Second Round Sleeper: Kevin McCullar Jr

Should the Hornets buy low if Kansas' top scorer falls to 42?

Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

This is the third part of the Secon Round Sleeper series. If you’re interested in learning more about another possible draftees, you can read part one and two. Now, let’s focus on Kevin McCullar Jr, who began his collegiate career at Texas Tech in 2019, before transferring to Kansas in 2022.

After being on the brink of a draft entry for the last two seasons, this year will finally insert the Jayhawks standout into the NBA landscape. And even though he followed up a Third-Team All-Big 12 selection in 2023 with a First-Team All-Big 12 selection in 2024, the do-it-all wing is widely mocked in the second round. Why is that, and could the Hornets land a steal by snatching him at 42?

Kevin McCullar Jr – Age 23.27 – SG/SF – Kansas - Height 6'6.5'' - Wingspan 6'9 - Weight 206 lbs

Strengths

McCullar’s biggest appeal is the package he brings to the defensive end of the court. He is tall, switchable, and was part of the Big 12 All-Defensive Team in 2023. He is a high energy defender with great instincts which make him highly disruptive defending both guards and wings.

His constant off-ball movement makes him somewhat of a catch-and-shoot threat and is part of why he is such a good cutter. Another important factor is the vision he has for the game itself, which shows as much in his slashing as it does in his playmaking. The result were 1.62 Assists per Turnover and some flashy lobs to teammate KJ Adams Jr.

KJ Adams with the HALF COURT ALLEY OOP 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/Z41j10S1ST

— SLAM University (@slam_university) November 15, 2023

Weaknesses

Remember when I mentioned energy as a strength? Well, it also makes an appearance in this category. His fieriness sometimes leads to him forcing wild finishes at the rim and over-helping on defense. For McCullar to become a good role player, he has to minimize these lapses and continute to play to his strengths.

Scoring-wise McCullar has two major limitations. For one, he could not create his own shot at all, scoring only 0.49 points per possession as a pick-and-roll ball handler. That wouldn’t be as much of a problem if his three-pointer could make up for it. Currently, It cannot. To his credit, McCullar did improve his percentage from downtown to 33.3% last year, setting a new career-high in college and even shooting 43% from the left corner. But overall, his unorthodox mechanics and inability to stretch the floor has been McCullar's Achilles heel.

Finally, there are some injury concerns to be had. After redshirting his first college year to rehab a fractured tibia. This year, McCullar missed the second half of the season with what was originally listed as a bone bruise, but ended up requiring knee scope surgery.

Fit With the Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets are in need of a defensive-minded backcourt presence. Kevin McCullar Jr has the tools to be just that if he makes a few strides off-ball and can overcome his injury issues. Offensively he would be asked to do less which would help mitigate some of his shortcomings. If he can develop his three-pointer to the point where it is a somewhat consistent threat, he could be a Cody Martin type steal in the second round.