Jack McClinton Sr. knew his son was destined for greatness on the basketball court.
“[He?s] been a ballhawk since the time he was a little kid in his crib, reaching for the moon, thinking it was a ball,” he said. “That’s when I knew he was going to be a player. He had an affinity for ball since he was a toddler.”
The affinity for basketball is what drove Jack McClinton from his White Marsh home to Calvert Hall. It also pushed him to prove all the doubters who claimed he?d be a Division II player ? at best. And it also enabled him to persevere through a journey in which he played at two schools after leaving Calvert Hall before emerging as one of the conference?s best players for Miami.
McClinton?s road to Miami (18-7, 5-6 ACC), which hosts Maryland (17-10, 7-5) today at 2 in a key Atlantic Coast Conference game, had plenty of detours. After graduating from Calvert Hall in 2003, McClinton spent a year at South Kent (Conn.) School before playing at Siena during the 2004-05 season. But after Siena?s coach was fired, McClinton transferred to Miami. After sitting out the 2005-06 season because of NCAA transfer rules, McClinton was third-team All-ACC last season.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound redshirt junior has been the driving force in the Hurricanes? bid to earn its first berth in the NCAA Tournament in six years. The guard leads the team and is sixth in the conference in scoring with 16.5 points per game and is on pace to lead the Atlantic Coast Conference in three-point shooting percentage for the second year in a row.
After making 44 percent of his shots from beyond the arc last season, he’s shooting at a league-best 43.3 percent this year, a result of attempting 500 to 1,000 three-pointers a day.
“If I had an off night, I went back in the gym and got some shots up,” McClinton said. “I don’t leave until it feels perfect.”
Said Maryland guard Eric Hayes, who likely will defend McClinton today: “He’s one of the best shooters in the ACC. He can score. He can put it on the floor. He has great range. It creates a match-up problem for us.”
He certainly did against fifth-ranked Duke this past Wednesday. McClinton scored 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting in a 96-95 victory that was the Hurricanes? first win over the Blue Devils in 45 years.
For McClinton, his dreams no longer originate from his crib in White Marsh, but they?re still rooted in the clouds. He has played his way into a possible NBA career, but right now, he has unfinished business at Miami.
“It feels good,” McClinton said. “I’ve worked hard my whole life to get to this point and I’m not going to stop now.”
TERRAPINS (17-10 overall, 7-5 ACC) AT MIAMI HURRICANES (18-7, 5-6)
» Tipoff: Today, 2 p.m.
» Where: BankUnited Center, Coral Gables, Fla.
» TV/Radio: WNUV/105.7 FM, 1300 AM
