Chris McCullough was most everywhere he needed to be Friday night. He just needed to put the ball at the bottom of the basket more.

“He knows where to be out there,” freshman point guard Kaleb Joseph said. “He has a good feel for the game. I think he’s got to stay aggressive.”

Layups and putbacks alike rimmed out for the freshman forward, none of which stopped him from recording a double-double in his Syracuse debut. With Rakeem Christmas getting in foul trouble in both halves, McCullough took over big-man duties for the Orange. And while his finishing — 6-of-14 from the field — remains a work in progress, his 16 points, 11 rebounds and expanded footwork left little to be desired in No. 23 SU’s (1-0) 89-42 win against Kennesaw State (0-1) on Friday night in the Carrier Dome.

“I’m the second man, I can play the five man, so I just got to step up,” McCullough said.

The freshman played more minutes than every SU player except for junior guard Trevor Cooney.

He drew four fouls — 21 percent of the 19 committed by KSU. And his 11 rebounds were equal to the total of the Owls’ top two rebounders combined. It’s a sign of a Syracuse team that’s vastly improved on the boards, head coach Jim Boeheim said.

Just more than a minute into the game, McCullough drop-stepped from the right block, then missed. With 13:11 left in the first half he spun into the key and threw up a left-handed mini-hook shot. It missed too. But the extra spins are early signs of progress from summer workouts with assistant coach Adrian Autry, McCullough said.

In the second half, after McCullough drew another foul on the right block, spinning away from the rim, Boeheim shouted at the 6-foot-10 McCullough to drop in toward the rim, McCullough said.

“He’s just got to finish around the basket,” Boeheim said. “Missed some easy shots around the basket again, but part of it is just getting used to being around … it takes time.”

Published on November 14, 2014 at 11:56 pm

Contact Jacob: jmklinge@syr.edu | @Jacob_Klinger_