Bill Self on Hunter Dickinson: 'The most skilled offensive big man I’ve ever had'

Kansas head basketball coach Bill Self issued quite a bold statement about Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson when speaking at Big 12 Media Day this week.

While at the podium, Self was asked about Dickinson’s addition and gave his strong early opinion on the new Jayhawk center.

“He is, I would say, the most skilled and most talented offensive player that I’ve had from a center type standpoint offensively,” declared Self. “From a shooting, aggressiveness, passing, playing out of doubles — he probably is as advanced as anybody I’ve ever been around. And he is, without question, the most equipped to have a big year for a first-year player.”

But, he’s not really a first-year player. Dickinson is a true senior with three All-Big Ten selections underneath his belt, albeit all at Michigan.

“He’s also a fourth-year player,” Self added. “But as a first-year player we’ve never had a freshman or anybody come in and have the same type of, I think, potential to impact us as much as what he does.”

Offensively, Dickinson is almost certain to have a huge year. He averaged 18.5 points on 56% shooting a year ago and was facing notoriously strong Big Ten front-courts. Even if you think the Big 12 front-courts are better, then, well, he’s also getting an upgrade in coaching and the supporting cast while being a year older.

Still, there’s room for improvement for the former Wolverine’s game, especially on the defensive side of the basketball.

“There’s a lot of things he’s got to get a lot better at defensively and guarding ball screens and protecting the rim or the paint and a lot of other things,” says Self. “He’s got to become much better to become whole.”

So maybe Hunter Dickinson isn’t as versatile or dominant as both ends of the court as a guy like Joel Embiid, but Self claims he’s perhaps the best pure offensive center to play under him.

Thinking of the Bill Self centers over the last decade or so, there’s obviously Embiid, who actually wasn’t a big-time scorer in college. Then, Landen Lucas held down the fort at the five for a long time and was always more of a complementary piece.

A few years back, Udoka Azubuike and Dedric Lawson came through. Lawson was probably close to as skilled as Dickinson and averaged 19 points a game in his one year with Kansas, but he was really more of a power forward. Meanwhile, Azubuike was a beast but never possessed the skill which Dickinson does. Even David McCormack, who should have won the 2022 Final Four Most Outstanding Player Award, isn’t quite what the Michigan import is as a polished offensive star.