Kansas basketball: Predicting the 2020-2021 starting five

David McCormack, Junior

No longer playing second fiddle to All-American Udoka Azubuike, David McCormack will get his shot to start next season and be Kansas basketball’s go-to big man. McCormack has already started multiple games for the Jayhawks both as a sophomore and freshman though, so he should be ready to go.

Here are some of McCormack’s stats from the previous season:

• 6.9 points per game
• 4.1 rebounds per game
• 81 percent free throw shooter

Despite McCormack’s somewhat underwhelming stats, he proved he could play last season. In an early-season game against UMKC, McCormack put up 28 points and seven rebounds despite only playing 17 minutes the whole game. Sure, it was against UMKC, but McCormack has put up solid numbers in games where he gets time to do it.

In stark contrast to Udoka Azubuike, McCormack is also solid from the free throw line, knocking down over 80 percent of his foul shots last season. While Azubuike was great, having a big man that isn’t a liability at the free throw line will be nice, especially late in games.

Kansas basketball is set for another special year next season. This team is returning a lot of talent and reloading with some talented recruits too. Look for the Jayhawks to defend their Big 12 title against a tough field of competition, especially Baylor and West Virginia.