Kevin McCullar Jr. announces return to Jayhawks for final season of eligibility

 McCullar, who transferred to Kansas via Texas Tech last offseason, averaged 10.7 points (on 44.4% from the field), seven rebounds, 2.4 assists and two steals per contest in 2022-23. The 6-foot-6 forward served as a crucial cog in head coach Bill Self’s motion offense and man-to-man defense, being named as the captain of the 2023 All-Glue Team by The Athletic’s Seth Davis. 

“To be able to play in front of the best fans in the country; to play for the best coach in the nation, I truly believe we have the pieces to hang another banner in the Phog,” McCullar said.

It is difficult to argue with his assessment. Coming off yet another Big 12 regular-season title and a No. 1 seed, expectations will be sky-high yet again in Allen Fieldhouse. Starting point guard DaJuan Harris and starting forward KJ Adams Jr. return, while Michigan transfer big Hunter Dickinson — a two-time first-team All-Big Ten honoree — announced last month he was joining the Jayhawks. Plus, Self signed the sixth-rated recruiting class, per 247 Sports, a haul that features five-star point guard Elmarko Jackson and four-star combo guard Chris Johnson. 

It all adds up to Kansas being one of the five or so programs with the best shot at cutting down the nets in Phoenix next April. Obviously, it is only May, but with the returning and arriving talent, and Self’s return to the sidelines after missing the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments due to health concerns, Kansas has earned its place near the top of the odds sheet for the 2024 title. 

As of last week, the Jayhawks were second in ESPN’s way-too-early top 25, behind only Duke. Whether McCullar returning slides Kansas into that top spot remains to be seen, but that is not the focus within the program currently. The focus is that the Jayhawks are bringing back one of their most essential pieces from a season ago. 

"We've had a lot of good things happen through recruiting this offseason, but nothing that has transpired this offseason was bigger for KU basketball than having a seasoned veteran like Kevin McCullar return to our program,” Self said via a program release.