photo by: Chance Parker

Kansas super senior Kevin McCullar takes part in the Brett Ballard Basketball Camp on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at Lee Arena in Topeka.

Topeka — Watching Kevin McCullar Jr. help out with Brett Ballard’s youth basketball camp at Washburn Wednesday — doling out high-fives, joining with Hunter Dickinson to take on some kids two-on-four in a shooting drill — it’s hard not to think of where else he could have been the night before the NBA draft.

McCullar went through the detailed process of extricating himself from Kansas and declaring for the draft. He had a senior night celebration against his former team, Texas Tech, and a climactic play to seal a narrow win, and everything. But he changed his mind on May 24 and returned to Lawrence for a fifth collegiate season single-mindedly focused on winning a national title.

Nearly a month later, firmly planted back in Lawrence, McCullar seems fully content with the choice he made.

“I’m super excited for this year’s team that we have and what we can do and what we hope to accomplish,” he told reporters at Washburn. “So I’m super excited about my decision. I think I made the right one for me.”

And he said he’s equally eager to see former teammates Gradey Dick and Jalen Wilson get taken in Thursday’s draft.

“I can’t wait to see their names get called,” he said. “It’s going to be a surreal moment, I know they’ve been working for that their whole lives.”

In the meantime, he and Dickinson took part in what the latter called “seeing basketball in a different light” by working with kids at the KU grad and Washburn coach Ballard’s youth camp. At one point, they took a quick moment away from entertaining the future stars of Shawnee County on the court and signed one cast each for a little girl who had two broken legs.

Dickinson, who shortly before speaking to reporters signaled for a foul while watching a 5-on-5 game between campers, said that he enjoyed taking in a “fun atmosphere” at the camp, in contrast to the constant seriousness of college basketball.

“Kids look up to us so much,” McCullar said, “they want to be in the position that we’re in, so just being able to have the platform and being able to do this is amazing.”

New arrivals

Pending any more bizarre twists in the transfer portal or otherwise, the entire Kansas men’s basketball team is now in Lawrence, as Parker Braun is in town and Zach Clemence is back on the roster. That’s good news for Dickinson and walk-on Dillon Wilhite, who have been serving as the only bona fide post players in practice this summer.

“We’re happy that (Zach) and Parker are here now, because we get some subs,” Dickinson said. “We were working with just me and him, we were getting a little tired out there. Obviously (Zach) brings back a lot of shooting, just another guy that knows Kansas basketball, knows the culture, knows what it’s about.”

Braun just arrived but already made a strong impression on McCullar, who called him “athletic as hell.”

“He’s somebody who as a big man can also pass,” Dickinson added. “I’ve seen him make plays for others. I think he’s a guy out there that just is able to play with other great players.”

photo by: Chance Parker

Kansas transfer Hunter Dickinson laughs during the Brett Ballard Basketball Camp on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at Lee Arena.

photo by: Chance Parker

Kansas transfer Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar take part in the Brett Ballard Basketball Camp on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at Lee Arena in Topeka.

photo by: Chance Parker

Washburn University men’s basketball coach Brett Ballard oversees his basketball camp at Lee Arena in Topeka on Wednesday, June 21, 2023.

photo by: Chance Parker

Kansas transfer Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar take part in the Brett Ballard Basketball Camp on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at Lee Arena in Topeka.

photo by: Chance Parker

Washburn University men’s basketball coach Brett Ballard leads his basketball camp at Lee Arena in Topeka on Wednesday, June 21, 2023.

photo by: Chance Parker

Washburn University men’s basketball coach Brett Ballard smiles during his basketball camp at Lee Arena in Topeka on Wednesday, June 21, 2023.

photo by: Chance Parker

Kansas transfer Hunter Dickinson speaks to media at the Brett Ballard Basketball Camp on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at Lee Arena.

photo by: Chance Parker

Kansas transfer Hunter Dickinson speaks to media at the Brett Ballard Basketball Camp on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at Lee Arena.

photo by: Chance Parker

Kansas transfer Hunter Dickinson and Kevin McCullar take part in the Brett Ballard Basketball Camp on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at Lee Arena in Topeka.