Kevin McCullar Jr. will return to Kansas for the 2023-24 season, the program announced Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know:
- McCullar submitted to the NBA Draft and competed in the NBA Combine after the 2022-23 season, but chose to return to Kansas for his final year of eligibility.
- After joining from Texas Tech, he was a redshirt senior in Kansas in 2022-23. He started 33 of 34 games for the Jayhawks last season, averaging 10.7 points, 7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
- McCullar was a two-time Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
McCullar’s effect
Kansas’ roster was almost set. Kansas coach Bill Self just needed another rotation player who could steal a few minutes of play on the frontcourt because his roster was thin up front. Ideally a large wing. Well, McCullar’s return was better than any other option for the Jayhawks. The super senior can play both forward positions and is one of the best defensemen in college basketball. While there are some distance concerns on offense, this is a huge improvement for KU’s defense and for a player Self trusts.
Now for the distance…McCullar is only a 29.8 percent 3-point shooter in his career, and that’s why he’s still in college. He needs to improve to increase his professional portfolio. At least McCullar is dangerous enough that defenses usually respect him rather than totally ignore him, which might be good enough alongside Hunter Dickinson. Ultimately though, it would be nice if he could knock out the threes on the spot because those will be there due to the attention Dickinson requires and the big man’s passing ability. One way McCullar could capitalize on Dickinson’s pass is with his cut. He’s an excellent editor and it’s likely that chemistry will quickly develop between these two highly intelligent players. Both play with an advantage and are capable of thinking through the game. There’s a good chance they’ll actually enjoy being teammates and playing mind games with their opponents. – Moore
What that means for the Jayhawks’ lineup
The versatility of the lineup is a big plus. Self really only has two big men who are definitely rotary players: Dickinson and KJ Adams. Both will likely start. Now Self can vary his minutes, and if one is on the bench, McCullar can play fourth. He saw some time there last season when Jalen Wilson went on the bench and in those minutes, KU outscored their opponents by 12 points per 100 possessions, according to Hooplens.com. KU also now has three elite defenders in Dajuan Harris Jr., McCullar and Adams, and what this lineup badly needs is shooting. This is where Nick Timberlake comes in. Timberlake isn’t considered the best defender, but it’s easier to hide him now that McCullar is down. – Moore
What you say
“How about another year of Jayhawk Nation,” McCullar said. “Being able to play in front of the best fans in the country; To play for the best coach in the country, I truly believe we have what it takes to hang another banner in the phog. rock chalk! Let’s do it!”
“Kevin went through the pre-design process designed to do exactly what he did,” Self said in a statement. “Although he has improved his status as an NBA contender, there is still work to be done and he has informed us that he will be returning to Kansas for his senior year.
“This is a big day for Kansas basketball. We’ve seen a lot of good things through recruitment this offseason, but nothing that’s happened this offseason has been greater for KU basketball than the return of a seasoned veteran like Kevin McCullar to our program.”
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(Photo: Ed Zurga/Getty Images)