for Mac McClung’s sophomore season were sky-high after he was named part of the Big East All-Freshman team following the 2018-2019 season. Unfortunately, McClung has not lived up to the hype as he has hit a rough patch in the first few games of this year’s campaign. While McClung’s jaw-dropping athleticism may sell tickets, his performance thus far in no way merits a spot in the Hoyas’ starting five.
So far this year, Georgetown’s three-point defense has been horrendous, and McClung has been a big part of the problem. In total, the Hoyas have allowed opponents to shoot 38.4% from beyond the arc, good for 305th in the nation. Often Mac has gotten caught following the ball, and failed to close out on his man. In turn, he has allowed opponents’ third or fourth scoring options to rain threes down on the Hoyas, the prime example being Penn State’s Myreon Jones.
In the clip above, Akinjo does the right thing and doubles Lamar Stevens in the post. McClung over commits to help on Jamari Wheeler (a 20% career three-point shooter), leaving the more dangerous Jones (a 33% career three-point shooter) wide open.
McClung’s woes guarding the three-point line have not simply been limited to over-helping, however. On the play above, he simply gets separated from his man due to a double screen, and cannot recover in time to contest the shot.
While it was expected that McClung would be a weak link defensively, the idea was that his offensive contributions would offset this. That certainly has not been the case; saying that Mac has been in a slump would be an understatement. McClung looked his usual self in the team’s opener, knocking down six of nine shots en route to a 16 point outing. Since then, he has looked horrific, making just two of 17 field goals, including a brutal 0 for 7 from deep.
The stats are bad, but the eye test has been even worse. Last season, McClung often struggled with his three-point shot as well, but was able to contribute in other ways by aggressively attacking the rim. Fast forward to today and Mac looks tentative, unconfident and content to settle for contested jump shots.
In the play above, Ewing drew up a play for McClung to get a touch on the wing. Rather than driving at Penn State’s Mike Watkins and making him either commit to helping on the drive or Yurtseven rolling to the basket, Mac settles for the jump shot, and gets rejected by Watkins.
But shouldn’t Ewing just let Mac shoot his way out of this slump? Not exactly. Last year, Mac’s best stretch came after the turn of the new year, following a four-game absence due to an ankle injury. After shooting just 24% from three-point range in November and December, that number rocketed up to 37.5% in the five games McClung played in January. Many attributed this improvement to the time off, which gave Mac a chance to observe the game from the sideline.
Perhaps benching Mac McClung now would have a similar effect. In more limited minutes, McClung would be asked to do much less, and thus would be able to focus on finding his own game. Regardless, one thing is clear; the next stretch of games is not going to be easy, and Coach Ewing cannot afford to play McClung for substantial minutes if he continues to be a no show on both sides of the ball.
Through three games this year, it is already clear that there are better options than Mac when it comes to the starting rotation. After serving a one-game suspension for violating team rules, Josh LeBlanc has yet to make his return to the starting line-up. Last year, LeBlanc was a key contributor for the Hoyas, averaging 9.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 63% from the field. While LeBlanc has yet to put up spectacular numbers this season, his energy and defensive intensity is something that the rest of the Hoyas are sorely lacking. I get it, Coach Ewing wanted to send a message. That message surely has been sent. Now put Josh LeBlanc back in the starting line-up where he belongs.
As for who LeBlanc should replace, McClung should be the clear and obvious choice. James Akinjo and Omer Yurtseven have been Georgetown’s two biggest contributors, and as such will obviously remain in the starting five. As for Jamorko Pickett and Jagan Mosely, both have made tremendous strides offensively from last year to go along with their already above-average contributions on the defensive end. As a matter of fact, Pickett and Mosely are currently the Hoyas’ leading three-point shooters. Up to this point, Mosely is a perfect four for four and Pickett is a very respectable three for six from beyond the arc.
Defensively, one set that Ewing has rolled out with frequency this season has been the full-court press. LeBlanc and Pickett both provide the length that McClung lacks, potentially disrupting passing lanes and creating turnover opportunities. Even Mosely is a far superior on-ball defender than Mac, and thus is a much more viable option when the coaching staff chooses to turn to the press defense.
Benching Mac McClung would in no way indicate that the staff is giving up on the talented guard’s future. Instead, it would be an indication that minutes have got to be earned in a team as deep as Georgetown. It’s time for Coach Ewing to do what is best for the program, both now and moving forward.
