NBA Mock Draft has two Kansas Jayhawks basketball players going late in first round

The Kansas basketball program has produced several NBA players in recent years. Gradey Dick and Ochai Agbaji were taken in the lottery in the past two drafts, and the Jayhawks could still have some success even if the two draft prospects are not as highly touted.

Super-senior guard Kevin McCullar and freshman wing Johnny Furphy were the two NBA hopefuls on the roster. In a recent mock draft by On3's James Fletcher III, both former KU standouts are selected toward the latter stages of the first round. McCullar goes 23rd overall to the Milwaukee Bucks, while Furphy goes 27th overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Recent mock draft has two former Jayhawks selected within five picks of each other

Fletcher's mock draft, like many others, has the duo very close to one another in terms of draft selection. This is a recurring theme in mocks — some drafts even have the Jayhawks selected in back-to-back picks. Barring a poor performance at the NBA Draft Combine, neither of them should go later than the early parts of the second round. 

McCullar broke out offensively this past season, averaging a Big 12-leading 18.3 points per game to go with 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.5 assists on 45.4%/33.3%/80.5% shooting splits. He had previously spent three campaigns at Texas Tech before transferring to the Jayhawks and expanding his game across two years in Lawrence.

Furphy was one of the hottest young prospects in the country in the second half of the season, averaging 11.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.5 3-pointers made after being inserted into the starting lineup in January. He is a 6-foot-9 wing with length, a sweet shooting stroke, and the perfect physical tools to become the prototypical 3-and-D NBA wing.

There are many factors that could turn pro scouts away from these two. McCullar sat out the Big 12 and NCAA Tournament after dealing with a knee injury for over two months, something that teams will certainly look into. Meanwhile, Furphy had been approaching the lottery in some mocks before a late-season slump hurt his draft stock.

The Melbourne native will almost definitely wind up as a one-and-done. He still has the option to return to Kansas, but recent transfer portal moves suggest the coaching staff is moving on. While neither McCullar nor Furphy are expected to bud into star players, they both can transform into tremendous role players if they are given time.