Georgetown guard Mac McClung will withdraw from the 2020 NBA Draft but will also enter the NCAA transfer portal.
The team’s leading scorer is the fifth player to transfer since December 2019. Point guard James Akinjo, the 2018-19 Big East Freshman of the Year, transferred to Arizona.
McClung’s transfer was first reported by ESPN.
“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.”
It’s been a roller-coaster ride for McClung with the Hoyas. Despite battling various foot injuries, he averaged 15.7 points per game in the 2019-20 season.
Miscommunication is looking like the issue here…
McClung declared for the draft after the season. He tested the NBA waters and met with teams while maintaining his NCAA eligibility.
However, head coach Patrick Ewing recently said McClung, along with Jamorko Pickett, had decided to return to school.
McClung’s position on this was clarified by NBA agent Daniel Hazan, via Ben Standing of The Athletic.
“Mac has not given anyone at the school such indications, Hazan said.”
McClung addressed Ewing’s comments, telling ESPN “it wasn’t the deciding factor in his decision to transfer”.
“The podcast with Andy Katz was not the deciding factor to my decision to transfer,” McClung said. “I think it affected my predraft process and seemed to confuse a lot of teams”
There’s a lot to process here. Ultimately, it’s what else McClung said which should raise even more eyebrows.
“I’m looking for a place I can call home. A place I can be a part of a family and help them succeed.”
So, what was it that led to McClung no longer feeling Georgetown was “home”?
Georgetown finished last season with a 15-17 record. Ewing is 49-46 in three seasons as head coach. He has yet to reach the NCAA Tournament.
Why has there been so much turnover lately under Ewing’s watch? My intuition tells me there’s a deeper dive coming into this one.
