Two KU players were taken in 2022 NBA Draft. Will any Jayhawks be selected in 2023?

Kansas had a pair of men’s basketball players selected in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft, the most picks for KU in Round 1 since 2014, when Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid went No. 1 and 3, respectively.

So how many Jayhawks will be drafted next June, after a prosperous 2022 Draft sent Ochai Agbaji to the Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 14 and Christian Braun to the Denver Nuggets at No. 21?

According to ESPN.com’s Jonathan Givony, two Jayhawks can expect to hear their names called by commissioner Adam Silver in 2023.

Givony believes KU freshman guard Gradey Dick is headed to the Minnesota Timberwolves at No. 18 overall and senior guard Kevin McCullar to the Brooklyn Nets at No. 53 (late second round) in the ‘23 Draft.

Notably missing from Givony’s mock draft is KU fourth-year junior forward Jalen Wilson, who tested the waters and then ultimately decided to return to KU for the 2022-23 season.

“I think there is. No telling who it is going to be,” KU coach Bill Self said after the June 23 draft when asked if there is a chance KU will have players chosen again next June.

“You’ve got to start with Jalen Wilson. He’s gone through it,” Self stated, referring to the draft process. “He shot 26% (from three-point range) this year. If that’s 38% next year he’ll be a first-round pick. I’m confident of that. I think Jalen and Kevin, even though we’ve not coached Kevin yet,” Self added.

McCullar also tested the draft waters, ultimately deciding to return to school. He redshirted his freshman year then played three seasons at Texas Tech before entering the transfer portal and chose KU over Gonzaga.

“Both are guys that made good decisions to come back,” Self said of Wilson and McCullar, “because they probably were not exactly where they wanted to be (in draft). I think we’ll be talking about them as potential first-round picks next year — Gradey and MJ too.”

Self was referring to freshman guards Gradey Dick and MJ Rice.

“I’m talking about the ones who tested and are coming back and can take the big jump,” Self said. explaining his mentioning Wilson and McCullar before the KU freshman duo.

ESPN.com is not the only Website that’s put out an early mock draft for 2023.

Yahoo: This Jayhawk looks like 1st-rounder

Yahoo Sports’ Krysten Peek predicts former Sunrise Christian Academy standout guard Dick will be the last pick of the first round (by Golden State) in the 2023 Draft.

“Dick is way more bouncy and athletic than what meets the eye. On top of that, he can shoot out of the gym,” writes Peek. “He averaged 17.9 points per game on one of the best high school basketball teams in the country. He knows he’ll have to work for that starting slot, but can slide in and help fill the void of Agbaji (No. 14 this year) and Braun (No. 21) next season.”

Yahoo did not list second-round projections at this early date.

SB Nation mentions two Jayhawks

SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell predicts Dick will be taken at No. 22 overall (Toronto), with Wilson tabbed at No. 29 (Memphis).

Sporting News mentions Dick

Eric Fawcett of the Sporting News, which ranked the top 35 picks for the 2023 Draft, has Dick projected to be chosen at No. 14 (by Atlanta) with no other Jayhawk in the top 35.

“For teams looking for shooting in the 2023 draft, look no further than Gradey Dick. Dick was near automatic from deep in high school and he can get to his shot off the dribble or sprint off screens and showcase catch-and-shoot ability,” wrote Fawcett.

“Standing at 6-7, he sees over defenders and shoots as if they’re not even there, and the way he was able to drill contested shots speaks well to his game translating to the NBA level. Right now, Dick is a specialist who hasn’t shown a lot else in his game, but if he can guard his position and occasionally drive in a straight line, he’ll have a long career as a starter.”

CBSsports.com and oddschecker.com did not include any Jayhawks on their lists of the top 14 picks in the 2023 Draft.