The Kansas Jayhawks entered the year with Hunter Dickinson projected to be an All-American by many. Not only that, Big 12 coaches also selected the 7-foot-2 big man as their preseason pick for Big 12 Player of the Year. It is clear that Dickinson would be making a huge impact on the court this year, but after his most recent announcement, he will now be busy off the court too.
In a recent post on Twitter/X, Dickinson announced that he will be joining the team at CBS Sports HQ to talk about all things college basketball. The polarizing senior will be appearing on the show weekly to provide his insight on the best teams, players, and matchups. On top of all of this, he will obviously still be balling out for the Jayhawks as well.
Really excited to announce I’m going to be joining the team at CBS Sports HQ this season! Each week I'll be joining HQ to talk all things college basketball -- from the best teams, best players, biggest matchups and more.
— Hunter Dickinson (@H_Dickinson24) December 20, 2024
Tune in here: https://t.co/VNyGkW7cSx https://t.co/mNUYRvKR4j
What does this new side gig mean for Hunter Dickinson?
So far this season, Dickinson is averaging a modest 15.6 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 2.6 APG, in addition to a solid 1.4 blocks and 1.6 steals per game (which is by far a career-high). He is shooting 56% from the field, but many of his counting stats have dipped slightly from his first season with Kansas.
One could argue that the dip is simply due to a much better supporting cast of players on the Jayhawks this season, rather than worse play, but Dickinson has had his ups and downs. The most notable downs were his second half flagrant 2 ejection against Duke and his 6-point performance in the loss against Creighton.
At the same time, his ups have been very stellar, such as his 28-point masterclass against Michigan State and his 21/14/7 performance against NC State where he shot 9-for-13 from the field. The last couple of games from Dickinson have been reassuring after a few uninspiring performances in a row, but will this new side gig with CBS be a distraction?
The hope is that this will be a fun opportunity and minor time commitment to the Jayhawks center, which will allow him to still focus on the ultimate goal, a national championship. The CBS Sports HQ platform may also be a good way for Dickinson to boost the college basketball community’s perspective of him.
Dickinson will suit up next for the Crimson and Blue on Sunday, Dec. 22, against Brown in Allen Fieldhouse.