Trevor Cooney was the non-conference star last season for the Orange.
This season, the non-conference stars are freshman Chris McCullough and sophomore B.J. Johnson.
In Friday night’s 89-42 win over Kennesaw State,¬†McCullough and Johnson led the Orange in scoring with 16 and 19 points respectively. McCullough finished with 11 rebounds, while Johnson pulled down eight in the non-conference blowout to start Syracuse’s 2014-15 season off on the right foot.
McCullough showed to be a solid and consistent man for Boeheim and the rest of the Orange. The collegiate level does not have him concerned, baffled, or uncomfortable in any sort of way. He plays as if he has been doing this for two seasons already. He does not play like a freshman, which is something Syracuse needs, considering how many experienced players it lost due to the NBA Draft or graduation.
This has to make the coaching staff relieved knowing there is a freshman who has come in and made an impact and has played well early in this new system.
Johnson has mostly been a guy off the bench to give the starter a break or if he is in foul trouble. The expectations were not too high of him but now that he put up a career high 19 points, with 11 of those coming in the first half, there will be more expectations and that should result in more playing time.
Rakeem Christmas was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school. The expectations were extremely high. He has not lived up to them. Now that he is the senior leader on and off the court, he knows he has to live up to the expectations. Christmas had 21 points and nine rebounds — by far the best game of his career. This is a huge momentum booster for the senior, especially since the team will rely on him down the road.
Posted:  Austin Pollack
