Syracuse Basketball: Boeheim’s Army adds frontcourt talent in Chris McCullough
Former Syracuse basketball big man Chris McCullough has officially joined the Boeheim’s Army roster for The Basketball Tournament.
With news breaking that The Basketball Tournament will in fact go on this summer, Boeheim’s Army continues to add talent. This includes former Syracuse basketball forward Chris McCullough.
The addition of McCullough was announced on the Boeheim’s Army Instagram and Twitter pages:
McCullough is one of the highest rated recruits in recent Orange history, ranked 21st nationally in the class of 2014 by 247sports composite. However, an ACL injury halfway through his freshman campaign on the Hill forced him to miss the remainder of the season.
Even with the injury, McCullough’s NBA potential was still there, as he was ultimately drafted 29th overall in the ensuing 2015 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets. Unfortunately, he was never able to blossom into the prospect he once was, averaging 4.7 points per game in his rookie season. McCullough was then traded to the Wizards during the 2016-17 season, where he last played in an NBA game in 2018.
At Syracuse, it was easy to see that McCullough would have been an all-time talent had it not been for his knee injury. Only playing in 16 games before getting hobbled, the 6-foot-10 forward averaged 9.3 points per game and 6.9 rebounds, to go along with 2.1 blocks and 1.7 steals. In other words, he had an ability to put the ball in the basket, rip down rebounds, and also challenge opponents with his defensive toughness.
Perhaps his best game with Syracuse basketball came against Iowa in a neutral site early season tournament game. The Orange got the win, mostly due to a 20 point, 9 rebound, and 3 block performance from the big man. He also had numerous double-doubles, citing his low block presence.
This in game dunk versus Cornell was pretty good too:
The addition of McCullough is especially crucial for Boeheim’s Army, as he gives them their first true big man. McCullough joins a guard heavy roster of John Gillon, Eric Devendorf, Brandon Triche, and Malachi Richardson. Demetris Nichols and Tyler Lydon have also already signed up to participate, but Nichols is more of a wing forward, while Lydon is a stretch four. McCullough provides a needed inside presence that will undoubedtly be key when Boeheim’s Army faces off against taller opponents.
TBT has yet to announce a date, but as mentioned on their website (link above), the format has changed a bit. Social distancing rules and daily temperature checks will be enforced, along with a shorter field of just 24 teams across a 10 day single elimination tournament. Nonetheless, Boeheim’s Army should be a force to reckon with as always, especially thanks to McCullough.