Detroit's Father And Son McCallum
It is not every day that a father gets to coach his son in a college basketball game.
For Detroit coach Ray McCallum, the opportunity to coach his son has been spectacular, and together they hope the coming 2011-12 season is a good one both in the Horizon League and outside of it.
The senior McCallum is entering his fourth season as the Titans' leader, and the last two years have been strong. McCallum came in with a whimper during the 2008-09 season, going 7-23. That record improved to 20-14 in 2009-10 and 17-16 last season. It is worth noting McCallum posted back to back winning seasons for Detroit for the first time since the 2002-03 and 2003-04 campaigns.
McCallum's son, a product of Detroit Country Day, had a chance to attend Arizona, Florida, Oklahoma and UCLA, but he passed up lucrative Division I scholarships to join his dad at another Division I school. McCallum came in with an impressive track record, having scored 25 first-half points and 32 overall in Country Day's Class B state championship game.
His initial season at Detroit was pretty good for a freshman. McCallum tied teammate Chase Simon with 13.5 points per game, and he was the team leader in assists per game (4.9) and total steals (54). The 6-1 guard quickly established himself as a strong outside presence and a top playmaker in the country. He finished second in Division I in assists per game as a first-year player.
McCallum should get stronger thanks to his stint on Team USA, which went 7-1 at the 2011 World University Games in China. He has worked tirelessly to improve himself. If it isn't a counseling stint at the Deron Williams Skills Camp, it is an appearance at the Lebron James Skills Academy.
McCallum didn't get much of a chance to spend too many minutes playing in the tournament. The experience is something he will definitely take away. When you're playing alongside Trevor Mbakwe (Minnesota) and JaMychal Green (Alabama), two double-digit scorers during the World Games, you learn. McCallum soaked up everything like a sponge.
Detroit is one of the teams to watch in a Horizon League made more visible by Butler's consecutive Final Four appearances in 2010 and 2011. The usual suspects should be Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Butler, Cleveland State and Valparaiso. If McCallum takes the skills his father taught him and meshes it with that tournament experience, it could be a breakout season for junior.
Read the in-depth men's basketball preview for Detroit
