Cullen Neal
PG, 6-4, 186
Freshman, 20 years old
Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
Cell: 505-506-9381
Season (20.3 mpg): 7.6 PPG, 2 RPG, 2 APG
39% FG, 38% three-point (3.5 attempts)
Practice Report: New Mexico Lobos Tuesday, February 4 | The Pit (Albuquerque, NM) Cullen Neal — PG, 6-4, 186 Season (21 mpg): 8 PPG, 2 RPG, 2 APG Notes: Neal has excellent size for a point guard, though this season he’s playing off the ball alongside Kendall Williams and Hugh Greenwood. Offensively, Neal best attributes are his court vision and jump shot. He can pass with either hand, with impeccable timing and the ability to thread the needle in traffic. In practice, he consistently threaded the needle on pick-and-rolls, hitting the rolling screener at the precise moment. Although he’s a freshman, Neal can already create his own shot off the dribble, using a quick release and good elevation to see over the defense. Neal can lead the fast break, but right now he struggles to “run the offense” in the half court. He doesn’t always do the little things at full speed—for example, running full speed to receive a hand off, or re-posting the big man with a sense of urgency. His game is more freestyle than structured right now, preferring to break his man down then make a play. He also needs to tighten up his handle—he keeps the ball too high for too long. He must tighten his handle to maximize his passing skills. Neal is leading New Mexico’s second unit this season. With good size, court vision and deep range, he should be the point guard of the Lobos for the foreseeable future. Under the tutelage of his father, his upside as a 17 point/10 assist point guard is promising. *If the videos do not appear, please “refresh” the webpage once New Mexico 66, Wyoming 61 (OT) February 5, 2014 | The Pit (Albuquerque, NM) Cullen Neal — PG, 6-4, 186 Season (21 mpg): 8 PPG, 2 RPG, 2 APG Game: 5 pts, 4 rbs Cell: 505-506-9381 Outlook: Cullen’s court vision and shooting off the dribble were apparent in the 17 minutes he played. He accurately placed long-range passes, and knocked down a 3-pointer from NBA range. He plays with contagious energy and emotion, and should play an integral role as early as next season. Quite honestly, New Mexico’s offense was more fluid with Cullen on the floor and Kendall Williams on the bench; not a knock against Kendall, but Cullen’s playmaking skills facilitated crisp ball movement and got the bigs involved. Strengths Defects/Areas of Improvement Video 5 points vs. Wyoming 2 assists vs. Wyoming
Freshman, 20 years old
Freshman, 20 years old
2-5 FG, 4 fouls in 17 min
— Size for position (6-4 PG)
— Court vision and passing instincts (can pass with both hands, takes pride in distributing)
— Can shoot off the dribble, with range
— Developing as a floor general (projects to be New Mexico’s point guard for next three years)
— Can play on or off ball
— Skinny frame
— Stays high defensively
— Average athlete (can he finish over bigger players?)
— Keeps dribble high
— Small sample size (can’t make any definitive assertions right now)