Kansas basketball will enter the 2024-25 season ranked No. 1 in the country for the second straight year, largely in part to the contributions of Hunter Dickinson. The super-senior center, who transferred to KU after spending three seasons at Michigan, was a Consensus First Team All-American in his first year in Lawrence.
Entering his final year of eligibility at the collegiate level, expectations are higher than ever for Dickinson. It will be the final chance for him to capture a national title before he goes pro. Earlier this week, the Associated Press released its list of preseason All-Americans, and Dickinson unsurprisingly found himself on the list.
Hunter Dickinson named 2024-25 preseason AP All-American
A tie among voters resulted in six All-Americans being named rather than five. Those include Dickinson, Alabama guard Mark Sears, North Carolina guard RJ Davis, ballyhooed Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, Auburn big man Johni Broome, and fellow Big 12 player Caleb Love of Arizona.
While it was a disappointing finish to the season a year ago, Dickinson did not disappoint during his first season donning crimson and blue. He averaged 17.9 points, a conference-leading 10.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game across 33 starts. The Virginia native holds 2,208 career points to his name and has arguably been the best center in college during the 2020s.
Dickinson is one of the most skilled offensive centers in the nation. Standing at 7-2, 265 pounds, very few big men can match his size in the NCAA. The southpaw is a crafty finisher who can shoot from mid-range or beyond the arc for the occasional jumper. With a new and improved supporting cast, the sky is the limit for him this year.
The accolade is yet another to add to Dickinson’s impressive resume. Jayhawk fans will only get to watch him for a few more months, so they should appreciate his talent now because it will be difficult to replace the production he provides to KU.