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Chris McCullough's wingspan is a big part of the reason why the Syracuse freshman is already on the minds of NBA scouts.
(Dennis Nett | syracuse.com)
Syracuse, N.Y. — The idea that Chris McCullough will stick around for a second season at Syracuse now seems little less likely.
ESPN's Chad Ford quizzed NBA scouts during the 2K Classic in New York City last week and reported that the Syracuse forward is viewed as a likely lottery pick by nearly all of them.
The ESPN Insider article lists McCullough among eight players who have improved their draft stock the most during the first two weeks of the season.
"What intrigues scouts is what's behind the numbers," Ford wrote about the 6-foot-10 power forward. "McCullough has a 7-foot-3 wingspan, is an explosive leaper and is the rare big who can protect the rim on defense and stretch the floor on offense. He needs to add a lot of strength, but virtually every scout I spoke to who saw him play last week in New York came away feeling he'd be a lottery pick."
McCullough has acknowledged previously that he has thought about leaving Syracuse for the NBA sooner rather than later.
"Oh yeah, everybody thinks about it," McCullough said this summer. "Everybody wants to go to the NBA. If I'm ready, then I'll go. If I'm not ready, I'll come back for a second year. It won't hurt."
Through five games, McCullough is second on the Orange with 15.6 points and 7.6 rebounds. He has also been the team's most efficient offensive player, shooting 57.1 percent from the floor and displaying a fluid jump shot.
McCullough was not listed on Ford's early big board. He'll likely remain there now.
"No one has seen his stock rise more in the first two weeks of the season than McCullough," Ford wrote.
Traditional logic is that players expected to be lottery selections should leave for the NBA, securing millions of guaranteed dollars in the process. Many players elect to leave college if they consider themselves simply a first-round selection.
While McCullough will still need to add strength to be successful in the NBA, teams selecting players in the lottery are generally committed to watching them develop.
It's worth noting that Ford also had high expectations for Syracuse's Tyler Ennis and Jerami Grant last year. He viewed Ennis as a lottery pick for much of the year and pegged Grant in the middle of the first round, higher than either one was selected. Ennis slipped to No. 18, while Grant fell out of the first round entirely.
Still, McCullough's inclusion indicates his decision will be a significant storyline all season and provides a likely answer to how Syracuse hopes to fit uncommitted five-star center Thomas Bryant onto the roster next year without a current scholarship available.
"He's played well," Boeheim said of McCullough after Tuesday night's win over Loyola. "He's done a good job. He's found his spots where he can be effective. I thought tonight there was a couple times he could have moved into better positions, we could have got him the ball in better positions, but that will come. That will come in time."
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