Anthony Lee not considering Syracuse has 5 finalists.

[IthacaMatt]

He has to learn to play the JB 2-3 zone. This will take time. Higher rated than Roberson, so maybe he will be further along, but if I were you, I wouldn't get my hopes up too high.

I'll put him down for a hit & miss 10 mins/game average next year.

A sophomore Roberson, should be something to get excited about, though!

I think both will get a lot of run. If Grant is here, I would say Grant 30 minutes, Roberson 25 and McCullough 25. Grant has his limitations. Roberson is very good around the rim and is probably the best 3 point shooter among the three of them. McCullough is going to be more physical than Grant, IMO. They are all much closer skills wise than you would expect.

 

[anomander]

McCullough is one of the toughest reads of all the SU recruits that I have scouted since 2000. Ridiculous athleticism and his potential is off the charts. On the flipside, his game is mainly based off transition and finishing around the rim. He can hit the occasional jumper and make a drive to the hole, but he has no post game what so ever and is very uncomfortable down low. He runs the floor well but I wonder how effective will he be if we're still playing at a slow pace in games that are 58-56 grinders where half-court offense will need to be on point. He plays with no emotion and looks to be bored most of the time lol. I think that's just more his personality as far as being a laid back kid, but I could see at times next season when some fans will probably get mad at him because it looks like he doesn't care. I think it's important for JB and the rest of the staff to keep him properly motivated for him to reach his potential. Hopefully with his stock taking a tumble in the rankings is enough to motivate him to come in and kick butt once he hits SU. CMac aka The Coaster aka The Hammer lol love it.

I agree a lot more with this scouting report then others mentioned before. I have a feeling some people are going to be disappointed if they are expecting him to come in and drop 15 a game from all over the court.

 

[Antiprodigy]

I guess I should have stated that this was under the assumption that Grant returns. I think that BJ will also get some minutes at the 3. I'm hoping/assuming that the game will slow down some for Roberson & BJ, and that will help them to become more comfortable within the scheme of the offense.

I understand that on paper, McCullough is the most talented forward that SU has had since Greene or maybe even Melo. I don't remember where Greene ended up ranking. But, unlike with Greene, JB has other options at forward, if he doesn't feel that McCullough understands the defense enough to deserve that many minutes.

I don't think it is a coincidence that it was after the Greene/Flynn/Harris era, that the defense became a much more important aspect for playing time. JB has sacrificed offensive efficiency for defensive efficiency. Maybe this flame out, makes him swing the pendulum back in the other direction, but i would be surprised.

If Grant leaves, I think you will have a rotation of Roberson/McCullough/BJ/Gbinijie. Match-up and who has the hot hand will determine the minutes, though Gbinijie will have more, as he is more senior, and will probably get some guard minutes as well.

Without Grant & Ennis, everyone will likely get what they have been asking for, a long bench. I would expect a 9 man rotation. I would also expect people will be glad when the bench gets shorter in 2 years.

 

[Francis03]

McCollough better have a decent offensive ability off the bat. 5 minutes into the Memphis game in 2003 we knew Melo was the best player on the floor. McCollough is getting a lot of Paul Harris hype circa 2006 and he wasn't as good as advertised.

I am taking a wait and see approach after all the Chuck Norris/Paul Harris comparsion jokes my friends and I did weren't accurate. I wouldn't put LaMarcus Aldridge freshman expectations on this kid that is why if Grant was going to the NBA I wish we pursued Lee.

Anyone that is expecting CMac to have a Melo like impact during his freshman year is setting themselves up for disappoint. Melo was the 2nd best player in the 02 class right behind Amare Stoudemire. McCullough is reaching a point where he'll be lucky to even be a consensus top 20 player in a class where he's actually one year older than most. McCullough will be a good player and should have a solid season at SU next year. Personally I don't see Aldridge with CMac, I think of similar qualities and impact as we saw with Grant for him.

 

[Francis03]

I guess I should have stated that this was under the assumption that Grant returns. I think that BJ will also get some minutes at the 3. I'm hoping/assuming that the game will slow down some for Roberson & BJ, and that will help them to become more comfortable within the scheme of the offense.

I understand that on paper, McCullough is the most talented forward that SU has had since Greene or maybe even Melo. I don't remember where Greene ended up ranking. But, unlike with Greene, JB has other options at forward, if he doesn't feel that McCullough understands the defense enough to deserve that many minutes.

I don't think it is a coincidence that it was after the Greene/Flynn/Harris era, that the defense became a much more important aspect for playing time. JB has sacrificed offensive efficiency for defensive efficiency. Maybe this flame out, makes him swing the pendulum back in the other direction, but i would be surprised.

If Grant leaves, I think you will have a rotation of Roberson/McCullough/BJ/Gbinijie. Match-up and who has the hot hand will determine the minutes, though Gbinijie will have more, as he is more senior, and will probably get some guard minutes as well.

Without Grant & Ennis, everyone will likely get what they have been asking for, a long bench. I would expect a 9 man rotation. I would also expect people will be glad when the bench gets shorter in 2 years.

Greene's consensus ranking was #8. The highest rated recruit JB has had since Melo. Makes it more impressive how successful SU has been over the past 5-6 years since we aren't lining up multiple top 10 players every year.

 

[OttoMets]

6-10, athletic as hell, long, great shot blocker, surprisingly solid handle for his size, he can knock down jumpers out to 3 PT range but that's not his game. Still, he CAN hit from outside. He's a big time rebounder/put back guy. Runs extremely well so he will be lethal in transition.
...

We learned this year (and last, though not as painfully) that the coach and the distributor are by far the two most important determining factors when it comes to transition success. The guy who's leaking out on the break doesn't matter when no one else cares to push the ball.

I'm taking a wait-and-see approach to McCullough (who the recruiting people seem to think is unfocused) and the potential revival that elusive fast-breaking style of play we used to enjoy.

 

[Col. Bleep]

6-10, athletic as hell, long, great shot blocker, surprisingly solid handle for his size, he can knock down jumpers out to 3 PT range but that's not his game. Still, he CAN hit from outside. He's a big time rebounder/put back guy. Runs extremely well so he will be lethal in transition.

As a 4, he's got serious talent and potential and could be a top 10 pick next year because his overall offensive skill level is higher than most HS power forwards at this point.

Wait...are we recruiting Derrick Coleman again?

 

[anomander]

Anyone that is expecting CMac to have a Melo like impact during his freshman year is setting themselves up for disappoint. Melo was the 2nd best player in the 02 class right behind Amare Stoudemire. McCullough is reaching a point where he'll be lucky to even be a consensus top 20 player in a class where he's actually one year older than most. McCullough will be a good player and should have a solid season at SU next year. Personally I don't see Aldridge with CMac, I think of similar qualities and impact as we saw with Grant for him.

I am already starting to feel bad for the kid based on some of the expectations stated in this thread.

 

[Full_Rebar]

If CMac doesn't always play hard and isn't good enough on offense to overcome his defense, then he's prime candidate for the JB frosh dog house. At this point, I am more concerned about Roberson's development since he's had a year in the system.

Still think Gbinije is going to end up starting at the 3 if Grant leaves and Coleman isn't ready to go.

 

[Francis03]

I am already starting to feel bad for the kid based on some of the expectations stated in this thread.

Agree. I think the problem is that most think he's still the consensus top 10 prospect when he committed back in 2012. Not knowing that this kid lacks motivation and has seen his stock tumble over the past year.

 

[two3zone]

It'll obviously suck if Ennis is gone, but one positive with Joseph running the show is that we'll most likely see the return of a transition game and playing at a quicker pace.

Which for Chris may be exactly what we need.