Hunter Dickinson reveals why he transferred to Kansas

Hunter Dickinson made waves when he decided to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal on March 31. A little over a month later, the former Michigan star decided that Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks were the best fit for him.

During a live appearance on Rock Chalk Unplugged with Kansas basketball players Mitch Lightfoot & Chris Teahan, Dickinson broke down his reasons for choosing to spend this season in Lawrence. It came down to a few key reasons.

“I think the thing that sold me about Kansas was that it checked all the boxes in terms of having one of the best coaches of all time present, having the history and tradition of Kansas basketball,” Dickinson said. “But also [Self] having that pedigree of developing bigs, so I just feel like it checked all those boxes in that area.

“My biggest thing was that I wanted to go somewhere to win, so why not go to the most winningest program in NCAA basketball history with six national championships? I wanted to develop and coach Self has done great things with big men. … I knew wherever I went was going to be a risk because I was coming into a new environment, but I feel like at Kansas it was less risky.”

The former All-American received interest from the likes of Georgetown, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Villanova and more during his time in the portal, but ultimately, the Jayhawks won the top-rated transfer‘s services for the 2023-24 season.

Even better for Kansas, Dickinson has gotten better in each season he’s been in college. He averaged 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a true freshman before going on to average over 18 points and over eight rebounds per game in each of the next two seasons. By the time he left Michigan, Dickinson’s career average stalled at 17.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.

Joining Dickinson in the transfer portal are SG Nick Timberlake, PF Parker Braun and former Texas guard Arterio Morris. Morris, a former five-star recruit in the 2022 class, averaged 4.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per game last season for the Longhorns, but expects to have an improved role in Lawrence this coming season.

Add that to a recruiting class featuring three four-star recruits in PG Elmarko Jackson and SF’s Jamari McDowell and Marcus Adams Jr., and the Jayhawks are once again expected to be a threat not only in the Big 12, but on a national scale as well.