What Kansas basketball fans learned from the Hunter Dickinson saga

The Hunter Dickinson saga can be a learning experience for all Kansas basketball fans.

Recruiting Hunter Dickinson to Lawrence was not an easy task for the Kansas Jayhawks. They had to wait over a month for his decision and compete with other blue-blood schools. If he decided to head elsewhere, it would have immediately changed the outlook of next year’s roster.

KU fans were likely stressed out amid all the antics and constant rumors that spread around about Dickinson. However, those who feared Bill Self would not put together a top-notch roster next season were terribly wrong.

We learned (or already knew) that if Bill Self wants something really bad, he will get it. He knew Kansas needed Dickinson to become an instant title contender next season. It was no secret that Self was chasing him on the recruiting trail, as he was willing to do whatever it took to bring Dickinson to Lawrence.

There was never a reason to worry. If Dickinson chose a different school, an alternative would have been found. The Jayhawks would have been fine either way.

Sure, Kentucky recruits the best prospects in the country each year, but where has that gotten them? It has nearly been a decade since they reached the Final Four, and they have had one tournament win in the past four seasons. Other involved schools like Maryland and Villanova do not offer the same prospects as KU.

Dickinson says it was a difficult decision to make, but no school can offer what Kansas does. Fans do not need to worry about our Hall of Fame head coach putting together a competitive roster — he does it year in and out.

Another thing we learned was that Bill Self is out for vengeance. After missing the Big 12 and NCAA Tournament last season due to a heart ailment, he is as aggressive as ever in the transfer portal. Currently, just three players from last year’s team are returning to the roster. The Jayhawks had one of the worst benches in the country in terms of points per game scored, ranking in the fourth percentile of D-I.

The roster is being completely revamped by Self’s coaching staff. They are looking to bring in top-10 recruit Mackenzie Mgbako and another player from the transfer portal. When is the last time ten players from a Kansas team left the program in one season? We are seeing an entirely new version of Self.

Next year’s team will be one of the most hyped-up squads in recent KU history. After not being able to show up for his team in the postseason, Bill Self is hungry to capture his third national championship.