Georgetown-bound Mac McClung is one of nation's most exciting players

Video: Most exciting player in the country?
See the Georgetown-signee show off all his skills, including acrobatic backward ally-oop dunks.

Mac McClung of Gate City (Va.) is quickly — and vertically — making a case as the most exciting high school basketball player in America.

The Georgetown-signee has had folks on the internet busy this week after he sent down two spectacular reverse dunks during a 47-point outburst Tuesday in a 96-43 season-opening win over Lee (Va.).

With his future coach Patrick Ewing in attendance, McClung was 18-of-23 from the field, including 5-for-9 on three-pointers and 6-of-8 from the line.



The chiseled, high-flying 6-foot-2 guard pleased the crowd with a variety of tough jumpers and explosive bursts to the rim. He often showed off his superb handles by pulling up for long-range shots, while tripping up defenders.

But what really brought fans off their feet was when he left his, showing off a reported 47-inch vertical jump before punctuating plays with powerful and acrobatic dunks. A couple of them even impressed his coach Scott Vermillion, who no doubt has seen McClung's high-wire act for years. Vermillion no doubt considers McClung one-in-a-million.

"It just blows my mind how he does it," Vermillion told the Kingsport Times. "He jumps higher in a game than he does when we're gauging him. ... The kid just goes. I've never seen anything like that."

It's hard to blow away someone like NBA Hall of Fame player Ewing, voted one of the 50 greatest players of all-time. He wasn't talking about the dunks afterward, but raved about McClung's all-around game, toughness and resolve.

"I love his heart," Ewing told the newspaper. "I love his tenacity. ... He's strong. He's a great finisher. I just love everything about him."

That's music to the ears of McClung, who wants to be more than just a viral sensation. He averaged 29 points, 5.5 assists and three steals a game last season for the 23-5 Blue Devils, who play in the second smallest classification in Virginia. He had 64 points in a playoff game last season and packs the gym almost every night.



"I'm more than just a dunker and entertainer," he told MaxPreps. "I'm a hard worker and give it all on the court."

And off of it.

He comes from the small 2.1-square-mile mountain town of Gate City (population 2,000), that sits on the southwest corner of Virginia, straddling Tennessee.

His family is full of athletes. His dad Marcus played football at Virginia Tech. His uncle Seth was a 7-year MLB veteran. His sister played soccer at Florida State and two cousins pushed the puck in professional hockey.

That's some gene pool and another reason McClung trains endlessly in the family's basement, which has turned into an impressive, modern gymnasium. The team often works out there as well.

Being ranked only a three-star recruit and simply an "entertainer," pushes him in the weight room and on the court. He's a gym rat, a workout fiend and obviously strong in the classroom. He's attending Georgetown, after all. 



"Oh, for sure, my ranking definitely motivates me," McClung said. "People have always told me I can't do this or that because of my size. I love when people tell me I can't do something. It all adds fuel to my fire."