Kansas basketball won the NCAA championship in 2022 and had a very successful 2023 season.
The Jayhawks had the most Quadrant I wins of any team (16) and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Unfortunately for them, coach Bill Self could not be with the team due to a procedure to treat blocked arteries in his heart. Kansas basketball lost in the second round of the tournament to No. 8 Arkansas.
The Jayhawks had three players from that team declare for the NBA Draft: forward Jalen Wilson, guard Gradey Dick and guard Kevin McCullar Jr.
Wednesday, it was announced McCullar Jr. opted to return to Kansas basketball for his final season of eligibility. Per CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein:
Kevin McCullar is withdrawing from the 2023 NBA Draft and returning to Kansas next season, per release.
Significant Big 12 News.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 24, 2023
Last season, McCullar Jr. averaged 10.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.0 steals.
McCullar Jr. was named to the All-Big-12 third-team and All-Big-12 defensive team. He was a Naismith Defensive Player of the Year semifinalist for the second straight season.
His return is big for the Jayhawks, who have the best odds to win next year's national championship by FanDuel.
Kansas basketball has the No. 7 recruiting class nationally, led by five-star point guard Elmarko Jackson. The Jayhawks also have three four-star recruits: combo guard Chris Johnson, forward Marcus Adams Jr. and shooting guard Jamari McDowell.
The Jayhawks also scored center Hunter Dickinson, who previously was at Michigan, in the transfer portal.
Kansas basketball is looking to continue an incredibly dominant run under Self. The Jayhawks have won all but one Big 12 regular-season championship since 2005.
The team has won two national championships in that span and advanced to the Final Four two other times.
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