McCullar going back to Kansas after leaving draft

Jeff Borzello, ESPN Personnel WriterMay 24, 2023, 10:50 AM ET

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• Basketball recruiting insider.
• Signed up with ESPN in 2014.
• Graduate of University of Delaware.Kansas forward Kevin McCullar Jr. has actually withdrawn his name from the NBA draft and will go back to the Jayhawks for his last season, the school revealed on Wednesday, most likely cementing Kansas as the preseason No. 1 in men’s college basketball.McCullar went to the NBA draft combine, but was not a lock to be selected; ESPN had him No. 70 in its draft

  rankings. For Kansas, however, his return gives Expense Self’s team one of the best protectors in the country along with experience and connection.” How about one more year Jayhawk country,” McCullar said.” To be able to play in front

  of the very best fans in the nation; to play for the best coach in the country, I really believe we have the pieces to hang another banner in the Phog. Rock Chalk! Let’s do it!”A 6-foot-6 wing from Texas, McCullar began 33 games last season for Kansas, balancing 10.7 points, 7.0

  rebounds, 2.4 helps and 2.0 takes. It was his very first season in Lawrence after investing the very first 3 seasons of his profession at Big 12 competing Texas Tech. McCullar made third-team All-Big 12 honors last season and was called honorable reference all-league in 2021 and 2022. He’s likewise one of the elite protectors in college basketball, being called a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist each of the past 2 seasons. “This is a wedding day for Kansas basketball,”Self said.”We’ve had a lot of good things happen through recruiting this offseason, but nothing that has transpired this offseason was larger for KU basketball than having a seasoned veteran like Kevin McCullar go back to our program.”With McCullar back in the fold, Kansas has a strong opportunity to be the No. 1 team getting in next season. The Jayhawks rose to No. 2 in ESPN’s

  Way-Too-Early Top 25 after the addition of Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson, the very best player in the website, but McCullar puts them over the top. He signs up with Dajuan Harris and K.J. Adams as returning starters from last season’s Big 12 champions, while Dickinson, Arterio Morris (Texas)and Nicolas Timberlake (Towson)need to all be impact transfers. Kansas also adds a top-15 recruiting class, led by No. 25 general recruit Elmarko Jackson.