Kansas basketball: Breakout season for Kevin McCullar earning him NBA attention

Kansas basketball wing Kevin McCullar has evolved his offensive game to a different level this year and is already garnering first-round interest in the upcoming NBA Draft.

There was a point in the Kansas basketball offseason that fans had written off a return from Kevin McCullar. The Jayhawks had been looking at the transfer portal and top-10 recruit Mackenzie Mgbako to fill their supposed void at the wing.

However, most mock drafts had him going as a late-round selection or even undrafted. Because of this, the 6-foot-6 guard listened to advice from professional scouts and decided to take advantage of his final year of eligibility. Playing another year under Hall of Fame coach Bill Self turned out to be the best decision of his basketball career.

Through eight games this year, the Texas Tech transfer has averaged 18.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.1 steals on 52.5% shooting. What is even more fascinating is that McCullar is taking one more 3-pointer per game and shooting it nearly 6% higher from beyond the arc (35.5%) than he did in the 2022-23 season.

In past seasons, McCullar was viewed as a glue guy and defensive staple in lineups who didn’t have much to offer offensively. Now, in addition to his elite defense that might have taken him to the next level on its own, Kevin has established himself as one of the best scorers in the Big 12. He became the first Jayhawk in school history to post consecutive triple-doubles two weeks ago.

It has been a long journey for the fifth-year senior, but Coach Self has finally unlocked the new and improved version of McCullar — something he has done with fellow Kansas basketball wings Ochai Agbaji and Jalen Wilson.

Like the two aforementioned players, McCullar’s name is being thrown around in NBA conversations. As our New York Knicks FanSided affiliate points out in this Bleacher Report article, McCullar is projected to be drafted 17th. That means he’d be going from the Mecca of College Basketball to the Mecca of NBA Basketball.

Considering the general consensus was that he wouldn’t be drafted earlier this year, it is incredible to see the jump he has made just one month through the season. If Kevin McCullar continues to elevate his offensive skill set, he could hear his name called near the lottery in the upcoming NBA Draft.