Mac McClung transferring from Georgetown casts gloomy picture for Patrick Ewing and program

Georgetown has been dealt another staggering blow, as leading scorer Mac McClung is withdrawing from the 2020 NBA Draft and entering the transfer portal.

“It was a number of different events that made me feel I had no choice but to transfer from Georgetown,” McClung told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. “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.”

Georgetown has since officially acknowledged McClung has decided to transfer.

Ewing: 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, 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. https://t.co/7RVEOi0CgU

— Kareem Copeland (@kareemcopeland) May 13, 2020

Earlier this month Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing said McClung was withdrawing from the draft and returning to the Hoyas while appearing on Andy Katz’s podcast. However, the agency that represented McClung quickly refuted Ewing’s claim, saying McClung had not spoken yet with anyone from Georgetown.

Last season, McClung averaged a team-high 15.7 points as well as 3.1 boards, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per contest in 21 games. In 2018-19, he earned Big East All-Freshman team honors.

Ewing is now entering year four at his Alma mater, however, with little to no success. The Hoyas failed to make the NCAA Tournament his first three seasons.

Last season got off track after 2019 Big East Freshman of the Year James Akinjo and Josh LeBlanc each entered the transfer portal. LeBlanc was linked to multiple restraining orders against him and former teammates Galen Alexander and Myron Gardner, stemming from incident last Fall.

Georgetown entered the 2019-20 season with 3 players that had just earned all Big East Freshman honors:

James Akinjo – Frosh of the Year
Mac McClung
Josh LeBlanc

They combined to play 34 games as sophomores and have now all transferred.— Bobby Bancroft (@BobbyBancroft) May 13, 2020

Georgetown also will be without center Omer Yurtseven, who also entered the NBA Draft as an underclassman. Certainly, this is not the ideal start neither Ewing nor Georgetown expected when he become head coach.

Mac McClung and James Akinjo both transferred, Omer Yurtseven left early for the NBA Draft, and Terrell Allen and Jagan Mosely both left as seniors.

And the Hoyas were 5-13 in Big East play this past season.

Could be even uglier next year.

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 13, 2020

Ewing is 49-46 thus far at Georgetown with one winning season in 2018-19. However, his three biggest returning contributors from that team are now gone. They also lost top recruit Terrance Williams of Gonzaga (DC).

Georgetown is coming off an eighth-place finish in the increasingly competitive Big East with Connecticut returning to the league next season. McClung’s transfer adds to a series of circumstances that has cast a gloomy cloud over Ewing and the Georgetown program.