TC
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Post by TC on May 8, 2018 18:58:16 GMT -5
Ok serious question for the board as I've read through pretty much everything that has been posted in this thread...who would you think projects/projected to be the better college player coming out of high school? Mac or Blair? For reference, on 247 composite Mac is overall #239 and Blair was overall #238. How is this a question worth posing? Do I want some guy no one has ever heard of from Canada, or the most prolific scorer in Virginia history who was invited to two All-American games?
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HoyaChris
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Post by HoyaChris on May 8, 2018 19:01:50 GMT -5
I just do not understand the view that Mac can't catch and shoot like a quality two. Watching him in person before the Iverson game he hit 85% of his 3 point shots which were all essentially three point catch and shoot shots. He made the semis in the three point shooting contest.
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EtomicB
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Post by EtomicB on May 8, 2018 19:12:01 GMT -5
Ok serious question for the board as I've read through pretty much everything that has been posted in this thread...who would you think projects/projected to be the better college player coming out of high school? Mac or Blair? For reference, on 247 composite Mac is overall #239 and Blair was overall #238. How is this a question worth posing? Do I want some guy no one has ever heard of from Canada, or the most prolific scorer in Virginia history who was invited to two All-American games? Aren't you overselling these All-American games a bit TC?
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TC
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Post by TC on May 8, 2018 19:17:15 GMT -5
How is this a question worth posing? Do I want some guy no one has ever heard of from Canada, or the most prolific scorer in Virginia history who was invited to two All-American games? Aren't you overselling these All-American games a bit TC? How many times did we have to hear about Gate City's division, a 200+ ranking, or Team Loaded's depth chart? Let me know when I even come close.
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smokeyjack
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Post by smokeyjack on May 8, 2018 19:24:09 GMT -5
Ok serious question for the board as I've read through pretty much everything that has been posted in this thread...who would you think projects/projected to be the better college player coming out of high school? Mac or Blair? For reference, on 247 composite Mac is overall #239 and Blair was overall #238. I'd take Mac all day just seeing his physical tools and traits. But then again Blair was on the All-Big East Freshmen team. But that's not in the equation - try to look at this if you don't know what Blair did this year (whether that changes your opinion or not). OK, so I’ve seen Mac six times now (3 live and 3 streamed), and there is zero comparison between him and Blair. I really like Blair’s onions, but Mac is better across the board - handles, athlete, slasher, defensively (Blair’s glaring weakness at present). Maybe Blair is as good as a passer, and both are streaky shooters. But Mac is a really superior athlete for a guy his size and that gives him a much, much higher upside than Blair imo. And I like Blair. Three years from now, we are going to guffaw at the folks who questioned this backcourt class. They are going to be really special. Why? Primarily because they are both multi/year guys who are gritty and are going to work relentlessly. I’ll bet my house they are they key to changing the culture and bringing us back.
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EtomicB
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Post by EtomicB on May 8, 2018 19:37:52 GMT -5
Aren't you overselling these All-American games a bit TC? How many times did we have to hear about Gate City's division, a 200+ ranking, or Team Loaded's depth chart? Let me know when I even come close. What item on the list above borders on hyperbole? What you're listing appear to be facts to me..
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Bigs"R"Us
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Post by Bigs"R"Us on May 8, 2018 19:44:27 GMT -5
I am going to go the other way. I think Mac will transition smoothly to the college game and will be dominant by Soph/Jr year. He shut down Quinerly in the Iverson Classic scrimmage. Bone Crusher could have taken any guard at the BIL event. Mac recovered and stuck him. Akinjo couldn’t get a shot off against Mac in the 1on1 battle. It’s not like he will be going against 5-star guards every night during the season. Not sure why folks aren’t excited that we have such a talent. Screw the rankings.
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Post by bigelephant on May 8, 2018 21:56:16 GMT -5
remember the name "MAC". It's all you have to do. By the way no one mentioned the "it" factor lately.
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Post by bornhoya on May 8, 2018 22:00:29 GMT -5
I think Mac starts day one
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jester
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Post by jester on May 9, 2018 0:58:18 GMT -5
Not as long and 1 inch shorter/not as as quick, but is Donovan Mitchell (shorter combo guard/ not Pg) the comp for how he should play?
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Post by professorhoya on May 9, 2018 7:25:47 GMT -5
Ok serious question for the board as I've read through pretty much everything that has been posted in this thread...who would you think projects/projected to be the better college player coming out of high school? Mac or Blair? For reference, on 247 composite Mac is overall #239 and Blair was overall #238. I'd take Mac all day just seeing his physical tools and traits. But then again Blair was on the All-Big East Freshmen team. But that's not in the equation - try to look at this if you don't know what Blair did this year (whether that changes your opinion or not). Blair will be good because he has no fear shooting. (something alot of our guys from the III era seem afraid of doing). But Blair cannot finish like Mac. Blair is limited athletically. He's about average (which is still a huge upgrade over Reggie Cameron or Caprio in that department).
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MCIGuy
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Post by MCIGuy on May 9, 2018 8:11:03 GMT -5
Debating this probably won’t lead to anyone changing minds. The results won’t be known until staring with Kenner and then his actual first season with the Hoyas. The FINAL results probably won’t be known until much further beyond that. As for now McClung has done all that he can.
He had an extraordinary final season, one beyond the greatest expectations of anyone on this board and probably anyone who follows him. He was able to shoulder the burden of being The Man for his team. He was not only a consistent and reliable scoring machine, he broke records. Not only did he break individual records (both state and national; Iverson and Kobe respectively), he led Gate City to heights it never achieved before and may not achieve ever again. He propelled his team to a very successful regular season and topped it off by leading GC to a state title. In that game he broke JJ Redick’s state title game record by scoring 47 points. This is very important because it demonstrated once more that when the big lights come on , McClung doesn’t shrink.
Speaking of that there was a whole lot of pressure on him when all those camera “crews” from Overtime, Ballislife, etc. started turning up every game. That’s pressure because such folks are only showing up because they are expecting you to put on a show. McClung had to balance that out with the fact that the main priority is to win games and if he showboated in a way that was detrimental to the team or played with far too much flair for the primary purpose of showing off for the cameras, then that could have gone real bad real quick for him and his team. Yet McClung was able to find that right balance and play his natural style within the parameters of the team setup, a setup designed to maximize his talents in order to put GC over the top. Somehow, game after game, McClung electrified the home crowd, put on a mixtape-ready scoring outbursts and got his team wins. He did this without alienating his teammates either as there were no reports or signs that they resented the attention he was getting or the amount of shots he was allowed to take. You realize how hard it is for a teenager to navigate something like that? The hosts of The New South Podcast once talked about how it can be difficult for players when they know cameras are coming to film their play that would be put up on the internet. The pressure to perform in such instances can take them out of their game.
Some guys get too tight, some try to do too much. Often a highly regarded player or prospect trying to make a name for himself will have a great showing one game but will falter the next few times when the cameras come again. This can be frustrating just as much to the camera guys/websites that make these online mixtapes because they need five to six games to put together a great reel. McClung didn’t succumb to all the expectations under these similar circumstances. He flourished. And in his case he was one of the rare guys who put up enough highlights in single games that dudes could make highlight reels just from one afternoon of filming him. None of this may translate to any metric for evaluating basketball success at the next level but it does indicate to me that the kid doesn’t freeze in the big moments.
Speaking of that McClung was invited to two national All Star events. Both may have been lower tier compared to The McDonald’s All American Game and the Jordan Classic, but both events had a bunch of five to four star players nonetheless. McClung went to these events playing against guys whose high school enrollments outnumbered his hometown. And let’s not ignore the fact that he was either the only white player or only one of two white players at these events. There is pressure that comes with that, pressure of proving to folks, even white observers, that a white kid from a small, hick town can hang with the big boys. No matter what people may think of McClung’s performance overall, no one can say he wilted under the scrutiny or the duress of playing against such elite talent. Scrimmages, one-on-ones, three-point contests, dunk contests and actual games. He thrived in all of those areas based upon what we read in reports, what we saw in clips and what we watched with our own eyes in real time. This isn’t saying he dominated, this is saying he was comfortable enough in his own ability to take a step into the biggest spotlight of his life and thrive. He didn’t prove he was a complete player or an elite guy with few flaws but he proved he belonged and could at the very least hang with those guys. He may not have earned the respect of a few guys on Hoya talk but he appeared to have earned the respect of quite a few of his fellow players and former pros and I suppose that’s more important, wouldn’t you say? Trust me if McClung had played badly some of those other players would have called him out on social media or perhaps to his face, wondering why all of those cameras have been following him all season long instead of them. But when you see the genuine excitement on the faces of those players when the, say, rush up to McClung after a spectacular dunk….there is no faking that. They realized this guy could hang with them. One black guy on Twitter put it best during this past weekend when he tweeted something along the lines that McClung would be welcomed at the barbecue. The translation to what he is saying is McClung would seem right at home with black people because he has a style and swagger that makes him a perfect fit.
God forbid if McClung had turned up to these events and did next to nothing at all to make him stand out. I’m a sure a couple of guys on this site would have had a field day with such an outcome.
I can’t say for certain how McClung will perform at Gtown. All I can say is that I have high hopes based on my own observations. Yes, McClung has a lot of work to do, a lot of improvements he needs to make. But what makes me feel good about his chances is that he has the tools to get there. He has elite athleticism, and by that I mean he should be in the top ten percentile of college guys just on that front alone. That doesn’t translate perfectly unless one has skill to go along with it. McClung has to work on that aspect of the game a lot, however the good news is that he seems to have a sound foundation on that already. His dribbling is at times unnecessarily risky and could be turnover prone but one can still see that he is capable of controlling the ball deftly when needed. His shooting needs work but still one can see that he is capable of making himself into a reliable if not great shooter if he keeps at it. He is skilled at finishing at the rim with either hand and that is something too many guys falter with. Yeah, his defense will need a lot of tweaking but he looks to have the foot speed to get better at that too. Let’s see how it all plays out.
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jwp91
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Post by jwp91 on May 9, 2018 8:47:30 GMT -5
Well articulated, MCI.
At a minimum, there seems reason to have hope.
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Post by bigelephant on May 9, 2018 9:33:26 GMT -5
An excellent summary, MCIGUY!It just about hits every angle and says it all. Looking forward to this season with more excitement than any in recent memory. Mac and James show will be, I hope, the best in then BE and then some.
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Bigs"R"Us
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Post by Bigs"R"Us on May 9, 2018 9:50:04 GMT -5
Athletically, he will be in the top 1 percent. I haven’t seen many players do what he can do.
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Post by veilside21 on May 9, 2018 10:09:33 GMT -5
Hats off to MCIGuy you typically nailed it . one guy who is rated so high that shows off with the cameras on is Zion but now i am so sure after seeing him against some of the top dogs as well. Nassir little is a guy that i think will surprise a lot of people he is a guy that is like mac and james. with or without cameras they will go to work .
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MCIGuy
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Post by MCIGuy on May 9, 2018 10:17:41 GMT -5
Athletically, he will be in the top 1 percent. I haven’t seen many players do what he can do. You're probably right. I was originally going to go with 5% and I should have stuck with that. Two other intangibles about McClung: work ethic and having a chip on his shoulder to prove doubters wrong. That's gold.
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SFHoya99
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Post by SFHoya99 on May 9, 2018 10:21:46 GMT -5
Hey, everyone! The guy who though Mac couldn't compete at the D1 level now knows the exact subtlety of a player's personality -- Mac is a guy who backs down from a challenge! Now he's the guy who not only doesn't think he has the physical tools also doesn't think he has the mental tools! Way to double down, hoyainla! I never said he couldn't play at the D1 level. I said he is not a high level D1 level PG right now. I honestly don't think he will ever be one but he could be in 3-4 years. I think most people on the board think he's a BE level PG right now and I don't see it. I think he is best served as an off guard that can handle the ball when needed. His 1 on 1 D scares me more than anything right now. Nothing I saw during the all star game weeks changed that. As I have said multiple times and you read all of them clearly. I think he can grow into a good solid player down the road. In my view people think he's at that level already because they focus on the good while completely ignoring the bad. He's clearly going to play next year and he will do things that fans love. He's a highlight machine. He's going to get beat of the dribble a ton and some of those times he will make a huge block and everyone will be pumped. I'm more worried about all the other times. I don't think he will be very efficient on the offensive end in the half court either. I don't think fans really care about that though as long as he gets points and dunks though. I didn't say he backs down from a challenge I said he does things to ensure he won't repeatedly look bad. That isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just said that is not the mindset James has. This is just one example of what I mean to better get my point across. I have seen it play out in real games many times but I think this breaks it down better. When he played Bone Collector he got beat badly but made up for it and got the block. Bone wanted another go at him but Mac was smart enough to get out while he was ahead probably knowing the next time it wouldn't end the same. Bone would've embarrassed most of the kids there. James would've D'd up Bone until they cut the gym lights off no matter what happened. Those comparing his D level and intensity to James are looking through some really Mac shaded glasses. That's not saying Mac is not a competitor or that there is anything wrong with him. James is one of the most intense guys I've seen at the HS level. You are already backpedaling. You weren't saying that he wasn't going to be a high level D1 PG right away -- I don't remember anyone every saying Mac is going to be 1st team All-BE ... just that he could probably beat out Jagan Moseley. You've questioned every element of his game possible, and feel free to keep doing so -- but don't try to retcon it that you just think he's going to have a normal learning curve after the tons of posts about how he's deservedly ranked in the 200s; how he's all dunks; can't shoot; can't finish against top talent, etc. Every freshman gets beat off the dribble, and Mac will, too, but the standard of a freshman guard is All-American defense. But whatever on all that. Feel free to be Ignatius, who couldn't understand that young players ... improve. Heck, maybe you will be right, and the overblown expectations of him as a freshman contributor will not come to fruition. My post was more on the ridiculousness of knowing the subtelties of the personalities of both players. We know they are both hard workers and gym rats. But apparently Akinjo has the "beast" and Mac doesn't. In the immortal words of Kanye West, "What the Edited does that mean, Kobe Bryant?" Or more appropriately, how the heck do you or your "sources" know that despite, you know, not living with the players on a day to day basis? At this point, you'll take anything, no matter how absurd, to rip on McClung. He doesn't have the beast, guys! He doesn't have the beast! Even if that were a thing -- a literal binary thing, I have no idea how you are so confident you'd know that.
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Post by Ranch Dressing on May 9, 2018 10:28:03 GMT -5
Only thing I'd add to MCI's great post is that Mac scoring 38ppg in high school (32 minute games) is the equivalent of scoring 47.5ppg in college (40 minute games) and 57ppg in the pros (48 minute games). The volume of points scored by Mac was outrageously high.
Not that beating Iverson's single season Virginia scoring record doesn't say enough.
Mac will produce at Georgetown. Just needs to learn initially to play smart and not go for too much. He's had a lot of people saying he's great with all the dunks and flash. The dunks and flash are nice in college, but very secondary to making the right play most of the time. Chris Paul never dunks. Jalen Brunson almost always makes the right play.
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hoyainla
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Post by hoyainla on May 9, 2018 13:00:30 GMT -5
You are already backpedaling. You weren't saying that he wasn't going to be a high level D1 PG right away -- I don't remember anyone every saying Mac is going to be 1st team All-BE ... just that he could probably beat out Jagan Moseley. You've questioned every element of his game possible, and feel free to keep doing so -- but don't try to retcon it that you just think he's going to have a normal learning curve after the tons of posts about how he's deservedly ranked in the 200s; how he's all dunks; can't shoot; can't finish against top talent, etc. Sorry but I am not backtracking. Players ranked in the 200's eventually become contributors. People on here think he's grossly under ranked and that he is going to come in and be a game changer to some extent. I have never said Mac will never get off the bench at Georgetown or anything close to that. If I did please find it and quote it. I have said his ranking is fair. I still don't think he is a good shooter, defender or PG. I've said all along he needs to play off the ball to be best utilized. I have also said I am glad he is coming here. As for the "beast", he doesn't have the fight of James. I don't think anyone that has played against them or knows them will say any different, and I have asked. That is not a knock on Mac. Even if he was the 2nd most competitive guy in this class he is still behind James. James had to be separated from a guy in an all star game lol. I am sorry that I am adding my perspective and it's causing you to read stuff that isn't there and get upset. I didn't know differing opinions weren't allowed on a message board. I've never attacked Mac personally. I've just stated what my thoughts on his game. I give positives and negatives on many different players whether they come here or not. I guess since he's the new golden boy he should be free from criticism. From now on I'll just post about rainbows and butterflies.
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