Though former St. John’s guard Dwight Hardy is now signed to play in Italy, the legacy he left in Queens could be a motivating factor in the college decision of Top 15 2014 forward Chris McCullough of Salisbury School (CT).
JohnnyJungle.com spoke to the sophomore in early July, a time when he called St. John’s his “dream school.” McCullough went on to have one of the most impressive July recruiting periods of any prospect in the country, bursting into the conversation when it comes to elite players in the Class of 2014. ESPN currently ranks him as the #11 overall prospect.
And high-major schools, especially in the Big East, have caught on.
He now holds offers from St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Iowa State, Hofstra, Temple, Rutgers, Providence, and Connecticut, with interest reaching to schools as far west as Kansas and Washington.
“It felt good,” McCullough said of seeing his stock rise so steeply in July. “But I’ve seen a lot of kids go from Top 15 and drop. Every year I work harder and harder to produce so I can stay on top.”
With the pickup in interest recently, he maintains that his recruitment is “wide open” and has taken unofficial visits to Rutgers, St. John’s, Connecticut, Providence, and Seton Hall.
The lanky 6’8”, 215lb forward is a Chris Bosh-like prospect, with size and length, to go along with the ability to handle the ball and attack the rim. Only a sophomore, he already has a solid skill set offensively, including being able to face up in the post. He is most dynamic in transition, where he can get out and finish above the rim.
McCullough is a natural matchup problem. His athleticism is too much for bigger, slower forwards, and he uses his length to reach over smaller, quicker forwards.
He is most effective when he can get out and run in transition and uses his long arms to block a lot of shots on the defensive end.
But, the word that will stick with McCullough in the coming years is “raw.” He needs polish on the offensive end to make his game more well-rounded. With that “rawness”, he must work to be more aggressive and does not yet have the “killer instinct” that could make him dominant.
On the recruiting front, McCullough says he is looking for a strong relationship with a coaching staff at the school he commits to.
“A good relationship with the coaches is important,” he said. “Also, the way that they run their program and how I fit there.”
Though he seems to have backed off a bit from calling St. John’s his “dream school,” McCullough says St. John’s will be in his Top 5 when he releases his list.
Along with his strong personal connection to St. John’s through Dwight Hardy, the prospect of playing close to home is also appealing, saying he would like to get his family and friends to see his games, as many recruits do.
St. John’s freshman and Queens native Maurice Harkless has helped to open the gates of possibility for prospects to stay in the city and play for Steve Lavin.
From what McCullough has said, the Red Storm are firmly near the top of his list but, as he said himself, “we’ll see what happens.”
[…] Saw this somewhere, and included the link – a bit about McCollough. Hard to believe this kid is Class of 2014! That's a long, long time fm now – sure things will change as time goes by. Chris McCullough of Salisbury School (CT) Talks St. John's, Recruiting […]