Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
2001 | 6’7 | 6’9 WS | 212 LBS Team: Kansas Best aggregate mock draft rank: 7 / Worst rank: 35 2023-24 stats: In 2023-24, McCullar Jr. averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.4 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. He shot 45.4 percent from the …
2001 | 6’7 | 6’9 WS | 212 LBS
Team: Kansas
Best aggregate mock draft rank: 7 / Worst rank: 35
2023-24 stats:
In 2023-24, McCullar Jr. averaged 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 0.4 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. He shot 45.4 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three, and 80.5 percent from the foul line.
Rookie Wire took a look at the 2024 NBA draft class and where the top prospects stand as of Feb. 1.
The top NBA draft prospects worldwide have collectively reached the second halves of their respective seasons as they look to showcase themselves in front of scouts and executives.
The class this year has seen several players help their stock, while others have struggled and fallen down draft boards. Some players have also dealt with recent injuries and other factors that have prevented them from reaching their potential.
The draft is widely considered open at the top of the board, with several prospects in the conversation to be the first selection. Unlike last year, when Victor Wembanyama was the consensus No. 1 pick, there is no clear-cut choice this year.
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Prospects will continue to see their standing fluctuate over the remaining two-plus months of action on the court as scouts have more time to evaluate them. The sheer unknown atop the draft board should create plenty of storylines to follow over the remainder of the season.
The NBA announced on Wednesday that the draft will be expanded to a two-night format, with the first round set to take place on June 26 at the Barclays Center. The second round will be at ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in New York the following night.
Rookie Wire looked at the class and where the top prospects stand at this point of the season. The order was determined by the reverse order of the NBA standings as of Feb. 1.
Note: Player fit wasn’t necessarily taken into account with each pick. Pick protections and other notes courtesy of Tankathon.
This was INTENSE.
Tensions were high between No. 4 Marquette head coach Shaka Smart and No. 1 Kansas head coach Bill Self during the 2023 Maui Invitational Semifinals.
During the first half, Kansas senior Kevin McCullar hit a 3-point shot and, as the two teams went into a break for a media timeout, it wasn’t long before both benches cleared.
While it wasn’t initially clear what caused the skirmish, the two teams were eventually separated and both of the coaches were issued off-setting technical fouls. NCAA referee Roger Ayers then huddled with Self and Smart in an effort to de-escalate the conflict.
But the two sides remained heated and ESPN clearly captured Self saying the word “unbelievable” after the interaction.
After the game, which Marquette won 73-59, Smart offered his take on what happened during his exchange with McCullar (via KansasCity.com):
“He played at Texas Tech and he always has brought an edge that is different. He’s always enjoyed having a dialogue with me. He probably does that with all coaches. That kind of started the little dust-up. Their bench got involved. Our bench got involved. At the end of the day it really had very little to do with the game.”
Self, meanwhile, didn’t want to talk about the incident after the game but he told reporters that he doubted Smart provided an accurate summary.
For what it is worth: The two coaches and their teams have not seen eye-to-eye for more than a decade. Back in 2011, VCU (then coached by Smart) faced Kansas in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. Before the game, Marcus and Markieff Morris had an altercation with VCU in the tunnel.
Smart was later hired by Texas, and for many years, he and Self battled for recruits and conference titles in the Big 12. Three of Smart’s highest-ranked wins have come against Self and Kansas, per ESPN.
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After testing the pre-draft process, McCullar will return to Kansas for one more season.
Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. will withdraw from the 2023 NBA draft and return to school for one more season, the program announced on Wednesday.
McCullar was among the prospects invited to the combine last week in Chicago, Illinois. He opted to skip the on-court testing, such as the shuttle run and vertical jump, but participated in 5-on-5 scrimmages. He averaged three points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals in two games.
The decision to return to college for a fifth season was expected. The 22-year-old was viewed as a borderline second-round pick. Many believed, including Jayhawks head coach Bill Self, that McCullar could help his draft stock by returning for another year.
Back for everything…😤📈
Rock Chalk, @Kevin_McCullar pic.twitter.com/7WnS2eVirT
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) May 24, 2023
McCullar was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive team this past season after averaging 10.7 points, seven rebounds, 2.4 assists and two steals in 34 games. He was second in the conference in steals and 11th in the country in defensive box plus-minus (plus-5.3).
The 6-foot-6 McCullar joined Kansas prior to last season after three years at Texas Tech. He has the opportunity to return because of the extra year student-athletes received due to the coronavirus pandemic, which would be his sixth year after redshirting the 2018-19 season.
With McCullar back in the fold, the Jayhawks figure to be highly ranked entering next season. They will likely be the favorites to win the Big 12 once again after retaining McCullar and adding Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson.
He had until May 31 to withdraw from the draft and return to school.
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Rookie Wire took a look at those prospects that have earned invitations to compete in the NBA draft combine and G League Elite Camp.
The NBA pre-draft process is in full swing as prospects work toward achieving the ultimate goal of hearing their names called by Commissioner Adam Silver on June 22.
Reports are beginning to surface of prospects receiving invitations to compete in the draft combine on May 15-21 in Chicago, Illinois. Each year, teams submit a list of players they would like to see invited, typically those with the highest odds of getting drafted.
The event features 5-on-5 games, strength and agility testing, shooting drills, measurements and other related on-court exercises. Prospects have the opportunity to improve their draft stock in a competitive environment against their peers.
Last year, 76 players were announced as participants in the event.
Mountain West Player of the Year @omari_moore13 has been invited to compete in the NBA draft combine next month.
I chatted with him this week about his college career, the pre-draft process, training with @MikeMiller_13 and more on @RookieWire ⤵️https://t.co/pLUXy1KQfI
— Cody Taylor (@CodyTaylorNBA) April 29, 2023
The G League Elite Camp will take place in Chicago on May 13-14 with players competing in front of NBA and G League scouts, coaches and front-office executives. The top performers will also be invited to perform in the draft combine.
The official list of participants for both events has yet to be unveiled.
Those underclassmen that filed as early entry candidates will also have the chance to interview with teams and gain feedback on their draft positioning. The information will be helpful in forming their decisions on staying in the draft or returning to school before the May 31 deadline.
Rookie Wire took a look at those prospects that have reportedly earned invitations to compete in the combine and G League Elite Camp. The list will be updated as more names emerge.
Last Update: May 14, 11:15 p.m. EDT
McCullar was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive team after averaging 10.7 points, seven rebounds, 2.4 assists and two steals.
Kansas men’s basketball head coach Bill Self on Wednesday said senior Kevin McCullar Jr. will test the NBA pre-draft process following his first season with the program.
McCullar was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive team after averaging 10.7 points, seven rebounds, 2.4 assists and two steals in 34 games. He was second in the conference in steals and 11th in the country in defensive box plus-minus (plus-5.3).
He was also honored on the All-Big 12 third team.
The 6-foot-6 guard tested the pre-draft process last year and ultimately opted to return to school. He is considered a potential second-round pick this year but could decide to come back for a fifth season and improve his draft stock.
Self believes one more year would help him in the long run.
I think there is no question Kevin McCullar could help himself by staying. I think, in his mind, he was a five-year guy. For him to come back, it makes it his sixth year. I’ve talked with Kev and he knows. I’ve talked to his mother and father and they know. I’ve talked to people close in his camp, they know. Kevin will make the decision when the time is right but he’s certainly going to go through the process and see what they say.
McCullar joined Kansas prior to the start of last season after three years at Texas Tech. He has the opportunity to return because of the extra year student-athletes received because of the coronavirus pandemic, which would be his sixth year after redshirting the 2018-19 season.
The program is approaching its upcoming recruiting process like McCullar will leave but that decision hasn’t been made yet. McCullar will seemingly have plenty of options to consider and will likely take all of the time needed to arrive at his decision.
He will have until May 31 to withdraw from the draft and return to school.
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With the early entry period now over, Rookie Wire took a look at the top returning players to college basketball next season.
The early entry withdrawal deadline passed on Wednesday, and several of the top prospects opted against staying in the NBA draft and returned to their respective schools.
The pre-draft process serves as a tremendous opportunity for underclassmen to get their foot in the door with teams and gain valuable feedback on how they can improve their games. Several players in recent memory have used the process to their advantage and come back the following year even better.
Teams now know which underclassmen will stay in the draft and who will play at least one more season in college. The deadline this year offered some drama. Several individuals took the decision all the way up until the final hour on Wednesday. The decision is certainly an important one and prospects used all of their allotted time to best serve their situation.
With the early entry period now over, Rookie Wire took a look at the top returning players to college basketball for next season who had declared for the draft and tested the pre-draft process.
Note: Those players that did not declare for the draft, such as Armando Bacot or Oscar Tshiebwe, were not included on this list. Players were ordered based on their pre-draft stock.
