Mason Faulkner

Draft Notes: McClung, Wright, Faulkner, Olaniyi

After testing the 2020 NBA draft waters, Georgetown’s Mac McClung has decided to withdraw his name from consideration. However, he won’t be returning to the Hoyas. According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, McClung has requested to enter the transfer portal and will become “the most sought-after transfer in the country.”

“It was a number of different events that made me feel I had no choice but to transfer from Georgetown,” McClung told Givony. “I really wanted to stay, but things throughout my career made me realize that I couldn’t.”

Georgetown head coach Patrick Ewing said last week that McClung would be returning to Georgetown for the 2020/21 season, prompting McClung’s agent to clarify that the guard was still testing the draft waters. McClung told ESPN that mix-up wasn’t a deciding factor in his decision to transfer, but admitted it confused NBA teams and impacted his pre-draft process. McClung reportedly had virtual meeting with at least 11 clubs.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

  • Having signed with NCAA-certified agent Chris Emens, Colorado’s McKinley Wright can continue to test the draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility, tweets Jeff Goodman of Stadium. Wright is still deciding whether to go pro or return to school for his senior year.
  • Western Carolina’s Mason Faulkner will withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to school, Goodman tweets. Faulkner averaged 17.7 points per game last season.
  • Elijah Olaniyi will also withdraw from the draft, Goodman reports (Twitter link). Olaniyi played for Stony Brook last season, though he plans on transferring.
  • Former front office executive John Hollinger identifies a list of players he’d be willing to bet on making it in the NBA, as he writes for The Athletic. Hollinger has LaMelo Ball atop his list.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Draft Decisions: S. Lewis, Armstrong, Camper, Santos-Silva, More

Florida freshman shooting guard Scottie Lewis had been considered a strong candidate to be drafted this spring, ranking 38th overall on ESPN’s big board. However, Lewis has opted not to declare for the draft, as he confirms to Jeff Goodman of Stadium.

“I was so stuck on going to the NBA when I got home, but then I thought long and hard about it and with all the uncertainty about the draft process, and if there will even be a combine and team workouts, I felt like it was the right move to go back to school,” Lewis told Stadium.

As Goodman details, Lewis got feedback from the NBA’s advisory committee, and while he was confident he’d be selected if he entered, he received a wide range of opinions on when exactly he might come off the board. With few opportunities during this year’s pre-draft process to boost his stock, Lewis has opted to play at least one more college season in the hopes of showing individual improvement and enjoying more team success.

“There’s so much more I think I can show, that we can show as a team,” Lewis said. “I want to leave a legacy at Florida. … I’m an optimistic person and no matter where I get drafted, I’m going to work my butt off. But with all this uncertainty, it was best for me to play it safe and put myself in a better position a year from now.”

Although Lewis isn’t entering his name in the 2020 NBA draft pool, several NCAA underclassmen are doing so. In addition to Kentucky guards Tyrese Maxey and Ashton Hagans, whose decisions we covered earlier today, here are some of the recent prospects who will at least test the draft waters: