Kansas basketball: Predicting Jayhawks starting 5 and key bench players

Kansas basketball: Predicting the Jayhawks starting 5 and key bench players

DES MOINES, IOWA - MARCH 18: Dajuan Harris Jr. #3 of the Kansas Jayhawks dribbles the ball against Davonte Davis #4 of the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 18, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

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DES MOINES, IOWA – MARCH 18: Kevin McCullar Jr. #15 of the Kansas Jayhawks shoots the ball against Makhi Mitchell #15 of the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 18, 2023 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Small Forward: Kevin McCullar

After transferring from Texas Tech, McCullar chose a fellow Big 12 school as his destination. He did just about everything for Bill Self’s squad a year ago, averaging career highs of 10.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game to establish himself as a premier wing in college basketball.

Arguably the most ferocious on-ball defender in the conference, McCullar is someone whom head coaches love. He makes the winning plays like diving for loose balls or drawing charges, little things that don’t show up on the stat sheet. The Jayhawks were lucky enough to have him back for a senior season, and he’ll look to build on last year’s performance.

McCullar has struggled with injuries in the past, missing 21 games across his four seasons of collegiate ball. Kansas is not the deepest team, so it is vital that he stays healthy. If he does, he will perhaps be the most important piece to the national champion favorites.

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