2024 NBA Draft: Ranking Kansas' draft prospects entering March Madness

The No. 4 seed Kansas Jayhawks will battle No. 13 Samford in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, an increasingly hot upset pick as the Jayhawks deal with the fallout of recent injury news.

Senior Kevin McCullar Jr., the team's leading scorer at 18.3 points per game, has been ruled out for the entire tournament due to knee pain. That leaves Kansas in a tough spot offensively — not to mention McCullar's value on defense and as a leader.

Still, it would be foolish to count out Bill Self, a great coach leading a storied program. The Jayhawks have enough talent to rally the troops and mount a run. How long that run lasts is completely self-determined. March Madness is single elimination, do or die. We will get to see how well the Jayhawks handle adversity on Thursday night.

There will also be scouts keeping an eye on this Kansas squad. The Jayhawks, per usual, have a few names that are percolating in NBA Draft circles. Here are the viable 2024 prospects on the team, ranked from worst to best.

4. Hunter Dickinson is Kansas' anchor on both ends

Kansas senior Hunter Dickinson is destined to one day prove his mettle in Summer League, or somewhere on a two-way contract. He is a classically dominant college big, boasting a 7-foot-1 frame that allows him to score with either force or finesse in the low post. Dickinson won't juke his defender out of the gym with elite footwork, but he displays soft touch on hook shots and floaters.

What should keep NBA teams invested is Dickinson's 3-point shot. He's hitting 35.0 percent of 1.9 attempts per game. Nothing special, but there's enough there to merit confidence in the jumper. Stretch fives who pull rim protectors out of the paint will always have value, especially if they can pass the rock like Dickinson. As a short roll passer or elbow-based facilitator, Dickinson regularly rifles dimes to cutters or open shooters. The zip and accuracy of those passes is consistently excellent.

Where Dickinson falls apart a bit as a prospect is defense. He plays hard and cleans up the glass, but he's not particularly mobile, nor vertically explosive. NBA teams will try to get him guarding out in space, a battle Dickinson will seldom win. He'll get a few blocks because of his sheer size, but Dickinson has a lot to prove on that end if he wants to stick at the next level.

3. Elmarko Jackson is probably due for another season at Kansas

Elmarko Jackson arrived at Kansas as a highly-touted, five-star freshman. He was pegged in the lottery on a lot of early draft boards, but inconsistent playing time and even more inconsistent production has quieted the buzz around the 19-year-old.

Still, there's something there. Standing 6-foot-4, Jackson is without doubt an NBA-level athlete. He explodes down the lane for acrobatic finishes and flashes at the point of attack on defense. Built strong, with broad shoulders and long arms, Jackson could develop into a proper defensive stopper over time.

He needs to work hardest to improve the 3-point shot (28.6 percent). Jackson's success as a slasher will depend on his ability to command respect from NBA defenses on the perimeter. Getting to his spots isn't a problem for Jackson, but he does need to grow as a decision-maker, too. If he wants to thrive as an NBA point guard, he needs to more consistently create for teammates.

2. Johnny Furphy is Kansas' fledgling 3-and-D wing

Johnny Furphy has been rocketing up draft boards since he joined Kansas' starting lineup midseason. At 6-foot-9, it's not difficult to understand why the Aussie wing is capturing the imagination of NBA scouts in such a dire draft class. Absent clear-cut upside plays, teams will gravitate toward the tall shooter who can defend and fit within any scheme.

There are still considerable holes in Furphy's game. He's skinny, and therefore easily targeted on defense. The effort level is there, as is the athleticism to blow up the occasional passing lane, but Furphy is not laterally nimble and stronger wings can plow right through him. So, matchup-wise, he will struggle at the next level, at least early on.

Offensively, teams will buy into Furphy's deep 3-point range and dynamism as a shooter. He is a natural off-ball scorer, with a keen sense of when to cut or relocate along the perimeter. Furphy shows excellent touch on finishes around the rim, although his inability to self-create is a sticking point for skeptics. Furphy is exclusively a play-finisher at this point. There is ample time for growth and development, of course, but he is firmly a work in progress.

1. It's a bummer that Kevin McCullar can't go out with a bang in March Madness

Assuming his nagging injury doesn't develop into a more serious long-term concern, Kevin McCullar Jr. should probably be considered Kansas' best NBA Draft prospect. It's always risky to bank at 22-year-olds in the first round. McCullar has been around the block five times at the college level. He is definitionally a late bloomer, and even at his "advanced" age, there are holes to poke in his game.

McCullar started the season red-hot from 3-point range before cooling off in conference play. He currently sits at 33.3 percent on 4.5 attempts per game — both career-best numbers. Still, hopes of McCullar truly turning the corner as a shooter are dashed. He can certainly hit 3s, and hopefully enough to thrive in the NBA, but he's just not a reliable marksman at this stage.

Where McCullar did improve, however, is his self-creation. The Jayhawks handed the offense over to McCullar this season, with great success. He made strides as a slasher and facilitator, averaging 4.1 assists to 2.5 turnovers. He can run pick-and-rolls, kick off of drives, or operate — perhaps most comfortably — as a connector who screens, cuts, and passes within the flow of the offense.

He needs to make sure the 3-point shot is real enough, but McCullar is a smart offensive player who understands his role and how to play within himself. On defense, he's a stone-cold killer, capable of bullying ball-handlers with his dogged intensity.