Scouting Austin McCullough

When Austin McCullough committed to Cal, he was very much an unknown prospect, only possessing offers from a handful of small D-1 schools, impressing Tim O'Toole enough at the end of the second live review period for Wyking Jones to have him come for a visit and offer him a scholarship.

The first thing that helps McCullough is his physical profile. At 6’5”, 190 pounds, he has good size for a D-1 shooting guard. He’s also relatively quick, using this to his advantage and showing an ability to explode to the rim.

McCullough has shown the ability beat opponents off the dribble as well, using pump fakes to get defenders out of position. He tends to go baseline and doesn’t overly rely on his three-point shooting prowess. He can finish well around the rim and uses the glass to his advantage. He has all the tools to become a slashing guard, though it probably won't be his primary use on offense.

McCullough’s biggest strength is his shooting. He has smooth shooting mechanics and nice form, with a quick release and possesses a high release point, making him difficult to block.

McCullough can shoot in a wide variety of ways: Off the dribble, off screens in catch and shoot situations, with a hand in his face, etc. He uses his face up game well and puts himself in the best position to score. He has very deep range on his shot and can shoot well beyond the three-point line, bordering on NBA range at times.

While he is a good shooter and scorer, McCullough is a willing passer and with the ability to run a fast break. He sees the floor well and makes good decisions when he has the ball in his hands. He’s a high IQ player.

While shooting is his biggest strength, McCullough prides himself on his toughness more than anything. Due to his football background, playing safety at Portage Central, McCullough shows a certain tenacity on the floor, fighting for loose balls and rebounds, never giving up on a play. That sort of aggressiveness is imperative for what Jones is looking to do defensively at Cal

It’s hard to know where Austin McCullough’s ceiling is at, but he could become a quality rotation player for Cal in time. Or considering the lack of depth for the 2017, he's going to become an immediate rotation player. The physical tools are there, the mentality is there, and the skills are there, but there's still the question mark of why McCullough was passed over by a number of schools. McCulllough's going to have an opportunity to play early, so he'll have the ability to show what he's capable of against a higher level of competition.