Former Rutgers basketball commit Mac McClung won the Slam Dunk Contest at the NBA All-Star Game, marking the second straight year where the G-League player won the event. He clinched this year’s title, by dunking over Shaquille O’Neal.
McClung, had committed to Rutgers basketball in early August 2017. Three months later, he de-committed on October 6.
By the next week, he had committed to Georgetown. He spent two seasons at Georgetown before transferring to Texas Tech. He spent one year in Lubbock before going professional.
In the 2021 NBA draft, McClung was not selected. He currently plays in the G League for the Osceola Magic.
In high school, he was ranked a three-star and the No. 49 point guard in the nation by Rivals. He was projected to be a big part of head coach Steve Pikiell’s first recruiting class at Rutgers.
Last year, McClung became the first player from the G League to win the Slam Dunk competition. He did it again this year, with a dunk over Shaquille O’Neal.
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Here’s the flashback part for Rutgers…he told Rivals and Richard Schnyderite that a major reason why he wanted to play for the Scarlet Knights was a desire to help rebuild the program.
“I know people are afraid to say, but I want to win a national championship and win the Big Ten,” McClung said in a 2017 interview shortly after committing to Rutgers.
“I want to put Rutgers back where they should be.”
During the 2020-21 season, his final year at Georgetown, McClung averaged 15.7. Next year during his lone season in the Big 12 with Texas Tech, he averaged 15.5 points per game while seeing his field goal percentage improve.
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In 2022, he was named to the G League’s All-Rookie Team. The 25-year-old has played in four NBA games during his career where he has averaged 8.3 points per game.