CJ Moore and Big 12 Coaches on Kevin McCullar Jr

Back on May 19 when KMc announced he would play at KANSAS next season if he withdrew from the NBA Draft, CJ Moore of TheAthletic.com wrote a nice article about the RS Sr (2 years eligibility left with SSr year) after talking with a group of Big 12 coaches (unnamed in order to ensure forthright commentary from his sources). Link to full article for subscribers

Here is the gist of that article.

“Wow,” one coach said. “That’s big-time for them.”

“I’d rather him go to Gonzaga,” another Big 12 coach said. “Kansas will have a group of the top five wings. (If) you just want to win college basketball games, he’s a better pickup than Nijel Pack. This is an unbelievable college player.”

“He gives them another big wing that allows them to switch like they’ve been doing and allows him to attack and drive off their penetration, which is a big part of their offense,” a third Big 12 coach said. “And then he brings a similar athleticism to Ochai Agbaji. His shooting is where the question lies.”

McCullar is seen as a solid offensive player and elite defender. ... Big 12 coaches viewed him as one of the best wing defenders in the country.

“When we played (Tech) and he checked in the game, he made a difference,” the first coach said. “He is physically capable of guarding any position, but he’s also smart, so off the ball he really helps the team. He talks them through situations. He solves problems with his voice.”

Offensive(ly)...Bill Self is able once again to start three big wings with a point guard and big man. The reason that worked so well this past year was the three wings all had guard skills, and KU’s pace increased because any of the three could grab a rebound and start the break. McCullar is no different. His rebounding rates are similar to Braun’s. A healthy McCullar might even be closer to Wilson as a defensive rebounder. ...

Braun and Wilson are better attacking the basket in an open floor, but McCullar is a better passer and often created opportunities for his teammates in grab-and-go situations.

McCullar’s passing is arguably his best offensive skill right now. He’s a good anticipatory passer, knowing where teammates are going to be and delivering the ball at the right time. He’s good at making reads in the pick-and-roll, making those passes with accuracy and with some heat behind them. He’s also smart at using his eyes to move the defense, giving himself a bigger window to make the pass.

He almost always makes the right play...

Where Kansas will miss Braun is in his ability to be a threat from deep and then also slash... McCullar’s bucket of finishes is not that diverse, but he does have some burst and isn’t afraid of contact.

(Like Braun, McCullar) knows where to be and when to cut.

The question mark with McCullar is his jumper...

“Does it look good?” a Big 12 coach asked. “Yeah. Does it look better than other people who shoot that percentage? Sure. Can he improve? Yeah. Because he’s a great kid.”

McCullar’s pull-up in the mid-range is probably his best shot.

“If he’s gonna play the two through four for Kansas, he fits perfectly. They’ve been playing 6-5 to 6-8 wings who can dribble and pass and run through their weave and share the ball and take the right shots at the right time and have the ability to attack the rim and get to the free-throw line. And he can do all those things. And playing a little point guard at Texas Tech probably helps that transition be even a little more smooth.”

“He can make an open shot. He can make plays for other people. He is not as athletically talented as Josh Jackson, but he’s a better basketball player. He’s a better version of Josh Jackson. Because of the shooting, it might be a struggle to play him and Wilson together. I’m sure Bill will figure it out, because he always does. But those two together doesn’t give them the same stretching-the-floor, four-around-one look.”

(Defense)... is where McCullar really changes the ceiling for Kansas ...

McCullar will play on the wing for KU, but his experience playing point guard and his passing ability will make it so it’s almost like the Jayhawks are playing two point guards again. Except one of those guys is 6-6 and can guard every player on the floor.

...(at Tech) McCullar would guard all five spots, and he held his own against centers.

On the perimeter, he can slide his feet, and he plays with physicality. He perfectly would execute what Texas Tech coach Mark Adams wanted on the ball in his no-middle defense. As one of the Big 12 coaches put it: “He’s a real 6-6, and he’s long and he’s been putting his chest on people and fouling them without getting called for three years in the league already”...

“I would never say anyone is Marcus Garrett because that’s maybe one of my favorite Big 12 players of all time,” a Big 12 coach said. “But at worst, he has a Marcus Garrett quality that helps them defensively with their switching one through four.”

(Where) Garrett was a menace on the ball -- he could smother you and then had quick hands, so dribbling in his orbit was not wise --
McCullar is at his best off the ball. He has the speed to run through a passing lane or pounce at a loose ball.

But where he’s really good is taking away actions on the second and third side of the floor. Anytime he’s defending on the weak side as the ball nears the paint, he quickly gets to the right spot and takes away the first pass. When he’s responsible for two shooters, zoning up on the weak side, his length and anticipation is disruptive.

How good KU ends up defensively might depend on the abilities of its centers and how quickly freshmen Zuby Ejiofor and Ernest Udeh Jr. can adjust to the speed of the college game. But a defensive backcourt of Harris and McCullar will arguably be the best in college hoops. (Emphasis mine - HE) And those two together can probably help hide Gradey Dick or M.J. Rice if they struggle defensively early on, as freshmen are prone to do.

As one coach pointed out, the Jayhawks consistently have a top-20 defense. “They figure it out,” he said. The Jayhawks have ranked in the top 20 in adjusted defensive efficiency for four straight years and 16 out of Self’s 19 years at KU. The Garrett-Azubuike team in 2019-20 ranked second.

McCullar is coming off a season where he helped Texas Tech rank first in adjusted defense. He could make Kansas elite defensively, and at worst, KU just got an intelligent offensive player who fits well in its scheme but struggles to make outside shots. And he’s old.,,

Kansas’ roster was already looking promising, and it just got older and better.