Former Kansas basketball players continue their unexpected scoring surge

The Kansas basketball boasts a number of consistently successful players in recent NBA history. Those include Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins, and Kelly Oubre Jr., all of whom have carved out significant roles over the past decade or more.

But in recent years, head coach Bill Self has produced copious amounts of wings who excel at the next level. There might be a new era of NBA standouts among Jayhawk alumni. Across the early stages of the season, three former Kansas basketball players account for the league’s largest point-per-game increases. One of them might be in the running to contend for the Most Improved Player award:

Kansas basketball players are breaking out in the NBA this season

Gradey Dick, Christian Braun, and Ochai Agbaji have all posted incredible numbers through the season's first 13+ games. Dick has the biggest scoring increase in the league, while the 2022 championship team members are not far behind. It has been an unexpected scoring surge for each of these Jayhawks.

Dick is currently filling in as one of the top options for the Toronto Raptors. While they hold one of the worst records in the NBA, the former 5-star recruit has more than doubled his scoring output from his shaky rookie year. He is averaging 18.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists on 42.1% shooting, hitting 2.4 attempts from 3-point range.

Meanwhile, Braun has transitioned to the starting lineup in Denver, where he won an NBA Finals ring in 2023. Once considered a defensive-oriented glue guy, Braun has surprisingly scored in double figures in each of the 13 games he has played in this year. His average sits at 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.4 steals, all well above his career highs.

Finally, Agbaji plays alongside Dick on the Raptors and has seen his scoring average jump 7.3 points from a season ago. His 13-point-per-game number is the best he has ever had. He is also shooting an efficient 52.4% from the field. All of these three Jayhawks clearly have a bright future in the league.