McCullough Moving Up

[Alsacs]

People saying they hope he is better than Austin are putting high expectations on the kid. I think the Austin comparison is pretty good. Austin may be weaker, but he is listed at 7'1" 225lbs. Chris McCollough is listed at 6'10' 220 lbs.
Austin is a big guy who scouts say plays with slower motor than he should but he can shoot the ball decently.

If McCollough plays like Austin we will be a dangerous tournament team IMO.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/61568/isaiah-austin

2013-14 season Austin averaged 11.2 pts, 5.5 rebs, 1.4 assists
2012-13 season Austin averaged 13.0 pts 8.3 rebs, 1.1assists

 

[orangejunkie]

there is a great cure for his "lack of motor" and intensity, it is getting the prime seat on the bench next to Boeheim. These kinds of kids in high school know they will play anyway so the intensity is not consistently there.

 

[Shawn91111]

Sometimes we get too caught up in rankings of the recruits. Are the #10-15 guys that much better than McCullough?

 

[Syracuse44]

Hopefully McC will give us a solid freshman season and help get us to the tourney. If his draft stock is high after that, and he goes, good for him. Next man up..

 

[cuseguy]

People saying they hope he is better than Austin are putting high expectations on the kid. I think the Austin comparison is pretty good. Austin may be weaker, but he is listed at 7'1" 225lbs. Chris McCollough is listed at 6'10' 220 lbs. Austin is a big guy who scouts say plays with slower motor than he should but he can shoot the ball decently. If McCollough plays like Austin we will be a dangerous tournament team IMO. http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/61568/isaiah-austin 2013-14 season Austin averaged 11.2 pts, 5.5 rebs, 1.4 assists 2012-13 season Austin averaged 13.0 pts 8.3 rebs, 1.1assists

Shooting isn't McCullough's forte. He doesn't have a bad form -- shoots free throws relatively well -- but he has a slow release and doesn't look to shoot unless he's WiDE open. So don't expect any shots off the bounce. McCullough does most of his scoring near the basket on put backs, dunks, etc. I'd compare his outside shooting to Grant, some semblance of a mid range game and not much from beyond that. McCullough will excel if we can run, run, run.

 

[OrangeCrush22]

All these nonbelievers... McCullough will lead us to glory next season.

 

[zeekay]

All these nonbelievers... McCullough will lead us to glory next season.

Will he play guard too? As been proven again and again, top back courts is what gets you into the final four. We will have no one except an unproven Joseph.

 

[OrangeCrush22]

Will he play guard too? As been proven again and again, top back courts is what gets you into the final four. We will have no one except an unproven Joseph.

If JB brings the best out of McCullough then there's no reason why, like Anthony in '03, he couldn't bring the ball up. Joseph is one of the top guards in the class and can put the ball in the basket. JB thinks both Gbinije and Patterson will step up as ball handlers next season.

Let's stop being so pessimistic, the board's wallowed in self-pity for over a week now.

 

[orangefan13]

The lack of a motor worries me too. Some coaches seem to be really good at getting everyone to play hard. I've never thought that was one of JB's strong points.

JB will pull you if you dont hustle even if it means out of your comfort zone, he will bench you if you dont imo

 

[sufandu]

JB will pull you if you dont hustle even if it means out of your comfort zone, he will bench you if you dont imo

He's inconsistent with the way he does that. Additionally, I'm not just talking about games. I'm talking about the way a player practices both on his own and in season. There are coaches that have a way of establishing work ethic with players. JB has had a reputation as being a hands off type of coach. He prefers to treat players like the adults they are. Guys that aren't intrinsically motivated but very talented sometimes get by with him. Billy Owens is the perfect example. He may be the most talented player JB ever coached. He was so good, he never had to work hard for his success. He admits he washed out of the NBA earlier than he should have because he was lazy.

 

[Cusefan0307]

People saying they hope he is better than Austin are putting high expectations on the kid. I think the Austin comparison is pretty good. Austin may be weaker, but he is listed at 7'1" 225lbs. Chris McCollough is listed at 6'10' 220 lbs.
Austin is a big guy who scouts say plays with slower motor than he should but he can shoot the ball decently.

If McCollough plays like Austin we will be a dangerous tournament team IMO.
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/61568/isaiah-austin

2013-14 season Austin averaged 11.2 pts, 5.5 rebs, 1.4 assists
2012-13 season Austin averaged 13.0 pts 8.3 rebs, 1.1assists

I'd sign up for Austin in a heartbeat. Remember all the hype about Harris his freshman year, dude disappointed everyone.

 

[Alsacs]

I'd sign up for Austin in a heartbeat. Remember all the hype about Harris his freshman year, dude disappointed everyone.

Harris was overhyped sadly. I would take Austin's Freshman season in a heartbeat.

 

[IthacaMatt]

After a rough end to the season, this helps me feel better about next season.

Note - this is an ESPN Insider article by Adam Finklestein

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncbrecruitingon-the-trail/post/_/id/9627/espn-100-biggest-risers

Below is the portion from the article about McCullough

Chris McCullough, Syracuse: With his motor continuing to be a concern and his game showing no notable improvements in the better part of the past two years, McCullough fell to an unprecedented low, 29th overall, earlier this winter. But he has responded in the two months since, finishing his career at IMG Academy and starting to show the renewed passion and energy level that help to maximize his almost limitless athletic tools. With unrivaled length, speed, athleticism and agility, he’s as good of a physical prospect as there is in the 2014 class, but there’s still work left to be done as he never has consistently committed himself to being the best player he can be. If, and when, he does, there will be few better NBA prospects coming out of this ESPN 100.

Sounds a lot like Rakeem Christmas, if you ask me. You didn't read anything in that paragraph about basketball skills, just athleticism.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Harris was overhyped sadly. I would take Austin's Freshman season in a heartbeat.

Harris, playing guard at Pitt, would have been a first round pick after his 2nd year.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Johnny Morant of hoops?

Johnny Morant had the worst hands this side of Baye Keita. Let's hope McCullough can catch the damn ball.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Is it that there is no way there are 23 better or 23 more talented? The two are not exactly the same.

What is "Talent"?

Is it the ability to actually play the game of basketball well - what we call high basketball IQ, the ability to do the fundamentals, the ability to shoot, pass, rebound, dribble, defend (the hoops equivalent of the "5 skills" of baseball)?

Or is "talent" a synonym for athletic ability, the ability to dunk, leap high and run well?

Because I think the game focuses way too much on definition #2 of "talent", as though the 5 skills can be easily taught. But truly excellent basketball players have been working on their skills since they were little kids.

 

[rrlbees]

Harris, playing guard at Pitt, would have been a first round pick after his 2nd year.

Except he had few 2g skills. He had great PF skills. Unfortunately he was only 6'4.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Except he had few 2g skills. He had great PF skills. Unfortunately he was only 6'4.

He had a killer cross-over, and he could hit the wing jump shot. JB undermined his confidence in shooting, just like he has done with numerous players.

Look at Grant. Is there any reason he should go from 15 three-point attempts as a frosh to none as a sophomore when he went 6-15 his first year? That's a decent percentage. JB's hook for not taking the shot HE wants you to take is legendary.

 

[OrangeDW]

So if Grant leaves he'll walk right into a ton of playing time, and thus will put up decent numbers and show potential...and go pro.

I'm hoping Grant comes back, because it will limit McCullough's role next year, and then he'll be more likely to be here as a soph. when maybe he can be that special player that carries us.

It almost worked with Waiters and MCW. If we didn't have good upperclassmen to start and keep them on the bench for a year, they both would've been one and done, and they wouldn't been here to lead us to the elite 8/final 4 as soph's.

 

[BostonOrange]

Harris, playing guard at Pitt, would have been a first round pick after his 2nd year.

I'm not sure he was an NBA player regardless of where he went, but no doubt he was a bad system fit here.

 

[cuserulesall]

So if Grant leaves he'll walk right into a ton of playing time, and thus will put up decent numbers and show potential...and go pro.

I'm hoping Grant comes back, because it will limit McCullough's role next year, and then he'll be more likely to be here as a soph. when maybe he can be that special player that carries us.

It almost worked with Waiters and MCW. If we didn't have good upperclassmen to start and keep them on the bench for a year, they both would've been one and done, and they wouldn't been here to lead us to the elite 8/final 4 as soph's.

Where is the Cuse Champianships ? Play the players .

 

[UnderHisOwnPower]

This kid got hyped more on this board then any recruit I can remember.

If he is half as good his freshmen season as advertised I'll take it.

I hope for more though but can't fault a freshmen with "unrivaled" hype sense Carmelo

you must not have been around for the "Superman wears Paul Harris pajamas" off season.

 

[IthacaMatt]

you must not have been around for the "Superman wears Paul Harris pajamas" off season.

You have to admit, it was great fun - and based off the way he played in the Jordan All-Star game, he looked the part of an NBA player just waiting to happen. Jay Williams called him the only player on the floor who looked like he was ready to play defense in the NBA. We wasted his talents in the zone.

 

[SUalldway]

He was ranked so high because of his athleticism alone, but he can use some one on one scoring. Hope he can develop a midrange jumper off the dribble over the summer.

Sounds like he has the same "to-do" list as Grant.

 

[Alsacs]

Paul Harris would have had a better a chance to play in the NBA if he played elsewhere than Syracuse. He and JB had a failure to communicate, but his commitment got us Johnny Flynn. I wish Paul Harris well, but his hype was higher than McCollough's. Harris is why I am hesitant to put some much hype on McCollough. Harris could have been a lockdown defender 0n a m2m team.