Rattlers searching for identity as conference play nears

By St. Clair Murraine
Outlook Staff Writer

There is a very good chance that the FAMU men’s basketball team might not win another game before beginning its SWAC portion of the schedule.

That’s considering that the last two non-conference opponents are Kentucky and Purdue, the No. 1 ranked team. Kentucky is also ranked in the top 20.

When that stretch is over, coach Robert McCullum is anticipating that the Rattlers would have found their identity. 

But as real as the likelihood is that FAMU could be 2-9 when the Rattlers starts conference play against Bethune-Cookman that doesn’t bother McCullum. Dec. 31, 2019 when the Rattlers upset Iowa State 70-68 came to mind.

Back-to-back conference games awaited the Rattlers, then a team in the MEAC. They fell to North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T next time out.

This time, FAMU begins conference play at home on Jan. 2 against in-state rival Bethune-Cookman.

  “There is something special with conference play,” McCullum said. “There is nothing like conference play. Never has been; never will be. To a large degree how you played in non-conference doesn’t matter.”

In a way, McCullum seemed confident. Junior forward Jaylen Bates offered a reason why.

“We are going to be in a better situation,” he said. “We are at home shooting on our goals and everything like that. I feel like we have the momentum on our side. We just have to come in and handle business and not tuck our tails.”

McCullum does have a concern, though. He is going into a season with a team that has nine new players. Most of them hadn’t seen each other until six months ago.

The growing pain has been obvious is games, with a few flashes of what could be. One of those times was the last 12 minutes of the Rattlers last non-conference game at home against Edward Waters.

What the Rattlers did to hold off EW is the “standard,” McCullum said. “The energy we want to play with. That’s the goal. That’s what we are aiming for.”

Bates has become the leader on the team, as a consistent top scorers and rebounder.  He had a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds against the Tigers. 

Still, this FAMU team is one in search of its identity.

“Over the course of the season,” Bates said, “I think it has been a process. We are still having our lumps here and there but I feel like everything will kind of smooth out.”

There are encouraging signs like players trying to get in a flow with McCullum’s system. 

“They really want to do what we ask them to do,” he said. “That’s something we feel good about as a staff. A lot of time they are trying to do what we are asking them to do.”

However, without a returning veteran McCullum seemed willing to let the development come as the season goes one.

“You need those old veteran guys around,” he said. “I could give you a thousand reasons. These guys kind of have to learn on their own as they go. I’m confident because they want to get there.

“We will find a way to come back and get ready to swing away against Bethune-Cookman.”