He played college basketball for Central Michigan University, where he became the school's leading scorer and was the 1981–82 Mid-American Conference Player of the Year.
[1] In 2016, the Grand Rapids-based media company Mlive named McLaughlin the greatest high school player in the city's history.
In his sophomore season he became one of the top guards in the Mid-American Conference, averaging 20.8 points per game and earning a berth on the All-MAC first team.
Following the close of his college career, McLaughlin was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the sixth round (119th pick overall) of the 1983 NBA draft, but did not play in the National Basketball Association.
[5] The book, Sweet Shot: The Basketball Life and Legacy of Melvin "Sugar" McLaughlin was published in March, 2021.