Mac McClung to transfer from Georgetown

Mac McClung will withdraw his name from the NBA draft and enter the NCAA transfer portal, leaving Georgetown behind in a surprise development.

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

“I’m looking for a place I can call home. A place I can be a part of a family and help them succeed.”

NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony of ESPN said McClung “immediately [becomes] the most sought-after transfer in the country.”

The 6-foot-2 guard was Georgetown’s leading scorer in 2019-20 with 15.7 points per contest, along with 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He missed 10 of the last 11 games of the season with a foot injury.

In two years, McClung played 50 games for the Hoyas and averaged 14.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. He has two years of college eligibility left and told ESPN that he will file a waiver to play immediately instead of sitting out 2020-21.

“Mac was an integral piece of our program and when he let me know his decision I was disappointed, but he needs to do what’s best for him,” Georgetown coach Patrick Ewing said in a statement. “I want to wish him luck in his future endeavors. Moving forward, our focus is the core that we have coming back and our incoming class.”

A recent gaffe may have contributed to McClung’s attitude toward Ewing and the Hoyas’ program. McClung entered his name into the NBA draft in late March to test the waters, and he was never highly-rated by draft analysts, making it seem like he should return. But in a podcast interview last week, Ewing said in an interview that McClung told him he would come back to Georgetown — prompting McClung’s agent to release a statement refuting the coach.

But McClung told ESPN that the podcast “was not the deciding factor” in deciding to transfer, though he admitted that it affected his pre-draft process.

As a three-star recruit out of southern Virginia, McClung was one of the biggest signings in the Ewing era at Georgetown. He came with the hype of a cult internet following from his dunking mixtapes. Now, he’s the latest in a long line of transfers from the Hoyas program.

The Hoyas lost starting guard James Akinjo a few weeks into last season, and he soon transferred to Arizona. Around the same time, Josh LeBlanc, Myron Gardner and Galen Alexander left the program and eventually transferred following a harassment incident on campus that included burglary and one sexual assault accusation.

The only players returning to Georgetown who saw notable playing time last season are forward Jamorko Pickett, guard Jahvon Blair and center Qudus Wahab.