UCLA Target for 2010: Ray McCallum Jr. 6-1 179 PG

both videos from pointguardu.com on youtube

Ray McCallum Jr.
Hometown Beverly Hills, MI
High School Detroit Country Day School
Position rank Point Guard # 9
Height 6'1"
Weight 179 lbs.

from ESPN.com Men's College Basketball Recruiting

Evaluation

June, 2009: McCallum had some terrific moments at the NBPA Top 100 Camp. He was more aggressive than usual and not only look to get others involved but he attacked the rim on every opportunity prepared to score. McCallum finished above the rim in transition and when he entered the lane he did a great job of taking what the defense gave him. He handle was tight as he used between the legs and crossover dribble moves to consistently beat his defender. McCallum also did a great job of advancing the ball down the floor on the pass or dribble keeping constant pressure on the defense. He set the offense and made open shots although his is still streaky from behind the arc. McCallum made good decisions with the ball and also played with good energy when guarding the ball on the defensive end. An excellent all around lead guard with a good basketball IQ.

April, 2009: McCallum is a true point that has a pass first mentality. He plays under control and makes excellent decisions with the ball. He pushes the ball in transition and does a great job of always looking to advance the ball down the floor. He can also finish in the open court with excellent touch and body control. McCallum has a good basketball IQ and feel for the game as well. He is a good ball handler and passer and in the half court he is one of the few guards the regularly looks to feed the post. He can score with his mid range pull up when he can't get all the way to the rim but is a streaky three point shooter. McCallum must work to be a consistent three point shooter in order to continue to set up his ability to drive, draw and kick to open teammates. On defense he is a decent on ball defender and good anticipator in the passing lanes but could be a better defensive rebounder because he has good size and could start the break without the outlet pass. Overall an excellent lead guard that can run a team and will continue to get better as he adds strength.

August, 2008: This rock solid point guard has good size and reminds me of former Kansas lead guard Jacque Vaughn. His specialty is running the team and setting up the offense. McCallum is a good decision maker on the break and at times I wish he would probe the defense a little more but as a former coach I can live with it because he rarely turns it over. He plays under control and can not only hit the open 3 but can knock down the pull up jumper as well. McCallum has excellent court vision and he is one of the few point guards that consistently looks to feed the post and has the skills to do it. He knows how to fake a pass to make a pass around the defense very well. McCallum has a good understanding of distance when defending the ball. He can pressure the ball without getting too close to the ball handler and giving up a drive to the basket. He plays hard and competes.

May, 2008: Ray Jr. is a clone of his father Ray who has just become the head coach of the University of Detroit. A very lucky high school coach in Michigan is going to win a great point guard this summer. Smart, quick and knows how to play the point or off-guard. He is very effective at both positions because he can score from the perimeter and pass. Ray, Jr. is an excellent penetrator who plays with his head up and always finds the open man. A very tough defender who likes to play good defense. He has been taught and coached by his dad who was a great college player and a good college coach at Ball State and Houston. The McCallum's are winners. They play hard and smart and they are all about team basketball and doing everything in life right. Ray Jr. is a great high school player and is going to be an even better college player for his dad someday at Detroit.

November, 2007: "Little Ray", as he is known throughout the state, is the best guard in the 2010 class in Indiana and is also one of the best nationally. There is not a lot McCallum doesn't do well as a player. He is a very good athlete, finishes extremely well at the rim and is also an excellent 3-point shooter. He can get his own shot at any point, but generally speaking, when he puts the ball on the floor, he is looking to go all the way to the basket. A great student off the court, McCallum also possesses a very high basketball IQ on the court. Guys seem to enjoy playing with him, which is a great attribute for a point guard to have. He makes those around him better. McCallum does tend to over-penetrate and will sometimes get in trouble when he leaves his feet and then decides to pass while still in the air. Most of his turnovers come this way. McCallum can still develop a pull-up and a floater to help round his game out. He also needs to get stronger to be able to finish when he gets to the next level. An excellent prospect with a great work ethic, there is no question "Little Ray" will become a "big time" player.

Notes
Travel Team: Team Detroit...Father Ray is head coach at U. of Detroit...2009 Gatorade Player of the Year in Michigan...Averaged 17.0 ppg as a junior...Notre Dame, Minnesota and Miami are also involved...Wingspan: 73.5"...In home visits with Florida (9/10), UCLA (9/11) and Arizona (9/14); Official visit to Oklahoma (9/19)...