Kevin Dewayne McCullar Jr. (born March 15, 2001) is an American basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Kansas Jayhawks.
| No. 9 – New York Knicks | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 15, 2001 San Antonio, Texas, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Karen Wagner (San Antonio, Texas) |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 2024: 2nd round, 56th overall pick |
| Selected by the Denver Nuggets | |
| Playing career | 2024–present |
| Career history | |
| 2024–present | New York Knicks |
| 2024–present | →Westchester Knicks |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
High school career
editMcCullar played basketball for Karen Wagner High School in San Antonio, Texas. As a sophomore, he helped his team reach the Class 6A state title game. In his junior season, McCullar averaged 16.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, before fracturing his tibia during the playoffs.[1] He opted to graduate early and bypass his senior season.[2] A consensus four-star recruit, he committed to playing college basketball for Texas Tech over offers from Houston, Kansas State and Louisville.[3]
College career
editMcCullar redshirted his first season at Texas Tech to rehabilitate after fracturing his tibia as a junior in high school. Despite his absence, his team reached the national championship game.[4] As a freshman, McCullar averaged six points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game.[5] In his sophomore season, he averaged 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game, earning All-Big 12 honorable mention.[6] On November 12, 2021, he scored a career-high 24 points in an 88–62 win against Grambling State.[7] As a junior, McCullar averaged 10.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. He hit 28 of 90 three pointers for 31.1%.[8]
On April 27, 2022, he entered the transfer portal while also declaring for the 2022 NBA draft and maintaining his college eligibility.[9] On May 19, 2022, McCullar announced he was transferring to Kansas while also remaining in the NBA draft.[10] On June 1, 2022, McCullar removed himself from the NBA Draft and announced he would be playing for the Jayhawks.[11] As a senior, he was named to the Third Team All-Big 12 as well as the All-Defensive Team.[12]
Professional career
editNew York / Westchester Knicks (2024–present)
editOn June 27, 2024, McCullar was selected with the 56th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns, however, immediately on draft night, he was traded to the New York Knicks.[13] On August 5, he signed a two-way contract with the Knicks.[14]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Texas Tech | |||||||||||
| 2019–20 | Texas Tech | 29 | 6 | 18.6 | .512 | .286 | .725 | 3.2 | .7 | 1.2 | .3 | 6.0 |
| 2020–21 | Texas Tech | 20 | 19 | 30.4 | .416 | .283 | .704 | 6.3 | 2.1 | 1.7 | .8 | 10.4 |
| 2021–22 | Texas Tech | 29 | 24 | 29.9 | .402 | .311 | .725 | 4.6 | 3.1 | 1.4 | .2 | 10.1 |
| 2022–23 | Kansas | 34 | 33 | 30.6 | .444 | .296 | .761 | 7.0 | 2.4 | 2.0 | .7 | 10.7 |
| 2023–24 | Kansas | 26 | 26 | 34.2 | .454 | .333 | .805 | 6.0 | 4.1 | 1.5 | .4 | 18.3 |
| Career | 138 | 108 | 28.6 | .441 | .309 | .756 | 5.4 | 2.4 | 1.6 | .5 | 11.0 | |
Personal life
editMcCullar's father, Kevin Sr., played college football for Texas Tech as a linebacker, before playing professionally with the Frankfurt Galaxy and Chicago Enforcers.[15][16]
References
edit- ^ Silva Jr., Carlos (July 5, 2018). "McCullar pledges to play for Texas Tech". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ^ Zuvanich, Adam (May 9, 2018). "Wagner standout McCullar to skip senior season". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ^ Hinojosa, David (July 5, 2018). "Wagner's McCullar commits to Texas Tech". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ^ Strader, Jay (February 19, 2020). "McCullar finds role for Red Raiders". The Daily Toreador. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ^ Mainville, Ryan (October 28, 2020). "McCullar feeling prepared for new season". The Daily Toreador. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ^ Marquez, RJ (July 19, 2021). "Former SA Wagner standout, Texas Tech star Kevin McCullar Jr. using new NIL laws to build brand, give back to community". KSAT-TV. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ^ "Texas Tech overwhelms Grambling in second half, wins 88–62". ESPN. Associated Press. November 12, 2021. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
- ^ Bedore, Gary (June 1, 2022). "Former Texas Tech Red Raider Kevin McCullar exits NBA Draft, will play for KU Jayhawks". Kansas City Star. Kansas City, Missouri. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ Silva Jr., Carlos (April 27, 2022). "Texas Tech basketball player Kevin McCullar enters name into the NCAA transfer portal". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
- ^ Williams, Madison (May 19, 2022). "Texas Tech's Kevin McCullar Announces Decision to Transfer to Kansas". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
- ^ Guskey, Jordan (June 1, 2022). "Kevin McCullar announces he's exiting NBA draft process, returning to college at Kansas". Topeka Capital-Journal. Topeka, Kansas. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ "🏀 Jayhawk Starters Headline 2023 All-Big 12 Honors for Kansas". Kansas Jayhawks. March 5, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Davis, Kyle (June 27, 2024). "Johnny Furphy , Kevin McCullar Taken in Second Round of NBA Draft". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ "New York Knicks Sign Kevin McCullar Jr. to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
- ^ Johnson, Jarret (June 13, 2018). "4-Star Legacy Kevin McCullar Set to Visit Texas Tech". 247Sports. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ^ "Kevin McCullar Stats". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved December 20, 2021.