THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Playing together, years later — and years apart

In 2016, when Max McCullough was wrapping up a splendid career with the Post Falls High boys basketball team, Caden McLean was wrapping up the seventh grade at River City Middle School.

Little did they know that, six seasons later, they would be teammates.

But with McCullough returning for a sixth season at NAIA Eastern Oregon University, and McLean, a recent Post Falls High grad who will be an incoming freshman at the La Grande, Ore., school, that will indeed happen in 2021-22.

"I think it was icing on the cake … I think I would have went there anyway," McLean said. "When they were recruiting me, he told me that he was probably going to (play another year)."

McCullough played two seasons at EOU, then redshirted in 2018-19 following ankle surgery. He played the next two seasons, including the 2021 spring season, and is taking advantage of an additional season of eligibility offered to those who played during the pandemic-affected 2020-21 school year.

"I’m really excited," McLean said. "It’s going to be different, because he always played with my older brother (Blake), and I grew up watching him play."

WHEN EASTERN Oregon traveled to Coeur d'Alene for a pair of preseason practice games vs. North Idaho College, Chris Kemp, then the Mountaineers' assistant coach, chatted with Post Falls boys basketball coach Mike McLean, Caden's dad and an Eastern Oregon University alum.

"Mike told me the biggest reasons Caden wants to come is because of me and because of Max, because Max had given him the rundown on what Eastern was like," said Kemp, who was named head coach recently after the previous head coach was let go by the school.

"And all of a sudden they had this opportunity to play together, which in their life had never been a plan, because Max had always been older. But then Max had this opportunity for this extra year, I think that was kind of exciting for Caden too."

"I've known him since he was 4 years old," McCullough said of Caden. I played with Blake since probably fourth grade. Having him come (to EOU) is just crazy to me, thinking that we’re going to be on the same court together. ... I’ve seen him play a few times and he can hoop for sure. I’m excited to play with him."

Max and Caden have worked out together a few times on the basketball court, but have never played in a game together — not even a pickup game.

"He’s worked with me a lot on finishing, inside stuff, ballhandling, point guard stuff," said Caden, who noted McCullough's biggest impact on him has been "probably shooting off the dribble. We worked a lot on that, because I was not very good at that, and then he showed me a couple of drills, and I’ve been working on them and I’ve gotten a lot better."

"He’s a shooter, and I’m a shooter, so we shoot a lot. And I try to show him that I’m a better shooter," McCullough said with a laugh. "But also, ballhandling, and getting to the rim."

Are you still a better shooter?

"Oh yeah," Max said. "He won’t tell you, but I believe so. But he can stroke it, man. He’ll get me, here and there."

Asked who's the better shooter, Caden is a little more diplomatic, perhaps showing respect to his elder.

"Hmmm, I don’t know. We have done some shooting competitions before, but … I don’t know … it’s close," Caden said.

WHATEVER, KEMP is looking forward to seeing them on the court together next season — McCullough, the leading scorer in Eastern Oregon history, and McLean, Post Falls' top scorer and a 3-point marksman.

Both were shooting guards, but are capable of playing point guard, a position Max has mostly played at EOU.

"I’m super excited about Caden," Kemp said. "When I got the head coaching job it was really a great fit for us, because I had been the one recruiting Caden from the beginning. I have high hopes that Caden can replace some of what Max is. A lot of what Max did his freshman year was just spot up and shoot … and I think Caden can really fill that role well for his freshman year. And then I envision Caden, with his basketball IQ, and what he comes from at Post Falls, being able to transition to more of an all-around scorer as he gets older.

"I’m not sure we’re going to put the ball in his hands a ton to create his own shot this year, but I have hopes we can get him there in the future."

Both are used to being the focus of defenses — McCullough for most of his career at Eastern Oregon, McLean for his senior year at Post Falls.

"I think we’re going to work pretty good together," Caden said, "because he has been the best player in that league for a couple of years now, and with me coming in, hopefully he doesn’t have to bring the ball up every time, and I can do that for him so he has a chance to come off more screens and get more open shots."

McCullough said getting to the rim and expanding his game will be key to McLean's evolving as a player.

"He’s a great shooter, and at this level he’s going to need a little more than being a great shooter. He’s going to need to get to the rim a lot," McCullough said. "I’m hoping he can get up here (to La Grande) a little bit this summer and play with our dudes and see what he needs to do."

McCullough said the chance to finally play with Caden was "a reason, of many, why I wanted to be here next year."

And if Caden fits in well at Eastern Oregon, with Max and after Max?

"I have hopes to open up more of a pipeline to North Idaho," said Kemp, who was an assistant at NIC in the 2016-17 season. "I think there’s really good basketball up there, and I think Eastern could be a great fit for many of the kids in that area."

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @CdAPressSports.