Kansas basketball: Comparing Gradey Dick’s season to a former Jayhawk

Gradey Dick has been one of the most impressive freshmen in college hoops. How has he fared compared to other Kansas players?

The fan favorite from Wichita, Kansas, has excelled under Bill Self in the 2022-23 season. He has a fantastic jump shot in his arsenal, using his long frame to grab rebounds and shoot over tall defenders.

Although the season is not yet finished, we decided to dive deeper to see which ex-Kansas players Gradey Dick can be compared to. Names like Lagerald Vick or Svi Mykhailiuk arise due to their shooting ability and length, but there is one guy in particular with some strikingly similar characteristics to Dick.

That specific player is Xavier Henry, who last set foot in Allen Fieldhouse 13 years ago. Dick’s time at KU has been almost reminiscent of his. Although they played more than a decade apart, here are Henry’s stats in his one season and Dick’s as of March 3rd:

Xavier Henry: 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 9.8 FGA, 45.8% FG, 41.8% 3PT, 78.3% FT

Gradey Dick: 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.5 steals, 11.1 FGA, 44.3% FG, 40.6% 3PT, 85.2% FT

All of their counting stats nearly align with one another, besides Henry’s slight advantage in efficiency and fewer shots per game. They are both shooting guards with good size for their position — Henry stands at 6′ 6″, 220 pounds, while Dick is a bit leaner in his 6′ 8″, 205-pound frame.

Some other things that the two players share are how they were both five-star recruits out of high school. Henry attended school just south of Kansas, playing for Putnam City High School in Oklahoma. He went on to play for a loaded KU team that included seven other future NBA players on the roster.

Henry decided to enter the NBA Draft after one season, and he was a lottery selection in 2010 —  the Memphis Grizzlies took him 12th overall. Another year at Kansas would have done him some good, as he was clearly out of place in the NBA as an inexperienced 19-year-old.

All Kansas fans can agree that his departure from Lawrence was premature. The Grizzlies were eager to move on from him for practically nothing after his first season in Memphis due to his highly lackluster performance. He lasted four more seasons in the league with the Hornets and Lakers, never playing again after the 2014-15 season.

Whereas Henry was more of a raw talent when he left for the NBA, Dick is considered more of a polished prospect. NBC Sports’ most recent mock draft has him being selected 11th overall, just one pick away from where Henry was chosen. It is almost a lock that Dick will be a one-and-done at KU.

Hopefully, Dick will have a much lengthier professional career than Henry did. The 2009-10 Kansas team was also bounced in the Round of 32, so Dick’s KU legacy would easily top Henry’s if the Jayhawks could make a deep tourney run this year.