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The FAMU men's basketball team suffered a 21-point, 91-70, season ending defeat to in-state rival Bethune-Cookman Wildcats on the road Saturday.
The Rattlers finished the season with a disappointing 7-22 (5-13 SWAC) record, its worst record in six years, 11th in the conference. FAMU failed to qualify for the SWAC tournament this year.
The Rattlers have struggled offensively managing 58.8 points per game, dead last in the SWAC. On the flip side, the Rattlers had the fourth best defense in the SWAC holding its opponents to 70.3 points per game.
FAMU Coach Robert McCullum, the 2021 MEAC Coach of the Year, did not become a bad basketball coach overnight. He is a decent recruiter. His staff is working extremely hard.
However, his relationship with this year’s team never seemed to gel. He didn’t seem to know his talent and couldn’t seem to manage to put the right combination on the floor, consistently. Late in the season the Rattlers were still mistake prone committing 22 turnovers in their next to last game home game against Grambling.
Judging from McCullum’s body language and his interaction with the team, they weren’t one. Even late into the season they were still trying to find themselves when they should have been concentrating on their scouting report and winning games.
Lady Rattlers fall
FAMU women lost in similar fashion, losing 80-69 to Bethune-Cookman and finishing the season with a 6-23 record, (4-14 SWAC). The loss was the Rattler’s 48th under in two full season under coach Shalon Pillow who has managed to on win only nine games.
The Lady Rattlers have not managed to put together back-to-back wins in five seasons.
Both Pillow and McCullum are likely both incredible human beings. But both know that when you come to FAMU there is a passionate fanbase which comes along with scrutiny and criticism. They understand that and embrace that. McCullum to his credit is probably working harder than he has ever had to work to build a program. Unfortunately, that isn't enough and this isn't the first time he has experienced a lack of success. In four seasons as head coach at South Florida his teams went 40-76. In three seasons at Western Michigan he went 44-45. In six seasons at FAMU McCullum has compiled a 61-110 record.