Texas Tech guard Mac McClung has withdrawn from the NCAA transfer portal but left open the possibility of moving on to the NBA.
"Just didn't feel right in my heart," McClung wrote Thursday on Twitter. "Whatever decision I make in the near future with the NBA process, I will always want to be a part of Red Raider Nation."
On April 11, he had announced his plans to prepare for the NBA draft while also entering the transfer portal:
The Gate City, Virginia, native averaged 15.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in 2020-21 after transferring from Georgetown. He also shot 41.9 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc, both of which were personal bests.
McClung's original decision came 10 days after Texas officially announced the hiring of head coach Chris Beard from Texas Tech. The Red Raiders subsequently promoted associate head coach Mark Adams to succeed Beard.
Stadium's Jeff Goodman noted McClung would've needed the NCAA to grant him a waiver in order to receive immediate eligibility at another school. That's not a problem at Texas Tech. Adams also provides a level of continuity for players on last year's squad, which might have played into McClung's final decision.
The 21-year-old now has until July 19 to decide if he'll be a part of this year's draft class ahead of the July 29 event.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman omitted McClung from his most recent big board. Likewise, he wasn't among the top 100 prospects on ESPN.com or for Sam Vecenie of The Athletic.
Returning to Lubbock might be the best move to help his hopes of carving out an NBA career.
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