Hunter Dickinson, the top player in the transfer portal, committed to Kansas basketball. Why should Jayhawk fans be excited about him?
The No. 1 player in the transfer portal, Hunter Dickinson’s addition immediately makes the Kansas Jayhawks a national championship contender once again. He led Michigan in scoring in each of the three years he spent there and was an All-American in 2021-22.
It cannot be understated how much this means for the program. There are several reasons to be enthusiastic about the acquisition, but some outweigh the others.
These are the five primary reasons Jayhawks fans should be excited for Hunter Dickinson.
1. The tandem of him and Dajuan Harris.
The duo of Dickinson and Harris could be one of the best point guard-big man combinations a Bill Self team has seen. That says a lot for a head coach that has had Aaron Miles/Wayne Semien, Tyshawn Taylor/Thomas Robinson, and Devon Dotson/Udoka Azubuike.
Adding Dickinson makes Harris’ job as the team’s quarterback much easier. Once he gets into the low block, Dickinson is as good as anybody in the country. The Jayhawks will have a much more fluent offense than they did last season.
Watching these two should be a treat for fans all season long. Playing with an elite inside scorer will allow Harris to develop his game tremendously, while Dickinson will receive feeds that result in easy buckets. Pick and rolls with these two will probably be the most drawn-up play by Bill Self in 2023-24.
2. He brings an obnoxious attitude (in a good way) that Kansas severely lacks.
Let’s face it — Dickinson acts like a jerk on the court. There’s nothing wrong with that. He’s animated, talks trash all game, and embraces the “villain” role.
It is EXACTLY what Kansas needed. KU has never been known for having big personalities, and Dickinson is just that. Not only will Dickinson bring KU more national recognition, but his name also could bring other stars to the program.
While some will not enjoy his antics, players like him make basketball much more fun to watch. His lively attitude will ignite the Allen Fieldhouse crowd dozens of times throughout the season.
3. NBA scouts do not view him as league-ready, so he will work his tail off to make it to the pros.
Dickinson made the best decision for his career by coming to play for Kansas and a Hall of Fame head coach. Although he is a terrific player at the college level, he does not have much of a future as an NBA prospect. Playing at Kansas could instantly change that.
Even if KU does not have the pedigree of great NBA players as other blue-bloods, they still boast more than a dozen guys in the league. Dickinson has a much better chance of being an early to mid-second-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Because his professional career is on the line, he will be playing hard as ever to live out his NBA dreams. It is also likely that NBA scouts told him to play at a program like Kansas to develop his pro game further.
4. Bill Self will know how to utilize him to perfection.
Bill Self loves to coach teams with big men like Dickinson. The list of elite centers that have developed under Self is countless. With his elite post-game and inside scoring, he is the perfect fit with the Jayhawks.
Dickinson will be utilized in the low block, in pick and roll situations, and at the top of the key. Shreyas Laddha of The Kansas City Star reported that Dickinson hopes to expand his range and shoot more threes this season. He shot 42.1 percent from deep on 1.7 attempts in 2022-23.
He is the finishing touch to another national title for the Jayhawks. Bill Self’s job will be made much easier by Dickinson.
5. A fifth year is not out of the question.
Is it unlikely? Obviously. But as fans, why not hold out hope for two years of Dickinson? KU can likely offer better benefits with NIL than he would receive in the NBA.
This scenario should not be out of the question just yet. It is also interesting that Dickinson did not declare for the draft this season. What might that entail? Perhaps he loves college basketball and just wants to spend another year at Kansas, especially if they fall short of a national championship, and that is a goal he is striving for.
He played in the COVID year, so just like Dajuan Harris is, Dickinson is eligible for a fifth season. Imagine how good those two would be at 24 years old.