Hunter Dickinson explains why he transferred: 'I got less than six figures at Michigan'

Former Michigan standout Hunter Dickinson has opened up on his reasoning for transferring from the program and heading to Kansas, a decision he said was not an easy one.

On the Barstool Roundball Podcast, Dickinson told the show’s hosts what he was getting in terms of NIL compensation while with the Wolverines.

“The people hating on me would leave their job right now for a $10,000 increase. Ten thousand,” Dickinson said. “I got, at Michigan, less than six figures. I got less than six figures at Michigan for the year.”

NIL was a driving factor in Dickinson’s departure for Kansas, where he’ll join the program that won the 2022 national title.

He’ll instantly provide a major presence in the paint. During his junior season at Michigan, Dickinson played in 34 games and averaged 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.5 steals per game.

He was a do-it-all force on the boards.

But he says his departure for Kansas, money aside, was not an easy choice. He enjoyed his time at Michigan.

“I won’t say anything bad about the basketball program and stuff like that, because I still do love Michigan,” Dickinson said. “I love the school and everything, love the program. That’s why it was so hard to leave. I didn’t want to leave, but I felt like, man, it was the best decision for me.”

In the transfer portal era, moves like Dickinson have become much more common, but they do still come with a bit of a stigma at times.

Dickinson had a ton of friends at Michigan after spending three years there, and that was what he wanted to highlight on the Barstool Roundball Podcast. According to him, his move to leave via the transfer portal was a particularly bold one.

“It took a lot of courage,” Dickinson said. “I feel like people don’t realize how much courage it took for a guy that was there for three years, was an All-American for the team. I did have a legacy there, and I basically gave that up to try to be selfish and do what’s best for me and my career and not what’s best for anybody else’s career.”

Dickinson was an extremely well-decorated player at Michigan.

He was a consensus second-team All-American in 2021, earning that honor from the Associated Press, NABC, Sporting News, USA Today and USBWA. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in both 2021 and 2023.

During his freshman season he was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and also made the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.