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UPDATE: 7:07 p.m.
Mac McClung is OUT for Georgetown against St. John's
— Shoot The Jay (@SportsManCave) March 11, 2020
BUT Hoyas center Omer Yurtseven is out warming up
UPDATE: 11:18 a.m. Casual Hoya is a great source for your Hoyas coverage.
Per source, neither Mac McClung nor Omer Yurtseven participated in Georgetown's practice today.
— Casual Hoya (@CasualHoya) March 11, 2020
The Big East Tournament kicks off on Wednesday night and the No. 8 seeded Georgetown Hoyas are set to take on the No. 9 seeded St. John’s Red Storm. In what should be the most evenly matched game of the tournament, the Hoyas will hope to edge out the Red Storm to advance to the next round. Unfortunately, the Hoyas may not be at full strength as two of their starters are battling back from injury at the moment.
Mac McClung has not set foot on the court during a game since February 19 as he tries to bounce back from a foot injury, which was rumored to be plantar fasciitis. McClung had an extended absence from January 28 to his attempted comeback on February 19. He managed only 8 minutes and two points in his return, before taking yet another extended absence that extended through the end of the regular season. McClung was stellar this season prior to his injury, as he averaged a team second 15.7 points per game, 3.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. McClung is also an 80% free throw shooter which is crucial in tournament situations. What’s more, McClung put up a huge stat line the first time the Hoyas played the Red Storm this season, scoring 24 points, while adding six rebounds and two assists.
The Hoyas would love to have McClung back for the tournament, but the length of his absence suggests this was no minor foot injury. His failed attempt to return earlier in the season also does not bode well for his chances of playing in the tournament. If plantar fasciitis is McClung’s ailment, he may not return at 100% even if he attempts to play, as the injury is notorious for nagging players for extended periods of time.
The Hoyas’ injury woes don’t end there, as the team’s leading scorer Omer Yurtseven went down with an ankle injury in early February and has failed to return for all but one game on February 22 since. The 7’0” center averaged 15.8 points per game, 10.1 rebounds per game and 1.2 assists per game with a 53.1% field goal percentage prior to injury. He averaged 11 points and 13 boards the first two times he played the Red Storm this season on January 8 and February 2.
The Hoyas beat St. John’s handily on January 8 by a final score of 87-66. Then came the injury to McClung, and Georgetown barely edged out St. John’s in their next meeting on February 2 by a final score of 73-72. The Hoyas were able to win without one of their leading scorers, but would they be able to pull it off without their top two offensive weapons Georgetown is hoping they don’t have to find out, as they will look to have at least one of these stars back by game time on Wednesday.
A point spread has not yet been set at DraftKings Sportsbook.
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