Georgetown sophomore guard Mac McClung announced Sunday he will enter the 2020 NBA draft while “maintaining (his) eligibility” to return to college.
McClung also told ESPN he signed with a certified agent.
“First, I would like to thank God for blessing me with this opportunity,” McClung wrote in a social media post. “I would also like to thank my parents, Coach (Patrick) Ewing, along with his coaching staff, for believing in me and helping me become the player I am today. To the Georgetown faithful, thank you for giving me a new home!”
As an underclassman, McClung had until April 26 to decide whether to declare. He can withdraw from the draft and return to Georgetown next season, as Maryland guard Anthony Cowan, for example, did last spring.
In 21 games in 2019-20, McClung led the Hoyas with 15.7 points per game, along with averaging 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals. But he missed 10 of the last 11 games of the Big East schedule with a lingering foot injury.
A tumultuous season for Georgetown led to a 15-17 overall record (5-13 in Big East play) and a first-round exit from the Big East Tournament — the day before it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The 6-foot-2 guard from Gate City, Virginia, gained a following when he began dunking in high school games and his highlight mixtapes made the rounds online. A 3-star recruit, McClung originally chose Rutgers but decommitted and signed with Georgetown.
McClung also broke the Virginia High School League single-season scoring record set by famous former Hoya Allen Iverson.
Recent NBA mock drafts have not projected McClung to go in either the first or second round. Theoretically, McClung could go through the draft process and receive advice about whether to enter the draft or return to Georgetown for another year. But the status of the NBA scouting combine and pre-draft process are up in the air amid the pandemic, and it’s unclear how much of a look McClung will actually get.
“Not knowing if I will have the opportunity to work out for teams, or the status of the NBA combine make this process different,” he told ESPN. “I understand that the NBA draft process will be different this year given the COVID-19 pandemic around the world. I am looking forward to getting feedback from NBA teams, as well as give NBA teams an opportunity to get to know me on a more personal level.
“I feel as if I have an obligation with the platform I have to remind people the importance of ’social distancing’ and staying home as much as possible.”
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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