McGlynn's outside game completes men's basketball offense

Despite his quiet and unassuming demeanor, when senior guard Mike McGlynn steps onto the court, he is undeniably one of the best shooters the Jumbos have to offer. Hailed as the best three-point shooter on the team by his coach, McGlynn plays an integral role in the Jumbo offense.

"He's very quiet but he does all the talking with his game," coach Bob Sheldon said.

Raised in nearby Medford, McGlynn is actually the son of an Olympic team hockey player. Yet instead of following in the footsteps of his father, McGlynn never laced up a pair of skates and fell in love with the basketball court instead.

"[My dad] didn't mind so much cause hockey equipment is expensive," McGlynn said. "With basketball, all he had to do was buy me a pair of sneakers and I was set."

And so, beginning close to the age of five, McGlynn became involved in basketball, along with soccer and baseball during his childhood. But basketball was always this guard's true love; a love he credits his father with developing.

"My dad's coached me since I was little. He always had me on the court shooting drills," McGlynn said.

Throughout his middle and high school years, when he would sneak into the Tufts gymnasium to shoot around, McGlynn always dreamed that playing basketball for the Jumbos was in his future. After giving up soccer, McGlynn also put baseball aside in high school despite the wishes of his coaches, so that he could focus on basketball for his future.

"Basketball was my favorite sport," McGlynn said. "[Giving up baseball] was a choice that I made. I wanted to focus on just basketball."

Unfortunately for McGlynn, the Tufts admissions committee halted his wishes to play for the Jumbos and he ended up attending Brandies for the first two years of his collegiate career. Though he enjoyed his time at Brandies, the point guard was unwilling to give up his original wishes to play for the Jumbos and transferred as a junior.

Though his reasons for transferring were mostly financial (McGlynn's mother works at Tufts which helps his tuition rate), McGlynn was also pleased with the new basketball program, of which he had become a part.

"We have more competetive players here and they're more serious," he said. "The program at Brandies wasn't really going anywhere. There wasn't really a commitment to winning."

As he was entering a team that needed a shooting guard with range from the outside, the team felt McGlynn's impact almost immediately. He scored 21 points in his first game as a Jumbo, and added an instant jolt to the team.

"He changed [the team dynamic] in a positive way," Sheldon said. "He came in as a shooter and a good shooter. He was coming into a spot that we needed too so he wasn't pushing anyone out of their spots."

Over the course of the season his role on the team continued to grow. McGlynn also hit several milestones along the way including reaching the mark for 1000 career points in January of his third collegiate season. As only the 22nd Jumbo in school history to be a part of the 1000 points club, his accomplishment was more exceptional with the speed at which he reached it.

"I didn't set out to do it, but I'm proud that I got it," McGlynn said.

"It's a good accomplishment that he should be proud of," Sheldon said.

Over the course of the season McGlynn started in each of the Jumbos 25 games and finished with a .486 shooting percentage and an average of 18.0 points per game. Even more impressive than his overall shooting abilities was McGlynn's three-point shooting aptitude. The guard lead the league with a .481 three-point shooting percentage, hitting 102 three-point shots on the year.

Though there are plenty of shooters on the men's basketball team, no others can match McGlynn's outside shot. For this reason, Sheldon labels McGlynn as one of the team's go-to guys in the clutch.

"He's so important to our offense. He's our best three-point shooter and when he gets going he's the best of our team," Sheldon said.

And while McGlynn enjoys being the Jumbos clutch man, he understands that the Jumbos have multiple able shooters on their hands and he has no problem spreading the wealth.

"A lot of people want the ball in their hands at the end of the game," McGlynn said. "But we have five or six guys on our team who can shoot."

As McGlynn's collegiate career begins to draw to a close, Sheldon believes that his guard could continue on a professional career overseas.

"He has the ability to do it. He's just a basketball junkie."