Kansas Jayhawks Number Rankings: Fifteen

Let's see how Kevin McCullar stacks up against the best KU players to ever wear number 15

A few weeks ago, we started a new series ranking current KU players against other KU stars who have worn the same number. We’ve already seen how Jalen Wilson, Dajuan Harris, and Gradey Dick have fared, and if you haven’t already, click the links to read.

Today, we rate transfer Kevin McCullar and see how his one year wearing number 15 compared against others who have worn the same number.

The idea behind these lists is as follows: I’ll list the recent guys (from the Larry Brown era onwards) who wore the same number, give a few blurbs about each player, and ultimately find a place where the current Jayhawk ranks, and I’ll try to keep recency bias out of it, so these rankings should be as unbiased as possible.

Contents

1. Other recent number fifteens:
2. How does Kevin McCullar stack up?
3. Final Rankings:

Other recent number fifteens:

Bryant Nash. Four seasons, 2000-2004.

Supposedly, Bryant Nash was always one of the top athletes on the team, but it never translated to playing time or production.

JR Giddens. Two seasons, 2003-2005.

JR had two pretty good seasons at KU before the Moon Bar incident and an imminent transfer. In his only two seasons on Mount Oread, Giddens scored 10.7 PPG and 3.7 boards per contest.

Mario Chalmers. Three seasons, 2005-2008.

Responsible for the single most iconic moment in Kansas basketball history, no one will ever question Mario Chalmers’ spot on this list. The Anchorage, Alaska shooting guard averaged 12.2 points and 3.8 assists per game as a Jayhawk. The 2008 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player is the undisputed king of the 15s.

Elijah Johnson. Four seasons, 2009-2013.

Although his first two seasons weren’t statistically amazing, they laid the foundation for his stellar junior and senior campaigns. In those final two seasons, he averaged 10 points and four assists per game and helped lead KU to the national title game in 2012.

Tyshawn Taylor wore number 15 in his freshman season, but then switched to number ten for the rest of his KU career. He was evaluated in the first installment of this series.

Christian Garrett. Four seasons, 2011-2015.

Played a total of 67 minutes in a KU uniform over four years.

Carlton Bragg. Two Seasons, 2015-2017.

Carlton Bragg’s Kansas career was cut short because of problems with the law. His battery case was ultimately dismissed, and his drug paraphernalia charge garnered him another team suspension before he ultimately left to play for New Mexico. He averaged 4.4 PPG and 3.2 RPG for KU.

How does Kevin McCullar stack up?

Like Gradey Dick, McCullar only had one season to make an impression (unless he magically returns for a super senior season). His intensity on defense, especially in the game against Texas Tech where he basically won the game for KU will be fondly remembered. Kevin brought intangibles to the table every time he stepped on the court, making those around him better. This usually describes a role player, but McCullar was far from it. In his lone season as a Jayhawk, he averaged 10.7 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and 2.4 assists per game.

Final Rankings:

This was easily the most straightforward final rankings that we've had yet. These sort themselves.

1. Mario Chalmers
2. Elijah Johnson
3. JR Giddens
4. Kevin McCullar
5. Carlton Bragg
6. Bryant Nash
7. Christian Garrett

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