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UNC Basketball: Could Tar Heels land Georgetown transfer Mac McClung?

By Blake Cockrum

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 28: Mac McClung #2 of the Georgetown Hoyas dribbles the ball during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on January 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 28: Mac McClung #2 of the Georgetown Hoyas dribbles the ball during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on January 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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Does the UNC basketball program have a shot at sensational Georgetown transfer Mac McClung?

When Mac McClung announced his decision to withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to college earlier this week, it was good news for a Georgetown program that had already lost four players to transfer since the start of the 2019-20 season. That quickly changed when McClung told multiple sources that he would be leaving the Hoyas, and entering the NCAA transfer portal.

It immediately sparked conversation and speculation among college basketball fans across the nation, hoping that their respective teams would reel in the talented sophomore point guard out of Gate City, Virginia. A sensational 6-foot-2, 186-pound athlete with two years of college eligibility left, McClung’s list of potential schools will likely be substantial. And if his waiver is approved by the NCAA, he’d be able to play for the program that he chooses when the season begins in the fall.

According to 247Sports, Alabama, Auburn, Arizona State, BYU, Florida, Georgia, Gonzaga, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, Utah and Wake Forest had all reached out to him as of Wednesday night. Zagsblog’s Adam Zagoria also speculated that North Carolina could be a potential landing spot for McClung. Tar Heel fans would, of course, love to see an experienced, scoring machine like McClung come to Chapel Hill. But how realistic is that?

If McClung’s request to the NCAA to play immediately is approved, the chance of him joining the UNC basketball program is almost none. The Tar Heels already have a pair of extremely talented scoring guards joining the program in 2020. And even if McClung got the nod to start ahead of one of them, he’d be sharing time as part of a three-headed monster, at best.

On the other hand, if McClung’s waiver is not approved by the NCAA, and he is forced to sit out until next year, North Carolina becomes a much more plausible destination. Freshman point guard Caleb Love could have an outstanding rookie season and leave for the NBA next year, opening up a spot for McClung to slide right into the starting lineup. How likely that is to happen, I do not know, but there’s at least a level of ambiguity that there wouldn’t be if he joined the Tar Heels this season.

What’s the chance that McClung ends up in a North Carolina uniform? Not good. But it’s sure fun to think about. One thing’s for certain, though, whatever program gets McClung, be it this year or next, they’re going to get a heck of good basketball player. The high-flying guard averaged 15.7 points, 2.4 assists and 1.4 steals in 27 minutes per game last season.

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