McClung + USA = win-win?

OAKLAND (California) - Mac McClung is a high-scoring guard that has raised eyebrows at every stop in his young career.

The next team he'll look to do that for is the USA.

The 1.88m (6ft 2in) McClung was recently named for the first time in his national team, which is going to play in Americas Qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup against Uruguay on August 25 in Las Vegas and then August 29 in Colombia.

Anyone that has watched McClung play in recent times knows the 23-year-old will bring skill, intensity and a hard-working mentality. It should make him a great fit for the team.

He demonstrated this past season in the G League, and in his limited opportunities in the NBA on 10-day contracts with the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls, that he can play.

McClung took on defenders, beat them off the dribble and got to the basket. He made short jump shots, floaters, mid-range jumpers and three-pointers.

What seems to have caught the eye more than anything else over the years from McClung, though, since his high school days,  through his college years at Georgetown and Texas Tech and most recently in the G League, is his dunking.

McClung can flat out throw it down! He often goes off two feet and jams it with both hands. He catches alley-oop passes and dunks. He even rattles rims with reverses.

The dunk is just part of what makes McClung  a very good player. In the G League this past season, McClung, who wasn't drafted in 2021, played for the South Bay Lakers and the Windy City Bulls. The G League head coaches were so impressed that they honored McClung as the G League Rookie of the Year.

A month ago, McClung signed a one-year, non guaranteed deal with defending NBA champions Golden State after averaging 13.4 points and 4.8 assists for the Warriors' summer league team. The contract  provides him with the chance to make the Golden State roster out of training camp. And Warriors head coach, Steve Kerr, who happens to also be at the head of Team USA, will follow closely McClung's performances with the national team.

Recent developments have added to a McClung story that has been building momentum since his Gate City High School days in Virginia. As a junior in high school, he made headlines while pouring in 64 points in a game. By the end of his time as a high school player in Virginia, he was literally in Allen Iverson territory.

McClung broke the Virginia High School single-season scoring record of 948 points previously held by Iverson, who is in the NBA Hall of Fame, during the 2018 regional playoffs. He finished his high school career in style by scoring 47 points to lead Gate City an 80–65 state championship game win. It was the school's first state title. McClung finished the season with 1,153 points. 

Then, like Iverson, McClung decided to play at Georgetown. Now, just as Iverson did, McClung will play for the USA.

Since leaving Texas Tech, his main goal has only been to get better every day as he tries to make it to the NBA. As McClung dons the USA jersey while playing for head coach Jim Boylen, he'll definitely have a chance to get better. International games are extremely competitive. They can be physical and are usually played in intimidating environments.

In the past, the windows have served as opportunities for young, ambitious players to show what they can do and prove they can not only survive but thrive at a high level.

Numerous players from top basketball countries like France, Spain, Brazil and Greece raised their profiles while representing their national teams so the USA chance is a big one for McClung, who will lock horns with battle-hardened players in the international game.

McClung has never been short of highlight reel plays that made him an internet sensation. Don't be surprised if he has some more while helping USA in the Americas Qualifiers.

FIBA