While the rest of the country was busy stocking up on toilet paper, Mac McClung made a big announcement about his future.
Yes, you read that right. Mac McClung has declared for the NBA Draft.
But no, this does not mean he is gone for good. Far from it, in fact.
Under NCAA rules, college athletes can participate in the NBA combine, and even hire an agent, without forfeiting their remaining eligibility. This year, underclassmen have until June 3rd, roughly three weeks before the draft, to withdraw their name and return to school. Of course the entire pre-draft process is in jeopardy due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, the deadline to return to college will likely change as well.
If the combine and pre-draft workouts do occur in any form, it will be interesting to track McClung’s level of participation. After appearing to be well on his way to a breakout sophomore campaign, McClung was sidelined for much of Big East play due to a foot injury. He ultimately underwent season-ending surgery in early March and has been recovering at his Gate City home since. With McClung likely not yet back at full strength, a delayed combine may actually play in his favor.
After McClung’s announcement, Twitter erupted with critics saying he is not an NBA-caliber player. At this point in his development, I would agree. But that is not to say he can’t become one. Remember when an opposing high school coach told McClung he was going to Georgetown to sit? There will always be doubters, and Mac has already shown us he is capable of proving them wrong.
Since his high school days, McClung has continued to improve significantly as a player, a key reason he has become an important part of the Hoyas’ lineup. Making it to the NBA is never easy, but I’m not going to count Mac out just yet. For McClung, there is no drawback to going through the pre-draft process (if it occurs) and identifying weak points in his game. In an ideal world, Mac gets the advice he desires and returns to the Hilltop more motivated than ever to take that next step as a player.
As a fanbase, we should stick by our guys, even if it means having a little bit of blind faith. Sure, the defections of this past season gave us reason to be skeptical, but Mac McClung is not James Akinjo (or any of the other players who transferred). Since arriving at the Hilltop, McClung has represented the Hoyas well, fighting like hell every minute he has been on the court. He has earned the right to make this decision for himself.
I want Mac back just as much as the rest of the fanbase, but that doesn’t mean I’ll belittle his decision to explore all of his options. If this really is the end of the McClung era (which I’m very confident it is not), I’ll hold no hard feelings towards the kid from Gate City.
Until then, I’m still willing to bet McClung will be back in a Hoyas uniform next fall.
The “opposing high school coach told McClung he was going to Georgetown to sit” story is false. Not fair to perpetuate that misinterpretation. “‘What happened is my player, Ahmad Price, who is now at Beckley Prep in West Virginia, he had just fouled Mac when he was going to the basket and took him down hard,’ Schooler said on Tuesday. ‘They were kind of jawing back and forth and Mac was at the free throw line. I was talking to Ahmad and basically told him to stop talking and to go after [McClung] on the other end. I said, ‘If… Read more »