Photo courtesy Quinnipiac Athletics

By: Dylan Fearon

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The road to high-major college basketball for Giovanni McLean has been a long and hard one.

But Monday morning, he finally made it.

ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Jeff Goodman have reported that McLean has committed to Texas Tech less than two months after the NCAA granted him a sixth year of eligibility. McLean could have stayed at Quinnipiac, but chose to transfer.

It has been quite the journey to Lubbock for the 25-year old point guard.

Born and raised in New York, McLean committed to Oklahoma after two different stints at community colleges. But after running into eligibility issues with the Big 12, McLean took a visit and committed to Quinnipiac in the spring of 2014.

McLean was all ready to suit up for the Bobcats in the fall of 2014, but after an investigation of one his assistant coaches at Westchester Community College, who forged signatures and transcripts to help get his players on Division I programs, McLean was again ruled ineligible. He had to sit the entire 2014-15 season.

The next year, McLean was set to play for the Bobcats in their opener against Sacred Heart, but was suspended for one game for playing in a non-sanctioned basketball league the previous summer.

Finally, McLean was playing Division I basketball. But his only season with the Bobcats was a disappointment. Averaging nearly 13 points per game in 31 minutes, McLean was asked to do a lot for Quinnipiac. At times, he was their only offensive threat, rarely getting open shots, which made things very difficult for him and the Bobcats.

Quinnipiac finished 9-21, including 6-14 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a first round exit in the conference tournament as the nine seed.

McLean now gets a fresh start with Texas Tech, which made the NCAA Tournament last year. Quinnipiac head coach Tom Moore says his former point guard can bring a lot to the Red Raiders and play well in the Big 12.

“I think it’s a great opportunity,” Moore said. “He’s got a very good shooting touch and he can even make bad shots, which not a lot of college kids can do. I think he’s a little more effective off the ball than he his on the ball, and that was one of things that was difficult for him here was he was forced to play on the ball quite a bit for us because of the makeup of our team.”

Although McLean’s time in Hamden was short-lived and also frustrating for many, including himself, there are positives to come away with.

“On the basketball level (it was) disappointing,” Moore said. “No one anticipated the stuff that happened at Westchester. That blind-sided everybody and wiped out a year athletically for him. And then last year was frustrating for him because I don’t think anyone really felt like their season exceeded what they would’ve wanted, except for possibly Danny Harris.”

“From an academic standpoint it was a great two years for him. For him to come from where he’s come from, and to get his Associate’s and then get his Bachelor’s degree over his two years is great.”

For McLean, who will be 26 in September, it’s time to focus on the Big 12 and playing against teams like Kansas, Baylor and Oklahoma. For Moore and the Bobcats, it’s time to plan for life without their top player from a year ago.

“I’m excited about the guys that we signed,” Moore said. “ We went the high school route in the fall with Peter (Kiss) and Mikey (Dixon) and then we went in the junior college route in the spring. I think we really shored up our backcourt depth and I’m hopeful the younger guys bring some new life and new blood.”

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