Kansas’ Success Could Propel Players Towards NBA Draft

Kansas is one of the more prestigious basketball program’s in the country, pulling in top recruits year after year and generating that success into national championships with relative consistency.

The Jayhawks won as recently as 2022, propelling the likes of Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun further up boards.

This season, they’re yet again set to roll out a championship-level squad in one of the best conferences in basketball. A recipe that, thus far, has been successful for them.

In the offseason, they managed to nab Hunter Dickinson via the transfer portal. A 7-footer who was a premier player for the Michigan Wolverines over the last few seasons, Dickinson could very well contend for National Player of the Year.

A traditional-style, interior force, Dickinson isn’t exactly tailor-made for the pros, but could certainly elevate his stock with a deep run in March.

Kevin McCullar Jr. — a 6-foot-6 guard who spent his senior season with the Jayhawks, averaging 10.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals per game — entered the draft process following the 2022-23 season, but ultimately decided to return for his fifth collegiate season.

McCullar offers an interesting professional skillset for teams looking for defensive-minded help at guard, and is another who could certainly benefit from a deep run.

The final piece to Kansas’ puzzle is freshman Elmarko Jackson, a 6-foot-3 guard who may very well be a one-and-done.

A former four-star, Jackson is set to see real run for the Jayhawks at point guard, and could very well be a catalyst for how good they can be this season.

By season’s end, we could be looking at three or more potential Jayhawks in regards to the 2024 NBA Draft.

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