Two Players Who Could Make a Big Difference for the Orange

by James Finneral

Many people do not believe the Orange are bringing in any great talent next year, but what they do not know is that Syracuse has two players within the ESPN Top 100 coming in that could make a big impact in their freshman season.

Chris McCullough, PF, Brewster Academy:
Chris McCullough is a a big time talent and one of the more underrated players within the top thirty. McCullough currently sits 24th on ESPN Recruiting Nation's Top 100 list. The reason he is underrated is that he is a model NCAA power forward standing at 6'10", 220 pounds.

McCullough's athleticism is what separates him from most players at his position. He is quick for his size and can go by defenders with ease. When he gets to the rim, McCullough can rise above the defense and have easy finishes near the basket. He has an extremely high upside coming into Syracuse. There is still room for him to develop his body and could become a real force down low in the ACC. With Jerami Grant and Baye-Moussa Keita leaving, the Orange are in need of some bodies down low. McCullough will fit the system well and can develop into a NBA caliber forward.

Kaleb Joseph, PG, Cushing Academy:

Kaleb Joseph is the second highly profiled player coming into the Orange program. He is ranked 50th in the nation for the class of 2014. He is a point guard standing at 6'3", 165 pounds to go along with a tremendous amount of athleticism.

Joseph is a facilitator on the court and is always looking to improve his teammates. Along with making plays for his teammates Joseph is a natural scorer as well. He can score both by using his quickness to blow by defenders as well as shooting from any range. Joseph could be an extremely quality player at the college level because of how Jim Boeheim and the Syracuse coaching staff have developed point guards in the last few years. Two years ago it was Michael Carter-Williams who was a standout in the Big East and went on to win Rookie of the Year in the NBA in 2013-2014. This past year Tyler Ennis blossomed into an excellent point guard and made the All-ACC Second Team. Joseph is equally as talented as Ennis so there is no reason why he cannot be successful in the ACC this year.

These two guys can drive Syracuse to another successful season, but they need to live up to their expectations.