Texas Tech Basketball: A look at what Mac McClung brings to Red Raiders

 What the future may hold for Mac McClung

And there you have it, you are now ready to make informed predictions about how McClung will fare at Texas Tech. It is important to note that if McClung is unable to obtain a waiver from the NCAA, he will have to sit out a year, due to the NCAA transfer rules, but soon enough you will get a chance to see if he is living up to the expectations you set forth for him.

When it comes to my predictions, well… I’m not exactly sure what McClung will accomplish at Texas Tech. It’s easy to say that a player will average 15+ points, 5+ assists, and lead their team to a final four, based on what they were able to achieve at their previous school, but you also have to think about the different factors that could lead to their sudden downfall. For all we know, McClung could have problems functioning in a different system, where he may not have the freedom that he has grown so accustomed to.

And sure, Chris Beard is a terrific head coach who is known for getting the most out of each of his players, but there is always the possibility that McClung will not always agree with him on certain things, and may begin to feel like he won’t be able to elevate his game to a higher level at Texas Tech. This could also be detrimental to the team, because they may become distracted by the tension between the two, which could have a serious effect on how they perform each contest.

If there’s one thing I know right now, it’s that McClung knows how to score the basketball, which leads me to believe that for him, points won’t be too hard to come by at Texas Tech. However, it is hard for me to determine the exact amount of points he will score, due to the fact that I am unsure how things will play out for him. Injuries plagued him a bit during his two years at Georgetown, which is something that you also must take into account before you assume that the 2020-2021 or 2021-22 season will be a breeze for him. He could be averaging 20 or more points per game towards the beginning of the season, but injuries could certainly help derail it, and no matter how well he plays when he returns, he may never be able to get his scoring average back to what it once was.

I guess I am saying all of this to emphasize the point that as fans of the game, we all need to be aware that things may not always be as easy for players as we think they will be. Anything could occur at any time, which is why you shouldn’t instinctively look at a player’s successful past at one school, and always expect similar results for them in the future at a different school. I am not saying that you should give up trying to make specific predictions about players, I would just strongly encourage you to keep all of the factors I mentioned in mind, as you are making those predictions.

With all of that being said, I feel as though I can confidently say that if McClung is able to keep his head on straight, continue to improve his game on the offensive and defensive end, show that he can still be an elite scorer while adapting to a new system, and stay healthy for an entire season, Texas Tech has a chance to have a magical season whenever he is able to return the hardwood.