NORMAL - E.J. Schiller drove to the basket and, when the defense collapsed on him, shoveled a pass to a wide-open Eric McCullough. Two points, right? "It hit him in the chest and fell straight down," Schiller said.

Schiller and McCullough were freshmen then, with McCullough in his first season of organized basketball. He was 6-foot-2, pencil thin and, he admits, "really uncoordinated."

Those humble beginnings seem a long time ago now. On Tuesday, a Northwestern assistant basketball coach was at University High School's practice, watching the Pioneers' 6-9, 220-pound center.

No one would have predicted that for McCullough three years ago, or even last season.

Yet, the guy Schiller calls "Big E" is getting overtures from a number of colleges, including Eastern Illinois, Ball State, Niagara, Evansville, Tennessee-Martin and, on the Division III level, Illinois Wesleyan, Elmhurst and Augustana.

Schiller, U High's point guard, still drives to the basket, and is eager to shovel the same pass to McCullough.

"This year, it turns into a dunk," Schiller said.

McCullough has matured into U High's go-to guy, leading the Pioneers (13-8) to nine wins in 10 games and a share of the Corn Belt Conference lead with Central Catholic (9-2).

His 12.9 season scoring average includes a 16.0 mark in four games since 6-8 teammate Clint Vatterrodt broke his wrist. He also is averaging 6.2 rebounds, 3.3 blocked shots and shooting 54 percent from the field.

They are good numbers for a guy who did not try out for basketball at Chiddix Junior High, focusing instead on his first love, baseball.

"I wanted to give it (basketball) a try in high school and it's worked out," McCullough said. "Getting more experience and getting a feel for the game has helped."

Growing to 6-9 didn't hurt, either. McCullough's father is 6-2, his mother 5-11, his brother 6-2 and his sister 6-0. McCullough grew from 6-4 to 6-7 between his sophomore and junior years, but 6-9?

"I'm kind of the oddball when we walk into places," he said. "I'm not complaining, though."

Neither is U High coach Bob Fitzgerald, who has watched McCullough put in countless hours in the weight room and the gym "to turn himself into an athlete and a good basketball player."

"I think he's head and shoulders above where we thought he'd be," Fitzgerald said. "We thought he'd be hard to stop this year. But we didn't know he would have some of the post moves he has developed, like the turnaround jump shot and the jump hook.

"That's a testament to his athleticism. A lot of 6-9 guys can't do the things he can do."

As a freshman, McCullough worked on throwing a variety of objects, from a football to a tennis ball, to improve his hand-eye coordination. More recently, his daily routine includes having teammates hold a football blocking pad and hit him as he goes up for a shot.

"It helps me to stay strong with the ball," McCullough said. "Coach tells them to foul me when they can, but don't hurt me. It gets me tougher for the games."

It has led to what Fitzgerald calls an "unbelievable" ability to finish around the basket. But while McCullough has become a force on the court, baseball remains a passion.

He came to U High as a catcher, but outgrew the position. It was suggested he give pitching a try, and the right-hander went 9-1 on the freshman team. This past summer, his fastball was consistently clocked at 86-88 mph, occasionally hitting 90.

A fine student, his college future hinges upon whether or not he plays both sports. If so, he likely will end up at a Division II or III school.

"I'm still really thinking about it," McCullough said. "I guess it depends on how the baseball season goes. I just want to wait it out, kind of like I did for basketball, and see what happens."

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