Tre’ McCallum bet on his hoop skills. Now at DePaul, his gamble is paying off

Tre’Darius McCallum only saw his life going in two directions — and among them, one was a nonstarter.

“It was either stay at home and work, or basketball … those were my only two options,” he said. “Basketball had to work for me. I wasn’t ready to settle on being part of the work force just yet.”

His high school career best described as brief and ‘nonexistent,’ the local basketball talent chose to take the road less traveled to make his hoop dreams come true. After all, opportunity is the only thing that would lead one to scarcely populated portions of the country like Sheridan, Wyo., and Ottumwa, Iowa.

It was on this path, however, that McCallum paid his dues. And now, the Myrtle Beach native often pinches himself at the notion fans now pay to watch him play.

Following stints at Sheridan (Wyo.) College and Indian Hills Community College in Iowa, McCallum recently completed his first season at DePaul. During the Blue Demons’ 2016-17 campaign, he played in each of the team’s games, averaging 9.7 points per game and just shy of seven rebounds.

“Being that I didn’t have a high school career, I wouldn’t say it is who I am or made much of a difference,” he said. “It is just the fact I stayed with it. I went to prep school, went to a community college and kept striving and grinding.

“It was all about focus and toughing it out.”

Such qualities go a long way in the rough and tumble Big East, which features powerhouse programs like Villanova, Butler, Xavier and Georgetown. The opportunity to face such storied programs night after night was a key selling point, according to McCallum.

“Every night, you are playing top teams and guys that you may see playing in the pros soon,” the Myrtle Beach native said. “It can only make you better. This level is one of the best … you can’t ask for any better.”

Of the many hostile environments he played before this past season, one in particular sticks out to him.

“Marquette, the Bradley Center … that is a tough place,” McCallum said. “The arena, which Marquette shares (with the Milwaukee Bucks), is always sold out. When they make a basket, the floor tends to shake.

“That is a good feeling, knowing that every night you are going to play in front of 15,000 or 20,000 fans. It makes you feel like you’re on a big stage … and they’re all there to watch you.”

Playing in Chicago isn’t half bad either, the local hoops talent said.

“The city is way different. You have skyscrapers, the waterways, so many people out and about on sidewalks,” McCallum said. “Whereas at home, we mainly have Ocean Boulevard and a strip of hotels.

“It’s really eye-opening, the things you tend to see. Really makes you think about how big the world really is.”

The enormity of it all also proved rather humbling, something which his sister, former Myrtle Beach High and University of South Carolina standout Khadijah Sessions, asked that McCallum place atop his priority list.

“(Sessions) mainly told me it would be hard, and to keep my focus,” he said. “You have to play … people are playing to win championships. Being humble and staying competitive, those were two big things.

“Going into the conference I was, I needed to show people that I belong at the college level.”

While fellow DePaul students spent their spring break lakeside or on their couches, McCallum spent several hours daily at the gym honing his craft.

“I’ve really been working on my handles, getting my dribbling skills better,” he said. “I also want to make smoother cuts. Pretty much, it’s about getting in shape. I want to be able to average those 35 minutes per game next season.”

And maybe — with a little luck — allow the game he loves to work for him.

“There is no telling truly what my ceiling is,” the DePaul forward said. “I’ve seen how great my sister is living because she got her degree. I want that first, but my goal also is to play professionally, whether that be here or overseas.”

This story was originally published April 1, 2017 at 4:42 PM with the headline "Tre’ McCallum bet on his hoop skills. Now at DePaul, his gamble is paying off."