2024 NBA Draft: Breaking Down Kevin McCullar’s Improved Offensive Game
The Kansas Jayhawks are one of the top teams in the country and Kevin McCullar Jr. plays a very big factor in this team’s success. With him in his final season of eligibility, we have seen McCullar look like a completely different offensive player than the previous four years in college and the stats have backed it up. Let’s dive into what areas he has improved upon on the offensive end.
Perimeter Shooting
McCullar has become a much more effective all-around shooter this season. This season he’s shooting a career best 3-point percentage at 39.4% on the highest volume he has ever shot from the outside and he’s shooting a career best from the free throw line at 80% on the highest volume he has ever shot at with five attempts per game.
The perimeter shooting improvements are huge as previously he was labeled an inconsistent shooter from the outside and the inconsistent shooting was limiting him from getting the label as a 3-and-D wing but this season he has a legit argument as the best 3-and-D prospect in the entire draft with his impressive shooting improvements. As long as he sustains the shooting percentages, he should see himself in lottery conversations.
Scoring Ability
McCullar is the second highest scorer on this talented Kansas squad as he’s just behind the skilled center Hunter Dickinson. He has vastly improved as an all-around scorer as this season he has been more efficient than any other season in his collegiate career. McCullar is shooting 54.4% from the field on 12.7 shot attempts per game and both of those stats are career bests.
The 6-foot-6 wing is also averaging a career high in points per game and it’s not even close as he averages 19.2 points per game. McCullar has looked more comfortable pulling up off the dribble and finishing at the rim while being much more aggressive hunting his own shot. He’s nearly doubling his scoring average from a year ago which is what a lot of scouts and NBA personnel wanted to see from him in his final year in college basketball.
Secondary Playmaking Chops
In his previous four seasons McCullar showed the ability to make basic reads and was quick at swinging the ball around but this season we have seen his full playmaking arsenal as he’s averaging a career high in assists per game as he’s averaging 5.1 assists per game.
McCullar has shown the ability to serve as an effective secondary playmaker at 6-foot-6 as he has very good court vision, can find the open teammate and is consistently making good decisions with the ball. It seems like McCullar has improved at every single aspect of his game on the offensive end while already being one of the best perimeter defenders eligible for the draft and in all of college basketball.
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