Cal basketball adds Paris Austin and Austin McCullough to their roster

Austin was declared Bear Territory awhile ago. So why not add more Austins to our athletic program?

The California Golden Bears added depth to their basketball squad with two new guards officially joining up on the roster. Paris Austin has officially transferred from Boise State to Cal, and late commit Austin McCullough joins the Bears as part of their freshman class.

Austin was Ivan Rabb’s teammate in high school at Bishop O’Dowd, serving as his primary guard and the secondary scoring option. Austin went onto Boise State, where he featured prominently as the Broncos starting guard in his sophomore season. Austin has two years of eligibility starting from when he can actually take the court in 2018-19.

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At Boise State, Austin averaged 8.4 points in 62 appearances, including 21 starts. The point guard shot 46.5 percent, including 49.1 percent in his sophomore campaign, and led the Broncos with 90 assists across all 32 games last season. Austin was voted an All-Mountain West honorable mention selection by the league’s media and coaches after averaging 12.3 points, second among his teammates, in his second season.

Austin joined Boise State after a standout career as a three-year start at Bishop O’Dowd, where he led the Dragons to four consecutive CIF North Coast Section Division III championships and played alongside Golden Bear Ivan Rabb. He averaged 19.5 points, 7.1 assists, 6.1 rebounds and 2.8 steals and was a consensus four-star prospect.

“I’ve been a fan of Paris’ game since seeing him in high school, so to be able to bring him back home to Oakland is a blessing,” Jones said. “His competitive fire is what makes him stand out. I believe he’s going to continue to build hometown excitement to Haas.”

Austin McCullough will be eligible next season, and is likely to contribute quite a bit with Cal’s rebuilding depth chart. Here’s what we had to say in dhutto’s scouting report on McCullough and what he brings to Cal next season.

What most excites me about McCullough is the roundness of his scoring abilities. He doesn't seem married to any particular shot and looks to be comfortable from both inside and outside the arc. Seeing him abandon his shot from outside the arc to step just inside and reset his feet for a better look is comforting. Although losing Knell was unfortunate, his game was primarily from beyond the arc, whereas McCullough seems to proffer a skillset that includes but is not limited to the outside shot.

Here’s what head coach Wyking Jones has to say about McCullough.

“I am really excited about the addition of Austin McCullough to our family. He’s a wonderful young man that fits the culture that we live by here at Cal,” Jones said. “He approaches academics and athletics with the same passion.”

McCullough was named a Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference Class A honorable mention selection after averaging 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block for the Mustangs this season.

“On the court he is an unbelievable shooter and rugged athlete. He brings toughness and a great feel for the game,” Jones added.

Cal fans, your thoughts on the newest roster additions?