Chris McCullough Makes Wise Choice, Will Return For Sophomore Season

Earlier today it was announced that Syracuse freshman forward Chris McCullough would return for his sophomore season.

Chris McCullough will return for his sophomore season at Syracuse. #OrangeNation

— Syracuse Basketball (@syracusebball) March 4, 2015

This comes as no surprise, but is still big news for Syracuse nonetheless. The Orange will only lose Rakeem Christmas from this year’s roster.

McCullough played well through 16 games for Syracuse this season before tearing his ACL against Florida State in early January. The 6-foot-10 freshman averaged 9.3 points and 6.9 rebounds a game for Jim Boeheim. McCullough was key for the Orange, as he would back up Christmas in the middle of the zone when the senior got into foul trouble.

McCullough figures to be a staple in Syracuse’s 2-3 zone defense. The Bronx native will see time at the forward position and could aid DaJuan Coleman at the center spot when needed. McCullough is an archetypical Syracuse forward — he possess a pterodactyl-like wingspan of 7-foot-3-inches.

Early in the season there was speculation about McCullough getting drafted in the NBA lottery. After scoring in double-figures in each of his first eight games, McCullough’s play would plateau as he would fail to score double-digits again for the remainder of his shortened season. As his production fell, so did his draft stock. In the wake of his torn ACL, McCullough’s draft stock virtually fell off the map.

The freshman made a wise decision to return to Syracuse next season, as he would have only been drafted as high as the second round in this summer’s NBA Draft. McCullough can work on his strength in the offseason and come back strong and healthy for a breakout sophomore season.

 James Szuba is a college basketball writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesSzuba.