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Texas Tech basketball: The good, bad, and ugly from victory over Grambling

By Matthew Conner

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - DECEMBER 06: Terrence Shannon Jr. #1, Mac McClung #0, Marcus Santos-Silva #14, Kyler Edwards #11, and Jamarius Burton #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders walk onto the court after a timeout during the first half of the college basketball game against the Grambling State Tigers at United Supermarkets Arena on December 06, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TEXAS - DECEMBER 06: Terrence Shannon Jr. #1, Mac McClung #0, Marcus Santos-Silva #14, Kyler Edwards #11, and Jamarius Burton #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders walk onto the court after a timeout during the first half of the college basketball game against the Grambling State Tigers at United Supermarkets Arena on December 06, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /
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Dec 6, 2020; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Mac McClung (0) takes a jump shot against the Grambling State Tigers in the second half at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 6, 2020; Lubbock, Texas, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Mac McClung (0) takes a jump shot against the Grambling State Tigers in the second half at United Supermarkets Arena. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

The Ugly: McClung’s first half

When the Red Raiders signed Mac McClung as a transfer, people familiar with his game voiced their questions about whether he would be a fit in Chris Beard’s system.  After all, McClung was accustomed to having almost free reign to take whatever shot he wanted at Georgetown and that led to some cringe-worthy moments to counter the spectacular ones.

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But so far this season, he’s figured out a way to play within Tech’s motion offense while still being dynamic.  He’s been smart with the shots he’s taken and he’s been surprisingly conscientious in taking care of the basketball.

However, the longer he went in the first half without scoring on Sunday, the more he seemed to press and we started to see shades of the 2019-20 McClung.  And one particular possession illustrates how he can make mistakes when he tries to do too much.

Late in the first half, McClung found himself with the ball on the wing.  Though there was no defender within ten feet of him, for some reason, he dribbled behind his back and then went wildly crashing into the paint where there were three defenders and no teammates waiting on him.

The result of the play was that he lost the ball and then was called for a cheap foul when he tried to come back up with it before Grambling could head the other way.  It was a sign that McClung was pressing too much and it was a play that drew the ire of his head coach.

Tech’s leading scorer did manage to end the day with 12 points but none came in the first half and during that time, we saw McClung struggle offensively to a level that he hadn’t yet as a Red Raider.  It was likely a learning opportunity for him and one that we have to be happy came against Grambling and not Kansas or Baylor.  Still, it was an ugly 20 minutes of basketball from a player who otherwise has been brilliant thus far in his Red Raider career.

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