Hunter Dickinson made an appearance on the Rock Chalk Unplugged podcast with former Kansas basketball fan favorites Mitch Lightfoot and Chris Teahan.
Hunter Dickinson, who the Kansas Jayhawks acquired via the transfer portal this offseason, has been very vocal since he arrived in Lawrence. He’s been featured on the Jayhawker podcast with former Kansas basketball superstar Wayne Simien and has spoken on several platforms about his decision to join head coach Bill Self.
His most recent appearance was on Rock Chalk Unplugged, a podcast hosted by Mitch Lightfoot and Chris Teahan. In the interview, he spoke about his conversations with Coach Self, why he joined the Jayhawks, how offseason practices have been, and much more.
For the first time ever, the podcast was held in front of a live audience. Dickinson signed autographs and answered questions from fans once the episode concluded.
Dickinson cited NIL and culture as the two primary motivations for joining Kansas. When discussing his transfer portal experience, the ex-Michigan Wolverine said: “I think winning pretty much solves everything, and you come to a program like Kansas where expectations are always super high; it feels like this year it’s almost like championship or bust with the roster that we have.”
One of the most interesting things from the podcast was how he described his short time with Coach Self. He voiced the clear differences between him and his former coach Juwan Howard, explaining that Self’s terminology and basketball mind are unlike anything he’s ever experienced as a player.
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While Kansas’ team has been gelling for multiple weeks, Michigan begins practicing at the beginning of July. Dickinson stated that practices for the Jayhawks are much more taxing on the body than what he had experienced at UMich. “I remember the first couple of practices I was so out of shape, and I felt like coming in I was in pretty solid shape, but I needed a lot more growth in that area.”
What he has enjoyed most about his time at Kansas thus far is how closely he has connected with the rest of his team. “It’s super unique because it feels like we’ve been playing with each other forever. We kind of clicked super fast with me and Nick (Timberlake) and all the new guys, and then us just gelling with the returning players. It’s felt super seamless.” Once again, he praised the coaching staff for their basketball expertise and how they care for their guys.
Dickinson shared his favorite environments to play in, such as Indiana in Assembly Hall. But what he’s most excited about is to step foot in Allen Fieldhouse for the first time. “I’ve actually looked up videos on YouTube of Allen Fieldhouse and just like the craziness, because I can’t wait.”
“I know that Kansas fans are so crazy about Kansas basketball,” he continued. “That’s why I came here, is to be able to play in front of those fans and try to win some games in front of them.”
To watch the full video of the podcast, click here.
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