Kansas basketball gets transfer commitment from Texas Tech’s Kevin McCullar
Kevin McCullar is already a familiar face around the Big 12, and he’s now the newest Kansas Jayhawk, announcing on Twitter Thursday that if he continues to play college basketball, it will be for coach Bill Self and the reigning national champions.
“If” could be the key word, because McCullar has entered the NBA draft process. He was invite to this year’s NBA G-League combine, but didn’t get called up to the main NBA draft combine (current Jayhawk Jalen Wilson did get invited to both).
McCullar was an All-Big 12 honorable mention this year, averaging 10.1 points per game while shooting 40% from the floor and 31% from three-point range. He scored effectively in the 2022 NCAA tournament, averaging 13.7 points per game in three tournament contests, and his career high came on Nov. 12 against Grambling, when he poured in 24 points.
As for his NBA draft prospects, Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.com tweeted recently that McCullar had worked out with the New York Knicks, as well as the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics. Following the transfer announcement, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic wrote that McCullar is generating interest from contending NBA teams.
In terms of what McCullar will provide for the Jayhawks this season, Vecenie described him as a long, physical defender, going on to say “There may not be a better perimeter defender returning to college hoops,” although he added that McCullar’s offense is a work in progress.
Kansas currently has two scholarships in limbo, with both Wilson and Christian Braun testing the NBA draft waters at this week’s combine (Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack, while technically still having one year of eligibility due to Covid-19 rules, have declared decisively that they are leaving school). Braun is expected to leave while Wilson’s status is more in question. Should Wilson and McCullar both sign up for the Jayhawks in 2022-23, that will fill out their scholarship limit.
