Kevin McCullar’s Improved Shooting Helping to Raise NBA Draft Stock
Now a fifth-year senior who has tested the NBA Draft waters a few times before, many wondered if Kansas guard Kevin McCullar was already a finished product.
But a shooting resurgence and improved numbers across the board through No. 2 Kansas’ 12 games this season have put those notions to rest already.
A 6-foot-6 guard, McCullar has always had NBA-type attributes to offer, including a solid frame and exceptionally stingy defense. But there were plenty of questions surrounding his offensive prowess, and more specifically his shooting.
Miraculously, McCullar’s shooting has not only improved percentage-wise, he’s done it on significantly more attempts. From last season to this season, he improved from 30% on 2.9 attempts per game to a blistering 41% on 4.1 attempts.
Overall, he improved his field goal percentage from 44% last season to 51% through 12 games so far.
Aside from the improved scoring, his general production continues to speak for itself: 6.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.
While he likely won’t be used much as a secondary playmaker in the pros, McCullar’s drastically improved playmaking (2.4 assists to 4.8 this season) and a near-2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (4.8-to-2.6) help to boost his stock too.
All this and more have helped McCullar climb from a preseason fringe-first rounder to a likely mid-first or even a late-lottery pick.
For now, McCullar is focused on helping the second-ranked Jayhawks to another deep playoff run. But in a few short months, he’ll enter the draft process for the final time, seeing it through this time by hearing his name called on draft night 2024.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.