Kansas basketball: Way-too-early lineup predictions for the 2023-24 Jayhawks

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Josh: Hunter Dickinson

Kyle and I agree on this one, and I think I can speak for all Kansas fans in saying that no one will dispute this choice. Everybody wants Dickinson to become a Jayhawk. He is the perfect Bill Self player, and despite being listed at 7’1″, 255 lbs, Dickinson can score at all three levels. It would take a long time to write out all the achievements he received at Michigan. He was an All-American caliber player the second he stepped foot on a college basketball court. It can be argued that he is the best player in the transfer portal and one of the best players to transfer in recent years.

Dickinson would be a Dedric Lawson-esque player for Kansas, considering he is a big man that can score at will. The other school that seems to be in play for him is Maryland, which makes sense because he grew up in Virginia. There is no doubt that Kansas can offer more benefits than Maryland could, but the question is if proximity to home means more for Dickinson. The team could rely on Dickinson as their top guy, as he has already been that for a Big Ten school. He is a big personality that would make this Kansas team so much more fun to watch. Dickinson’s dominance in the paint makes up for the lack of shooting in the lineup. This whole list leans on Dickinson becoming a Jayhawk, so if he commits elsewhere, our entire list goes south.

Kyle: Hunter Dickinson

“We need a big guy that can go out and get 20 and 10.” That was a quote straight from Coach Self about a week ago. Dickinson averaged 18.5 points and nine rebounds last season at Michigan. He hit that 20-point threshold in 14 games (with 19 points in four other games) and had 10 or more rebounds in 15 games (with nine rebounds in three other games). He is exactly what Self is looking for, a big man (7’1″ big, to be exact) who can get his own shot. He can also do it from almost anywhere on the floor.

While he took less than two shots from deep per game last season, he hit them at a 42 percent clip. I would like to imagine Self letting him explore that part of his game a bit more, especially with the lack of shooting currently on the roster. If Dickinson came to Kansas and KJ Adams became a viable threat from anywhere outside of the restricted area, those two (plus Ernest Udeh Jr.) would have an argument for the best frontcourt in all of college basketball.