Chris McCullough

[SUFan44]

Question for those that may have a little more inside knowledge than I do...

Is it really a foregone conclusion that he's going to be one-and-done?

Ennis and Grant are one thing - I personally don't think either was ready but Ennis wasn't going to improve his stock much and Grant at the very least was an all-league type performer.

McCullough has had six straight games of single-digit scoring and is shooting a paltry 7-for-25 (28%) in those games with 12 turnovers.

He might be the least ready of any of our early-entry candidates - even Donte Greene averaged 17.7 and 7.2 his freshman year.

 

[pfister1]

Question for those that may have a little more inside knowledge than I do...

Is it really a foregone conclusion that he's going to be one-and-done?

Ennis and Grant are one thing - I personally don't think either was ready but Ennis wasn't going to improve his stock much and Grant at the very least was an all-league type performer.

McCullough has had six straight games of single-digit scoring and is shooting a paltry 7-for-25 (28%) in those games with 12 turnovers.

He might be the least ready of any of our early-entry candidates - even Donte Greene averaged 17.7 and 7.2 his freshman year.

Too early to judge. Definitely right now he doesn't look like much, but there is still a lot of season left.

 

[orangemass]

If I was a nba gm I wouldn't draft him. But what do I know.

 

[Upstate]

I hate to even mention it, because there's nothing set in stone, but...

If CMC stays, that means no Bryant, right? Brings to the fore an interesting "would you rather..."

 

[cuseguy]

The season is almost half over.

Should we expect Chris to eat a can of spinach and turn into Popeye over night?

His biggest concern now is holding onto a starting job.

 

[orangehomer]

meh i say don't worry about it. if he turns it around and we make a run he decides to go, godspeed. if we completely stink and he decides to go, oh well. if he decides to stay, awesome.

 

[KingOnuaku]

You can be sure his stock is plummeting.

I don't expect him to continue such horrible play on offense, but unless he returns to early season form I wouldn't take him in the 1st round.

 

[dan7800]

The NBA drafts on potential. Donte Greene was even a 1st round pick. Right now, I think CM would go in the bottom half of the 1st.

I love the potential he has, but is still very raw.

 

[OrangeDW]

If CM shot as much as Donte did, there's no question he could average 17 ppg too. Donte was on a team with no veterans at all, no shooters, and he had a green light.

McCullough barely gets the ball lately. But we also have our best player operating down low and playing really well right now.

McCullough wasn't putting up double doubles early on by accident. He's just all out of sorts right now for whatever reason, but I think he will get it going again.

Christmas is the only guy on the team who has played consistently well all year. Everyone else has been all over the place, and several who are playing well now we're really struggling a few weeks ago.

 

[Orange4]

I hate to even mention it, because there's nothing set in stone, but...

If CMC stays, that means no Bryant, right? Brings to the fore an interesting "would you rather..."

If that is the situation do you think the staff would ask chinoso to take a walk on role or some player to do something of that nature. Bryant is too good of a talent to pass up.

 

[Brooky03]

If that is the situation do you think the staff would ask chinoso to take a walk on role or some player to do something of that nature. Bryant is too good of a talent to pass up.

Do we have a player on this team with really wealthy parents?

That's the player you would have to ask to be a walk-on (or one who could get a significant academic scholly) because it would be a little douchey to ask a guy who would need to take out a substantial loan without the scholarship.

My guess is that somebody transfers (Chino or Patterson) and CMac leaves for the League.

Edit: We could also see one of the other commits [Lydon] decommit or possibly join as a walk-on. This, of course, would only be the case after Bryant commits and if CMac stays.

Orrrrr the NCAA could give us a post-season ban and all this is moot because everybody will decommit/leave and we'll be bad at basketball forever. :noidea:

 

[Janner]

Que someone with the over used "He Gone" phrase.

IMO its too early to say, he could do exactly what he has been doing for the next 15 games and then find his grove come ACC tourny/NCAA Tourny/NIT Tourny and the scouts could fall in love with him... again

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Que someone with the over used "He Gone" phrase.

IMO its too early to say, he could do exactly what he has been doing for the next 15 games and then find his grove come ACC tourny/NCAA Tourny/NIT Tourny and the scouts could fall in love with him... again

Que sera sera

He gone!

 

[SBU72]

Worse case scenario, CM doesn't reach his potential (al la Fab Melo) his first year, Bryant doesn't want to share the floor with another big man MD AA and doesn't go to SU then CM has a Fab Melo type of 2nd year, not great but enough to get drafted. Not a big help to SU BB. Best case scenario, CM doesn't reach his potential, doesn't get enough pro attention to warrant leaving and Bryant sees the "wisdom" of joining the front court with almost unlimited potential and then CM has a break out 2nd season and the two of them lead SU to a fantastic 15-16 season. Most likely scenario, CM does enough to get noticed and leaves, Bryant question up in the air until late April.

 

[Oakland]

Potential used to mean guys like Darryl Dawkins, Kevin Garnet, and Kobe. Then it was the Corey Maggette, Ben Gordon, and Trevor Arizas. Now it the Jerami Grant, James Young, and Jahii Carsons. In other words, the potential bar has been greatly lowered over the years. Will it get to a point where a 8 ppg per game, third or fourth best player on his team, CM freshman gets drafted - maybe. But at some point the potential thing will become completely played out. ≈

Considering how many posters thought that Jerami would be a first rounder, or even a lottery pick, some aren't aware of this trend. If I'm a GM, I would have to ask myself, what is the point of drafting a player who won't realize his potential until his second contract?

The NBA drafts on potential. Donte Greene was even a 1st round pick. Right now, I think CM would go in the bottom half of the 1st.

I love the potential he has, but is still very raw.

 

[Fly Rodder]

In other words, the potential bar has been greatly lowered over the years.

Consider, however, that the cost of a marginal win above replacement (a state used more frequently in baseball), has continually increased. The league is making a fortune. No questions. There is a ridiculous amount of money being thrown around. BUT, with the cap and salary restrictions, it really pressures teams into finding relatively cheap talent (NBA FAs are still going to get their money) and 60 players are going to be drafted every year. Why draft a junior/senior with bench potential in the best case scenario when you could draft and stash a McCullough who has all the athletic tools to be a star who needs to get bigger and stronger (something that's a whole lot easier than teaching someone how to be a good three point shooter or dribble and finish with either hand)?

Unlike baseball and (to a much lesser degree) football, very talented college and high school basketball players can step right into the league and play well. So. Your team needs talent and the more money you have for established players the better. Enter the literal NBA lottery pick. Get lucky with a kid with potential and now you're paying much less for increases in the team's nominal WAR and you can save some coin for established NBA guys to inject more established talent.

Once kids realize that if the NBA is sniffing after them, and the NBA drafts projects, why stay in school and play for free?

 

[pfister1]

Potential used to mean guys like Darryl Dawkins, Kevin Garnet, and Kobe. Then it was the Corey Maggette, Ben Gordon, and Trevor Arizas. Now it the Jerami Grant, James Young, and Jahii Carsons. In other words, the potential bar has been greatly lowered over the years. Will it get to a point where a 8 ppg per game, third or fourth best player on his team, CM freshman gets drafted - maybe. But at some point the potential thing will become completely played out. ≈

Considering how many posters thought that Jerami would be a first rounder, or even a lottery pick, some aren't aware of this trend. If I'm a GM, I would have to ask myself, what is the point of drafting a player who won't realize his potential until his second contract?

One reason that the needle has moved on the quality of the prospects that get drafted is because the league has added 7 franchises since 1988. That is a heckuva lot of additional players that they need to fill out rosters.

 

[SUFan44]

One reason that the needle has moved on the quality of the prospects that get drafted is because the league has added 7 franchises since 1988. That is a heckuva lot of additional players that they need to fill out rosters.

Only one franchise has been added since 1995, which is 20 years. The needle is moving because more kids think they're better than they are. And there are more websites/blogs out there with mock drafts hyping players who aren't even close to being ready. Has little to do with filling out rosters.

 

[orangefan13]

Mccullough would probably get eaten alive by rak one on one, last year jeremy grant vs this years rak would have been much more competitive.

Im not confident chris could go up against the top 10 college pfs at a nba combine right now one on one. How does that translate to high pick??

Should McCullough get drafted lower then grant then, or stay another year and get drafted much higher.

 

[cuseguy]

Mccullough would probably get eaten alive by rak one on one, last year jeremy grant vs this years rak would have been much more competitive.

CMc doesn't have s signature offensive move. He dominated in high school because he was tall and athletic. Now just about everyone he faces is tall, athletic and stronger...and many with signature offensive moves.

 

[orangefan13]

McCullough doesn't welcome physical defense on him much, he operates in alot of halfcourt transition right now. Grant would go straight up with the ball tip ins and off rebounds with defenders all around him, he would roll off defenders instead of pass it out when they bodied him.Chris doesn't even take the ball off the dribble into defenders yet.

Why shouldn't the nba be looking at 10 more ready pf's that would easily beat mccullough one on one, or two on two this year instead? Chris potential is far from reality right now. Against only a decent nba defender he would pick up the ball before even trying to dribble and pass it off against them every time.

Sophmore warrick had more nba potential then McCullough as of right now and its not even close.
If I wanted a halfcourt transition ball player, trevor cooney and gbinije would get drafted before mccullough right now and its not even close.

Alittle reality check helps, Paul Harris was a athletic stud but never ready for the nba, mcculloughs potential is the complete oposite right now, but he is really raw, hes not that much further along then freshmen rak was, hes behind freshmen dion waiters. Against a pressure defense Tyler Roberson is more ready for the nba, and against a non pressure one it may be the same case.

If Cmac left as of right now it could ruin alot of his development, alot of players end up better in the nba after solid college ball.

 

[Fly Rodder]

Only one franchise has been added since 1995, which is 20 years.

Kobe was drafted in 1996, Garnet in 1995, and Dawkins drafted in 1975(!). Dawkins was drafted in a completely different environment (players weren't eligible without 4 years of college unless they showed a hardship - additionally there were two professional leagues). Kobe and Garnet really set the bar for drafting young players. The draft was still chock full of seniors and a few juniors because the NBA didn't think HS players could play because 18-20 year olds were not physically ready to player and not mature enough to handle the league. Kemp, Kobe, and Garnet changed that perception and opened the door for more and more HS players to be drafted and more teams looked to grab the next superstar before he hit college.

Has little to do with filling out rosters.

Really? Last I knew, the NBA teams were the ones doing the drafting, not mock draft boards, ESPN, or players' families. I could declare for the NBA draft tomorrow - ain't no one drafting me. Bottom line is that NBA teams need talent to compete and there's no reason to wait for players to blow up in college and be another team's pick. Willey Cauley Stein could be a top-5 pick this season. Don't you think that a team would have loved to pick him up with a late pick last year instead of having to be in the lottery to have a crack at him?

If they think someone has the talent to play in the league, they're interested. And if more than a couple of teams believe that, then that kid is going to go early.

 

[Eagles20]

If CM shot as much as Donte did, there's no question he could average 17 ppg too. Donte was on a team with no veterans at all, no shooters, and he had a green light.

McCullough barely gets the ball lately. But we also have our best player operating down low and playing really well right now.

McCullough wasn't putting up double doubles early on by accident. He's just all out of sorts right now for whatever reason, but I think he will get it going again.

Christmas is the only guy on the team who has played consistently well all year. Everyone else has been all over the place, and several who are playing well now we're really struggling a few weeks ago.

Or teams scout players after a few games of seeing them play. If I'm an opposing coach im taking away the mid range shot of McCullough and crowding him there. He isn't strong enough to post any big man up because he gets pushed around and has shown very little ability to put in on the floor from the high post and beat his man off the dribble. Lately outside of transition opportunities he doesn't seem to get anything in the half court. Even the shot he hit against tech was pretty well guarded. He seems to me to be an easy guard right now for opposing coaches.

 

[HakAttack]

He's been telling people since last summer that he'll be a one and done. Will he be ready, probably not. However, it doesn't mean he won't go.