Big 12 Basketball: Breakout candidates from each team for 2020-21 season

Kansas – David McCormack

Sometimes the obvious answer is obvious for a reason.

Udoka Azubuike was a dominant force for the Jayhawks over the past three seasons and was the latest in a long line of great Kansas big men, but his eligibility is up, leaving a hole in the middle of Kansas’ attack. Enter McCormack, who has been waiting for this opportunity since he committed to Bill Self’s program as part of the 2018 class.

The 6-10, 265-pounder was the focal point of KU’s second unit and was most impactful when on the floor without Azubuike. With redundant skill sets and the inability to stretch opposing defenses, playing both for extended stretches hurt Kansas’ spacing and made their offense much less effective. Azubuike was more experienced and dominant, so McCormack only played roughly 15 minutes per game.

However, when he was given the chance, McCormack often delivered and showed flashes of brilliance. His 16-point, seven-rebound performance at Iowa State was certainly a promising outing, as was his 28-point showing in 16 minutes against UMKC.

The rising junior uses his strength to dominate down low and has a soft touch around the rim, making him an offensive threat opponents have to account for in the post. He will help Kansas keep their advantage on the glass as well with his rebounding prowess. McCormack doesn’t offer much outside of the paint and isn’t a great shot blocker, but he’s a load to handle in the paint and Self has proven he can have success with similar players.

McCormack is expected to be one of the focal point of KU’s attack next season – expect big numbers and significant impact to follow.