In the NBA, improving a team's roster typically happens via trades and free agency. But rhe NESCAC and other college basketball conferences have to settle for the next best thing -
the occasional transfer student.
In Tufts' case, men's basketball Bob Sheldon probably would have preferred a 7' center to show up at his doorstep, but he will certainly "settle" for junior Mike McGlynn, a 6'2" shooting guard who came to Tufts after leading Brandeis in three-point shooting two years ago.
McGlynn, a Medford native, left Brandeis as a sophomore after the 1999-00 season for personal reasons. Last year, he took a few classes at Tufts but did not play basketball. Now, McGlynn is a full-time student and getting ready for his debut with the Jumbos.
His new teammates, moreover, are looking forward to teaming up with a former opponent.
"I don't think taking a year off has hurt him," sophomore point guard Phil Barlow said. "He can shoot the lights out."
In fact, McGlynn shot the lights out against the Jumbos two years ago. Tufts' current juniors and seniors remember the Mike McGlynn who nailed six threes in the second half en route to a 26-point Brandeis win over Tufts in February 2000. While Brandeis struggled that year, going 5-19, McGlynn was one of the few bright spots.
McGlynn made an instant impact at Brandeis, scoring 12.2 points per game his freshman year. He continued to scorch opponents from downtown, averaging 18.8 points per game the following season, including a 43.7 shooting percentage from beyond the arc.
The junior will be a part of the starting backcourt at Tufts, which will feature three to four guards at any one time.
"There are a lot of shooters here," McGlynn said. "At Brandeis there was only one other kid [who took threes], but here there might be five guys on the court who can shoot threes. We will be more dangerous offensively."
His style is similar to junior Brian Shapiro's, and the duo should be hoisting up countless threes each game. Instead of sharing minutes at the two-spot, they will more likely share the floor, trying to draw double-teams.
"We will be playing both at the same time, so that if opponents shut down one, the other will be open," Sheldon said.
Shapiro, a Swampscott MA native, has played with McGlynn in off-season high school leagues and is looking forward to teaming up with him again.
"It's easy to see just from the first few practices that he has been able to fit in with everyone on the team," Shapiro said. "Plus, the fact that he barely ever misses a shot makes him a player that everyone is going to try to get the ball to."
At Brandeis, McGlynn occasionally ran the point, and proved he could be unselfish - he dished out 3.25 assists a game during his sophomore year and 3.96 during his freshman year. As a first team selection in the University Athletic Association in 2000, McGlynn finished second in the conference in scoring, second in three-point field goal percentage, fifth in assists, and sixth in free throw percentage (81.3).
With McGlynn's numbers, it shouldn't come as a surprise when the team shoots a lot of threes this year. In fact, the junior nailed almost as many threes two years ago - 83 - as Barlow and Shapiro combined (91) last year. Sheldon looks forward to McGlynn's ability from beyond the arc, but notes the guard's versatility as well.
"He's a good all around player, and he plays good defense," Sheldon said. "We already had one of the best backcourts in the area, and he's going to give us another dimension."
For McGlynn, today's opener is a homecoming of sorts - it's his first time suiting up for a Medford team since high school.
"When I was a little kid, I would always come here and shoot around, so this will be special," he said.
